Definition of Social Psychology - 1886 Words

Psychology is a social science study that covers diverse subject topics and carries out different forms of research in order to understand the development and function of human beings. A scientific study focuses on peoples mind and its functions especially those affecting behavior in a particular context. Psychology is divided into different branches, and each branch addresses its own form of content in relation to mental processes and behavior. Social psychology is one of the psychology branches. This subdiscipline focuses on individuals and their thoughts. Experts in this field of study focus on why an individual acts as well as reacts the way he/she does. It studies the interaction between people, but the focus is on one human being†¦show more content†¦Apart from being under the subject of psychology, it is also a social science subject, which embraces humanity and explorative science as well as social behaviors and mental cognition (Cantril, 1934). The study is signific ant because of its information content. History of Social Psychology Social psychology is not a new venture in science. It has been there ever since the late 1890s. Then, psychologists were concerned about it because they wanted to know the different aspects of human nature. The early influencers of this subject are Aristotle, Plato, Hegel, Lazarus and Steinthal (Hergenhahn Henley, 2014). This aspect of psychology started being differentiated when Aristotle believed that people were naturally sociable, which is related to the individual centered approach. On the other hand, Plato alleged that the society controlled people and it also encouraged social responsibility mostly through social context, which is concerned with the socio-centered approach. Hegel then brought in the concept that society has obligatory associations with the development of the social mind. This aspect is the rationale behind the notion of group mind, which is crucial in the study of social psychology (Lubek Apfelbaum, 2000). In 1860s, Steinthal and Lazarus wrote about the infl uences of Anglo-European, which led to the emergence of volkerpsychologie, a concept that focuses on the collective mind and the notionsShow MoreRelatedSocial Psychology Definition Paper1122 Words   |  5 PagesSocial 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? 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