Assignment Code: BPCS-188/Asst/TMA/2022

Course Code: BPCS-188

Assignment Name: Applications of Social Psychology

Year: 2022

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Total Marks: 100

NOTE: All questions are compulsory.

Assignment One

Answer the following descriptive category questions in about 500 words each. Each question carries 20 marks. 3 x 20 = 60

Q1. Explain the relationship between applied social psychology with other social sciences. Describe the roles and functions of applied social psychologists. (10+10)

Ans) The relationship between Applied Social Psychology and other Social Sciences is as follows:

Basic Social Psychology and Applied Social Psychology: Basic or fundamental social psychology attempts to investigate the numerous factors that influence human behaviour and associated issues. Social psychologists create theories to explain social phenomena, while applied social psychologists use these theories to solve behavioural challenges and problems.

Sociology and Applied Social Psychology: Sociology aims to comprehend a society's manners, customs, and institutions, as well as their phases of evolution. It's also focused with how people in a society interact with one another. Applied social psychology is concerned with an individual's experience and behaviour, whereas sociology is concerned with the function that an individual plays in society by displaying diverse behaviours. As a result, there is a link between sociology and applied social psychology.

Physiological Psychology and Applied Social Psychology: Applied social psychology is intertwined with physiological processes. Furthermore, human behaviour is a bodily reaction to the physical and social environment, and physiological psychology seeks to understand the nature of all physiological processes, i.e., the functions of all body organs. As a result, the fields of applied social psychology and physiological psychology have a strong link.

Applied Social Psychology and Anthropology: A variety of factors influence human behaviour, and applied social psychology plays an important role in studying how these factors influence human behaviour. Many anthropological studies have attempted to explain why people in a particular tribal community, or even an entire nation, behave in the way they do. The discipline of applied social psychology has been greatly enriched as a result of these results. Socio-psychological theories have also aided in the understanding of the origins of culture, conventions, religious rituals, and so on. As a result, applied social psychology and anthropology have a symbiotic relationship.

Applied social psychology and economics: Applied social psychology develops treatments for humans who are directly or indirectly contributing to the economy, whereas economics deals with contributing elements such as income, expenditure, and the role of economic institutions, among other things. Human behaviour is influenced by these economic forces. Applied social psychologists have attempted to investigate the impact of economic factors such as money on the evolution of human behaviour. Furthermore, since childhood, variables such as poverty and economic deprivation have a substantial impact on the development of behaviour. As a result, economics and applied social psychology are inextricably linked.

Applied Social Psychology and Political Science: Applied social psychologists investigate the impact of psychological elements on leadership and politics. This has aided in the analysis of political behaviour and the variables that make certain politicians good leaders. Political science is a field of study that examines political structures, institutions, and government behaviours. This is accomplished through the combination of political science and applied social psychology.

Geography and Applied Social Psychology: Applied social psychology aims to use psychological concepts to improve relationships between people from various societies. Geography, on the other hand, is an applied social science concerned with the study of places and the relationship between people and their surroundings. As a result, in order to develop a positive relationship between people and the environment, we must first strengthen interpersonal interactions. As a result, applied social psychology and geography are inextricably linked.

Applied Social Psychology and Linguistics: Because language development and proficiency in multiple languages have a significant impact on interpersonal interactions, applied social psychology attempts to interpret the impact of a variety of factors that may influence language development since childhood as well as the desire to learn a new language. Linguistics, on the other hand, is the scientific study of language and its structure. It looks at how languages are formed, what they signify, and how they are used in society. As a result, linguistics is a field that greatly aids applied social psychologists in comprehending the impact of language growth and learning on persons.

Q2. Describe the various research methods used in applied social psychology. (20)

Ans) The various research methods used in applied social psychology are:

Field Study Research Methods

The field study method is one of the most important research methodologies used in applied social psychology. In this type of study, the researcher investigates numerous behavioural elements in a natural situation rather than in a laboratory setting. The researcher cannot directly change the environment in field experiments. It's a non-experimental research design in which the researcher focuses on factors already present in the environment. They arrange, evaluate, and perform studies from which conclusions about behaviours, social attitudes, values, and beliefs can be drawn. The goal of the study approach is to watch, interact with, and comprehend individuals in their natural surroundings.

Field Experiments

A field experiment is based on real-life scenarios, such as people shopping at a supermarket. Another significant distinction between field and laboratory investigations is that in a field experiment, the participants/individuals are unaware that they are taking part in research, therefore they act more naturally and assist the researcher in gathering more real data. This research approach enables the researcher to investigate the consequences of policy-related actions in a variety of sectors, including health, education, crime, social welfare, and politics. This strategy allows the researcher to change conditions and deliver interventions that have consequences for a wide range of samples and contexts.

