Social Psychology

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Social Psychology

The fundamental nature of social psychology involves the resolution of issues and concerns that affect people on a wide scale. In fact, the measures that individuals use to resolve issues, interact, and establish relationships form the basis of the respective discipline (King 431). Social psychology generally involves the study of ways that people use in thinking, affecting, and relating to others (King 432). In this respect, facets such as social cognition and person perception are essential aspects of social psychology since they involve the use of ways such as social cues in order to establish impressions of others (King 432-433). However, the utilization of these cues may be subject to drawbacks that involve attribution errors and stereotype threats (King 438).

            Social behavior, as another facet of the discipline, is represented by the excesses of social activity among human beings, specifically altruism and egoism (King 440). Both ends of the social spectrum assume a role in the development of prosocial behavior, which is determined further by biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors (King 441-444). Social psychology is further involved in understanding the ways that other persons influence personal behavior, hence necessitating a focus on essential aspects such as obedience and conformity, and the ways that groups influence behavior via deindividuation, social contagion, performance, decision-making, and identity (King 451-458).

            The focus on areas of personal and group influence raise numerous concerns that surround the types of behaviors that are typically exhibited, especially in a group setting. For example, behaviors such as discrimination and the implementation of stereotypes are associated with the impact that groups have on one’s identity as well as intergroup relations that occur among members (King 458). Undeniably, social psychology is an imperative field based on its ability to assess and understand the behaviors, attitudes, and mannerisms that people exhibit with one another.

Works Cited

King, Laura A. The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View. McGraw-Hill, 2017.