INTRODUCTION
Social Psychology is mainly concerned with stimuli and situations that directly involve other people. A social psychologist will be more interested in how you react to your professor then to a beautiful sunset. However, one's encounter with social stimuli is never direct. The ways in which you perceive your professor or the course are organized and biased by your attitudes, values, and past experiences. These in tum are affected by who our friends are, your culture, your language, and what you have been taught. Social psychologists are concerned with how these social features of your past experiences help you make your present experiences meaningful.
Social psychology can be defined as the study of how people organize, evaluate, and respond to their social experience. Social psychologists try to understand why ordinary people behave as they do in ordinary situations. As a science, social psychology must seek general laws of how people respond to social situations. Surely our social experiences and the social situations we find in ourselves have marked effects on our behavior.
Social psychology combines elements of psychology and social sciences and has a complex genealogy, which includes strains from many disciplines. It came on scene about 1900,after the way had been prepared by at least four groups of scholars: social philosophers, pioneer anthropologists.
The best references on the 19th century background of social psychology are Karpt (1972) and Watson (1977).
Ancient, medieval, and early modern philosophers speculated widely about human nature, heredity, and instincts, impulses, customs and social relations. In the writings of Plato Aristotle, Montesquieu, Hobb, Locke, Rousseau and many others, the problems of social living were given considerable attention.
In 1860, two German scholars, Herman Steinthal and Mortiz Lazarus, established a journal called Folk psychology, with the intention of discovering the mental processes of primitive people by studying their language, mythology, religion, literature, and art. 'Group minds' and; folk souls', these concepts inspired William Wundt.
Wundt felt that higher social processes could be explored in me laboratory, but they had to be investigated by way of the first protests against the ancient doctrine that the group may have a collective mind, soul or psyche over and above the minds of the individuals in the group. But he could not stick to this individualized approach like most of his contemporaries; he dealt with collective minds and made grand generalizations about the evolution of culture. Nonetheless, Steinthal, Lazarus, and Wundt did bring anthropology and psychology with in speaking distance of each other.
Charles Darwin made a tremendous contribution to social science as well as biological science. His statement of the theory of evolution in 'The origin of species' changed the course of scientific thinking.
Spencer, Darwin's contemporary is known for applying evolutionary concepts of social life. His principle contributions to social psychology were his insistence that life is a process of continual adjustment of internal to external relations (society) and his emphasis on study of social environment. He foresaw a "social science" which would study how the individual becomes an organic part of a group and how the group becomes an organic unity.
Auguste Comte, the 19th century French author, is considered the founder of sociology and possibly the first genuine social scientist. He stated clearly the idea that the human mind can develop only through society, the individual must be considered always in a social setting. Comte was one of the first to discuss the existence and importance of social change.
Another pioneering French sociologist.important to social psychology was Emile Durkheim.His well known theory of 'collective representations' stressed the significance of group experiences.
Max Weber, a -German sociologist -economist-historian, influenced later· social psychologists, both directly and indirectly. His analyses of bureaucracy in the government and business organizations and the effects of Protestantism on economic processes, as well as his studies of comparative religions, have stimulated the research of contemporary social scientists.
Social psychology is related to many other areas of study, particularly within the field of psychology. In some ways, social psychology borrows heavily from the classic experimental areas of psychology: learning and perception.
It is obvious that much of human social behavior is learned, and so to the extent that we are concerned with how people have learned to be aggressive or to like approval; have learned particular attitudes or responses to certain situations, we need some models of learning.
Perception and cognition are also important foundations of social psychology. Since at least some interpersonal behavior rests in decisions one makes about -the other's intentions, values and probable behavior, we must consider how people process information about themselves and others. This in tum encompasses more general ideas about how people perceive and think. How people perceive situations that affects their behavior.
Social psychology has more co-ordinate relationships with such special areas as developmental psychology, personality psychology, and psychopathology. In one sense, social psychology serves as a basis for these other disciplines. Developmental psychologists might use principles of social influence to explain how parents influence their children, for example, just as a personality psychologist or clinical psychologist might see certain characteristic pattern of behavior as being due to past social influences or influences of present social situations.
