Social psychology

The scope of social psychological research. Adapted from Cote and Levine (2002).^[1]

Social psychology studies how people and groups interact. Social psychologists might analyze an individual, a group, or both.^[2]

Overview

Psychologists and sociologists who research social psychology tend to differ in their goals, approaches, methods, and terminology. They also favor separate academic journals and professional groups. Sociologists and psychologists collaborated best right after World War II.^[3] In recent years, these two disciplines have become more specialized, but they still have some similarities.^[4]

Picture of Sculpture of Kurt Lewin took by photographer Pko
The Elaboration Likelihood Model is an influential model of persuasion.
Picture of Daryl Bem
Social psychologists study interactions within groups, and between both groups and individuals.
Which line matches the first line, A, B, or C? In the Asch conformity experiments, people frequently followed the majority judgment, even when the majority was objectively wrong.
The Milgram experiment: The experimenter (E) persuades the participant (T) to give what the participant believes are painful electric shocks to another participant (L), who is actually an actor. Many participants continued to give shocks despite pleas for mercy from the actor.

↑ Cote, J. E. & Levine, C. G. (2002). Identity formation, agency, and culture. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
↑ Myers, David G. (1993). Social psychology. McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-044292-4.
↑ Sewell, W. H. (1989). Some reflections on the golden age of interdisciplinary social psychology. Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 15.
↑ Flick, Uwe (1998). The Psychology of the Social. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-58851-5.

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