Description
Critically review and evaluate how social psychology has attempted to explain the following topic. Your work should be guided by the following critical questions.
• Aggression or Violence: Can social psychology alone offer a sufficient explanation of Aggression or Violence?
Remember, this is not an essay on the area, rather an attempt to evidence a research-informed, critical discussion about whether social psychology can help us explain contemporary issues.
Approach to consider
• The critical question then becomes your essay title and the answer that your essay should be addressing e.g. if you choose substance misuse as your contemporary issue, your essay should assess the question, Can social psychology alone offer a sufficient explanation of substance use/mis use?
• Begin by briefly giving an overview of the extent of the problem in question
• Provide a good introduction. This should introduce the reader to the area of interest/issue you have chosen. You should then use this section to sign-post the reader as to what the critical question is that your essay will address and how you will address this.
• Each paragraph should link back to the question so that it is clear what the point of that section is, and the relevance of the text
This work is not asking for a descriptive essay on a particular topic area! This should be a critical analysis of the relevant theories and research presented by social psychology.
Analyze/ critique the research and theories in the area and assess whether this means that social psychology offers a good explanation of the area/issue you have chosen. Consider whether other areas of psychology may offer a better/different approach.
• Include a conclusion paragraph that summarizes the points you have made and give the conclusion you have come to (in respect to the question that you have set yourself).
Points to consider:
-Outline and evaluate/critique relevant theories in relation to your chosen area – what do social psych theories tell us about the contemporary issue you have chosen?
-Critique the methodologies used to support said theories
-Assess the extent to which other / alternative approaches are more useful at explaining the issue in question or is a combined approach best?