The relationship of social psychology to the rest of the social sciences in particular sociology is important. Social psychology is an important specially within sociology. Social psychology as. a discipline began largely within a sociological framework, and only after 1930 did social psychology have much representation within the broader field of psychology.
The society we live in is complex and often frustrating. We look for explanations why we cannot find a job we want or why it is not safe to be out on the streets at night. We are dismayed at its contradictions. The computer offers almost limitless knowledge, but it often seems to reduce human beings to mere numbers. More people have better education and higher expectations, but there·has been little improvement in the quality of the mass media or in the honesty or dedication of elected officials.
Social psychology is applied in this kind of society to solve problems like :
a) Environmental pollution
b) Deterioration of the cities
c) Erosion of civil liberties and
d) To help disadvantaged
Social psychology also plays a role in dealing with international conflict, though these kind of problems are technical, economic or political in nature, but they all involve the interaction of human beings, and this brings the behavioral and social sciences into the picture.
Social psychology can:
- Clarify the ways in which opinions are formed and the conditions under which attitudes and prejudices lead to overt behavior.
- The research can show how groups and organisms are formed and members are galvanized into action.
- The leadership studies can point out the qualities and situational factors that are most effective in meeting crises and solving problems.
Social psychology describes and interprets social behavior in terms of the individual participating in it. As a scientist the social psychologist seeks to describe and to understand social behavior, with ultimate aims as predicting behavior, clarifying social issues, and helping to solve problems.
Social psychology emerged as a separate discipline in the 19th century, after which it was developed by four groups of scholars: social philosophers, pioneer anthropologists, British evolution and early sociologists.
Interrelations with cultural anthropology, political science, economics, psychiatry, and other discipline have developed and proven to be mutually beneficial.
Social Psychology is mainly concerned with stimuli and situations that directly involve other people. A social psychologist will be more interested in how you react to your professor then to a beautiful sunset. However, one's encounter with social stimuli is never direct. The ways in which you perceive your professor or the course are organized and biased by your attitudes, values, and past experiences. These in tum are affected by who our friends are, your culture, your language, and what you have been taught. Social psychologists are concerned with how these social features of your past experiences help you make your present experiences meaningful.
DEFINITION OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Social psychology can be defined as the study of how people organize, evaluate, and respond to their social experience. Social psychologists try to understand why ordinary people behave as they do in ordinary situations. As a science, social psychology must seek general laws of how people respond to social situations. Surely our social experiences and the social situations we find in ourselves have marked effects on our behavior.
FORERUNNERS OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Social psychology combines elements of psychology and social sciences and has a complex genealogy, which includes strains from many disciplines. It came on scene about 1900,after the way had been prepared by at least four groups of scholars: social philosophers, pioneer anthropologists.
The best references on the 19th century background of social psychology are Karpt (1972) and Watson (1977).
Social Philosophers :
Ancient, medieval, and early modern philosophers speculated widely about human nature, heredity, and instincts, impulses, customs and social relations. In the writings of Plato Aristotle, Montesquieu, Hobb, Locke, Rousseau and many others, the problems of social living were given considerable attention.
Pioneer Anthropologists :
In 1860, two German scholars, Herman Steinthal and Mortiz Lazarus, established a journal called Folk psychology, with the intention of discovering the mental processes of primitive people by studying their language, mythology, religion, literature, and art. 'Group minds' and; folk souls', these concepts inspired William Wundt.
Wundt felt that higher social processes could be explored in me laboratory, but they had to be investigated by way of the first protests against the ancient doctrine that the group may have a collective mind, soul or psyche over and above the minds of the individuals in the group. But he could not stick to this individualized approach like most of his contemporaries; he dealt with collective minds and made grand generalizations about the evolution of culture. Nonetheless, Steinthal, Lazarus, and Wundt did bring anthropology and psychology with in speaking distance of each other.
