The Social Area

Question 1

State the principles of the social area.

Answer 1

The main influence on our behaviour is other people (either immediately present or whose presence is implied or believed).

Question 2

State some concepts of the social area.

Answer 2

• Conformity
• Diffusion of responsibility
• Bystander effect
• Responses to authority
• Responses to people in need
• Simpatia culture
• Whistle-blowing
• Arousal-cost reward model

Question 3

State 3 applications of the social area.

Answer 3

1. CCTV to deter crime (people act differently when they know they’re being watched).
2. Managers/teachers to wear formal clothing / act sternly to get obedience from others.
3. Companies to have an app or website to allow employees to blow the whistle on unethical practices anonymously.

Question 4

State 3 strengths of the social area.

Answer 4

1. Can help us understand the causes of historical events.
2. Has practical applications.
3. Research is often highly ecologically valid when field experiments are used.

Question 5

State 3 weaknesses of the social area.

Answer 5

1. Research can lack controls on extraneous variables.
2. Research can be ethnocentric.
3. Research can get out of date.