Which approach is commonly used in social psychology to understand what is defined as deviant within a society?

• A. The social constructionist approach
• B. The behaviorist approach
• C. The psychoanalytic approach
• D. The biological determinism approach

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of 'deviance' in social psychology, which refers to behaviors or actions that violate societal norms or expectations.
2. Step 2: Recognize that different psychological approaches explain deviance in various ways, such as biological factors, unconscious drives, learned behaviors, or social definitions.
3. Step 3: Identify that the social constructionist approach focuses on how society collectively defines and labels certain behaviors as deviant, emphasizing the role of social context and cultural norms.
4. Step 4: Compare this with other approaches: the behaviorist approach looks at learned behaviors, the psychoanalytic approach examines unconscious motives, and the biological determinism approach considers genetic or physiological causes.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the social constructionist approach is commonly used in social psychology to understand deviance because it highlights how societal reactions and definitions shape what is considered deviant.