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Psychology in a Socio-Political Context (Societal Changes that Affect…
Psychology in a Socio-Political Context
Societal Changes that Affect Psychological Research
Society & psychology creates a
bi-directional movement
- when one moves, so does the other --> psychology wouldn't exist if
society didn't need it
- but it does
The Western World would be much different without psychology
1. Industrialisation & Immigration
High population in cities of poor & working class --> huge influx of
immigrants to USA
Many are
illiterate
or don't speak English - impoverished conditions
Advocates of
evolutionary theory
suggest immigrants & people with mental disabilities or criminals had
undesirable heredity
--> less biologically fit --> innate & unchangeable (supposedly)
Eugenics
- pioneered twin studies --> improve knowledge on the
breed of man
- played a major role in US society
If you could 'breed man' --> social woes would lessen
Eugenics became more popular - less so after the proposal that immigrants be
sterilised
(& others) --> to improve mankind - e.g. prostitutes & criminals as well
However, immigrants were needed to
industrialised the country
--> social psychologists like Freud & Pavlov were attracted to the movement as it focused on
social experience
& not everything was innate & unchangeable
They wanted to give an argument
against eugenics
- no need to sterilise, want a diverse society
2. Material basis for natural phenomena
Emerged towards
end of 20th Century
--> Animal experiments
Increasing interest in researching brain behaviour --> new measuring methods
Explain
feelings, thoughts & behaviours
3. The Cold War & Computers
USSR & USA dominated
international affairs for ages
Alleviate possible soviet strikes - money spent on developing games to stimulate conflict to process competitors moves
Birth of
cognitive science
Feeling & emotions aren't as significant as
verbal statements & response times
= measurable
4. Mothers in the Work Force
1950 = 40% working
2000 = 78% working --> during & after WW2
Divorce rates rose --> impact on children's psychological development
Bowlby's attachment studies --> infants need mother's care to develop - innate need to attach
Young child needs
continuous care
for at least 2 years (from most important carer)
Maternal deprivation --> long term consequences
5. Influence of Statistics
Social scientists fraught with
ethical & political motives
--> too objective
Threatened from
national science foundation (NSF) funding source
Some social psychologists argued
human behaviour study
could be as objective as the study of
atoms, rocks & insects
(physics & biology) --> psychology was then included in the NSF
6. Influence of Physics & Universal Laws
Physics over the centuries gave it
eminence
Easy to record - no need for elegant instruments
Behavioural studies =
less obvious & regular
Physics used
maths
to answer Q's about
seasons, tides, the Universe etc.
--> psychologists aimed to emulate this technique
History of Intelligence Testing
Segregation in USA = Socio-political
Goddard:
Used test in other contexts:
Regular students
Immigrants
Recruitment
'Moron' coined
Intelligence due to one gene --> "If parents are unintelligent, so will the children - this mating shouldn't be allowed" - Goddard
Prevent 'morons' from bringing population to a rudimentary state
Binet
France (Binet) used intelligence testing for
good
- to help children learn --> USA - sometimes racist & faced a tide of cheap labour
Compulsory primary education
Education tests - identify who needs more help
Scores to help not define IQ
Identify learning disabilities
Stanford-Binet Test
Test to find superior people - added tasks & questions