Psychology
Social Psychology
Social psychology is the study of how individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. It explores topics such as social influence, group dynamics, prejudice, and interpersonal relationships. This field examines the impact of social factors on individual behavior and cognition.
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9 Key excerpts on "Social Psychology"
eBook - PDF- John P. Houston, Helen Bee, David C. Rimm(Authors)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Academic Press(Publisher)
There is no way we can completely divorce social influ-ences from the study of any aspect of behavior—nor would we want to. But most psychologists in other areas prefer to study the behavior of a single individual at a time, while most social psychologists focus on the behavior of people in pairs or groups or the influence of one person on another. As Baron and Byrne define it (1977, p. 4), Social Psychology is the scientific field that seeks to investigate the manner in which the behavior, feelings, or thoughts of one individual are influenced or determined by the behavior and/or characteristics of others. Davis, Loughlin, and Komorita (1976) put it still more briefly: Social Psychology may be defined as the study of human interaction. 458 Chapter 14 Social behavior The common ingredient in these definitions is the relationship of one person to another. Since we relate to others in so many different ways— individually, in groups, in crowds, in casual or intimate contacts—the field of Social Psychology is enormously diverse. Social psychologists have broadened their field of interest further by studying not just social behavior, but also the ways ideas and attitudes (cog-nitions) are influenced by encounters with others and how our emotions influence others and are influenced by them. Thus there are at least three levels of analysis within Social Psychology. Individual Social Psychology theorists tend to emphasize one of these levels at a time, so that there are some heavily cognitive theories, some that emphasize emotions, and some that focus almost entirely on overt behavior. Moreover, some social psychologists have chosen to study the intra-personal aspects of social encounters, such as the attitudes we have, the emotions we feel about others, and the judgments we make about other people. Others deal with interpersonal or dyadic (two person) interactions, such as the processes of attraction between individuals and the develop-ment of enduring relationships.
eBook - PDF- Rose M. Spielman, William J. Jenkins, Marilyn D. Lovett(Authors)
- 2020(Publication Date)
- Openstax(Publisher)
Summary 12.1 What Is Social Psychology? Social Psychology is the subfield of psychology that studies the power of the situation to influence individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Psychologists categorize the causes of human behavior as those due to internal factors, such as personality, or those due to external factors, such as cultural and other social influences. Behavior is better explained, however, by using both approaches. Lay people tend to over-rely on dispositional explanations for behavior and ignore the power of situational influences, a perspective called the fundamental attribution error. People from individualistic cultures are more likely to display this bias versus people from collectivistic cultures. Our explanations for our own and others behaviors can be biased due to not having enough information about others’ motivations for behaviors and by providing explanations that bolster our self-esteem. 12.2 Self-presentation Human behavior is largely influenced by our social roles, norms, and scripts. In order to know how to act in a given situation, we have shared cultural knowledge of how to behave depending on our role in society. Social norms dictate the behavior that is appropriate or inappropriate for each role. Each social role has scripts that help humans learn the sequence of appropriate behaviors in a given setting. The famous Stanford prison experiment is an example of how the power of the situation can dictate the social roles, norms, and scripts we follow in a given situation, even if this behavior is contrary to our typical behavior. 12.3 Attitudes and Persuasion Attitudes are our evaluations or feelings toward a person, idea, or object and typically are positive or negative. Our attitudes and beliefs are influenced not only by external forces, but also by internal influences that we control.
eBook - PDFBlind Alleys in Social Psychology
A Search for Ways Out
- A. Eskola, A. Kihlström, D. Kivinen, K. Weckroth, O.-H. Ylijoki(Authors)
- 1988(Publication Date)
- North Holland(Publisher)
There is however one methodological feature that this research tradition apparently cannot escape. When socizl influence is regarded as the object of Social Psychology, attention is focused on the individual, whose feelings, behaviour or opinions are influenced by the mere presence of other people or by their action. Social Psychology is seen as research into the in- dividual, not as a science of structures, communities and processes with a genuinely social or societal nature. As research into social influence, Social Psychology is taken to be a sub- field of psychology. If a textbook defines Social Psychology as the study of social influence, it most probably also claims that this science is a “sub- discipline of psychology” (Jones and Gerard 1967, 11, “a branch of general psychology” (Wrightsman 1973, 5), or “a branch of modem psychology” (Baron, Byrne and GrEitt 1974, 3). It differs from other branches of psychology in that the ‘stimuli’ influencing the behaviour of the individual are social: othei people. This idea is clearly brought out in Zajonc’s attempt to define the most important subfields of psychology. Let us assume that we are studying whether a rat turns left or right in a T-maze. If the rat is rewarded every time it turns left and our purpose is to determine the effect of rewarding, our study would be classified under psychology of learning. If the factor explaining which way the animal chooses to turn is its level of hunger, or some other internal state, research would fall under psychology of motivation. If the left arm of the maze is physically different from the right one, and we are examining the influence of this fact upon turning, our study would be dealing with psychology of perception. But if the objective is to find out how the presence of another animal of the same species in either arm influences the animal in choosing its way, we become social psychologists, Zajonc reasons.
