Psychology and social control
How psychological knowledge is used in issues of social control
Describe issues related to the use of psychological knowledge as a means of social control and
assess ethical and practical implications of such control. Issues should include:
i use of drug therapy
ii token economy
iii classical conditioning
iv influence of the practitioner in treatment/therapy.
There are a number of situations where psychological knowledge and techniques are used to modify
or control people’s behaviour. In some cases this is useful particularly if these behaviours put others
at risk for example violent behaviour or paedophilia. However these techniques can also be used in
other contexts where they raise concerns about ethics and personal freedom.
Social control: regulation of other people’s behaviour for social purposes.
Amongst the numerous ethical issues raised by the use of these techniques are the following
questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Who should have the power to control someone else’s behaviour?
When is the use of these techniques of control appropriate?
Who should be controlled?
What means are appropriate to control someone else’s behaviour?
Drug therapies and social control
Drug therapies such as Prozac can be very helpful to people suffering with depression in
reducing their symptoms thus allowing them to live a relatively “normal” life and reducing
the cost of keeping the sufferers in institutions. However are the drugs an “easy” option
when other forms of treatments are available and might be more effective.
Research the side-effects of Prozac
What alternative treatments are available for the treatment of depression?
Read the article “Antidepressant prescribing soars”, why are the prescriptions for
antidepressants increasing?
Antidepressant
prescribing soars.docx
What are the advantages of drug therapies compared with the use of alternative treatments?
Token economies and social control
You have studied token economies as a treatment for schizophrenia patients within institutions. It is
also used to treat sufferers of anorexia.
Describe token economy
Who has the power to control someone else’s behaviour?
When is the use of token economy appropriate?
Who is controlled? Have they got a choice?
Is the use of token economy appropriate to control someone else’s behaviour? Can you think of
examples when token economy might be inappropriate?
Token economy is also used in everyday life
Explain how some supermarkets use token economy and to which aim. What are the
ethical issues raised?
Classical conditioning techniques and social control
For example Systematic desensitisation and Aversion therapy
Aversion therapy is a form of psychological treatment based on classical conditioning.
UCS (antabuse)
UCR (vomiting)
UCS + NS (alcohol)
CS (alcohol)
UCR (vomiting)
CR (vomiting)
Antabuse is an emetic (causes vomiting)
Describe aversion therapy
Who has the power to control someone else’s behaviour?
When is the use of aversion therapy appropriate?
Who is controlled? Have they got a choice?
Aversion therapy and homosexuality
Read “when Gays were cured”
When Gays were
cured.docx
How was the use of aversion therapy for homosexuality justified?
Would it be justified in the case of paedophilia?
The influence of the practitioner in therapy and their role in social control
You have studied Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) in Clinical Psychology. NICE, the National
Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommends CBT for treatment of mild to moderate
depression.
Give a brief outline of the CBT
How can the therapist exert control over his/her client?
Is there potential for misuse of this control?
Psychodynamic therapies are also recognised as moderately successful in the treatment of some
mental disorders.
Stretch and Challenge task : Research how and when psychodynamic therapies are used.
Read the case below and Fresh evidence on 'false memory syndrome'
Fresh evidence on
false memory syndrome.docx
In Missouri, a church counsellor helped Beth Rutherford to remember during therapy that her father, a
clergyman, had regularly raped her between the ages of 7 and 14 and that her mother sometimes helped
him by holding her down. Under her therapist's guidance, Rutherford developed memories of her father
twice impregnating her and forcing her to abort the foetus herself with a coat hanger. The father had to
resign from his post as a clergyman when the allegations were made public. Later medical examination of
their daughter revealed, however, that she was still a virgin at age 22 and had never been pregnant. The
daughter sued the therapist and received a $l million settlement in 1996.
What issues are raised by the use of psychodynamic therapies?