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(2008, 2600 words)
The paper examines the role of an interactive community in the psychological development of a child reviewing the research of Piaget and discussing the psychological discursive theory, psychoanalysis and the theories explaining societal constructs that a family unit should consist of. External factors that develop one's understanding of the family are considered highlighting the importance of the child's integration into the community.
(2006, 2000 words)
The paper argues whether an individual’s social identity determines their behaviour within a crowd reviewing academic opinions related to the crowd psychology, or “group mind”, the social identity theory, etc. Examples of crowd dynamics are given including the French revolutionary crowds, the 1980 St. Paul’s riots in Bristol, etc. The factors governing the behaviour in a crowd are discussed.
(2006, 2000 words)
The paper examines the socio-psychological value of the TV programme “The Experiment” that compares high status and low status groups’ (‘prisoners’ and ‘guards’) characteristics. Theoretical and empirical approaches to social identity, conflict, aggression, conformity, etc. are discussed; the validity of TV simulations is argued.
(2006, 1500 words)
The paper examines the issue of classifying psychological disorders defining the meaning of ‘classification’, describing DSM-IV classification system for psychological disorders, highlighting the importance of classification in clinical psychology, reviewing the scepticism about its negative effects and reflecting on the changes in historical and cultural interpretations of ‘normality’ and ‘abnormality’.
(2006, 1500 words)
The paper examines cultural and psychological attitudes towards ageing defining the concept of ageism and arguing whether the disabling effects of aged-based prejudices are more harmful than the actual process of aging. The issues of ageism are discussed including age discrimination in the workplace, the prospects of raising retirement age, the role of society in self-identification of elderly citizens, etc.
(2006, 2500 words)
The paper examines the concept of social facilitation, or enhanced performance in the presence of competitors and audience. A psychological test is conducted to examine the effects of competition on participants comparing the results of cycling in competition and cycling alone. Conclusions are made about competition as a factor in social facilitation.
(2006, 1500 words)
The paper examines the concept of prejudice offering its definitions, comparing it to attitude, and reviewing the opinions of social psychologists about the cognitive mechanisms of spontaneous categorization, the social dynamics of human society, the existence of social inequality, institutional support of prejudices, etc.
(2006, 2500 words)
The paper examines the concept of attitude seeking to assess its usefulness in socio-psychological studies. Definitions of attitude are provided supplied with an overview of academic opinions on the measurements of attitude, scales of attitudes, attitude structure, etc. The issues of behaviour prediction are addressed.
(2006, 2000 words)
The paper examines the risk factors associated with delinquent behaviour reviewing academic studies on youth exposure to violence, predictions of persistent delinquency, socio economic, biological, individual and other risk factors, intervention treatments, etc.
(2006, 2500 words)
The paper examines the concept of ‘compulsive buying’ discussing in the context of traditional buying and reviewing academic opinions on the causes and gender aspects of addictive consumption, the features of consuming society, etc.
(2006, 1800 words)
Emotional intelligence could be described as a comprehensive form of intelligence involving social and psychological aspects and shaping interpersonal relations that encompass the rich diversity of human life. The concept of emotional intelligence however faces many controversies especially with regard to its validity as a scientific tool. This study analyses the theoretical perspectives of emotional intelligence highlighting the problems in contemporary understanding of EI considering several research studies and shows the possible future directions of research.
(2006, 2000 words)
The paper examines the role of essentialist and non-essentialist theories in understanding psychological issues of gender. Literature related to gender studies is reviewed including the theory of biological determinism, Freudian theory of personality development, cognitive-developmental theory, feminist theory, etc.
(2006, 1000 words)
The paper examines the correlation between obedience and cruelty reviewing the experiment conducted by Milgram and discussing its ethical issues.
(2006, 3000 words)
The paper investigates the roots of deviant and criminal behaviour critically reviewing sociological and psychological theories of deviance, namely, the labelling theory that explains deviance through individuals interaction with society, the theory of subcultures by Parker, the structural strain theory by Merton, the theory of conformity, etc.
(2005, 2000 words)
The paper examines the aims and functions of advertising discussing its effects on different people and the roles it plays including marketing, communication, economic and societal. Theories on advertising are reviewed highlighting its positive and negative aspects; examples of adverts are given to illustrate psychological manipulation through creating unnecessary desires, anxiety, false symbolism, etc.
(2005, 3000 words)
The paper looks at cosmetic surgery as a body consumption practice revealing its social and psychological motivations related to the significance of appearance in modern society, the role of marketing and advertising images, the need for self-armouring and self-expression, etc. Theories related to the role of body in consumer culture are reviewed.
(2005, 2500 words)
The paper examines the sociological and physiological roots of organizational purchasing showing its difference from individual purchasing and discussing the main drivers and motivations of consumer behaviour. Relevant theories are reviewed including those by Freud, Maslow, Pavlov, Skinner, etc.
