SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Social Psychology

Table of Contents

Introduction3

Discussion and Analysis3

Intellectual Roots of Social Psychology in Psychology and Sociology3

Psychological Influences on Social Systems5

Role of Research in Social Psychology6

Conclusion7

References8

Social Psychology

Introduction

The field of social psychology focuses on the interplay among three components of social life: human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; social interaction; and social structure. Human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include attitudes, opinions, beliefs, emotions, cognitive processes, perception, aggression, helping, persuasion, and conformity. Social interaction encompasses interpersonal relationships, collective behavior, and inter- and intra-group processes. Social structure refers to the cross-cutting patterns of relations between social groups that guided by normative conventions in such institutionalized domains of social life as work, family, and education.

The field of social psychology is a broad one that is a common component of the curriculum in a range of disciplines, including psychology, sociology, management and organizations, education, industrial engineering, nursing, social work, marketing, and economics. In higher education institutions, however, social psychology represented primarily within psychology and sociology departments. Other reviews of the field of social psychology have focused on trends in the theoretical perspectives that characterize psychological and sociological social psychology. 

Discussion and Analysis

Social psychology is a far-reaching field with implications for every facet of human life that gains attention in any discipline concerned with social and behavioral sciences. The fact that both psychologists and sociologists accord social psychology a prominent place in their disciplines indicates the interdisciplinary nature of the topic. Additionally, it suggests that bringing different intellectual orientations to the study of social psychological phenomenon can generate important insights for the social and behavioral sciences. Some reviews of social psychology have decried the lack of integration of psychological and sociological perspectives and research. However, as noted in our assessment of both textbooks and research articles, there is an indication that such integration is occurring, as represented by the striking overlap in research topics. Furthermore, all three sociology textbooks and one of the psychology textbooks explicitly note that social psychology is a branch of both sociology and psychology.

The strategy used here for systematically assessing the field in terms of sociological and psychological orientations may have unintentionally led to the illusion that there are more differences than similarities across these approaches to social psychology, or that any differences may be counterproductive to the growth of social psychological knowledge. To the contrary, the differences contribute important new insights and critical avenues of integration, which may lead to an enhanced body of knowledge that informs the social and behavioral sciences. Moreover, we believe that shifts in the technological and research landscape are likely to catalyze integration across the two disciplines.

Intellectual Roots of Social Psychology in Psychology and Sociology

Generally, psychological social psychology recognizes three important intellectual influences: psychoanalytic theory, behaviorism, and Gestalt psychology. The psychoanalytic tradition, associated with Sigmund Freud, links an individual's behavior to psychological conflicts the individual experienced as a child within his or her family. Thus, (1) early social interaction plays a vital role in subsequent adult behavior, and (2) psychological conflicts that arise in these interactions generate motivations for subsequent ...