Social
Psychology
Social
Psychology is one of the most interesting fields of psychology, as it studies
and analyzes how individuals’ thoughts, behaviors and feelings are impacted and
influenced by other individuals around them. There are many different aspects
involved in the study of social psychology, some of them being group behavior,
social perception, leadership, non-verbal behavior, conformity, aggression and
prejudice (Cherry, 2013). In other words, social psychology tries to understand
and explain causal and correlational human nature relationships. Although one
of the key elements of social psychology is the influence society has on individuals,
social perception and social interaction are also areas of interest in this
field.
Definition of Social Psychology
The
formal definition of social psychology can be explained as the discipline that
uses scientific methods to explain and understand the thoughts, behaviors, and
feelings as individuals interact with other individuals (Myers, 2010). This
discipline’s main focus is on the way humans live and behave in society, and
what shapes their interactions with others.
How Social Psychology Differs from Related
Disciplines
To
understand the importance of social psychology, it is necessary first to be
able to differentiate this discipline from others like personality psychology
and sociology. The main aspect that differentiates social psychology from folk
wisdom is the fact that the former relies mainly on subjective interpretation
and personal observations, while the latter values the empirical study of
social phenomena and the scientific methods (Cherry, 2013). The primary
difference between personality psychology and social psychology is that
personality psychology focuses mainly on individual traits and characteristics,
while social psychologists are interested in how society impacts an
individual’s attitudes and behaviors. Finally, it is also important to
differentiate social psychology and sociology, since the two sciences are
constantly mistaken for each other. Although sociology and social psychology
study similar topics, what changes is the perspective from which the individual
is being observed. Sociology has its main focus on the “cultures and
institutions that influence how people behave, while psychologists instead
focus on situational variables that affect social behavior” (Cherry, 2013).
Role of Research in Social Psychology
In
order to better understand human nature, it is often that social psychologists
propose theories and try to test hypothesis. Myers (2010) explains that
theories are "integrated sets of principles that explain and predict
observed events" (p. 17), or in other words, theories are ways of
explanation to otherwise not completely understood observations. To be able to
predict or explain behaviors, social psychologists develop studies and run
experiments that observe humans and the way they interact. By observing and
researching human behavior, scientists are able to understand the way
individuals think, behave and relate to each other, and because of that
research is a crucial element in social psychology. There are many different
methods that may be used to conduct a research on social psychology topics, all
of which allow researchers to test theories and hypothesis and try to find a
relationship between variables. While conduction a research in social
psychology, it is important for the scientist or psychology that always keep in
mind the rule that correlation does not imply causation. “Although information
on correlating variables may be valuable, it is not a reliable indicator of a
causal relationship or whether another variable is involved” (Myers, 2010).
The
most often used methods of social psychology research are correlational or
experimental. The correlational method tries to identify if two or more factors
are associated, and to obtain answers and results scientists often use
systematic survey methods and real world settings, like studies. Experimental
research, on the other hand, tries to find evidence that supports a cause and
effect relationship, and to prove that relationship scientists often manipulate
and control some of the variables. “Experimental research is designed to
explore cause and effect by controlling and manipulating variables and by
random assignment. Such isolation and manipulation may provide enough evidence
to attribute any resulting difference to one or another of the variables”
(Myers, 2010).
Conclusion
Although
social psychology has very similar traits to other fields, its use of
scientific method and understanding of the behaviors and thought processes of
individuals in a society make it different from any other field of study in
psychology. A better understanding in social psychology allows for
psychologists and scientists to help individuals with personal growth and
overall well-being, as well as adaptability and a successful life in society.
References
Cherry,
K. (n.d.). What Is Social Psychology - An Introduction to Social Psychology.
Psychology - Complete Guide to Psychology for Students, Educators &
Enthusiasts. Retrieved March 25, 2011, from
http://psychology.about.com/od/socialpsychology/f/socialpsych.htm
Myers,
D. G. (2010). Social psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill.
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