The Future of Social Psychology


Book Description

Cookie White Stephan and Walter G. Stephan This is a book about the two social psychologies-psychological social psychology and sociological social psychology--written by social psychologists from both disciplines. It focuses on the benefits and costs of interchange between psychological social psychology and sociological social psychology, with the ultimate goal of encouraging interaction among scholars in the two disciplines. The primary questions addressed are: What do the two disciplines have to offer each other? What are the barriers to fruitful interchange? How can these barriers be overcome? In this introductory chapter we will first examine some historical reasons for the lack of interchange between the two social psychologies. Then we will provide a brief preview of the chapters to follow. The Development of the Two Social Psychologies The beginning of concern with the "social animal" can be traced to the ancient Greeks. However, social psychology's formal beginning is usually dated from Norman Triplett's 1897 publication of his findings on the effects of competition or from the publication in 1908 of two books including the words "Social Psychology" in their titles, one by the psychologist William McDougall and the other by the sociologist Edward Alsworth Ross. Thus, from its inception, social psychology was already divided into two distinct academic units, housed in the disciplines of sociology and psychology.




Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination


Book Description

Publisher Description







Social Psychology


Book Description

Social Psychology takes a sociological approach to the study of the individual in relationship to society. It's main purpose is is to highlight how social psychology provides varied, yet inter-related, explanations for individuals’ experiences in groups. The text tells the story of how these dynamics unfold, beginning with the central social characteristics of the individual, to processes of perception and of interaction. In the telling of this story, it also notes some of the interesting cross-cultural comparisons in regard to these dynamics.




Handbook of Social Psychology


Book Description

Psychology, focusing on processes that occur inside the individual and Sociology, focusing on social collectives and social institutions, come together in Social Psychology to explore the interface between the two fields. The core concerns of social psychology include the impact of one individual on another; the impact of a group on its individual members; the impact of individuals on the groups in which they participate; the impact of one group on another. This book is a successor to Social Psychology: Social Perspectives and Sociological Perspectives in Social Psychology. The current text expands on previous handbooks in social psychology by including recent developments in theory and research and comprehensive coverage of significant theoretical perspectives.




The Psychology of Social Status


Book Description

The Psychology of Social Status outlines the foundational insights, key advances, and developments that have been made in the field thus far. The goal of this volume is to provide an in-depth exploration of the psychology of human status, by reviewing each of the major lines of theoretical and empirical work that have been conducted in this vein. Organized thematically, the volume covers the following areas: - An overview of several prominent overarching theoretical perspectives that have shaped much of the current research on social status. - Examination of the personality, demographic, situational, emotional, and cultural underpinnings of status attainment, addressing questions about why and how people attain status. - Identification of the intra- and inter-personal benefits and costs of possessing and lacking status. - Emerging research on the biological and bodily manifestation of status attainment - A broad review of available research methods for measuring and experimentally manipulating social status ​A key component of this volume is its interdisciplinary focus. Research on social status cuts across a variety of academic fields, including psychology, sociology, anthropology, organizational science others; thus the chapter authors are drawn from a similarly wide-range of disciplines. Encompassing the current state of knowledge in a thriving and proliferating field, The Psychology of Social Status is a fascinating and comprehensive resource for researchers, students, policy-makers, and others interested in learning about the complex nature of social status, hierarchy, dominance, and power.







The Sociology of Emotions


Book Description

All social relations involve emotional responses, from the simplest face-to-face encounter through the mobilization of social movements to the commitments that individuals develop for culture and society. The social world is thus dependent upon the arousal of emotions, and equally significant conflict and change in societies is ultimately driven by emotional arousal. Thus, it is important to understand how human emotions influence, and are influenced by, the social world. This understanding takes us into the sociology of emotions that has emerged as a distinct area of inquiry over the last thirty years.




Self-Concept Clarity


Book Description

This welcome resource traces the evolution of self-concept clarity and brings together diverse strands of research on this important and still-developing construct. Locating self-concept clarity within current models of personality, identity, and the self, expert contributors define the construct and its critical roles in both individual and collective identity and functioning. The book examines commonly-used measures for assessing clarity, particularly in relation to the more widely understood concept of self-esteem, with recommendations for best practices in assessment. In addition, a wealth of current data highlights the links between self-concept clarity and major areas of mental wellness and dysfunction, from adaptation and leadership to body image issues and schizophrenia. Along the way, it outlines important future directions in research on self-concept clarity. Included in the coverage: Situating self-concept clarity in the landscape of personality. Development of self-concept clarity across the lifespan. Self-concept clarity and romantic relationships. Who am I and why does it matter? Linking personal identity and self-concept clarity. Consequences of self-concept clarity for well-being and motivation. Self-concept clarity and psychopathology. Self-Concept Clarity fills varied theoretical, empirical, and practical needs across mental health fields, and will enhance the work of academics, psychologists interested in the construct as an area of research, and clinicians working with clients struggling with developing and improving their self-concept clarity.