eBook - PDF- Karen R. Huffman, Alastair Younger, Claire Vanston(Authors)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
Because almost everything we do is social, the subject matter is enormous and varied. We will approach our study by looking at the three major components of Social Psychology: thoughts, feelings, and actions toward others. We’ll conclude with a discussion of how Social Psychology can help reduce prejudice, discrimi- nation, and destructive behaviour. 411 CHAPTER OUTLINE Our Thoughts about Others 412 • Attribution: Explaining Behaviour • Attitudes: Learned Predispositions toward Others Our Feelings about Others 415 • Prejudice and Discrimination • Interpersonal Attraction ■ What a Psychologist Sees: Love over the Lifespan Our Actions toward Others 420 • Social Influence: Conformity and Obedience ■ Psychological Science: Cultural Norms for Personal Space ■ What a Psychologist Sees: What Influences Obedience? • Group Processes • Aggression • Altruism: Helping Others Applying Social Psychology to Social Problems 431 • Reducing Prejudice and Discrimination • Overcoming Destructive Obedience: When Is It Okay to Say No? CHAPTER PLANNER ✓ ✓ ❑ Study the picture and read the opening story. ❑ Scan the Learning Objectives in each section: p. 412 ❑ p. 415 ❑ p. 420 ❑ p. 431 ❑ ❑ Read the text and study all visuals. Answer any questions. Analyze key features ❑ Visualizing p. 416 ❑ p. 430 ❑ ❑ What a Psychologist Sees p. 419 ❑ p. 423 ❑ ❑ Psychological Science, p. 421 ❑ Process Diagram p. 414 ❑ p. 426 ❑ ❑ Stop: Answer the Concept Checks before you go on: p. 414 ❑ p. 419 ❑ p. 431 ❑ p. 433 ❑ End of chapter ❑ Review the Summary and Key Terms. ❑ Answer the Critical and Creative Thinking Questions. ❑ Complete the Self-Test and check your answers. 412 CHAPTER 15 Social Psychology Carol Thacker/iStock Our Thoughts about Others LEARNING OBJECTIVES Attribution: Explaining Behaviour ne critical aspect of Social Psychology is the search for reasons and explanations for our own and others’ behaviour.
No longer available |Learn more- (Author)
- 2014(Publication Date)
- The English Press(Publisher)
________________________ WORLD TECHNOLOGIES ________________________ Chapter-4 Sociological Social Psychology Sociological Social Psychology , also known as psychological sociology , is an area of sociology that focuses on micro-scale social actions. This area may be described as adhering to sociological miniaturism, examining whole societies through the study of small groups as well as individual thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Of special concern to psychological sociologists is how to explain a variety of demographic, social, and cultural facts in terms of human social interaction. Some of the major topics in this field are social inequality, group dynamics, prejudice, aggression, social perception, group behavior, social change, nonverbal behavior, socialization, conformity, leadership, social identity and symbolic interactionism. Social Psychology may be taught with psychological emphasis. In sociology, researchers in this field are the most prominent users of the experimental method (however, unlike their psychological counterparts, they also frequently employ other methodologies). Social Psychology looks at social influences, as well as social perception and social interaction. History The discipline of Social Psychology began at the start of the twentieth century. A list of landmark moments would have to include the publication of Charles Horton Cooley's Human Nature and Social Order in 1902. Cooley's effort sought to explain the social order by use of the concept of a looking glass self, and to explain the notion of the self as essentially the same as the notion of society. The first textbooks in Social Psychology would be published six years later by E. A. Ross and William McDougall. The former approached the topic from a sociological standpoint, and the latter from a psychological one. The first major journal in Social Psychology would be the Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology in 1922 (later Journal of Personality and Social Psychology ).
eBook - PDF- Siri Carpenter, Karen Huffman(Authors)
- 2012(Publication Date)
- Wiley(Publisher)
Unfortunately, our attributions are frequently marred by two major errors: or many students and psycholo-gists, your authors included, Social Psychology is the most exciting of all fields because it is about you and me, and because almost every-thing we do is social . Unlike earlier chapters that focused on individual processes, like the brain and other parts of the nervous system or personality, this field studies how large social forces, such as groups, social roles, and norms bring out the best and worst in all of us. This chapter is organized around three central themes: social cogni-tion (how we think about and interpret ourselves and others), social influence (how situational factors and other people affect us), and social relations (how we develop and are affected by interpersonal relationships, including prejudice, aggression, altruism, and attrac-tion). Before you read on, check on some misconceptions you may have about social relationships in Myth Busters . F RETRIEVAL PRACTICE While reading the upcoming sections, respond to each Learning Objective in your own words. Then compare your responses with those in Appendix B. Social Psychology The scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions are affected by others. attributions Explanations for behaviors or events. TRUE OR FALSE? ___ 1. Most people judge others more harshly than they judge themselves. ___ 2. Inducing cognitive dissonance is an effective way to change attitudes. ___ 3. Groups generally make riskier or more conservative decisions than a single individual does. ___ 4. People wearing masks are more likely to engage in aggressive acts. ___ 5. Emphasizing gender differ-ences may create and perpetuate prejudice. ___ 6. Substance abuse (particularly alcohol) is a major factor in aggression. ___ 7. When people are alone, they are more likely to help another individual than when they are in a group.
