Have you ever wondered what social psychology is?

What is social psychology? It is the scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, beliefs, intentions, and goals are constructed within a social context through real or imagined interactions with others.

Therefore, it considers that human behavior is influenced by other people and the conditions in which feelings and social behavior occur.

The texts first emerged in the early 20th century. The first notable book in English was published by McDougall in 1908, which included chapters on emotion and feeling, morality, character, and religion, quite different from those incorporated in the field today.

He believed that social behavior was innate/instinctive and therefore individual, hence his choice of topics. This belief is not the principle upheld in modern social psychology, however.

Much of the key research in social psychology developed following World War II, when people became interested in the behavior of individuals when grouped together and in social situations. Key studies were carried out in several areas.

Some studies have focused on how attitudes are formed, change according to social context and are measured to determine if a change has occurred. Among some of the most famous works is that of Milgram’s obedience in his study of “electric shocks,” which analyzed the role that an authority figure plays in shaping behavior. Similarly, the Zimbardo prison simulation remarkably demonstrated conformity to given roles in the social world.

Wider topics then began to emerge, such as social perception, aggression, relationships, decision making, pro social behavior and attribution, many of which are central to today’s topics and will be discussed throughout this website.

Thus the growth years of social psychology occurred during the decades following the 1940s.

Reference
McLeod, S. A. (2007). Social psychology. Simply Psychology.
www.simplypsychology.org/