Zusammenfassung der Ressource
The use of psychology in social control
- Social control refers to the way people are regulated for societies sake.
- Drug therapy
- Mental disorders are
frequently controlled by the
use of drugs. Clozapine is an
atypical antipsychotic used in
schizophrenia improves
delusions and hallucinations
but the side effects can be
serious, eg. lowered white
blood cell count
- In theory, someone has
the choice of whether or
not to take drugs for
their mental disorder.
There is an issue of
power and a doctor is
likely to be seen by an
individual as having
power so when they
suggest a treatment, it is
likely the treatment
would be accepted.
- Systematic desensitisation
- In other therapies the
therapist has power and
the person with the
phobia is likely to defer to
the therapist, which
means there can be a
form of control.
- Asks the person with the
phobia decides the
hierarchy. They can dictate
the pace of the therapy.
This therapy is praised for
giving control to the
individual however, the
therapist is the person in
the position of power in
the situation.
- Aversion Therapy
- In the therapy the
therapist has
control. The person
is made to face
their fear and to
stick with it until it
subsides, not
because the person
is no longer afraid
but because the
reaction cannot be
maintained. There
could be abuse of
the therapy because
it could be used to
stop behaviour that
society does not
want even if the
individual doesn’t
want to be treated.
- Social control through obedience to authority
- Through studies such as Milgram,
psychology has found out about
which situations are likely to
improve obedience to authority.
- In some situations, you might say that
society needs control, such as over
rioting, which has costs for a society. In
other situations, you might say that
social control goes against individual
freedom and is wrong. There might be
differences in what is seen as good and
bad about social control depending on
cultural norms and beliefs.
- Studies
- Geddes et al 2003 Drug
treatment for depression
showed a relapse rate of
18% compared to 41% for a
placebo group. Supports the
claim that drug therapy is
effective for the individual
and if the relapse rate is
low, it sounds as if people
are being helped. Drug
therapy is not focusing on
social control but on helping
individuals.
- Rosenhan 1973 They
were prescribed
medicine which
suggests there was
an attempt to
control their
symptoms.
- Pavlov 1927 Showed that behaviour can
be manipulated so that a product
becomes a conditioned stimulus that give
the conditioned response. Manipulation
can be a form of social control.
- Watson and Raynor 1920 Their
study did not show social control
but it did show control over the
young boy it demonstrates classical
conditioning can involve
manipulation. Shows classical
conditioning principles works on
humans.