Social psychology concepts and applications

Social Psychology

There are two roots from which Social Psychology is derived: sociology and psychology. Sociology is the study of how groups of people interact with each other. Psychology is the study of how individuals think and act on their own. Combining these two areas of study led to the development of social psychology.

Social psychology does consider the things sociologists consider, including how large groups work together and what members of various groups are expected to do and what they expect others to do. It considers the organizations formed by humans to help conduct life, including schools and government organizations and even leisure organizations, such as social clubs and sports clubs.

But it also considers the psychology of the people in all those groups. It takes into account the ways in which the groups work with the psychology of the individuals, and it takes into account the ways the individuals in any group influence its actions and makeup.

Social psychologists study the belief systems of individuals, their sense of morality, how they identify themselves and how they react when they are in various groups. It would take into account whether the person came from a stable family or not, or whether there was some great influence in society that might have caused a person to act in a certain way. Such influences might be wars or economic disasters, or even things such as the Twin Towers disaster (9-11). Social psychologists would be interested in how that event affected not only the people who lost family members or friends, but also those who live in New York City, and even in the nation.

Social psychologists also look at the roles people play; their religious, work, family and social roles.

Social psychologists may also be interested in the political beliefs of individuals or groups, and how the group behaves politically, that is, who it votes for and why. And those answers will lead the social psychologist to also ask what each person in an identifiable group has in common that leads them to similar beliefs and actions.

Other considerations for a social psychologist include geography and the economic background of the individuals and groups they study. Language is also important. Even the way a group of people dresses could be important to a social psychologist.

For a social psychologist, all this information helps them understand why a person will change his or her behavior in different groups. This is the psychology part: it studies how each person's identity changes or how they see themselves differently depending on whether they are visiting their grandmother, hanging out with friends, or applying for a job. It would also try to understand what type of personality might become a serial killer in a particular society, or who would become a saintly person, sacrificing himself or her self for others in the same society. When a society is changing, as modern society has recently done from pre-computer to post-computer, social psychologists try to explain what types of behavior will change, and why, and for whom.

Social psychologists use all the material they develop to try to explain the society we live in, and to help the institutions that operate in the society, such as schools and government, operate more effectively. In addition to psychology and sociology, a social psychologist may also need to study other fields, such as anthropology, economics, religion, history, anthropology, linguistics and even biology.