Naturalistic Observation Method

The researcher uses the naturalistic observation approach to watch the actions of the participants in their natural setting without being detected by them. Without manipulating any factors or conditions, this strategy aids in obtaining more genuine, natural, and normal information. The researcher does not intervene in the participants' behaviour and instead tries to observe their likely or predicted behaviour in their natural setting.

Survey Research

Survey research is a descriptive research approach that is one of the quantitative methods used to study a bigger sample. It is a non-experimental method. In a survey study, the researcher collects data using standardised questionnaires or interviews that are given to a random sample of people from a population. The survey research method is one of the applied social research approaches that may be used to collect data through both direct and indirect observation.

Archival Research

Many times, researchers or social psychologists rely on existing materials to get an understanding of human behaviour, and this type of research is referred to as archive research. Genuine records from decades and even centuries ago contain a plethora of information that social psychologists can exploit. Using real-world data, archive research is utilised to examine a wide range of hypotheses. Social psychologists have recently benefited from the study of social media posts, which has provided them with massive amounts of data. Such information can be gathered without cost or time limits. Various sources can be used to obtain written records and related materials.

Correlational Research

It is a non-experimental research method in which the researcher attempts to investigate the relationship between variables. He or she determines the variables that have a strong enough relationship that a change in one causes a change in the other. This study strategy can assist psychologists in determining the existing relationship between an individual's current pattern of behaviour and several other variables and characteristics.

Q3. Explain the techniques used in sampling method. (20)

Ans) The techniques used in sampling method are:

Probability Sampling

Because of randomization, it is also known as random sampling. It is a sampling approach in which each element of the population has an equal probability or chance of selection.

1. Simple Random Sampling: In this method, any unit, element, or individual in the population has an equal chance of being chosen. To give an example, if we choose 25 students from a class of 60, each has an equal chance of being chosen at 1/60. The random sampling technique is the most extensively used of all the methods for selecting samples, and it is often regarded as the best. This method ensures that every unit has an equal chance of being chosen, and that this selection is free of any personal bias or preference on the part of the researcher.

2. Stratified Sampling: This method employs both purposeful and random sampling techniques. We partition the total population into subsets based on their homogeneous character, then choose elements from these subsets using random sampling. As a result, this is a mixed sampling method. When the population can be separated into subgroups based on similar traits, this technique can be used.

3. Cluster sampling occurs when the entire population is divided into clusters or sections, and then randomly selected portions are picked. A specific cluster's units or members are all surveyed. These clusters can be identified based on age, gender, geographic location, and other factors.

4. With the exception of the initial element, we chose the items methodically rather than randomly in this sort of sampling. These elements are chosen at a predictable interval in the population. All of these items are sequenced first, with each having an equal chance of being chosen.

5. Multi-Stage Sampling: This method combines two or more of the methods described above. The overall population is divided into several clusters, which are then further divided and grouped into multiple subgroups or strata depending on common traits. The researcher can then choose a single cluster or many clusters from each stratum at random, and this procedure will continue until the cluster can no longer be fragmented.

Non - Probability Sampling

The non-probability sampling method is commonly employed in research that aren't interested in total population parameters. Some researchers choose this method since it is simple, rapid, and inexpensive.

1. Tourists adopt a method called convenience sampling when they are travelling. They interact with a few people they meet, transact with them, and then form a perception based on this, which they then generalise to the entire population of the country or state. This method has no scientific credibility and is referred to as a "hit or miss method."

2. Deliberate sampling is another term for purposeful sampling. This strategy gives the investigator the discretion to select the sample of his or her choice. From all of the data, a few items are picked and studied. The investigator is completely free to select any item that he or she believes will adequately reflect the entire data set or the entire population.

3. Referral/Snowball Sampling: When a researcher is fully unfamiliar with the population, he or she selects one element or individual and asks for a reference or recommendation of additional individuals whose features he or she can explain to meet the sample's needs. Because the sample size continues to grow when additional recommendations are added, this is referred to as a snowball technique.

Assignment Two

Answer the following short category questions in about 100 words each. Each question carries 5 marks. 8 x 5 = 40

Q4. Differences between applied and social psychology

Ans) The differences between applied and social psychology are:

1. An inductive technique is used in applied psychology to analyse and understand a social problem. Social psychology use empirical methods to "analyse and explain how the actual, imagined, or implied presence of other human beings influences the ideas, feelings, and behaviour of individuals."

2. The primary goal of applied psychology is to devise a strategy or intervention to address a specific problem. The purpose of social psychology is to understand cognition and behaviour in their natural setting, but simply watching individuals can affect and change their behaviour.

3. The goal of applied psychology is to tackle practical societal problems. Individual health and well-being are improved through the use of social psychology, which includes regulating aggression, eating disorders, and strengthening therapeutic interactions.

