Sociology

Chapter one discusses what social psychology is, the origins and development of social psychology, how social psychology attains knowledge, and the special features contained in this book. Social psychology is the scientific field that seeks to understand the nature and causes of individual behavior in social situations. It uses science to find out how we interact with people and how we think about others.

When we think of science, most people feel that it has been around forever when in actuality the field of social psychology has only come about in the twentieth century. Since then this form of psychology emerged they study every part of social behavior and social thought. I find it interesting that when the question "Is social psychology scientific?" was asked they answered with a definite yes. I can see this because although it is not biology or some sort of physical science they have similar methods.

Social psychologists often use experimentation and correlational methods in their research. Experimentation is procedures in which researchers systematically vary one or more factors to examine the impact of change in an area of social behavior or thought. During correlation, scientists observe and measure two or more variables to determine if changes in one are accompanied by changes of others. Social psychologists also use a statistical procedure called a research synthesis or a meta-analysis because they need to compare the findings of many studies.

In choosing topics I find it interesting that social psychologists are guided by formal theories. These are logical frameworks that seek to explain various aspects of social behavior and thought. Predictions from theories are then tested. It is also interesting to know that many researchers do not inform their participants in the research about what kind of study they are participating in, this way there can be no problem with the hypothesis or the way the participant acts.