CHAPTER1

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the chapter the learners will be able to:

⮚ differentiate sociology from social psychology;

⮚ explain the complex relationship between minds, groups, and behaviors;
⮚ identify researchable topics focus within social psychology.

INTRODUCTION

The chapter present a brief background of social psychology its differences and relations to
sociology and other related concepts. Researchable topics in social psychology will encourage
everyone to looked into pressing condition during this pandemic considering how these can be
addressed.

CONTENT

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-psychology/chapter/introduction-to-social-
psychology/#:~:text=Social%20psychology%20is%20the%20study,influence%2C%20and%20relate
%20to%20others.&text=The%20social%20psychologist%20Gordon%20Allport%20defines%20the
%20field%20as%20an,or%20implied%20presence%20of%20others.

Social Psychology vs Sociology

⮚ is usually considered a sub-field of psychology or Sociology. 

⮚ Psychological social psychologists focus on individuals’ mental processes,
while sociological social psychologists focus on societal factors.
⮚ The study of the individual and group mental processes and behavior involved in intera
individuals and groups interact and the mental processes involved in these interactions.
⮚ Social psychology is the study of how individuals perceive, influence, and relate to others.

● Sociology: The study of society, social interaction, and social institutions (e.g., schools, prisons, etc.),
as well as the rules and processes that bind and separate people as members of groups, associations,
and institutions.

Social Perception

⮚ Social perception allows individuals to make judgments and form impressions about other
people.
⮚ These judgments are primarily based on observation, although pre-existing knowledge
influences how observed information is interpreted.
 ⮚ “Social perception” refers to the first stages in which people process information in order to
determine another individual’s or group’s mind-set and intentions. These early stages help us
interpret each other’s actions so that additional information can be quickly inferred in order to
predict behavior.
⮚ Social perceptions can influence an individual’s behaviors and attitudes.

General Research Interests

⮚ Social psychologists research the factors that lead people to behave in a given way in the
presence of others, and look at the conditions under which certain behaviors and feelings occur.
⮚ This field is specifically concerned with the way feelings, thoughts, beliefs, intentions, and goals
are constructed, and how such psychological factors, in turn, influence interactions with others.

● Social psychology attempts to understand the complex relationship between minds, groups, and
behaviors in three general ways:
1. It aims to describe how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by the
actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. This includes areas like social perception,
social interaction, and social influence (including trust, power, and persuasion ). There is a
strong interest in how perceptions and thoughts, as well as social cues, affect individual
behavior in this area.
2. Second, social psychology attempts to describe the influence that individual perceptions and
behaviors have on the behavior of groups. This includes research on areas such as group
productivity and decision making.
3. Third, social psychology explains the dynamics of groups as behavioral entities. Research in
this area investigates the relationships that one group has with another group, and/or the
influence one group has on another group.

Some of the topics of focus within social psychology are listed below:
● attribution
● persuasion
● prejudice
● social perception
● conformity
● social influence
● group dynamics
● interpersonal attraction

⮚ Social psychology uses strictly controlled experiments, correlational methods, and observational
methods to study these factors.
APPLICATION
1. Compare the scope and limitations of social psychology vs sociology?
2. In your own words, describe what is:

a. behavior/s
b. group/s
c. mind/s

3. Present a pressing problem in your society that needs to be studied/ addressed?