Mainstream And Mainstream Social Psychology

Since the beginning of Social Psychology, it has been a divided. The most important approaches are two: psychological social psychology (PSP) and sociological social psychology (SSP). The first one is focused on the individual and in the innate determinants of the social behaviour (individuo-centred approach). On the other hand, the second one emphasises the social dimension to the experience, and it is more concerned about the large human collectivities and the cultural determinants of the social behaviour (socio-centre approach). While mainstream social psychology has its roots in PSP, critical social psychology has its roots in the SSP. Both study the same topics from a point of view. Social Psychology rests on three pillars: methodology, ideology and social world. It is there where they are found the main differences between mainstream and critical social psychology. In the next paragraphs, these differences are …show more content…
The methods used from a mainstream position are quantitative, whilst the ones used from a critical position are qualitative. The most common method used in mainstream social psychology is the Scientific method. They claim that this method is the only valid to obtain knowledge, which totally objective and unaffected by bias, culture, etc. The scientific method provides facts, cause and effect relationships and reduces everything into numbers. Because what is more objective than numbers? From this position, social psychology should be treated as a natural science, and such as natural science it should be objective, neutral and value free. Consequently, the use of the scientific method is exactly what it provides. Nevertheless, is not the human being the sum of its experiences, beliefs and culture? How can this position reduces the human behaviour into numbers and graphics without taking into account the