Q5. Assumptions/Tenets of social learning

Ans) The assumptions/tenets of social learning are:

1. Vicarious Reinforcement: This refers to the learning of a behaviour by observation of the behaviour and the consequences of that behaviour. When an individual sees their role model earn a reward, they are inspired to mimic the behaviour as if they had received a reward themselves.

2. Modeling is a process in which we learn by imitating and observing others. Vicarious reinforcement, on the other hand, is the learning of a behaviour based on anticipating the consequences of other people's behaviour.

3. Reciprocal Determinism: Reciprocal determinism states that while the environment influences an individual's behaviour, the environment is also influenced by the individual's behaviour. As a result, both the environment and an individual's behaviour have an impact on one another.

Q6. Differences between attitude, opinion and belief

Ans) The differences between attitude, opinion and belief are:

1. An attitude is a collection of feelings, beliefs, and behaviours directed at a certain object, person, thing, or event. An individual's perspective, understanding, specific feelings, ideas, and desires can all be described as an opinion. Beliefs are defined as an individual's convictions about a certain item, person, thing, or event.

2. The emotional judgement of a person or item is referred to as attitude. There is no emotional judgement of a person or an object in an opinion. Emotions can arouse certain beliefs, prompting people to act in a particular way.

3. The way one responds or carries oneself in society is referred to as one's attitude. Any person's viewpoint on a person, item, or society is called an opinion. A person's belief is their faith or confidence in another person, an object, or society.

Q7. Social problems with reference to India.

Ans) The social problems with reference to India are:

1. Dowry: From a feminist psychology standpoint, this system has an impact. Dowry has been linked to domestic violence against women, dowry deaths, abuse, exploitation, torture, and threats of violence, among other things.

2. Caste: People who are subjected to caste discrimination are marked by taboo, hereditary transmission of lifestyle, endogamy, and a struggle to exist. The caste system, on the other hand, has a significant impact on mental health, leading to low self-esteem, low confidence, and a lack of desired placement or employment.

3. Religion: Different religious faiths, gender inequality, and diversity accused by society on the basis of religion are causing certain social difficulties.

4. Language is a method of meaningful communication that is utilised to comprehend the concept of words. The importance of communication between individuals and their social context is the focus of social psychology of language.

Q8. Health Belief model

Ans) In the 1950s, social psychologists Hochbam, Rosenstock, and others working in the US Public Health Service developed the Health Belief Model to detect sickness. The Health-Belief Model is a scientific method that many academics and scientists use to forecast an individual's behaviour. It can be interpreted as a personal threat from a sickness or as a forewarning of impending illness. It is human nature not to take any preventive measures until they are aware of the consequences of not taking any illness prevention or health precautions. The willingness of a person to take substantial action to reduce the chance of contracting diseases, such as using a 'condom' to prevent HIV infection, quitting smoking to prevent lung cancer, getting vaccinated for infection, and so on.

Q9. Mental health problems

Ans) The psychological status of a person, including their behaviour, emotions, thoughts, and feelings, is described as a mental health problem. Stress and incorrect brain function, as well as human behaviour and thoughts, are linked to poor mental health. A mental health problem is commonly defined as a bad state of health or a person's mental and emotional state deteriorating. Feelings of loneliness, sadness, anguish, suicidal ideation, self-injury, death of close relatives, breakups, relationship failures, panic attacks, depression, hypomania or mania, phobias, learning disabilities, and other mental illnesses can all be signs of mental illness.

Q10. Social design

Ans) Lighting, noise disturbances, temperature, and other elements can all influence our behaviour. As a result, as social psychology students, we must likewise pay attention to this facet of social behaviour. The fundamental focus of social design is on how settings might be built to fulfil the desires and needs of individuals. Technical design, or the engineering details of a building, is distinct from social design. Social design is "small scale, human focused, low cost, inclusive, democratic, inclined to appropriate technology, and concerned with meaning and context, the occupier or paying client, and a local focus," according to Guilford.

Q11. Applications of social psychology to community.

Ans) The Applications of social psychology to community are:

1. nterdependence and attachment to other members of the same group are the most important aspects of a feeling of community.

2. Individuals are influenced simultaneously by different systems such as microsystems, organisations, and macrosystems, therefore any issue or problem must be examined at various levels from an ecological viewpoint.

3. Prevention of difficulties and promotion of well-being.

4. Diversity is respected.

5. It's about social fairness.

6. Collaboration and the power of the community

7. Citizens' participation and empowerment.

8. Taking social action and effecting social change.

9. Empirical foundation: This focuses on research and empirical methodologies that can be used to examine social concerns and problems, as well as devise appropriate treatments to alleviate them.