Social Psychology

What is social control?

Social control is trying to change the behaviour of another individual.

How can understanding obedience lead to social control?

(AO1)

Maintaining a stable society is a useful form of social control. Therefore understanding factors affecting obedience can help prevent unacceptable control of others.

How can understanding obedience lead to social control?

(AO3)

In Milgram’s original study 65% of participants delivered the full 450 V shock when instructed to be an authoritative figure and 100% of participants shocked up to 300 V. This shows understanding a figure of authority can elicit control over others can cause them commit actions they wouldn’t usually do which is social control.

How can understanding prejudice lead to social control?

(AO1)

Motor social psychology can also be used any helpful way to understand how prejudice occurs and methods can be put in place to reduce prejudice

How can understanding prejudice lead to social control?

(AO3)

Sherif study found that the use of superordinate goals can help groups in conflict work together and reduce outgroup hostility where they feel super to another group. They found this when the Eagles and rattlers fixed a water tank together displaying significantly less hostility. Therefore, social psychology can be used for social control in the helpful way to reduce prejudice in society.

Counter for prejudice - for 12 marker

(AO3)

However, these strategies may not always work because social identity theory proposes that the mere existence or another group will illicit prejudice meaning we cannot use social control to create a stable society. Alternatively the knowledge of why prejudice occurs could lead to deliberately increasing prejudice behaviour between groups.

Judgement

Overall the use of social psychology in social control can be judged as more useful as it provides tools for leaders to use to increase harmonious interactions between sub groups society