Social psychology The scientific discipline that attempts to understand and explain how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.
Emphases Power of the situation Power of the person Importance of cognition Application of social psychology principles
Social psychology vs Sociology Individual Immediate stimuli, psychological states, personality traits Experimentation Group Societal variables Surveys, observation, and correlations
Triplett MacDougall and Ross Floyd Allport The Early Years (1895-1934) Triplett MacDougall and Ross Floyd Allport
Coming of Age (1935-1945) Kurt Lewin: a Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany. Introduced the idea of interactionism: Person and situation influence social behaviors.
Other Cool things about Kurt Lewin Zeigarnik Effect The icky meat campaign and other wartime programs
Rapid Expansion and Growth From WW2 to 1969 Social psychology addressed issues that were part of culture and current events. Obedience Prejudice conformity
Crisis of Confidence 1970-1980 Golden Fleece Award from William Proxmire What was social psychology worth?
1980s and beyond Social Psychology continued to things relevant to current times.
The Self People are profoundly influenced by their self concepts. It molds and defines their social reality.
Culture The total lifestyle of a people, including all of the symbols, ideas, preferences and material objects they share.
Ideology: a set of beliefs and values held by the members of a social group, which explains the culture both to itself and the other group Individualism vs. Collectivism Do cultures stress individuality or emphasize group needs over individual needs?
The Hot vs. Cold Approach Do you think with your heart or your head?
Well, that’s lovely…but who actually does this social psychology stuff?
…and what are you going to do with that? Most social psychologists are Ph.D.s 75% are employed by colleges and universities
Self-Fulfilling prophecy A process by which someone’s expectations about a person or group lead to fulfillment of those expectations
Conducting Research in Social Psychology Select a topic Develop a theory and hypothesis Select a research method Collect the data Analyze the data Report the results
ETHICS Can we do this? Milgram’s study and deception Institutional review boards Informed consent debriefing