Social Psychology in Systems of Science and Knowledge - Coursework Example

Place of Social Psychology in Systems of Science and Knowledge Social Psychology is one of the most studied branches of Psychology. It the branch of Psychology that deals with personality issues, life’s motivations, factors that contribute to the behaviour of both an individual and groups of individuals as well as social interactions are concerned. It generally seeks to explain the relationship between a person’s thoughts and behaviour on one hand, and the presence of others, on the other hand. It actually studies the mutual, if not symbiotic, relationship between an individual’s social status and other people’s perceptions. The perceptions may depend on sensitivity to the presence of other social actors such as friends or peers. Social psychology focuses on the belief systems and attitudes of a person, and even the functioning of both micro and macro groups. The dynamics of personal interactions are also taken into consideration (Sharma and Sharma 4). Social Psychology borrows broadly from scientific knowledge, and has a very close relationship with purely scientific disciplines. Both scientific knowledge and Social Psychology aspects are available naturally. No public phenomenon exists independent of Psychology since all laws are largely brought to existence through social actions. Social interactions involved have unique forms of communication, for instance, dialogues. To effectively understand these forms, one definitely needs psychological knowledge. Moreover, our present age of development literally depends on the social life, a life characterized by unexpected changes. The investigations on these can be found in the fields of demography, mechanized production, education and mass media. There is also the fight against unethical behavior and all spheres of social life. This supports the claim that theoretical knowledge in Social Psychology is attained through practical forms of investigation (Lewin). In Social Psychology, just like in any other science, there is the use of research to find solutions to societal problems. It provides practical recommendations, informed with an active network of scientific knowledge, tightly tied to particular subjects with unique theories and research methodology (Social Psychology Journal). There has been a great debate on whether or not Social Psychology is a science. This has pushed both psychologists and critics to great limits, to give their bold stands on this matter. Of much interest to my topic, in question, is what psychologists say to prove it is a science. Most of them say that, since psychological research is done and published, and that it has all the characteristics of a reliable scientific research, it is, therefore, correct to say that Psychology is a science (Lutus). Scholars relate the Scientific Research criteria to the methodology employed in Social Psychological research. They argue that, in attempts to explain questions on social behaviour, Social Psychology employs hypothesis testing, whether in the lab or in the field. Importance is also given to not only sampling but also research design and statistical analysis. Moreover, research findings are published in journals, which are thoroughly reviewed by fellow psychologists. The journals include: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, among others. Some of the findings are also published in journals for general science, for instance, Psychological Science, and Science (Kidd 245). In addition, Social Psychology makes good use of empirical methods. Here, the social psychological researchers may alter one of the variables and measure the effects of this on another variable in question. The researcher may decide to study the level of violence in the modern world among teenagers; who watch horror movies and read Gothic novels. These may be observed alongside those who use child-friendly texts and movies. Their level of violence is then observed when they are playing together. There is also use of correlational methods, which are used to investigate the statistical connection between two variables, which happen naturally. For example, the number of horror movies they watch over the weekend and that of incidences of violence in school over the next week (Buunk et al. 6). Social Psychology also uses observational methods, which are not only purely descriptive but are also naturalistic. The observations are sometimes participatory, a factor which makes it even easier to use ethnomethodology at the analysis stage, if the researcher so wishes. This form, though, is seldom used: the researcher joins the children in the playing ground, perhaps, and interprets behavior from the children’s perspective. These researchers may also use controlled experiment if possible. Here they manipulate one or a number of independent variables to see the effects they have on the respective dependent variables. These experiments are crucial since they give believable internal validity, free from strange influences. This way, the accuracy of a causal relationship cannot be in doubt (Lutus). Since it is not possible to test the whole population of interest, these researchers also use samples, just like in a scientific research. This makes them to easily use survey research, which generalizes on the dynamics of the population. The type of sampling used is random sampling, and the research is usually descriptive since it deals with human behavior, a trait that cannot be