Outline the similarities and differences between the social and biological areas of psychology.

Similarities - Both areas use the scientific methodology to measure behaviour, by manipulating the independent variable to measure the effects it has on the dependent variable. In addition, experiments in both areas lack can lack ecological validity, for the exact reason same reason that was outlined earlier. The experimental method so keenly used by psychologists in both areas inhibits the ecological validity because the experiment takes place in an artificial and unnatural environment, possibly causing demand characteristics or confounding variables to arise.Differences - The areas are fundamentally different because of where they believe behaviour originates from - the social perspective on behaviour believes that the people around and in our lives us cause us to act in a certain way, irrespective of whether they are with us at the time, believing completely that behaviour is an external phenomenon. However the biological perspective takes an opposite stance, believing that behaviour is a completely controlled by internal factors, like hormones, diet and neuro-chemicals, instead of by upbringing and the people around us.