Comparing Mainstream and Critical Psychology
One of the main divisions between mainstream and critical psychology is that of the methods adopted. Discuss with reference to the cognitive social and at least one other social psychological perspective.
The theoretical perspective of any approach in social psychology governs the methods adopted, which in turn have an affect on the knowledge produced. Using examples from the cognitive social and the discursive psychological perspectives, this essay examines how far it can be said that the methods adopted is one of the main divisions between mainstream and critical approaches. It will conclude that, whilst there are divisions between mainstream and critical social psychology, they are not clear-cut. It goes on to examine further subtleties of aspects of method may create such division.
Cognitive social psychology evolved from a history of behaviourism in the mid twentieth century. It is underpinned by the ontology that people are information-processing individuals, albeit operating in a social context. Cognitive social psychology aims to investigate the thoughts processes (cognitions) of individuals, the main methods of doing this are experimentation and social psychometric testing.
Experiments involve controlled scenarios in which the researcher manipulates the variables they want to test. Social psychometric testing involves questionnaires that are filled in by participants to test their responses to specific questions. Both these provide results that are quantitative, and this is one of the reasons cognitive social approach is valued, as it enables results to be interpreted and communicated to others easily.
They are thus useful to generalise from and validate arguments. Because of this the cognitive social approach has become a benchmark for social psychology research and knowledge, which is why it is considered mainstream.
In this approach it should also be possible to replicate the results under the same or similar conditions, but this is where it runs
The theoretical perspective of any approach in social psychology governs the methods adopted, which in turn have an affect on the knowledge produced. Using examples from the cognitive social and the discursive psychological perspectives, this essay examines how far it can be said that the methods adopted is one of the main divisions between mainstream and critical approaches. It will conclude that, whilst there are divisions between mainstream and critical social psychology, they are not clear-cut. It goes on to examine further subtleties of aspects of method may create such division.
Cognitive social psychology evolved from a history of behaviourism in the mid twentieth century. It is underpinned by the ontology that people are information-processing individuals, albeit operating in a social context. Cognitive social psychology aims to investigate the thoughts processes (cognitions) of individuals, the main methods of doing this are experimentation and social psychometric testing.
Experiments involve controlled scenarios in which the researcher manipulates the variables they want to test. Social psychometric testing involves questionnaires that are filled in by participants to test their responses to specific questions. Both these provide results that are quantitative, and this is one of the reasons cognitive social approach is valued, as it enables results to be interpreted and communicated to others easily.
They are thus useful to generalise from and validate arguments. Because of this the cognitive social approach has become a benchmark for social psychology research and knowledge, which is why it is considered mainstream.
In this approach it should also be possible to replicate the results under the same or similar conditions, but this is where it runs
References: Milgram, S. 1977, cited in Hollway, W. (2007) ‘Social Psychology: past and present’, in W. Hollway, H. Lucey and A. Pheonix (eds) Social Psychology Matters, Milton Keynes, Open University Press. Hollway, W (2007) ‘Social Psychology: past and present’, in W. Hollway, H. Lucey and A. Pheonix (eds) Social Psychology Matters, Milton Keynes, Open University Press. Edwards, D. (1999) cited in Hollway, W. (2007) ‘Social Psychology: past and present’, in W. Hollway, H. Lucey and A. Pheonix (eds) Social Psychology Matters, Milton Keynes, Open University Press. Zimbardo, P (1971) cited on DVD 1, DD307, The Open University Potter, J. and Wetherell, M (1987) cited in Hollway, W. (2007) ‘Social Psychology: past and present’, in W. Hollway, H. Lucey and A. Pheonix (eds) Social Psychology Matters, Milton Keynes, Open University Press. Haslan, A (2007) in DVD 1, DD307, The Open University