conceptualized scientifically. The researchers also utilize statistics and probability testing to interpret their outcomes. The results are not arrived at by chance, and to prove this there is replication as a test for validity (Asch 32). Scientific research is controlled by ethics. The same happens in Social Psychology. The ethics help researchers to avoid deception of any kind. The super objective of social psychology is to get a deep knowledge on cognition and social behavior, where they take place naturally in a social setting. Ethics prevent researchers from manipulating the findings and influencing the observations whatsoever. They also protect the participants from finding themselves in embarrassing situations. They also ensure that there is informed consent on the part of the informants (Buunk 29). To show the place of Social Psychology in system of science and knowledge, I will highlight some of the commonly studied researches on this topic. The first one is Asch’s Conformity Experiments. In this research, Asch seeks to show the power of conformity in various small groups. 75% of the participants agreed with the majority. This is despite the fact that the majority verdict was openly wrong (Asch 34). Another research on Social Psychology is by Albert Bandura, namely, Bobo doll experiment, in which he explored how aggression can be acquired through imitation. The experiment also aimed at revealing the dangers observers of violent media face, as aggression is concerned (Bandura et al. 579). How, then, is social psychology important to the society? This question must be addressed to address to understand the relationship between social psychology and scientific knowledge. To me, Social Psychology is informed by scientific knowledge and vice-versa. Like other social science, Social Psychology seeks to solve societal problems (Buunk et al. 29). The main contribution of this discipline is its contribution to solving problems of deep psychological concern. The findings can also explain why people behave the way they do. We come to understand behavioral qualities of life, which cannot be captured statistically. For instance, in 1920, Allport made a study on the topic Social Facilitation. This study clearly explained how the presence of others affects our behavior. Actors were found to perform so well before an audience, when doing what they had deep knowledge about. The reverse was seen in cases of lack of preparation. This was a concept, which could only be captured in this kind of research, despite its importance (McLeod). We also get some interesting revelations in Bandura’s Social Learning Theory of 1963. The study gives us important findings on how to model behavior, especially in children. His study shows that giving rewards to those who have behaved well can motivate others to actually imitate them. This is a finding, which is still important to-date. Another study was by Tajfel and Turner in 1971- Social Identity Theory, which shows the importance of belonging to a group, and how it gives a person a sense of identity. It also shows the importance of priding in one’s group, as a way of building a healthy sense of self-esteem. This discussion would be unfair if it failed to consider a theory made in 1986 by Weiner- Attributions Theory. This theory clearly shows the place of social psychology in the society as it also tackles an important matter, but which can only be explained psychologically in relation to social life. The theory clearly explains where we can get explanations for our successes and failures. It suggests that behavior can best be explained in the social world, not by natural science (McLeod). However, detractors of social psychology still feel that it does not fully qualify as a science due to the weaknesses in the methodology employed in its social research. They also wonder the means by which social psychologists intend to remove people from their setting and again solve the dilemma of staying in their natural group. Another shortcoming they identify is the fact that there is no explanation on the best method for carrying out research in social psychology (Kidd, 192). No serious scholar in this field or a related one would attempt to ignore the debate on the place of social psychology in system of scientific knowledge. The debate is quite interesting because at the end of it all one realizes that both proponents and detractors of social psychology have a point. Despite its evident limitations, social psychology still stands out as a very important field of study for those who wish to get more insight on human behavior and social interactions. Works cited Asch, S.E. Opinions and social pressure. Scientific America, 1955. Print. Banduras, Albert et al. “Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models.” Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 1961. Buunk, A.P. et al. Applying Social Psychology: From problems to solutions. SAGE Publications, 2007. Print. Lewin, K. Field theory in social science: selected theoretical papers. New York: Harper and Row, 1951. Print. Lunchins, A.S., Lunchins E.H. Revising Wertheimer’s seminar: Problems in social psychology. Buckwell University Press, 1978. Print. Lutus, Paul. “Is psychology a science?” 2009. Web. November 11, from McLoed, Saul. Social Psychology. 2007. Web. November 11, 2011 from Kidd, Robert F. Perspective of social psychology. Routlage, 1980. Sharma, Rajendra K. and Sharma Rachana. Social Psychology. Atlantic Publishers and Dist., 1997. Print. Read More