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Social Psychology Definition Social psychology is an interesting subdiscipline of psychology; there are many aspects to this science and the process it must follow for researching new theories. To begin with, this paper will define social psychology, the differences between social psychology and other disciplines such as sociology, general psychology, and clinical psychology.
This paper will conclude with the process of research in social psychology. Social Psychology is the study of how people think about influences and how they relate to one another (Myers, Chapter 1, 2010). Social psychology studies how people think, their influences, and relationships with others.
The central themes in this science are: how we construe our social world, which explores our need to explain ones behavior; how our social intuitions guide and sometimes deceive us, this explores how what we think about ourselves is usually not obvious to other people; how our social behavior is shaped by other people, this discusses what people will do to believe that he or she belongs, connect and are liked by others; by our attitudes, personality, and by our biology, this explores ones family history to see if one is more likely to behave a certain way (Myers, Chapter 1, 2010).
This is a young field of science; it was not explored until the late 1800s and the first text was written until shortly after the turn of the century. It was not until the 1930s that social psychology took the form of what it is today (Myers, Chapter 1, 2010). Social psychology is different from other forms of psychology; however, it does share a few similar aspects with other disciplines. Sociology is similar to social psychology because both sciences study the general behavior of people; however, sociology focuses on people in groups and societies, and social psychology focuses on the individual.
According to “Society of Clinical Psychology” (n. d), “Clinical psychology focuses on intellectual, emotional, biological, psychological, social, and behavior aspects of human functioning across the life span, in varying cultures and at all socioeconomic levels” (What is Clinical Psychology). Social psychology studies how these aspects affect the individual. Social psychology is a sub discipline of general psychology. All psychology studies fall under the main practice of general psychology. Preforming research for social psychology is a long process.
It begins with organizing ones ideas and findings into theories. From these theories one can form hypotheses to test his or her theories. Predictions are made to give direction to the research. Correlation research is the study of naturally occurring relationships among variables. There is also field research, which is performed in natural settings, outside the lab. Experimental research looks for clues to cause and effect relationships by manipulating one or more factors. When any social psychologist is performing his or her research he or she must consider correlation and causation.
This occurs when two variables correlate any combination of three explanations; either one may cause the other, or both may be affected by an underlying “third factor” (Myers, Chapter 1, 2010). Survey research is also used; this is when someone asks random people questions about what he or she may think about any given topic. With this process framing is a limiting factor; this is referring to the way a question may be asked that could influence ones decisions or expressed opinions (Myers, Chapter 1, 2010). When research is preformed there is a boundary between the research and ethics and values.
This has been an issue for many social psychologists, especially when the research involves children. Psychologists are required to follow an ethical code, which requires them to do experiments a certain way. They must receive people’s informed consents, keep them safe and away from harm, and fully disclose any deception that may have been necessary for the experiment (Myers, Chapter 1, 2010). Values may also affect research because the one gathering research has his or her values regarding what is acceptable and what is not.
This can develop into an issue when research is gathered on an issue that is against his or her values. This paper has covered many aspects of social psychology, including the differences and similarities to other forms of disciplines, the roles of research, and the importance of ethics and values in research. Social psychology is a science that will continue to grow and change, especially because it is a young science. References Myers, D. G. (2010). Social Psychology (10th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Society of Clinical Psychology. (n. d). Retrieved from