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Social psychology
Social psychology is the study of the psychological basis
of people's relationships with one another. Social psychologists investigate
such processes as communication, cooperation, competition, decision making,
leadership, and changes in attitude.
Like other scientists, social psychologists begin their research by developing
theories. They then collect evidence to support their theories. For example,
the American social psychologist Leon Festinger developed the theory that
people become uneasy when they learn new information that conflicts with what
they already believe. He suggested that people would do much to avoid this
uneasiness, which he called cognitive dissonance. To demonstrate Festinger's
theory, researchers collected data showing that people who believe they are
failures often avoid success, even when they can easily achieve it. Success
would conflict with their belief in themselves as failures.
Social psychologists often support their theories through experiments. For
example, one study investigated how people's opinions of an essay were
affected by the supposed sex of the author. People who believed the writer was
a man had a higher opinion of the essay than those who thought the author was
a woman. Social psychologists also use other sources of information, including
public opinion surveys, recorded observations of behaviour, and statistics
from government agencies.
Many social psychologists teach and conduct research at colleges and
universities. Others work for government agencies, businesses, or other
organizations. They may help plan personnel programmes or measure the
potential sale of new products.
The first textbooks on social psychology were published in the early 1900's.
Modern social psychology owes much to the behavioural psychologists of the
1930's, who called for the scientific study of observable behaviour. Today,
social psychology continues to stress the precise measurement of people's
actions.
Another major influence on social psychology was the work of George Herbert
Mead and Kurt Lewin. Mead, an American psychologist and philosopher, argued
that people's ideas about themselves are developed through social contact.
Lewin, a German-born psychologist, investigated how individuals in groups are
affected by other members. Both Mead and Lewin claimed that behaviour depends
primarily on how people interpret the social world. The work of these early
researchers continues to influence social psychologists, who study people's
perception of themselves and others.
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