Here a quick notes that I've typed up for anyone taking OCR AS psychology.
There are 6 approaches to the studies:
1. SOCIAL APPROACH:
Assumption of the approach: Our behaviour, thought process, and emotions are influenced by the people around us, how they behave, and their characteristics.
How the approach explains Milgrams Study: The social approach can explain obedience by demonstrating the power of legitimate authority even when the command requires destructive behaviour. In Milgrams study, he showed that normal American citizens can carry out lethal electric shocks to strangers simply because they were told by an authoritative figure- a University Professor. Milgram concludes that the social process of obedience can lead normal people to do abnormal things.
How the approach explains Piliavin et al's Study: The social approach helps understand the helping behaviour by examining the social process of the cost-benefit analysis and the characteristics of the people involved. Piliavin et al shows that an individuals decision to help another person would depend on the likely benefits (e.g. feeling good, possible rewards) and the likely costs (e.g. violence, unpleasant experience) - the results of the cost benefit analysis would determine the decision whether to help or not. The characteristics of the person also influences the decision, with race significantly affecting the likelihood of helping.
How the approach explains Reicher and Haslams Study: The social approach can help explain the relationships in a prison by highlighting the effects of social processes of group identification and power. Reicher and Haslam show that the group identity of the prisoners and the guards led to conflict, and that the power given to the guards and the lack of power of the prisoners created conditions of tyrannical regime.
