social psychology

Examples of social psychology in the following topics:

• Introduction to Social Psychology and Social Perception

  • Social psychology includes the subfields of cognitive social psychology and social neuroscience.
  • The field of social psychology has traditionally been described as a bridge between psychology and sociology.
  • Some of the topics of focus within social psychology are listed below:
  • One persistent theme in social psychology is the structure-agency debate.
  • The field of social psychology consists of the overlapping foci of psychology and sociology.

• Social Psychology

  • Social psychology studies individuals in a social context and examines how situational variables influence behavior.
  • Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.
  • Social psychology typically explains human behavior as a result of the interaction of mental states and immediate social situations.
  • Thus, social psychology studies individuals in a social context and how situational variables interact to influence behavior.
  • The discipline of social psychology began in the United States in the early 20th century.

• Cognitive Psychology

  • Cognitive psychology is the school of psychology that examines internal mental processes such as problem solving, memory, and language.
  • Much of the work derived from cognitive psychology has been integrated into various other modern disciplines of psychological study, including social psychology, personality psychology, abnormal psychology, developmental psychology, educational psychology, and behavioral economics.
  • Cognitive psychology is radically different from previous psychological approaches in that it is characterized by both of the following:
  • Cognitive psychology is one of the more recent additions to psychological research.
  • Though there are examples of cognitive approaches from earlier researchers, cognitive psychology really developed as a subfield within psychology in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

• Cultural Psychology

  • Several subfields within psychology seek to examine these sociocultural factors that influence human mental states and behavior; among these are social psychology (discussed in another section), cultural psychology, and cultural-historical psychology.
  • Cultural psychology is the study of how psychological and behavioral tendencies are rooted and embedded within culture.
  • The evidence that social values, logical reasoning, and basic cognitive and motivational processes vary across populations has become increasingly difficult to ignore.
  • Cultural psychology is often confused with cross-cultural psychology; however, it is distinct in that cross-cultural psychologists generally use culture as a means of testing the universality of psychological processes, rather than determining how local cultural practices shape psychological processes.
  • According to Vygotsky, social interaction—especially involvement with knowledgeable community or family members—helps children to acquire the thought processes and behaviors specific to their culture and/or society.

• Educational Psychology

  • It examines the effectiveness of various educational interventions, the psychology of teaching, and the social aspect of schools.
  • School psychology applies educational psychology, along with the principles of clinical psychology, to treat children's learning and/or behavior problems.
  • Educational psychology dates back to the early 20th century.
  • Lightner Witmer, considered the founder of school psychology, opened the first psychological and guidance clinic in 1896 in Pennsylvania.
  • School psychology is essentially the application of educational psychology in schools.

• Introducing Health Psychology

  • Health psychology is the application of psychological theory and research to health, illness, and healthcare.
  • Health psychology, often referred to as behavioral medicine or medical psychology, is the application of psychological theory to health-related practices.
  • The biopsychosocial model views health and illness behaviors as products of biological characteristics (such as genes), behavioral factors (such as lifestyle, stress, and health beliefs), and social conditions (such as cultural influences, family relationships, and social support).
  • Health psychology addresses individual and population-level issues across four domains: clinical, public, community, and critical (social justice).
  • Critical health psychology prioritizes social justice and the universal right to good health for people of all races, genders, ages, and socioeconomic positions.

• Evolutionary Psychology

  • Evolutionary psychology seeks to understand human behavior as the result of psychological adaptation and natural selection.
  • Evolutionary psychology is an approach in the social and natural sciences that examines psychological traits such as memory, perception, and language from a modern evolutionary perspective.
  • Evolutionary psychology applies this same thinking to psychology, arguing that much of human behavior is the result of psychological adaptations that evolved to solve recurrent problems in human ancestral environments.
  • Proponents of evolutionary psychology suggest that it seeks to bridge the division between the human social sciences (such as psychology and sociology) and the natural sciences (such as biology, chemistry, and physics).
  • Evolutionary psychology stems from Charles Darwin's theories of evolution, adaptation, and natural selection.

• Defining Psychology

  • Simply put, psychology is the study of the mind.
  • Most psychologists can be classified as social, behavioral, or cognitive scientists.
  • Psychologists attempt to understand not only the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, but also the physiological and biological processes that underlie cognitive functions and behaviors.
  • Psychology has been described as a "hub science" because psychological research has links to the social sciences, natural sciences, medicine, and the humanities (such as philosophy).
  • Psychology seeks to understand how psychological factors interact with sociocultural and biological factors to influence individual development.

• Careers in Psychology

  • Psychology is a very broad field, and there are many career options available for graduating students of psychology.
  • Clinical psychology involves the study and application of psychology for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and treating psychologically based dysfunction.
  • Careers in health settings can vary widely and include health psychology (sometimes called health-and-wellness psychology), occupational-health psychology, and medical psychology.
  • Health psychology concerns itself with understanding how biology, behavior, and social context influence health and illness; health psychologists generally work alongside other medical professionals in clinical settings, although many also teach and conduct research.
  • Neuroimaging has been helpful in many areas of psychology, particularly in the subfield of biological psychology.

• Psychological Pricing

  • Psychological pricing or price ending is a marketing practice based on the theory that certain prices have a psychological impact.
  • In this field, a professional practitioner or researcher is called a psychologist, and can be classified as a social, behavioral, or cognitive scientist.
  • Psychologists attempt to understand the role of mental functions in individual and social behavior, while also exploring the physiological and neurobiological processes that underlie certain cognitive functions and behaviors.
  • Psychological pricing or price ending is a marketing practice based on the theory that certain prices have a psychological impact.
  • Psychological pricing can be used to the perceived value of a product up as well.