Critically discuss the usefulness of the three individual visions(TM) of social psychology.

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Critically discuss the usefulness of the three individual ‘visions’ of social psychology.

This essay discusses the three individual ‘visions’ of social psychology and the usefulness in understanding Leonard L. a 46-year sufferer of a special form of Parkinson’s disease.  This illness had left him completely speechless and without voluntarily motion.  With the administration of L-Dopa, a miracle temporary cure, allowed Leonard a brief period of re-awakening, before he was led on a path of self-destruction by the irreversible effects of that experience.  I shall draw viewpoints of each vision and relate them to the written account of Leonard, through Dr Sacks perspective.

The Experimental social psychology vision is a scientific approach reliant on objective discovery and control, though an intellectually rigorous methodology.  It is purely scientific, qualified through objective actions, which assuages that social behaviour must be quantified through observable, describable and measurable events.  Events driven by causation, that provoke an effect.  

Leonard was physically disabled not mentally disabled but still placed in an institution and diagnosed using a fixed medical model.  Although his prognosis was a rare form of Parkinsons disease incurred as a result of having had sleeping sickness, the hospital treat Leonard as if he had a psychiatric illness and there appeared to be no strategy for his care.

This nomothetic approach tries to establish the fundamental cause-effect laws that underlie human social behaviour.  It looks for causation; not simply correlation.  (Looks for the direct effects of one variable on another –- rather than a mere relationship between/among variables.  McGhee,P (1996)  Causal relationships though, can only be discovered through carefully controlled empirical experiments through a sterile environment.  

Once L-Dopa was administered at 5.0gm a day, there was a conversion, the majority of his higher faculties returned; rigidity vanished, voluntary movement and his speech returned.  A month later, trouble was observed, sadly it was the side effects of the drug, which was having an adverse effect on Leonard’s behaviour.  Leonard remained in the sterile confined reality of the institution where he could be monitored, in a hope that he may recover.  Did the hospital give the drug chance to work? A month doesn’t seem a long time; perhaps the hospital should have looked at other causes for regression, other than side effects.

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With a clear testable hypothesis and constraining laws it is easier to discuss social psychology and make definite progress.  The need for evidence based models to understand social psychology is the centralized issue to develop general applicable laws, regarding human behaviour that will provide knowledge and recognized terms of reference to those who wish to apply it.  

Leonard tried to regain control by writing an autobiography.  Finally, the institution disapproved of Leonards ravening libido and extrovert behaviour and removed him to a punishment cell, so as to regain their own control.  Leonard wasn’t ill, so why treat ...

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