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Social Psychology

Social psychology seeks to explain and understand social behavior. Learn more about group behavior, how we interact with others, and social influences on decision making.
  1. Social Influence (19)
  2. Interpersonal Relationships (15)

What is Social Psychology?

Social psychology is a discipline that uses scientific methods to study social influence, social perception and social interaction. Learn more about the history of social psychology and what makes it different from other disciplines.

Social Psychology Basics

Social psychology is a branch of psychology concerned with how social phenomena influence us and how people interact with others. Learn more about the basic aspects of social behavior that play a large role in our actions and how we see ourselves.

What Are the Major Perspectives in Social Psychology?

There are a number of different perspectives in social psychology. Each perspective has a different approach to explaining social behavior. Find out more about the major perspectives in social psychology.

Research Areas in Social Psychology

There are a number of different research areas in social psychology. Learn more about some of the topics studies by social psychologists.

Research Methods in Social Psychology

Researchers use a number of different methods to study social psychology. These research methods include experiments, surveys, observations, and more. Learn more about research methods used in social psychology.

Person Perception

In social psychology, the term person refers to the different ways that we form impressions of other people. This includes not just how we form these impressions, but the different conclusions we make about other people based upon our impressions. Learn more about the process of person perception.

The Bystander Effect

The bystander effect is a social phenomenon in which the presence of other people reduces helping behavior. Learn more about the bystander effect, including examples and explanations.

The Actor-Observer Bias

People tend to attribute their own actions to outside variables, while attributing other people's actions to internal factors. In social psychology, this phenomenon is known as the actor-observer bias.

Attitudes

Attitudes have a powerful influence on behavior. Learn more about how attitudes form, how they change and how they influence the way we behavior.

Effects of Group Size on Problem Solving

A new study suggests that groups of three, four, and five perform better on problem solving tasks than do individuals working alone. Read more about this study and find information on additional resources.

Social Psychology Network

The Social Psychology Network is the largest online database devoted exclusively to social psychology. Find information on many social psychology topics including prejudice, influence, prosocial behavior, and much more.

Attribution

In social psychology, attribution involves making inferences about the behaviors of others as well as events around us. Learn more about the types of attributions as well as some of the biases that influence attribution.

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