| Social psychology is the scientific | | | | regulate research, and greater pluralism |
| study of how people's thoughts, | | | | and multicultural perspectives have |
| feelings, and behaviors are influenced | | | | emerged. Modern researchers are |
| by the actual, imagined, or implied | | | | interested in a variety of phenomena, |
| presence of others (Allport, 1985). By | | | | but attribution, social cognition, and |
| this definition, scientific refers to | | | | the self-concept are perhaps the |
| the empirical method of investigation. | | | | greatest areas of growth in recent |
| The terms thoughts, feelings, and | | | | years. Social psychologists have also |
| behaviors include all of the | | | | maintained their applied interests, with |
| psychological variables that are | | | | contributions in health and |
| measurable in a human being. The | | | | environmental psychology, as well as the |
| statement that others may be imagined or | | | | psychology of the legal system. |
| implied suggests that we are prone to | | | | Intrapersonal phenomena |
| social influence even when no other | | | | Attitudes |
| people are present, such as when | | | | The study of attitudes is a core topic |
| watching television, or following | | | | in social psychology. Attitudes are |
| internalized cultural norms. | | | | involved in virtually every other area |
| Social psychologists typically explain | | | | of the discipline, including conformity, |
| human behavior as a result of the | | | | interpersonal attraction, social |
| interaction of mental states and | | | | perception, and prejudice. In social |
| immediate, social situations. In Kurt | | | | psychology, attitudes are defined as |
| Lewin's (1951), famous heuristic, | | | | learned, global evaluations of a person, |
| behavior can be viewed as a function of | | | | object, place, or issue that influence |
| the person and the environment, | | | | thought and action (Perloff, 2003). Put |
| B=f(P,E). In general, social | | | | more simply, attitudes are basic |
| psychologists have a preference for | | | | expressions of approval or disapproval, |
| laboratory based, empirical findings. | | | | favorability or unfavorability, or as |
| Their theories tend to be specific and | | | | Bem (1970) put it, likes and dislikes. |
| focused, rather than global and general. | | | | Examples would include liking chocolate |
| Social psychology is an | | | | ice cream, being anti-abortion, or |
| interdisciplinary domain that bridges | | | | endorsing the values of a particular |
| the gap between psychology and | | | | political party. |
| sociology. During the years immediately | | | | Social psychologists have studied |
| following World War II, there was | | | | attitude formation, the structure of |
| frequent collaboration between | | | | attitudes, attitude change, the function |
| psychologists and sociologists (Sewell, | | | | of attitudes, and the relationship |
| 1989). However, the two disciplines have | | | | between attitudes and behavior. Because |
| become increasingly specialized and | | | | people are influenced by the situation, |
| isolated from each other in recent | | | | general attitudes are not always good |
| years, with sociologists focusing on | | | | predictors of specific behavior. For a |
| "macro variables" (e.g. social | | | | variety of reasons, a person may value |
| structure) to a much greater extent. | | | | the environment and not recycle a can on |
| Nevertheless, sociological approaches to | | | | a particular day. Attitudes that are |
| social psychology remain an important | | | | well remembered and central to our |
| counterpart to psychological research in | | | | self-concept, however, are more likely |
| this area. | | | | to lead to behavior, and measures of |
| History | | | | general attitudes do predict patterns of |
| The discipline of social psychology | | | | behavior over time. |
| began in the United States at the dawn | | | | Persuasion |
| of the 20th Century. The first published | | | | The topic of persuasion has received a |
| study in this area was an experiment by | | | | great deal of attention in recent years. |
| Norman Triplett (1898) on the phenomenon | | | | Persuasion is an active method of |
| of social facilitation. During the | | | | influence that attempts to guide people |
| 1930s, many Gestalt psychologists, | | | | toward the adoption of an attitude, |
| particularly Kurt Lewin, fled to the | | | | idea, or behavior by rational or emotive |
| United States from Nazi Germany. They | | | | means. Persuasion relies on "appeals" |
| were instrumental in developing the | | | | rather than strong pressure or coercion. |
| field as something separate from the | | | | Numerous variables have been found to |
| behavioral and psychoanalytic schools | | | | influence the persuasion process, and |
| that were dominant during that time, and | | | | these are normally presented in four |
| social psychology has always maintained | | | | major categories: who said what to whom |
| the legacy of their interests in | | | | and how. |
| perception and cognition. Attitudes and | | | | The Communicator, including credibility, |
| a variety of small group phenomena were | | | | expertise, trustworthiness, and |
| the most commonly studied topics in this | | | | attractiveness. |
| era. | | | | The Message, including varying degrees |
| During WWII, social psychologists | | | | of reason, emotion (such as fear), |
| studied persuasion and propaganda for | | | | one-sided or two sided arguments, and |
| the U.S. military. After the war, | | | | other types of informational content. |
| researchers became interested in a | | | | The Audience, including a variety of |
| variety of social problems, including | | | | demographics, personality traits, and |
| gender issues and racial prejudice. In | | | | preferences. |
| the sixties, there was growing interest | | | | The Channel, including the printed word, |
| in a variety of new topics, such as | | | | radio, television, the internet, or |
| cognitive dissonance, bystander | | | | face-to-face interactions. |
| intervention, and aggression. By the | | | | Dual process theories of persuasion |
| 1970s, however, social psychology in | | | | (such as the Elaboration Likelihood |
| America had reached a crisis. There was | | | | Model) maintain that the persuasive |
| heated debate over the ethics of | | | | process is mediated by two separate |
| laboratory experimentation, whether or | | | | "routes." Persuasion can be accomplished |
| not attitudes really predicted behavior, | | | | by either superficial aspects of the |
| and how much science could be done in a | | | | communication or the internal logic of |
| cultural context (see Gergen, 1973). | | | | the message. Whether someone is |
| This was also the time when a radical | | | | persuaded by a popular celebrity or |
| situationist approach challenged the | | | | factual arguments is largely determined |
| relevance of self and personality in | | | | by the ability and motivation of the |
| psychology. | | | | audience. However, decades of research |
| Social psychology reached maturity in | | | | have demonstrated that deeply held |
| both theory and method during the 1980s | | | | attitudes are remarkably resistant to |
| and 1990s. Careful ethical standards now | | | | persuasion under normal circumstances. |