When studying a phenomenon like the Occupy Wall Street movement, what would a functionalist in social psychology primarily focus on?

• A. The historical events and specific leaders that directly caused the movement to occur.
• B. The social functions and roles the movement serves within society, such as promoting social change or addressing economic inequality.
• C. The unconscious motivations and internal conflicts of individual participants in the movement.
• D. The genetic predispositions and biological factors influencing participation in the movement.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the core perspective of functionalism in social psychology, which emphasizes how social phenomena contribute to the stability and functioning of society as a whole.
2. Step 2: Recognize that a functionalist would analyze the Occupy Wall Street movement by examining the roles and functions it serves within the broader social system, rather than focusing on individual leaders or unconscious motivations.
3. Step 3: Identify the social functions the movement might fulfill, such as promoting social change, addressing economic inequality, or creating awareness about societal issues.
4. Step 4: Contrast this with other perspectives, such as focusing on historical events (which is more descriptive), unconscious motivations (psychoanalytic perspective), or biological factors (biopsychological perspective), to clarify why functionalism centers on social roles and functions.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the functionalist approach highlights how the movement contributes to maintaining or changing social order by fulfilling specific societal needs.