Social psychology

 

Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.

The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all of the psychological variables that are measurable in a human being.

The reference to imagined or implied others suggests that we are prone to social influence even when no other people are present, such as when watching television, or following internalized cultural norms.

The study of attitudes is a core topic in social psychology.

Attitudes are involved in virtually every other area of the discipline, including conformity, interpersonal attraction, social perception, and prejudice.

Social psychologists typically explain human behavior as a result of the interaction of mental states and immediate, social situations.

In general, social psychologists have a preference for laboratory based, empirical findings.

Their theories tend to be specific and focused, rather than global and general.