- Sarah Rundle(Author)
- 2013(Publication Date)
- Academic Press(Publisher)
CHAPTER 14: SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 1. In the introduction to the chapter on social behavior, the authors of the text use examples of attempts to change our attitudes as an illustration of an situation that is of interest to social psychologists. *a. interpersonal (p. 457) c. intergroup b. intrapersonal d. intragroup 2. In the introduction to the chapter on social behavior, the authors of the text use the example of helping an old man to illustrate an situation that is of interest to social psychologists. *a. interpersonal (pp. 457-458) c. intergroup b. intrapersonal d. intragroup 3. In the introduction to the chapter on social behavior, the authors of the text use an example of how leadership emerges in a group as an illustration of an situation that is of interest to social psychologists. a. interpersonal c. intergroup b. intrapersonal *d. intragroup (pp. 457-458) WHAT IS Social Psychology? 4. Social Psychology is best defined in terms of a. group processes. *c. human interaction, (p. 457) b. attitudes, opinions, and values. d. observable behavior. 5. Social psychologists who study attitudes tend to focus on the level of analysis. a. interpersonal c. emotional *b. cognitive (p. 457) d. behavioral 6. The three levels of analysis that are used by Social Psychology theorists are a. individuals, dyads, and triads. b. childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. c. interpersonal, intragroup, and intergroup. *d. cognition, emotion, and behavior, (p. 457) 7. Psychologists who are interested in bystander intervention (the question of why people do or do not help others who are in distress) tend to focus on the level of analysis. a. intrapersonal c. emotional b. cognitive *d. behavioral (p. 674) 207 208 CHAPTER 14 8. Psychologists who are interested in why people like each other are interested in phenomena. a. intrapersonal c. intragroup *b. interpersonal (p. 674) d. intergroup 9. A dyad is *a. a group of two persons, (p. 674) b.
eBook - PDFEssentials of Psychology
Concepts and Applications
- Jeffrey Nevid(Author)
- 2021(Publication Date)
- Cengage Learning EMEA(Publisher)
A mental image or representation we use to understand our social environment is called a social _________. 2. When we interpret a behavior or an event, we usually see it as due to either _________or _________ causes. 3. Does the fundamental attribution error refer to an underesti- mation or an overestimation of internal factors? 4. Give a social-psychological definition of the term attitude. 5. Discrepancies between behavior and attitudes may produce an unpleasant state of tension called _________. prevent you from learning from your mistakes and taking appropriate steps to prevent them in the future? Think About It ■ Why do first impressions tend to become lasting impressions? ■ Do you tend to take credit for your successes and explain away your failures? How might the self-serving bias Recite It answers are placed at the end of the chapter. Recall It answers are found in Appendix B. Copyright 2022 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it. MODULE 12.2 465 Social psychologists are interested in how individuals relate to each other in their social environments. We may categorize ways of relating to others in terms of positive and negative interactions. Attraction, love, and helping are positive inter- actions. Negative ways of relating include prejudiced behavior and aggression. In this module, we examine what psychologists have learned about these positive and negative ways of relating to others. Attraction: Getting to Like (or Love) You In nature, attraction is the tendency for two objects or bodies to be drawn toward each other, like the opposite poles of a magnet.
eBook - PDF- Douglas Bernstein, , , (Authors)
- 2015(Publication Date)
- Cengage Learning EMEA(Publisher)
620 Social Psychology LINKAGES BIOLOGICAL AND Social Psychology Research in Social Psychology was once thought to be entirely separate from research on the biological processes that underlie social behavior (Heatherton & Wheatley, 2010). Social psychol-ogists believed it was impossible to reduce complex social psychological processes to the firing of neurons or the secretion of hormones. For their part, biological psychologists, more commonly known as neuroscientists, viewed the study of Social Psychology as having little, if any, relevance to the understanding of, say, behavioral genetics or the functioning of the nervous system. Over the past two decades, however, scientists in both subfields have begun to take a closer look at each other’s research and at how their subfields are linked. The result has been the emergence of a field of study known as social neuroscience or social cognitive neuroscience (Lieberman, 2012). Researchers in this field focus on the influence of social processes on biological processes and on the influence of biological processes, including genetics, on social psychological phenomena (e.g., Bilderbeck et al., 2014; Cikara & Van Bavel, 2014; Mikolajczak et al., 2010). For example, using brain-scanning technology, researchers have found that European Americans who are prejudiced against African Americans show significantly more activity in the amygdala—a structure involved in emotion—when looking at pictures of black people than when looking at pictures of white people (Cunningham et al., 2004; Phelps et al., 2000). They have also found that while watching other people in distress, people’s patterns of brain activity are quite different depending on whether they are feeling empathy for the distressed person (Decety, 2011). Other studies have identified a relationship between brain development during childhood and people’s later ability to take the perspectives of others (van den Bos et al., 2011).
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