Social Psychology Paper

Social psychology is the scientific study of how people think about, influence and relate to one another (Myers & DeWall, 2014). It looks at human behavior as influenced by other people and the social context in which it occurs. Social psychologists manage the factors that lead an individual to behave in a certain way in the presence of others. They look at the conditions under which certain behaviors, actions and feelings occur. Social psychology looks at how these feelings, thoughts, beliefs, intentions and goals are constructed and how such psychological factors, in turn, influence one’s interactions with others (Myers & DeWall, 2014). The three main areas of study are social thinking, social influence, and social relations. Social thinking …show more content…
Fundamental attribution error is the tendency, to overestimate the influence of personal traits and underestimate the effects of the situation when analyzing other’s behavior (Myers & DeWall, 2014). Social influence is the process by which others individually or collectively affect how we think and behave. Some examples would be culture, pressures to conform, persuasion, and the groups of people around the individual (Myers & DeWall, 2014). With social influence one might see obedience and conformity. Obedience is the tendency to do whatever an authoritative figure tells one to do simply because they tell them to do it. Conformity is the inclination to do what others are doing simply because they are doing it (Myers & DeWall, 2014). Social relations are how one person relates to another. Some examples would be prejudice, aggression, attraction and intimacy, helping, and peacemaking. Prejudice is an unfair, intolerant, or unfavorable attitude towards a group and its members. Prejudice generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action (Myers & DeWall, 2014). Stereotypes are a generalized belief about a group of