British evolutionists:
Charles Darwin made a tremendous contribution to social science as well as biological science. His statement of the theory of evolution in 'The origin of species' changed the course of scientific thinking.
Spencer, Darwin's contemporary is known for applying evolutionary concepts of social life. His principle contributions to social psychology were his insistence that life is a process of continual adjustment of internal to external relations (society) and his emphasis on study of social environment. He foresaw a "social science" which would study how the individual becomes an organic part of a group and how the group becomes an organic unity.
Early sociologists:
Auguste Comte, the 19th century French author, is considered the founder of sociology and possibly the first genuine social scientist. He stated clearly the idea that the human mind can develop only through society, the individual must be considered always in a social setting. Comte was one of the first to discuss the existence and importance of social change.
Another pioneering French sociologist.important to social psychology was Emile Durkheim.His well known theory of 'collective representations' stressed the significance of group experiences.
Max Weber, a -German sociologist -economist-historian, influenced later· social psychologists, both directly and indirectly. His analyses of bureaucracy in the government and business organizations and the effects of Protestantism on economic processes, as well as his studies of comparative religions, have stimulated the research of contemporary social scientists.
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY
Social psychology is related to many other areas of study, particularly within the field of psychology. In some ways, social psychology borrows heavily from the classic experimental areas of psychology: learning and perception.
It is obvious that much of human social behavior is learned, and so to the extent that we are concerned with how people have learned to be aggressive or to like approval; have learned particular attitudes or responses to certain situations, we need some models of learning.
Perception and cognition are also important foundations of social psychology. Since at least some interpersonal behavior rests in decisions one makes about -the other's intentions, values and probable behavior, we must consider how people process information about themselves and others. This in tum encompasses more general ideas about how people perceive and think. How people perceive situations that affects their behavior.
Social psychology has more co-ordinate relationships with such special areas as developmental psychology, personality psychology, and psychopathology. In one sense, social psychology serves as a basis for these other disciplines. Developmental psychologists might use principles of social influence to explain how parents influence their children, for example, just as a personality psychologist or clinical psychologist might see certain characteristic pattern of behavior as being due to past social influences or influences of present social situations.
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
The relationship of social psychology to the rest of the social sciences in particular sociology is important. Social psychology is an important specially within sociology. Social psychology as. a discipline began largely within a sociological framework, and only after 1930 did social psychology have much representation within the broader field of psychology.
APPLICATIONS OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
The society we live in is complex and often frustrating. We look for explanations why we cannot find a job we want or why it is not safe to be out on the streets at night. We are dismayed at its contradictions. The computer offers almost limitless knowledge, but it often seems to reduce human beings to mere numbers. More people have better education and higher expectations, but there·has been little improvement in the quality of the mass media or in the honesty or dedication of elected officials.
Social psychology is applied in this kind of society to solve problems like :
a) Environmental pollution
b) Deterioration of the cities
c) Erosion of civil liberties and
d) To help disadvantaged
Social psychology also plays a role in dealing with international conflict, though these kind of problems are technical, economic or political in nature, but they all involve the interaction of human beings, and this brings the behavioral and social sciences into the picture.
Social psychology can:
- Clarify the ways in which opinions are formed and the conditions under which attitudes and prejudices lead to overt behavior.
- The research can show how groups and organisms are formed and members are galvanized into action.
- The leadership studies can point out the qualities and situational factors that are most effective in meeting crises and solving problems.
SUMMARY
Social psychology describes and interprets social behavior in terms of the individual participating in it. As a scientist the social psychologist seeks to describe and to understand social behavior, with ultimate aims as predicting behavior, clarifying social issues, and helping to solve problems.
Social psychology emerged as a separate discipline in the 19th century, after which it was developed by four groups of scholars: social philosophers, pioneer anthropologists, British evolution and early sociologists.
Interrelations with cultural anthropology, political science, economics, psychiatry, and other discipline have developed and proven to be mutually beneficial.