The Social approach
Milgram (obedience)
Reicher and Haslam (prison)
Piliavin (helping)
Assumption
1. All behaviour occurs within a social context.
2. Behaviour of an individual is influenced by others and society.
Strength of social approach
Demonstrates the extent to which
situational factors affect behaviour
Demonstrates the power of
interpersonal factors and group
membership
Field studies have high ecological
validity
Investigates issues which are highly
relevant to society.
Weaknesses of Social Approach
Research can often be unethical
Laboratory studies can have low
ecological validity
Demand characteristics can be high
May be dependent on culture, society,
historical context, etc
Example
Milgram showed the power of authority
Reicher and Haslam – how an artificial
situation became so real that tyranny
was beginning to emerge and some Ps
were breaking down. Nice guard(s)
found it difficult with unpredictable
prisoners.
Piliavin – some Ps helped only after
somebody else had.
Piliavin’s experiment was conducted on
a subway train so Ps are not aware they
are in an experiment. No demand
characteristics.
Obedience to authority affects
everybody at every level every day of
their lives – Milgram.
Example
Milgram causing some Ps to have a
nervous breakdown and they leave the
experiment realising that they are
capable of killing somebody.
Milgram’s obedience may not
generalise to the real world, E.g. where
you would be certain that you could kill
somebody and would be held
responsible.
R&H prison is not like this.
Reicher and Haslam prisoners felt they
were expected to buck the system and
guards being kind because millions are
watching on TV.
Piliavin – more helping behaviour
(altruism) in the sixties or in American
culture. Black people accepted in
today’s society.
Milgram – more respect for authority in
the sixties.
Studies
Similarity
Milgram and Reicher and Both artificial lab
Haslam
experiments.
At some point
participants get upset in
both experiments.
Participants were selfselecting samples replied
to advert in the press.
Milgram and Piliavin
Piliavin and Reicher and
Haslam
Both took place in the
Sixties when society may
have had more respect for
authority; more obedient
and more helpful than it
is now.
Both have Ps influenced
by somebody working for
the experimenter.
Both have ethical
problems.
Both looked at helping
behaviour – Piliavin
helping a collapsed
stranger and R&H
demonstrated the extent
of helping within a group
in order to achieve a
common goal.
Both stick to the
observational ethical
guidelines; Piliavin
observes in a public place
and R&H get permission
and is checked by ethics
team.
Both looked at people in
groups.
Difference
Milgram studied
individuals, one
participant at a time
whereas R&H studied
group processes.
Milgram is unethical and
R&H tries to be ethical.
Milgram Ps do not know
what is going on whereas
R&H are fully informed.
Milgram used a
laboratory environment
and Piliavin used a reallife setting, so ecological
validity may be higher in
Piliavin’s research
Piliavin went into the real
world to conduct a field
experiment where
participants did not know
they were taking part in
an experiment. R&H
used an artificial setting
where Ps knew they were
being watched. (also
Demand Characteristics –
low in Piliavin, high in
R&H).
Both used observations
but R&H backed these up
with self-report and
physiological tests,
whereas Piliavin did not.
Describe one similarity and one difference between any social approach studies.
(6).
3 marks description of similarity is accurate and has elaboration. Understanding
is good.
3 marks description of difference is accurate and has elaboration. Understanding
is good.