Experimental Psychology Case Study

Experimental Psychology: Three Different Approaches Experimental psychology is a branch of psychology that scientifically investigates psychological processes in humans that result in behavior. There are a variety of different ways to approach a psychological hypothesis. Each approach has its strengths and weaknesses, and most focus on only one aspect of psychology. All approaches have the same goal; they aspire to increase knowledge about human behavior. A few relevant approaches are physiological, cognitive, and social. I believe these approaches are the key to understanding psychological processes and behaviors, although some approaches are weaker than others. The physiological approach examines how biology impacts behavior. Testing methods

Test subjects were instructed by the experimenter to deliver electric shocks up to four hundred fifty volts when another test subject answered a question incorrectly. The subjects were not actually giving shocks, but they believed they were. Subjects were told that they could withdrawal from the experiment, but most did not, even after hearing the subject being “shocked” bang on the door after three hundred volts were given. This is an example of a case study testing the social approach, which is defined as how an individual relates to others and the environment they are in. It typically focuses on group behavior and how it can influence decision-making. In the case of Milgram, it focused on the individual giving the shocks as instructed by the experimenter. None of the subjects were malicious, but they continued to give dangerous shocked only because they felt pressured to by the experimenter and situation they were in. This approach has collected a wide range of interesting evidence related to realistic situations, however, generalizations are often made across all social groups. This approach can also overshadow the individual in the study, tending to focus on the overall group. The social approach is essential to the psychological field as it shows how individuals’ behavior can change based on environmental