ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Standard social science model

The Standard Social Science Model (SSSM) is a way of thinking about how we study human behavior and experience. Imagine we want to learn about why people do certain things and how their environment affects them. The SSSM suggests that we can do this by looking at people as individuals who are mostly influenced by their environment.

For example, let's think about a child who is growing up in a poor neighborhood. The SSSM would suggest that this child's behavior and experiences are mostly shaped by their environment. So, the child may have limited access to nutritious food, good schools, and safe places to play. These factors could lead to the child having poor health, struggling in school, and feeling unsafe or unhappy.

The SSSM also suggests that we can study human behavior and experience by looking at objective, observable data. This means that we should focus on things we can measure, like how much money someone makes, how many books they read, or how often they exercise, rather than on subjective experiences like feelings or personal beliefs.

Overall, the SSSM helps us understand human behavior and experience by looking at environmental factors and objective data, rather than focusing on individual differences or personal experiences. It's like building a puzzle by putting together all the different pieces that help us understand a bigger picture.