Social Area

• Social Area Principles

  • All human behaviour occurs in a social context
  • Our relationships with others influence our behaviour and thought processes
  • Situations we are in influence our behaviour
  • Other people and the environment influence our behaviour and thought processes
• Social Area Strengths

  • Everyone is affected by obedience, tyranny and helping behaviour (Real-life relevance)
  • Uses both laboratory and field settings (Good range of research methods)
• Social Area Weaknesses

  • We need to take responsibility for our actions (Social determinism)
  • Participants are often deceived (Ethical issues)
  • The more relevant to real life, the less ethical
• Social Area Key Themes

  • Responses to people in need
  • Responses to people in authority