implications on the economy Flashcards
(4 cards)
intro
• How members of society produce, share and consume goods and services.
• Implications refer to the ability to interpret findings in terms their value, strengths and weaknesses for achieving success.
• The context of the economy can help portray a clearer picture of how people’s behaviour is affected, in positive or negative ways, in the real world.
implications
• Psychological interventions and research often have far-reaching effects that are not readily quantifiable.
• For example, psychological interventions used to treat mental illness could enable someone to recommence work after a period of absence.
• Additionally, in the long-term, successful treatments may help the individual be less likely to relapse.
• Therefore, the psychological research into psychopathology has implications for the economy in terms of increasing lost tax revenues through salary contributions and limiting costs to the Government through reducing the need for incapacity benefits.
examples
Attachment research into the role of the father-
Attachment research has come a considerable way since John Bowlby first asserted that a child can only ever form a secure and lasting monotropic bond with its mother (see page 84). Thus, at the time Bowlby was writing, childcare was seen as a mother’s responsibility, and hers alone, whilst the father was free to carry out his ‘natural’ role as provider for the family.
More recent research suggests that the father may fulfil a qualitatively different role from the mother. Crucially, this role is no less valuable in the child’s upbringing.
Psychological research has shown that both parents are equally capable of providing the emotional support necessary for healthy psychological development, and this understanding may promote more flexible working arrangements within the family. It is now the norm in lots of households that the mother is the higher earner and so works longer hours, whilst many couples share childcare responsibilities across the working week. This means that modern parents are better equipped to maximise their income and contribute more effectively to the economy.
The development of treatments for mental disorders -Absence from work costs the economy an estimated £15 billion a year. A recent government report revealed that a third of all absences are caused by mild to moderate mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety and stress (The Telegraph 2014).
Psychological research into the causes and treatments of mental disorders therefore has an important role to play in supporting a healthy workforce.
In Chapter 5 we looked at treatment of mental disorders. Patients are able to be assessed quickly and gain swift access to treatment. Many conditions are treated through the use of psychotherapeutic drugs such as SSRis for depression and OCD (see page 156). Antianxiety drugs are used for stress conditions.
Referrals can also be made by GPs for psychotherapies such as systematic desensitisation (see page 148) or CBT (see page 152). Individuals can also engage in self-treatment using similar methods.
This means that, in many cases, people with mental disorders are able to manage their condition effectively and return to work. Thus, the economic benefit of psychological research into disorders such as depression is considerable.
Example answer
Social influence research helps us to understand how it is possible to change people’s behaviour: for example, understanding how to persuade people to eat more healthily. With reference to this example of social change, explain how psychology might affect the economy.
Possible Answer Content:
- Social influence research tells us how behaviour and attitudes can be changed: eg how minority influence can be exerted or how people tend to conform to perceived norms (orreference to any other relevant social influence process).
• In this case, the resulting change of eating more healthily means that people should be more healthy.
• Economic implication: eg saves health service / care resources; means less time off work sick.
