Social psychological explanations - General evaluation

Question 1

Practical application - to understanding deindividuation

(Positive)

Answer 1

City planning
Making sure streets are well lit and have good CCTV.

SLT - Can be used as an intervention for children who are at risk of aggressive models.

Frustration aggression - Can be used to reduce frustration/provide opportunities for catharsis. (Video games)

Question 2

Research support done in labs only show short term cause and effect.

(Negative)

Answer 2

These experiments show short term cause and effect but fail to show long term and real world aggression.
(Lacks Temporal/Ecological validity)

In real life situations time between observation and imitation are large and may be hard to measure.

Extraneous variables - Children exposed to aggressive models are likely deprived of other things also.
(education - Financially - Nutritionally)

Question 3

Reductionist - Not look at other factors

(Negative)

Answer 3

Does not look at biological factors like genetics or biological processes like serotonin linked to playing a part in driving aggression.

Explanations for nurture may not be a full explanation for why people display aggressive behaviour.

Biological explanations can explain why not everyone who is exposed to an aggressive model becomes aggressive or if they are de-individuated or frustrated.