What Is
Social Psychology?
According to psychologist Gordon Allport, social psychology is a
discipline that uses scientific methods "to understand and explain how the
thought, feeling and behavior of individuals are influenced by the actual,
imagined or implied presence of other human beings" (1985).
Social psychology looks at a wide range of social topics, including
group behavior, social perception, leadership, nonverbal behavior, conformity, aggression and prejudice. It is important to note that social psychology is not just about
looking at social influences. Social perception and social interaction are also
vital to understanding social behavior.
Brief
History of Social Psychology
While Plato referred to the idea of the "crowd mind" and
concepts such as social loafing and social facilitation were introduced in the
late-1800s, it wasn't until after World War II that research on social
psychology began in earnest. The horrors of the Holocaust led researchers to
study the effects of social influence, conformity and obedience.
The U.S. government also became interested in applying social
psychological concepts to influencing citizens. Social psychology has continued
to grow throughout the twentieth century, inspiring research that has
contributed to our understanding of social experience and behavior.
How Is
Social Psychology Different From Other Disciplines?
It is important to understand how social psychology differs from other
disciplines. Social psychology is often confused with folk wisdom, personality psychology and sociology. What makes
social psychology different? Unlike folk wisdom, which relies on anecdotal
observations and subjective interpretation, social psychology employs
scientific methods and the empirical study of social phenomena.
While personality psychology focuses on individual traits,
characteristics and thoughts, social psychology is focused on situations.
Social psychologists are interested in the impact that the social environment
and group interactions have on attitudes and behaviors.
Finally, it is important to distinguish between social
psychology and sociology. While there are many similarities between the two,
sociology tends to looks at social behavior and influences at a very
broad-based level. Sociologists are interested in the institutions and cultures
that influence how people behave. Psychologists instead focus on situational variables that affect social behavior. While psychology
and sociology both study similar topics, they are looking at these topics from
different perspectives.
1. Social Cognition:
Social cognition is concerned with the processing, storage and
application of social information. This research area is closely related to the
field of cognitive psychology, this research area focuses
largely on the concept of schemas. Schemas are our general ideas about the world, how things are
and how things work. These mental shortcuts allow us to function without
constantly stopping to interpret everything around us. We also develop
associations between related schemas, which plays an important role in the
thought process and social behavior.
2. Attitudes and
Attitude Change:
Another
major research area in social psychology involves the study of attitudes. Social psychologists are interested in the components of attitudes,
how attitudes develop and how attitudes change. Researchers have described
three core components of attitude: an affective component, a behavioral
component and a cognitive component. Often referred to as the "ABC's of
attitude," these elements describe how we feel, behave and understand.
3. Violence and
Aggression:
What
causes violence and aggression? Social psychologists are interested in how and
why people engage in violence or act aggressively. Research in this area looks
at numerous factors that may cause aggression including social variables and
media influences. Researchers often look at the role social learning plays in
producing aggressive behaviors and actions.
4. Prosocial
Behavior:
Prosocial
behavior is another major research area in social psychology. What is prosocial
behavior? Prosocial behaviors are those that involve helping and cooperating.
Researchers often look at why people help others, as well as why they sometimes
refuse to help or cooperate. The bystander effect is an example of a social phenomenon in the subject
area.
Much of the research in this area was prompted
by the murder of a young woman named Kitty Genovese. This case captured
national attention when reports revealed that neighbors had witnessed her
attack and murder, but failed to call the police for help. Research inspired by
the case produced a
great
deal of information on prosocial behavior and how and why people choose - or
sometimes refuse - to help others.
5. Prejudice and
Discrimination:
Prejudice, discrimination and stereotypes exist in any social group. Social psychologists
are interested in the origins, causes and effects of these types of attitudes
and social categorizations. How does prejudice develop? Why are stereotypes
maintained in the face of contrary evidence? These are just a few of the
questions social psychologists seek to answer.
6. Self and Social
Identity:
Our
perceptions of social identities and ourselves are another important research
area in social psychology. How do people come to know and understand
themselves? How do these self-perceptions affect our social interactions?
Social psychologists are interested in learning more about how this inner life
influences our outer lives and social world. Self-awareness, self-esteem and
self-expression are just a few of the factors that influence our social
experience.
7. Group Behavior:
The
behavior of groups is one of the largest research areas in social psychology.
Most people realize that groups tend to behave differently than individuals.
These group behaviors are sometimes beneficial and positive, but they can also
be detrimental and negative. Social psychologists often look at topics such as
group dynamics, leadership, group decision-making, conflicts, cooperation and group influence.
