Social Psychology Definition Paper
Sinthia Brye
PSY/ 400
August 30, 2010
Joyce Willis

Social Psychology
Introduction
Social psychology it observes as the influence of our situations with special attention on how we view and affect one another. Social psychology perceives the way we think, influence people, and relates to others. Social psychology lies at psychology’s boundary with sociology, which sociology is the study of people in groups and societies? Social psychology is all about life – your life: your beliefs, your attitudes, your relationships.
Definition of Social Psychology Social psychology is a discipline that uses scientific method “to understand and explain how the thought, feelings and …show more content…

Finally, it is important to distinguish between social psychology and sociology. While there are many similarities between the two, sociology tends to look at social behavior and influences at a very broad-based level. Sociologists are interested in the institutions and culture that influence social psychology. Psychologists instead focus on situational variables that affect social behavior. While psychology and sociology both study similar topics, they are looking at these topics from different perspectives.

Explain the role of research in social psychology There are three main avenues through which social psychologists can elucidate the facts of individual social interaction: correlational research, experimental research, and survey research.
The very basis of the scientific method is the postulation that a theory can be explained or predicted by means of hypothesis testing, through the medium of observable events.
Correlational research seeks to explain naturally occurring relationships among variables, but lacks the ability to differentiate causation between variables. For instance, Einwohner (1999) was able to show that personal identification as an activist and collective identification with a group are highly correlated with protest behavior, but that the formers do not necessarily cause latter. However, through