What is Social Psychology?

Have you ever wondered why people behave differently when they are in front of a group of people? Or what makes some people better leaders than others? According to Martinez (2018), most political decisions, problematic behaviors such as bullying or intergroup prejudice, and even marketing strategies are some of the topics studied by a very interesting branch of psychology: social psychology.

Parenting From the Inside Out

Comprar ahora

What is Social Psychology?

Within the field of psychology, a division can be made between applied psychology and basic psychology (Muelas, 2021). On one hand, basic psychology studies fundamental psychological processes such as perception, attention, memory, language, and learning. On the other hand, applied psychology focuses on studying other characteristics of psychology more related to problem-solving (Muelas, 2021). According to Rodriguez et al. (2005), within applied psychology, there are different areas of study, with social psychology being one of the most important.

Social psychology can be defined as the study of human interaction, especially within groups and social environments, emphasizing the influence of social situations on human behavior (Muelas, 2021). More specifically, social psychology focuses on the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are affected by their relationships with others—defined as the bonds or links individuals have with others (Rodriguez et al., 2005). Therefore, it is important to emphasize the collective aspect: the environment in which a person develops is not only the space for their growth but also the framework through which the individual is constituted as such (Rodriguez et al., 2005). In short, according to Maristany (2019), social psychology is a discipline that uses scientific methods to understand and explain how an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real, imagined, or implied presence of other human beings.

What is the Goal of Social Psychology?

This branch of psychological science aims to reveal the social existence of human beings, in order to understand them and thus promote new and improved forms of social interaction, while also liberating and expanding individual personality (Salcedo, 2006). Furthermore, human beings, as autonomous individuals capable of self-evaluation and public influence within their environment, have always tried to answer countless questions that arise throughout social development. They ask questions such as: Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going? Likewise, according to Salcedo (2006), the following questions are also relevant: Why do people behave the way they do in certain social contexts? Do humans have the ability to adapt to new needs? What is society itself? And what is the meaning of the relationship between the individual and society?

History

The history of social psychology dates back to the history of human thought itself (Adamson, 2005). Its origins can be traced to Ancient Greece, in Plato’s Republic or Aristotle’s writings, particularly his Rhetoric, or to the early stages of modernity, in the works of Machiavelli. However, as Adamson (2005) notes, the history of social psychology is best understood by tracing the contributions of thinkers who, more consciously and systematically, aimed to analyze relational fields or the dynamics of social production.

Its formal emergence is placed in the 19th century and is marked by a central question—one that also influenced the development of other social sciences (Guzmán, n.d.): What keeps people united within a given social order? Under the influence of dominant psychological and sociological schools, mainly based in Europe, the answers to this question revolved around the idea of a collective mind—something that binds people together beyond individual interests and differences. Nevertheless, the early attempts to understand human behavior focused more on individuals and their inner world than on the influence of groups (Guzmán, n.d.). According to Rodriguez (n.d.), this is because there was not yet a clear method to scientifically study people, and it was necessary to work with each person’s subjective experience.

It wasn’t until the 1940s and 1950s that several psychologists developed experimental methodologies that gave rise to the discipline as an empirical science (Rodriguez, n.d.). Researchers such as Kurt Lewin and Leon Festinger were major pioneers in this development—Lewin is even considered the father of social psychology. These two researchers began studying interpersonal interactions and the variables influencing them. Moreover, as Rodriguez (n.d.) explains, they started designing experiments that allowed them to isolate certain factors in the lab, emphasizing the need to better understand the effects of relationships with others.

However, it wasn’t until the end of World War II, in the second half of the 20th century, that social psychology truly emerged (Rodriguez, n.d.). Researchers sought to understand how radical ideologies such as Nazism could arise and why so many seemingly ordinary people had carried out horrific actions in its name (Rodriguez, n.d.). This is when the Frankfurt School and critical theory arose, with Theodor W. Adorno as one of its main representatives (Guzmán, n.d.). During this period, experiments began to focus on topics such as aggression, altruism, obedience to rules, persuasion, and authority (Rodriguez, n.d.). According to Rodriguez (n.d.), this research laid the foundation for the discipline, and its development continues to this day.

Some of the most notable experiments from this time were Milgram’s obedience experiments and Zimbardo’s Stanford prison experiment (Rodriguez, n.d.). Social psychology quickly expanded into other areas, such as group influence on decision-making, prejudice and discrimination, and how individuals learn from their surroundings. In the second half of the 20th century, the field grew significantly, especially in areas like attitudes and psychological processes. During this era, the first persuasion models were developed, forming the foundation for modern disciplines such as marketing. According to Rodriguez (n.d.), the concept of cognitive dissonance also emerged, becoming one of the most important ideas in the field.

In the 1980s, more attention was given to individuals’ cognitive processes, leading to the development of a subdiscipline known as social cognition (Rodriguez, n.d.). This area studies how thoughts, decisions, and beliefs are influenced by the surrounding environment and society. One of the most prominent authors of this period is economist Daniel Kahneman, who studied how unconscious processes affect decision-making and lead people to act irrationally in everyday life. In the 21st century, new research trends in social psychology have emerged. Scientists began examining how social conditions impact areas such as health and happiness, as well as the role of evolution and culture in shaping behavior. Finally, according to Rodriguez (n.d.), for over a century, areas such as social neuroscience have sought to merge our understanding of the human brain with the knowledge accumulated by traditional psychology.

References

1. Adamson, G. (2005). ¿Qué es la psicologia social?. Obtenido 1 Noviembre 2020, de https://www.funlam.edu.co/revistas/index.php/poiesis/article/view/439/414

2. Guzmán, G. Historia de la psicología social: fases de desarrollo y autores principales. Psicologiaymente.com. Recuperado 10 August 2021, a partir de https://psicologiaymente.com/social/historia-psicologia-social

3. Maristany, A. (2019). ¿Qué es la Psicología Social?. Obtenido 1 Noviembre 2020, de https://psicologoscordoba.org/que-es-la-psicologia-social/

4. Martinez, E. (2018). La Psicología Social, en qué consiste. Obtenido 1 Noviembre 2020, de https://www.psicoactiva.com/blog/la-psicologia-social-en-que-consiste/

5. Muelas, R. (2021). ¿Sabes qué es la psicología social y por qué es tan importante?. La Mente es Maravillosa. Recuperado 10 August 2021, a partir de https://lamenteesmaravillosa.com/sabes-que-es-la-psicologia-social-y-por-que-es-importante/

6. Rodriguez, A. (s.f.). Psicología social: historia, objeto de estudio y áreas. Retrieved 1 November 2020, from https://www.lifeder.com/psicologia-social/

7. Rodriguez, C. et al. (2005). Psicología Social. Obtenido 1 Noviembre 2020, de https://bdigital.uncu.edu.ar/objetos_digitales/1373/psisocpolimodal.pdf

8. Salcedo, E. (2006). LA PSICOLOGÍA SOCIAL: FUNDAMENTOS DEL ORDEN Y CAMBIO SOCIAL. Obtenido 1 Noviembre 2020, de https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/4975/497552138006.pdf