1st Learning Outcome
Outline principles that define the sociocultural level of analysis.
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If you are asked on the exam to explain the above question, below is an example on how
to tackle down this question in the breakdown of an intro., body, and conclusion as would
any other essay.
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First and foremost you must begin with stating what will be answered. In other
words, you must restate the question in your own words.
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Defining Sociocultural Level of Analysis
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It is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings and thus
behaviors are influences by actual, implied or imagined presence of
others.
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The scientific study of individuals and groups in social and cultural
conditions
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How we think, feel and thus act in the presence of others
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And thus how this presence of others affects our behavior
State the principles
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Ex: This essay will be depicting a summary of the sociocultural principles of
analysis.
There are four overarching principles of the SCLOA
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Principle 1: Humans are social animals and have a self
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Principle 2: Culture norms dictate behavior
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Principle 3: Humans have a need to belong
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Principle 4: People's views of the world are resistant to change
and developed by the community and culture
Purpose of the Principles
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These principles are the main ideas that have driven focused research on
specific areas of how our environment can influence our behavior in the
SCLA.
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They also allow us to understanding how behavior can be caused or
influenced by social factors.
In the following essay the following principles will further be outlined
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“The social and cultural environment influences behavior.”
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“We build our social self through our conceptions.”
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State principle
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Sociocultural psychologists believe that social and cultural environment
influence behavior.
Use liable examples with thorough support with the principle.
For Example:
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This supports the idea of having social and cultural environments
affect behavior.
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Culture can be defined as the norms and values that tell us who
we are as a society.
Research into conformity outlines social norms and also how, in the form
what is considered standard behavior forms our social behavior and
interactions.
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In a Social and Cultural Environment: you go to a dressing
room to try on your clothes-meaning you cover yourself
because society says you have to
Conformity: strong situational influences cause us to put our own
beliefs, values and morals to the side in order to fit in and be
accepted by our social world.
This principle is further supported by research conducted by Asch (1951)
Connection of Study to Principle
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A study that demonstrated conformity
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This study thus shows that our social and cultural environments may affect us thus
result in conforming to a group or social norm
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May result in a change in behavior
Significance of the principle
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Thus, because of the multicultural society we live in today; where is a
need to understand the effect of culture on a person’s behavior, because
the study of culture may help us to better understand and appreciate
cultural differences.
State principle (in starting a new paragraph one must always begin with the principle)
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A second principle the SCLOA assumes is that we build our social self through our
conceptions.
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This social self is how we construct our social identity and is also dependent on the
types of groups that we belong and identified with.
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These identities reflect the influence of society on oneself and have been
seen to extensively affect our behavior.
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Building who we are around our culture and environment (studies have
shown that 'norms' considered in one culture may be completely opposite
in another).
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This principle gives rise to the fact that people not only have an individual identity
but also a social one. (this is the one we display to the world)
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Likewise our social identity is important as it defines who we are and these
behaviors are determined by social groups (such as memberships, communities,
clubs, nationality or family).
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A study that supports this principle is Zimbardo et al. (1995).
Connection of Study to Principle
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(Stanford Prison Experiment) Showing that our social self is constructed by our
own conceptions i.e. the role we play (prisoner or guard) and thus we will act in a
way that fits with these roles.
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There are overall 4 main principles that define the Sociocultural level of analysis
although only two principles were used as follows:
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Social and cultural factors affect behavior
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We construct our individual and social self through our role in society
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Zimbardo (1995) as he showed that our conceptions of a prisoner and
guard will affect the way we behave towards them
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Asch (1951) showing how our social group may affect our
behavior
Introduces authority
But we should not exclude the other principles in determining a decision on what
influences human behavior, as sociocultural factors such as the environment are
not the only cause of the behavior, but certainly play a role in the interaction
between itself and behavior.