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.

Important to note that you need to assess two main implications:

1. Ethical2. Practical

So, remind yourself what the difference is…..

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the lesson you should be able to describe what we mean by social control

• You will be able to identify at least 2 techniques have been used to control people and their behaviour

• You will be able to describe one practical and one ethical implication of social control

• Social control Social control is the term given to the regulation of people’s behaviour for social purposes.

The different approaches in psychology have led to different techniques of social control

• Social control includes social mechanisms that regulate individual and group behaviour, leading to conformity and compliance to the rules of a given society or social group.

• Many mechanisms of social control are cross cultural, if only in the control mechanisms used to prevent the establishment of chaos.

There are two basic forms of social control1. Internalisation or norms and values2. the use of sanctions which can be either

positive (rewards) or negative (punishment)

• There are a number of situations in which psychological knowledge and techniques are used to alter or control people’s behaviour….think of an example

• Some are uncontroversial as we tend to agree that certain behaviours need controlling – can you think of an example?

• Others raise issues of personal freedom …..eg?

TYPES OF POWER

• French and Raven (1960) identified– EXPERT POWER– REWARD POWER– LEGITIMATE POWER– COERCIVE POWER– REFERENT POWER

Complete worksheet

SOCIAL CONTROL• social norms and customs

– define us as a society or culture– Keep us in control to an extent– and If you go against social norms it is considered ‘abnormal’ or ‘deviant’

Remember the deviation from social norms definition of

abnormality?

Discuss in groups…. Be ready to share ideas…

• WHO should have the power to control someone?• WHEN is control appropriate?• WHO should be controlled?• WHAT means are appropriate to control someone?

STOP

DRUG THERAPY

•Do drug addicts have a choice?•Consider the

•Ethical issues•Practical issues•Power of the therapist

• A trained professional administers drugs when a patient undergoes drug treatment. This person controls how much of the drug and which type an individual should receive. They will monitor the progress of their patients to determine whether the drug is right for them

• Someone addicted to a drug can be given a substitute that has fewer side effects and this can help them to come off the drug. E.g. Methadone is used as a substitute for heroin.

Make comments on the following points explaining why it is an issue of social control and/or identify who has the control

  Why is this an issue of social control?Who is in control?

TYPE OF POWER

If applicable 

Methadone is used as a substitute for heroin and similar substitutes are being developed for other recreational drugs

   

Society views drug misuse as unhealthy and in some cases illegal 

   

Drug treatments are developed through experimentation on animals 

   

Drug treatment is time-consuming and invasive 

   

The addict needs to make a commitment to attend counselling and move away from peer group

   

Individual chooses whether to attend the treatment sessions

   

 

Individual is put on treatment programme as a condition of a court case

   

Many addicts return to their usual environment  

   

Some treatments where drugs are used as therapy such as Antipsychotic drugs 

   

Tasks for Drug therapy

• Research Prozac and its side effects• Read article “Anti-depressants soaring” -

why are the prescriptions for anti-depressants increasing?

• What are the advantages of drug therapy?• Ensure in your notes you have info on:

• Ethical issues• Practical issues• Power of the therapist

TOKEN ECONOMY

• Behaviour is managed using operant conditioning principles and tokens are given as rewards for desirable behaviour. The tokens are then exchanged for something the individual wants.

•Can people change?•Consider the

•Ethical issues•Practical issues•Power of the therapist

  Why is this an issue of social control?Who is in control?

TYPE OF POWER 

Behaviour management involves identifying which behaviour is desirable/undesirable

 

TEP is used in cases when an individuals behaviour is considered socially undesirable

 

Rewards are often items regarded as extras such as watching TV

 

Some individuals have a mental disorderStaff have to be trained and must stick to the same reward systemTEP might work in one environment but not in anotherProgramme may not be properly supervised

 

Tasks for Token Economy

• There are questions in your packs – pg 22 – some of these cover what we have already done (who has the power to control) – ensure you have info to answer all those questions…

• Interesting question about supermarkets using this!

• Again ensure you have considered:• Ethical issues• Practical issues• Power of the therapist

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING• Systematic desensitisation is used to treat phobias. It

uses classical conditioning principles as someone learns to associate a previously feared object or situation with a relaxation response instead of a feared response.

• Aversion therapy also used CC principles to help people

stop smoking or give up drinking

•Can people change?•Consider the

•Ethical issues•Practical issues•Power of the therapist

  Why is this an issue of social control?

Who is in control?

TYPE OF POWER

Individuals in prisons and other institutions may be pressured into such treatment or made to feel they can’t refuse

 

Aversion therapy is used to help people stop smoking or using alcohol

 

 Systematic desensitisation works.Someone being conditioned to avoid alcohol would still need to drink liquids without feeling sickClient and therapist need to build a relationship

 

Tasks for Classical Conditioning / Aversion therapy

• Ensure you have info relating to the questions on pg. 22 / 23

• Read “when gays were cured” article– How was the use of aversion therapy ever

justified?– Would it ever be justified in the case of

paedophilia?

THERAPY and the PRACTITIONER

•Do patients have choices?•Consider the

•Ethical issues•Practical issues•Power of the therapist

• Drugs, CBT, Psychotherapy, token economy etc are all forms of social control.

• The therapist has the power and is perceived by others as having– legitimate power - (therapist is agent of society to shape desired

behaviour)– Expert power – (expert in the field)– Reward power (token economy)– Referent Power – the client wants the therapist to ‘cure’ them

Tasks for therapy and the Practitioner

• Answer the questions on pg 23 of your pack

• Research how and when psychodynamic therapies are used with mental health patients

• Read the case study of Beth Rutherford (next slide and pg 23)– There is also the “false memory syndrome”

article”– What issues are raised here?!

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 l4 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. A medical examination of Beth Rutherford revealed 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.

RECAP ~ Which areas that we have studied in AS/A2 raise concerns about

social control?

• Take a card• What practical and ethical issues are raised?• Who has the power?• Is it appropriate?

Drug therapy Token

Economy

Systematic desensitisation

Cognitive Behaviour

Therapy

Assertive Community

Therapy

Media Influence

Anorexia Aversion

Therapy

Methadone Maintenance Programme

You can read more about the issue of Social Control in

•The Angles Text book P216-218

•The Brain text book P349-353