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Intro To Social Psychology

This document provides an overview of social psychology as a field of study. It defines social psychology as the scientific study of how individuals think about, influence, and relate to one another. The document then discusses the history and development of social psychology as a scientific discipline. It covers key figures and studies from the late 19th century to present day that helped establish social psychology and expand its focus to topics like obedience, social perception, attraction, and gender differences. The document also outlines the core scientific values of social psychology and provides examples of how research methods are applied, such as formulating hypotheses, collecting data through experiments and observations, and analyzing and reporting results.

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Haz Zira
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262 views25 pages

Intro To Social Psychology

This document provides an overview of social psychology as a field of study. It defines social psychology as the scientific study of how individuals think about, influence, and relate to one another. The document then discusses the history and development of social psychology as a scientific discipline. It covers key figures and studies from the late 19th century to present day that helped establish social psychology and expand its focus to topics like obedience, social perception, attraction, and gender differences. The document also outlines the core scientific values of social psychology and provides examples of how research methods are applied, such as formulating hypotheses, collecting data through experiments and observations, and analyzing and reporting results.

Uploaded by

Haz Zira
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

PREPARED BY:
NUR HAFIDAH ABD KADIR
DEFINITION
“….scientific field that seeks to understand the nature
and causes of individual behaviour and thought in
social situations.”
AND
“...investigates the ways in which our thoughts, feelings
and actions are influenced by the social
environments”....
Robert A Baron
“ the study of human behaviour in its social
context; involving scientific investigation
of how thoughts, feelings and behaviour
of individuals are influenced by the
actual, imagined or implied presence of
others”

Gordon Allport, 1935


A scientific study of how people think about, influence
and relate to one another in order to view and
understand of ourselves

It is about the experimental on individualistic and


environmental science whereby the individual can be
influenced by social.

David G Myers
Social Psychology as a Scientific Field

Social psychology is regarded as scientific in nature


because it focuses on FOUR core values namely:
1.Accuracy - information gathering
2.Objectivity- evaluating the information –
should be free from bias
3.Skepticism– must verify the result to
determine accuracy
4.Open minded – commitment to changing
one’s view.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
1) Informal discovery of social psychology
• When human starts to measure the thought, feelings and behaviour of
human being

2) The early years: 1895 – 1934


 Norman Triplett ( American Psychologist) was the person generally
credited with having conducted the first experimental study that could be
classified as social psychological in nature.

 In 1895, he asked a question;


“how does a person’s performance of a task change when other people are
present?”
 Then, he conducted a research of the official records
of bicycle races in America.

 The result was: a rider’s maximum speed was about


20% faster when he was paced by other cyclists then
he was raced alone.

 In 1897, his study was published and credited with


introducing all the important experimental method
into social sciences.
 The first book on social psychology was published in 1908 by
Mc Dougall entitled Introduction to Social Psychology.

 He considered the individual to be the principal unit of


analysis in this new field of science.

 It based largely on the view that social behavior stems/arises


from innate tendencies or instinct.

 In 1924; Floyd Allport published a textbook which is much


closer to the modern orientation of our field.

 He argued that social behavior stems from many branch of


discipline, including the presence of other persons and their
specific actions.
3. The Coming Age : 1935-1945
• Most of the research in social psychology developed
following the WW II, when people become interested in
the behaviour of individuals when group together in a
social situations
• Example:
How the German dictator Adolf Hitler could have
produced such extreme obedience and horrendous
behaviour in his follower.
4. Social Psychology’s Youth : The 1940s, 1950s and 1960s
 The field expended its scope in several directions, such as:
 1959: John Thibaut & Harold Kelly published the Social
Psychology of Groups
 1963: Stanley published his research on obedience.
 1965: Edward & Kenneth Davis published ideas on social
perception.
 1966: Elaine and her colleagues published their studies of
romantic attraction
 1968: research on bystander intervention by John Darley &
Bibb Latane
5. The 1970s, 1980s and 1990s : A Maturing Field
Several new topics rose to prominence.

 1972: Attribution ( the process through which we seek to


understand the causes of other’s behaviour) was
published.

 1974: Sandra Bem developed the Bem Sex Role Inventory


relating to the study of gender issues. Janet Spence
developed the Personal Attributes Questionnaire.

 1981: Gender differences had been conducted.

 1986: Communication and Persuasion was published by


Richard Petty & John Cacioppo
 1991: Hazel Markus and Shinobu Kitayama publish their
Psychological Review article on how culture shapes the
self

 1996: David Buss and Neil Malamuth publish Sex,


Power, Conflict, an edited text offering evolutionary and
feminist perspectives on sex and gender interactions. A
growing number of social psychologists attempt to
integrate these previously divergent perspectives.
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY IN
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
HOW TO CONDUCT
RESEARCH IN SOCIAL
PSYCHOLOGY
1. Select research topic
 One that interests you in finding the answers to.
 Purpose of the research

STUDY ON PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS


OF PRISON LIFE
2. Searching the research literature
 Read on previous findings/studies.

3. Formulating Hypotheses
 Prediction of what you expect to happen next in the study
 Effect of the research
Possible hypotheses

Ordinary people could be readily


transformed from good to bad in
prison life.

Roles define your behaviour.


4. Select subjects
 Random Sample - each person in the larger population has
an equal chance of being included in the study.
 Informed Consent – Subjects should be informed of the
procedures, risks and benefits, right of refusal.
Laboratory (Experimental)
 Conducted in a controlled env. and real life setting.
 Cause (factors controlled by the researcher) and effect
(outcome) r.ship.
i.e. Cause - prisoners and guards
Effect – loneliness, aggression,
identity loss.
Ordinary people (cause) could
be readily transformed from
good to bad (effect) in prison
life.
6. Data Collection
 Self-Report : Prisoners and guards
 Observation: by the experimenters
 Archival Information

7. Analyze Data – descriptive

8. Report the Data – shared.


Thoughts
IS SOCIAL
PSYCHOLOGY JUST
COMMON SENSE?
If people acted in
perfectly logical ways,
no one would study
psychology!

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