One statement that applies is the following; personality psychologist study boats, sociologists study the ocean, and social psychologists study how the boat floats (Darity, 2008). This statement means that social psychologists want to know why a person acts and reacts the way he or she does. Social psychology studies the interaction between people. The difference is that the focus is on the individual rather than a group of people. Scientists attempt to understand how people influence and communicate with one another. The study also includes how one thinks of himself or herself. When social psychology is studied, psychologist are able to examine what happens in relation to conventionality, opinion, and group influence that affect how one acts and feels (Darity, 2008). Basically, this study tells scientists what makes people hate, love, and all the emotions that exist in between those two emotions.
Social psychology does not include a plethora of theories like other social sciences do. The studies are focused on diverse issues such as culture, prejudices, and self-worth. Some of the topics covered in social psychology are how a person constructs his or her own social realities, the powerful yet sometimes perilous social intuitions, behavior shaped by social influence, and how behavior is affected due to biological reasons. One that studies social psychology will also look into how one’s personal attitudes, dispositions, and principles affect everyday life Darity, 2008).
Social psychology is different from other psychological studies. First of all, many think that social psychology is more subjective than other disciplines. However, social psychology still involves scientific methods of study. When one studies other psychological fields he or she will study thought processes. Social psychology is focused on individual circumstances or how one reacts in a group rather than the group dynamic. Social psychologists look into the impact that one’s environment has socially and how behaviors are affected by interaction. There are many similarities between sociology and social psychology. However, one big difference is that sociology studies a broader spectrum of behavior. Sociologists want to understand what influences are involved in social psychology. Social psychologists concentrate on what affects social behavior. Both sciences study the same topic from different perspectives.
Sociological and psychological theories can and do complement one another. An example of this is the personality theory. James House played an important role in defining the personality theory. Personality is normally paired with psychology. Social structure is a part of sociology but James House combined personality and social structure. He was interested in the relationship between social structures and social processes (Social Psychology, 2001). James House stated that social structure can be defined as patters of interpersonal relationships but culture is the content of the relationships (Social Psychology, 2001). House’s work helped to build a bond between sociological and psychological studies. Another scientist that conducted experiments in social psychology was Norman Triplett. Dr. Triplett is known to have conducted the first experiments with social psychology. One of his studies showed that people would wind reels faster when in groups of people (Social Psychology, 2001). This is known as social facilitation. This happens in a couple different ways. One way is when a person feels comfortable with the presence of an audience because he or she is confident in his or her abilities. The flip-side of that would be when a person seems to have no self-confidence and allows the audience to agitate or unnerve him or her. One way can cause a great performance and the other can cause a person to perform terribly. The presence of an audience can cause a person to become psychologically aroused. The body may become sweaty and the heart will race because of anticipation of the reaction he or she may get from the audience. This basically means that when a person has an audience he or she will expect to be evaluated. How a person responds depends on if he or she is expecting positive or negative reactions.
Social psychology is applied to many facets of everyday life. We see this in everything from television ads to the way high school classes are taught. Social psychological research happens in studies across the board. One may see it studied with drug use and with religious practices. One strong way that social psychology is involved in research is in reference to smoking. One example of this is when we see pictures of black lungs and decaying teeth (Darity, 2008).
Social psychology also plays a big role in criminal justice. This includes everything from eyewitness testimony to serial killer profiling. Serial killers are very much into social notoriety. These people want the attention that they get from the media and public over what they have done. They love the reaction that they get and will tell stories of their crimes over and over strictly for reactions. When it comes to eyewitness testimony a person can feel pressured to make the “right” decision and get the information mixed up. Social psychologists are involved in many different issues. Another controversial subject is that of repressed memories. Many people believe that some are coaxed into remembering memories that are not 100% factual. The human mind can very easily create false memories. This is especially true if one is coached.
Social psychology covers many topics. One will see group behavior, social perception, leadership, non-verbal behavior, conformity, aggression, and prejudice. Social psychology is more than insight into social influences. Perception of one’s self image is the main basis of social psychology. For instance, a person will act differently when placed in a group of his or her peers. Social psychological studies show behavior to be goal-oriented. All humans act to fulfill needs. The needs include ideas such as obtaining and maintaining peers. The social ties one gains are very important to him or her.
References
Aiello, J, & Douthitt, E. (2001). Social facilitation from triplett to electronic performance monitoring. Group Dynamics Theory, 5(3), 163-180.
Darity, E. (2008). Social psychology. International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, 7(2), 608-611.
Social Psychology. (2001). In World of Sociology, Gale. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/entry/worldsocs/social_psychology
