Introduction

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
What Is Social Psychology?
 Social Psychology is the systematic study of the nature and causes of
human social behavior.

 The scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate
to one another
 Focus is on the individual within their social environments (e.g.,
groups of people or social contexts)

Other definition
 An attempt to understand and explain how the thoughts, feelings,
and behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual,
imagined, or implied presence of others.
 3 Main Components

1. Social psychology’s primary concern is Human Social Behavior

 This includes many things individuals’ activities in the presence of others and in
particular situations, the processes of social interaction between two or more persons,
and the relationships among individuals and the groups to which they belong.

2. Social psychologists are not satisfied to simply document the nature of social behavior;
instead, they want to explore the causes of such behavior.

3. Social psychologists study social behavior in a systematic fashion.

Core Concerns / Major Themes
(1) Impact of Individuals on Individuals.
• Individuals are affected by others in many ways. In
everyday life, interactions with others may
significantly influence a person’s understanding of
the social world. Much of this happens simply by
observation. Through listening to others and
watching them, an individual learns how she should
act, what she should think, and how she should
feel.

(2) Impact of Groups on Individuals.

• Groups influence and regulate the behavior of
their members, typically by establishing norms
or rules. Group influence often results in
conformity, as group members adjust their
behavior to bring it into line with group norms.
(3)Impact of Individuals on Group.
 Just as any group influences the behavior of its members, these members, in turn, may influence the
group itself. For instance, individuals contribute to group productivity and group decision making.

(4) Impact of Groups on Groups.

 Relations between two groups may be friendly or hostile, cooperative or competitive. These relationships,
which are based in part on members’ identities and may entail group stereotypes, can affect the structure
and activities of each group.

(5) Impact of Social Context on Individuals and Groups.

 Social psychologists realize that individuals’ behavior is profoundly shaped by the situations in which they
find themselves. As we grow and develop, the rules, belief systems, and categorical distinctions that have
profound influence on our everyday lives seem to separate from these interactions. We forget that these
things that appear natural were actually socially constructed (Berger & Luckmann, 1966).
 Theoretical Perspectives in Social Psychology.

A theoretical perspective is a broad theory based on particular assumptions about human

nature that offers explanations for a wide range of social behaviors. In social psychology, these
perspectives are:
1. Symbolic interaction
 holds that human nature and social order are products of communication among people. It stresses
the importance of the self, of role taking, and of consensus in social interaction. It is most useful
in explaining fluid, contingent encounters among people.

2. Group processes
 focuses its attention on interaction in social groups or networks. It mainly draws on experimental
research to demonstrate how the structure of groups can influence individual behavior within
groups.
Cont.

3. Social Structure and Personality

 argues that individuals’ positions in the social structure influence their thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors. Some argue that it is the most sociological of the
approaches because it considers how macro-sociological structures influence
individuals.
4. Cognitive Perspective
 hold that such processes as perception, memory, and judgment are significant
determinants of social behavior. Differences in cognitions, including the use of low-
effort or high-effort cognitive processing, help to illuminate why individuals may
behave differently from one another in any given situation.
5. Evolutionary theory.
 Evolutionary theory posits that social behavior is a product of long-term
evolutionary adaptation. Behavioral tendencies exist in human beings because
these behaviors aided our ancestors in their attempts to survive and reproduce.
Topics Examined in Social Psychology

 self concept, social cognition, attribution theory, social influence, group

processes, prejudice and discrimination, interpersonal processes,
aggression, attitudes and stereotypes.
 FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS

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 • Personality psychologists generally focus on individual differences between
How do social people.
• Social psychologists are more interested in how situational variables influence
psychologists differ from the behaviors of groups and individuals.
personality psychologists • Social psychology is sometimes confused with sociology, but the two are not the
same. Social psychologists tend to focus on the behavior of individual people or
and sociology? small groups of people while sociologists look at very large populations such as
entire social groups or cultures as a whole.

•Most social psychologists pursue a PhD rather than a master’s degree

Do social and a PhD is usually needed to become a professor at college or
psychologists need to university. In some cases, however, an employer will accept master’s
degree as sufficient. Thus the answer to this question depends on the
have PhD? specific job and employer involved.

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 • The path to becoming a social psychologist usually begins with a
What are the educational bachelor’s degree in general psychology, social psychology or
another related field. Although some social psychologists focus on
requirements for a Social earning a master’s degree, most seek a doctoral degree. PhD
Psychology career? programs in social psychology typically take five years to
complete.

•There are a number of steps social psychologists need to take in order to

enter the field. Social Psychologists are generally required to:
Where does a Social •Receive a bachelor’s degree in general or social psychology
•Complete a master’s degree in social psychology
Psychologist Work? •Earn a doctoral level degree in social psychology
•Obtain a state license (if planning to work in a clinical setting).

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 • Observing the behavior of people in controlled or real-life
settings
• Helping businesses train employees
• Assisting companies during the employee recruitment process
• Working with government agencies to draft public policies
What are the things that a • Consulting with advertising professionals on how to craft
social psychologist do? successful marketing campaigns
• Teaching students at colleges or universities
• Working with politicians on campaign strategies
• Helping organizations mediate conflict
• Crafting surveys and polls for market research firms
• Working with school districts on educational programs

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