Social Psychology



Abstract

This study deals with various important aspects and feature of Social Psychology. Social Psychology combines two important fields of scientific studies that are, Sociology and Psychology. Therefore, this study is associated with the psychological factors involved in the social interaction among individuals and groups. This study deals with a number of social and psychological concerns related to our daily life, such as interaction in our social environment, our views about us and others, its causes and actions, concept of Self-esteem and self-efficacy.

Social Psychology

“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes,

and they come back to us as effects.”

(Herman Melville)

Introduction

According to Bordens and Horowitz (2002), social psychology is defined as, “The scientific study of how individuals think about, interact with, and influence with each other” (p.3). Social psychology deals with a number of different important aspects of life of an individual, behavior in the society, and his or her interaction with other individuals. Psychology and social sciences have been accepted as the field of scientific research and resolving a number of concerns in the field of psychology. Society and social interaction has deep impact and close relation with the behaviors, perceptions and attitudes of people. Social Psychology also deals with the study of making judgments about other on the basis of our view, experiences, their attributes, attitudes, behaviors; and different factors that affect perceptions and attitudes such as Prejudice, stereotypes, discrimination, etc. Social psychology is has very wide scope in dealing with the social as it is a very complex phenomenon. This study also expands to the understanding of social interaction and power to influence others such as influencing others through persuasion, obedience, and Conformity. Social psychology also associated with the study of the group dynamics and social dilemmas associated with it.

Thesis Statement

Social Psychology is a very complex filed associated with the understanding of social interaction based on views, perceptions, and attitude that not only defines our own self and our thinking about others, but also deals with the concepts of influence, and group dynamics.

Discussion

1. Discovering the Self - How do we perceive ourselves and our interactions with others?

One basic concept associated with the Social Psychology, evolves with the question of understanding our selves. It is something very common that we all have sense of our identity and other aspects about ourselves, but to know “self” is a bit different. There is much difference in knowing our identities and knowing our “self”, hence social Psychology attempts to deal with the understanding of this concept through different terms associated with it, such as “self-awareness”, “self-concept”, “self-esteem”, “self-evaluation”, “self-monitoring”, “self-schemas”, “self-presentation”, “self-efficacy”, and “the acting self”. All these are the basic terms associated with exploring ones' “self”, which assists us in understanding the concept that how we perceive ourselves and our interactions with others.

Self-Concept

According to Kassin et.al, (2011), all these basic concepts or self refection is very essential ...