(2006, 3500 words)
The paper examines the issues of stress within the workplace seeking to understand where pressures come from and what benefits can be provided by stress management. The notion of stress is investigated on the basis of discourse theory, work physiology and social constructionism.
(2005, 8000 words)
The paper examines psychological and commercial aspects of advertising as marketing communication reviewing literature on the nature of memory and outlining the implications of memory transience, absent-mindedness, blocking, misattribution, suggestibility, bias and emotional charge for advertising. The challenges of the international advertising are outlined; an overview of world advertising agencies is given; the issues of globalisation vs. localisation related to advertising are addressed.
(2005, 2000 words)
The study deals with the phenomenon of violence in general and also performs an analysis of this social phenomenon in South Africa. It begins by describing the ways though which violence is spread out in modern societies and further on it examines the exposure to violence of South African adolescents. Finally, the results from this exposure are stated, while some case studies on the phenomenon are mentioned. The report finishes by some simple suggestions for the prevention of violence in societies.
(2005, 1000 words)
The paper examines attachment styles in parent-child relationships seeking to understand whether these styles are reflected in adulthood in other forms of relationship. The influence of external factors on the change in attachment patterns is discussed.
(2004, 1200 words)
This paper examines cognitive dissonance, a theory put forward by Leon Festinger, to explain how behaviour can affect formation of attitudes. His study is examined, as well as others which support and refute his theory. Other theories put forward are also critically analysed, in the process of deciding how effective cognitive dissonance is as an explanation of certain behaviours.
(2005, 9000 words)
The paper addresses the issues of stress related to police work. The types, levels and consequences of stress within the police force are identified and compared to those in other professions. Public opinion about police officers is discussed on the basis of qualitative psychological analysis interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) and discourse analysis (DA). Conclusions are made about the advantages and limitations of each research method.
(2005, 2200 words)
A brief history of the biological approaches to the study of homosexuality is given, and consideration to the way that ideas from the nineteenth century are still visible today. This is followed by an insight into how the social constructionist stance has contributed to an alternative understanding of homosexuality. It is important to note that the way in which homosexuality is studied has real consequences for the way that homosexuals perceive their sexual identity. Thus, consideration is briefly given to how these different approaches affect lesbians' perceptions of their sexuality.
(2005, 2200 words)
The question is discussed in more specific relation to mentally disordered offenders as this is a clear example of the application of a label, it's functions and the assumptions and effects it may have. Implications for offenders involved in the Criminal Justice System at the pretrial, trial and sentencing stages of criminal processing are discussed. The negative implication of labelling and assumptions behind various labels are discussed throughout.
(2005, 1300 words)
This essay explores, critiques, and analyses a number of psychological explanations of the phenomenon of crowd behaviour. It explores the theories of LeBon, Freud, the deindividuation hypothesis, the emergent norm theory and Reicher's Social Identity approach. It also explores the empirical evidence and the methodological problems of studying a crowd.
(2005, 2000 words)
This essay questions whether the processes of minority and majority influence can be understood by a dual-process of single-process model. It explores Moscovici's dual-process model, Latane and Wolf's single process model, and Turner's self-categorisation model. It examines available empirical evidence as well as theoretical evaluations of the theory.
(2005, 2800 words)
This essay explores the relationship between Freud's concept of sexuality and his interpretation of unconscious processes. Within this framework, the essay details Breuer's influence, the development of his model of the unconscious, the psychosexual stages of development, the making of the super-ego and his theories of sexuality. It draws a number of these elements together with Freud's famous theory of the dream.
(2005, 1600 words)
'The Mask of Sanity' (H. Cleckley 1988), this study focuses on a male patient named Stanley and discusses Individuals with an Antisocial Personality Disorder show a lack of concern toward the expectations and rules of society and usually frequently become involved in at least minor violations of the rules of society and the rights of others. A popular term for this type of individual is "sociopath". Although the diagnosis is limited to those persons over eighteen years of age, it usually involves a history of antisocial behaviour before the age of fifteen. The individual often displays a pattern of lying, truancy, delinquency, substance abuse, running away from home and may have difficulty with the law. As an adult, the person often commits acts that are against the law and/or fails to live up to the requirements of a job, financial responsibility, or parenting responsibilities. They tend to have difficulty sustaining a long term marital relationship and frequently are involved in alcohol and drug abuse. (DSM IV 301.70) The focus in this report is a case study from his experiences and responses presented in a number of therapy sessions he had with Cleckley (see appendix) and Cleckley's response and interpretations but There is no actual diagnoses at the end of the study.
