Social Psychology
Social Psychology
Social psychology is a field of study which seeks to explain and understand how human beings interact and influence one another. It is known that the presences of others in an implied or imagined framework affect the behavior, thoughts, and feelings of individuals. Social psychology study’s how human beings interact with the world and one another in various complexities. This is a scientific study which covers perceiving groups which include prejudice, discrimination, stereotypes, and racism development. It also study’s the perception about others and to one self, persuasion like conformity, obedience, and compliance and the attitude which group of people have. Interpersonal attraction and perception, pro social and anti social behaviors as well as leadership are factors under study in social psychology.
Social psychology derives various principles and research methods from the filed of psychology and sociology but there approaches, methods terminology and goals differ from one another. Following the word war 11, psychologists and sociologists collaborated in thee the study of social psychology. In the recent past, their specializations have to some degree influence one another and overlapped.
The psychological aspect in social psychology is the study and attempt explain how behaviors of individuals their feelings and thoughts are influenced by other people. The emphasis of psychological researchers is the immediate social setting of interaction between variables in the situation and persons. Their research is more quantitative and empirical with well tested laboratory experiments. Psychologists are interested in aspects like social cognition, social influence, attitudes, cognitive dissonance and interpersonal behaviors such as aggression and altruism (Deci, Koestner, & Ryan, 2001, pp 13).
Sociologists on the other hand are committed to experimental methods in the study of group behaviors. The sociologists examine the exchanges and interaction of individuals at a group level; micro –level and macro- level as crowds. They are further interested in the larger social process and structures such as individual’s race, social role, gender, ethnicity, class and socialization. The sociologists combine both quantitative methods and qualitative research designs such as surveys and sampling procedures.
Social psychology is a field that came into existence in the late 1800s. This concept was described by Plato as the Crowd mind to refer to aspects like social facilitations and social loafing. The terrific horrors of the Holocaust made researchers to study the power of obedience, conformity, and social influence. The Government of US adopted social psychology to influence the citizens. Throughout the twentieth centaury, the discipline has continued to grow. Various researches have been conducted to give an understanding of the social behavior and experience (Moscovici, & Markova, 2006, pp 64).
Today, social psychology is a discipline of its own yet many people have confused with personality psychology, folk wisdom, and sociology. Social psychology relies on interpretation that is subjective and anecdotal observations which are different aspects from folk wisdom. This field of social psychology utilizes empirical studies and scientific methods in the studying social phenomena.
Social psychology unlike personality psychology is situation based. Personality sphychology focuses on characteristics, thoughts, and traits of an individual. Social psychologists focus on the consequences of social interaction and the social environment on people’s behavior and attitude.
Sociology is also different from social psychology despite the similarity that the two disciplines share. Social influence and behaviors is examined by sociology at a broad level. The sociologists focus on culture and social institutions which influence individuals’ social psychology. Psychology dwells much on the basics of social behavior as an effect of variables in a situation. Though the topics studied by the psychologists and the sociologists are similar, they approach these topics in perspectives that differ.
Research is important in social psychology because the topics under study are related to social interaction, social perception and social influence. These topics include social cognition, a change of attitude and attitudes, aggression and violence, pro social behavior, discrimination and prejudice, social and self identity, group behavior, interpersonal relationship, and social influence (Cialdini, 2000, p 234).
Social psychology studies group’s dynamics which individual in a group are connected to each other to form a relationship (Forsyth, 2006). Group’s members share an identity that is common. They influence one another and interact together. As a result they come up with qualities that define the group in terms of roles, norms and relations. Social influence is the way individuals affect others in terms of their behaviors, feelings and thoughts. These are how attitude, stereotypes and discrimination are formed.
Reference
Deci, E. L., Koestner, R., & Ryan, R. M. (2001). Extrinsic rewards and intrinsic motivation in education: Reconsidered once again. Review of Educational Research, 71, 1-27.
Cialdini, R. B. (2000). Influence: Science and practice. Allyn and Bacon.
Forsyth, D. R. (2006). Group dynamics. Belmont, CA: Thomson-Wadworth
Moscovici, S. & Markova, I. (2006). The making of modern social psychology. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.
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