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What is Social Psychology?

The scientific

study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another.

Broadly interpreted- how people think, act, and feel.

What is Social What is Social Psychology?Psychology?

Social Psychology and its Relatives

• Sociology

• Neuroscience/Biology

• Clinical Psychology

• Cognitive Psychology

• Developmental Psychology

• Personality Psychology

Sociology and Marriage

Biological Psychology and Marriage

Clinical Psychology and Marriage

Cognitive Psychology and Marriage

Developmental Psychology and Marriage

Personality and Marriage

Social Psychology!

• All of these examples relate to social psychology!

• Social Psychology focuses on the Person X Situation Interaction

The Power of the Situation

• “We cannot be distinguished from our situations, for they form us and decide our possibilities.”– Jean-Paul Sarte

What are we interested in?

• Social psychology has a range of topics including but not limited to:

How do we see ourselves and relate to others?

Why do we make the decisions we do?

What determines who we are attracted to?What determines who we are attracted to?

What causes racism and can we combat it?

What determines when and who we help?What determines when and who we help?

Is there such a thing as true altruism?

When do we act aggressively?

Does venting frustration reduce aggression?

How are people persuaded?

How can we increase self-control?

Contemporary Social Issues

Before Social Psychology

• Behaviorism VS. • Psychoanalysis (Freud)

WWII Major Catalyst

WTF!?!

Some Common Themes

• We are evolved cultural animals

• Selfish impulse VS. social conscience

• Our situations strongly shape our thoughts, attitudes, emotions, and behavior

• We have duplex minds that enable intuitions

• We construct our reality

Evolved Cultural Animals

• Sometimes we forget- we are animals!

• The environment we evolved to thrive in is different than the one we live in now

Selfish Impulse Vs. Social Conscience

• Nature says, “Go,” culture says, “Stop.”

• Competing Internal and External Drives

Power of the Situation

• Our situations determine our possibilities

The Duplex Mind

• Automatic and nonconscious vs. controlled and conscious

• A lot goes on that we are unaware of!

We Construct our Reality

Everyone thinks they are right

Next class:Research Methods