It also explores some examples of the types of research that social psychologists might conduct within these subject areas.
Social Cognition
Social cognitionis concerned with the processing, storage, and system of social information.
Schemasare our general ideas about the world, how things are, and how things work.
Mitchell Funk / Getty Images
These mental categories allow us to function without constantly stopping to interpret everything around us.
One area of social cognition research concernsperson perception, which is how people form impressions of others.
First impressions are the judgments we form about someone based on limited information.
Attitudes and Attitude Change
Another major research area insocial psychologyinvolves the study ofattitudes.
Social psychologists are interested in the components of attitudes, how attitudes develop, and how attitudes change.
Attitudes are evaluations of people, objects, or issues.
Violence and Aggression
What causes violence andaggression?
Prosocial Behavior
Prosocial behavioris another major research area in social psychology.
Prosocial behaviors are those that involve helping and cooperating.
Thebystander effectis an example of a social phenomenon in the subject area of prosocial behavior.
Nevertheless, the case became mythologized in psychology textbooks and prompted a surge of interest in prosocial behaviors.
Prejudice and Discrimination
Prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes exist in any social group.
Social psychologists are interested in the origins, causes, and effects of these attitudes and social categorizations.
Self-awareness, self-esteem,self-concept, and self-expression are only a few factors that influence our social experience.
For example, social comparison is a process that can impact how people view themselves.
Upward comparisons can leave people feeling like they don’t measure up, damaging self-esteem.
Downward comparisons, on the other hand, can help enhance self-esteem.
The behavior of groups is one of the largest research areas in social psychology.
Most people realize that groups tend to behave differently than individuals.
These group behaviors are sometimes beneficial but can also be detrimental.
Norms are standards that emerge and guide how another member judge one another.
Social Influence
Social psychologists are also interested in the role of social influence on behavior and decision-making.
One example of research in this area of social psychology wasMilgram’s obedience studiesconducted during the 1960s.
Research has helped reveal the power of social influence and has uncovered ways to help people resist influence.
Social psychologists study how theseinterpersonal relationshipsaffect people by looking atattachment,liking,love, and attraction.
Attitudes towards disgust and behaviour[published correction appears inCogn Emot.
2016;30(3):i].Cogn Emot.
2001;80(6):845-60.
2017;8(4):10.1002/wcs.1437.
2018;4:1-11. doi:10.1177/2378023118763187
American Psychological Association.Outgroup homogeneity bias.
2019 Jun 27;7:181].Front Public Health.