(2005, 1600 words)
Nature vs. Nurture has been a long-standing debate since the 17th century. It refers to the degrees in which a person's natural 'nature' and the human experiences 'nurture' influence persons' physical and behavioural traits. It is crucial to begin by understanding and specifying what 'nature' and 'nurture' actually is before contemplating analysing and assessing this in depth debate. Nurture historically referred mainly to the care given to a child by their parents, also environmental factors (non-genetic) would class as 'nurture' also. Although 'Nature' on the other hand, refers to the biological state i.e. molecules, genes, atoms and everything else that biologically builds the human body and brain. It all began when the French philosopher Rene Descartes held out the notion that humans posses certain inborn ideas which eventually underpin peoples approaches to the world they are born into. On the other hand two English philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke had a more empirical idea emphasising that the role of experience fully contributes to behavioural development. So many great minds have worked on this debate for over 300 years and so many different views and opinions have been put forth from Nativist or 'Naturist' who believe we are all born with a certain capacity to perceive the world in particular ways, and Empiricist or 'Nurturist' who perceive that all our knowledge and ability is acquired through experience. That is, they are learned. The aim of this essay is to look into a variety of different theories from different fields of psychology, from cognitive, biological, developmental and critically assess the issues involved.
(2004, 2500 words)
The focus of this test evaluation exercise is the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI; Bem, 1981). According to Sandra Bem, who is currently a Professor of Psychology and Women's Studies at Cornell University, New York, this inventory was specifically designed for "empirical research on psychological androgyny" (the integration of feminine and masculine characteristics within a single individual), as well as for counselling on gender issues
(2004, 2000 words)
Measuring instruments are used extensively in many areas of psychology. In most cases, especially when attempting to measure attitudes, beliefs, opinions, etc., such instruments come in the form of psychological scales and tests. Attitude research in particular, has occupied a central position in social psychology for a relatively long time. Many studies have focused on investigating the variables that influence attitude formation and change and also the effects of attitudes on different behaviours (Mitchell, 1941; Rundquist & Sletto, 1964).
(2005, 3000 words)
The paper investigates the impacts of psychological science on mental and behavioural processes in society. The origins of psychology and the basic psychoanalytic theories are outlined; the status of psychology as a science is argued. The problems of enhancing mental and physical health are addressed from the perspective of human values defining the role of psychologists in improving the quality of life.
(2005, 5000 words)
The paper investigates the psychological aspects of prejudice arguing that culturally learned stereotypes are pre-consciously activated in subjects with both, high and low prejudice levels. Various approaches to stereotypes in psychological literature are reviewed (Devine; Bargh; Macrae, Milne and Bodenhausen; Lepore and Brown; Moscowitz, etc.). The author contends that changes in the perceivers social environment lead to changes in the stereotypes, and that implicit prejudice is not inevitable, but can be reduced by training.
(2004, 1300 words)
The paper provides an insightful critical evaluation and appreciation of the major competing trait theories of personality: R.B. Cattells 16-Factor model, W. Normans the Big Five, most influential alternative of two dimensional theory by Hans Eysenck and McCrae & Costas 5-factor model. The discussion is focused on the descriptive and explanatory evaluative issues of the theories.
(2004, 3500 words)
The modified replication of Bettencourt & Humes (1999) experiment investigates whether individuals cognitive representations of social identity differ in content from the representations of their personal identity. The results showed differences between participants qualitative descriptions of their social and personal identities. Traits and emotions were more often listed in personal identity representations, which is inconsistent with the results of the original study. Similar to Bettencourt & Humes (1999) results, values, affiliations and other membership were more often listed in social identity representations.
(2002, 1100 words)
The physiological impact of sport on the human body is discussed focusing on the biological differences between men and women
(2004, 5000 words)
The paper is devoted to the philosophic, psychological and economic aspects of the notion 'quality'. It looks at the basic models explaining the criteria for quality in service, namely, the Servqual (Service Quality) model which measures expectations and perceptions, the GAP models which make it easier to see where things can and do go wrong, the Kano and the Expectations models that show the needs and influences in expectations of the customers. The paper seeks to understand the difference between customer satisfaction and quality. The paper concludes that quality is subjective while customers' needs are mostly objective. The need for market research is outlined and the significance of price for customers' satisfaction is highlighted.
(2002, 2500 words)
Work Psychologists, with their expertise in mental health measurement and statistical and research design issues, together with their understanding of organisational behaviour and the psychological effects of unemployment and occupational stress, have an important role to play in advising policy-makers on how to promote a psychologically healthy and productive work (and non-work) environment for all of people.
(2003, 2100 words)
At their recent annual conference the Liberal Democrat party announced that they would be campaigning for legislation to ban the smacking of children. The paper evaluates the psychological evidence with respect to this issue
(2002, 1500 words)
This research report investigates the relationship between gender stereotyping and perceived I.Q. Included is a brief discussion regarding past experiments and then moves on to look at the results of the data collected specifically for this report. In conclusion, the report found that based on the data collected gender stereotyping in favour of males continues even in this day and age.
(2003, 1600 words)
The paper critically reviews the article: 'The Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race in American Psychology' by Betancourt H & Lopez S.R (1993)
(2003, 1400 words)
The paper presents a critical review of the article 'Lesbian and Gay Psychology: A Critical Analysis' by Kitzinger, C. (1997)
(2003, 2000 words)
This paper bases the argument of the previous studies in the field of work-related stress and critically analyses the opinions of other writers on this subject matter.
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