Social psychology is simply the theory behind everyone's decisions, judgments and comparisons,
social psychology is the study of how humans behave and interact with other individuals in and out
of situations. By looking into an individual and social context professionals can find out the inner
working of their minds and try to understand why these decisions, judgments and comparisons are
made (McDougall, 2015). The research of scholars will show how factors like social environment
have influenced Bob’s behaviour and how Bob may have learnt his behaviour and how Bob
perceived others which may have led to his behaviour and why he acted the way he did.
The environment and social influences can have a vast impact on an individual and their decision
making as both factors contribute to Bob’s behaviour, Stanley Milgram did a study of obedience, this
study showed that the experiment represents conformity within obedience as 65% of participants
followed through with the high voltage shocks (Slater et al., 2006) (Blass, T. 1991). Bob shows
obedience when he was a young boy being abused as he would allow himself to get abused by the
abuser who would reward him with sweets. Bob was manipulated into thinking because he has been
given a reward by the abuser it was correct for him to be abused, this can also link with classical
conditioning as Bob has been conditioned to be abused by the rewards making it seem to be a good
thing, as children get conditioned with rewards, Bob was conditioned into thinking his life is a social
norm when for a matter of fact it was wrong for his mum to allow him to be abused as a child and
because he was abused as a child that has helped Bob with massive traumatic problems that he has
not been able to deal with as he has ended up doing similar things to his nephews that happened to
him as a boy, this is because it is a learned association that causes the unconditioned response so
the sweets for Bob is a conditioned response even if the abuse is no longer he will always associate
sweets with the abuse he had (Watson, J., & Rayner, R. 1920). Studies have shown that children can
be affected by their adolescent development because abuse affects their mental health, as much as
their physical health. This in which could be another reason why Bob displays his behaviour within
the interview. Bob’s children hood abuse could have caused a developmental defect, causing him to
behave the way he did to other children and women; cognitive appraisal could have threatened his
normal brain functions which can cause triggers within the brain and Bob’s triggers were children
and women. This could suggest that Bob's everyday life was a trigger for him and this could lead to
an overreaction making him lash out creating the behavioural actions he committed in the end.
(Bremner et al., 2010)
Social learning theory (Akpan & Kennedy, 2020) can explain that criminal behaviour is learnt, and it
can occur through other techniques and needing values as well as other basic needs, even though
this may happen a non-criminal can express these same needs and values. This can link to Bob as his
criminal behaviour could be learnt through his abuser from when he was a child, it could suggest
that he is underlining the abuser's work from when he was a child. If Bob was never abused as a
child, then maybe Bob would not have committed a crime, following Ronald's research he would
suggest that due to his research about the social learning theory suggests that criminal behaviour is
taught through other criminal communication (Piquero & Ronald, 2016). On the other hand, there is
self–control, even though criminal behaviour may be learnt, everyone has a conscious that makes
someone feel remorse if they know as a wrong human and the action should not be followed
through (Akers, R. L. 1989). Bob may ignore this feeling that occurs when he knows he should not be
following his actions through, his self-control may be different as he has had a different childhood
which entails lots of trauma encouraging his self-control to be ignored as no one has taught him the
correct norms and values from his early childhood and adolescence. This may be the reason why Bob
relates and behaves the way he does because no one has ever told him not to react like that, he last
social psychology is the study of how humans behave and interact with other individuals in and out
of situations. By looking into an individual and social context professionals can find out the inner
working of their minds and try to understand why these decisions, judgments and comparisons are
made (McDougall, 2015). The research of scholars will show how factors like social environment
have influenced Bob’s behaviour and how Bob may have learnt his behaviour and how Bob
perceived others which may have led to his behaviour and why he acted the way he did.
The environment and social influences can have a vast impact on an individual and their decision
making as both factors contribute to Bob’s behaviour, Stanley Milgram did a study of obedience, this
study showed that the experiment represents conformity within obedience as 65% of participants
followed through with the high voltage shocks (Slater et al., 2006) (Blass, T. 1991). Bob shows
obedience when he was a young boy being abused as he would allow himself to get abused by the
abuser who would reward him with sweets. Bob was manipulated into thinking because he has been
given a reward by the abuser it was correct for him to be abused, this can also link with classical
conditioning as Bob has been conditioned to be abused by the rewards making it seem to be a good
thing, as children get conditioned with rewards, Bob was conditioned into thinking his life is a social
norm when for a matter of fact it was wrong for his mum to allow him to be abused as a child and
because he was abused as a child that has helped Bob with massive traumatic problems that he has
not been able to deal with as he has ended up doing similar things to his nephews that happened to
him as a boy, this is because it is a learned association that causes the unconditioned response so
the sweets for Bob is a conditioned response even if the abuse is no longer he will always associate
sweets with the abuse he had (Watson, J., & Rayner, R. 1920). Studies have shown that children can
be affected by their adolescent development because abuse affects their mental health, as much as
their physical health. This in which could be another reason why Bob displays his behaviour within
the interview. Bob’s children hood abuse could have caused a developmental defect, causing him to
behave the way he did to other children and women; cognitive appraisal could have threatened his
normal brain functions which can cause triggers within the brain and Bob’s triggers were children
and women. This could suggest that Bob's everyday life was a trigger for him and this could lead to
an overreaction making him lash out creating the behavioural actions he committed in the end.
(Bremner et al., 2010)
Social learning theory (Akpan & Kennedy, 2020) can explain that criminal behaviour is learnt, and it
can occur through other techniques and needing values as well as other basic needs, even though
this may happen a non-criminal can express these same needs and values. This can link to Bob as his
criminal behaviour could be learnt through his abuser from when he was a child, it could suggest
that he is underlining the abuser's work from when he was a child. If Bob was never abused as a
child, then maybe Bob would not have committed a crime, following Ronald's research he would
suggest that due to his research about the social learning theory suggests that criminal behaviour is
taught through other criminal communication (Piquero & Ronald, 2016). On the other hand, there is
self–control, even though criminal behaviour may be learnt, everyone has a conscious that makes
someone feel remorse if they know as a wrong human and the action should not be followed
through (Akers, R. L. 1989). Bob may ignore this feeling that occurs when he knows he should not be
following his actions through, his self-control may be different as he has had a different childhood
which entails lots of trauma encouraging his self-control to be ignored as no one has taught him the
correct norms and values from his early childhood and adolescence. This may be the reason why Bob
relates and behaves the way he does because no one has ever told him not to react like that, he last
