Social psychology is the study of how the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of other people. Social psychologists examine how situations and people combine to affect what people think, feel, and do. Studies and experiments by social psychologists have produced many important findings about human behavior. Social psychologists investigate a wide variety of social interactions and behaviors. These include how people form impressions of themselves and others, stereotyping and prejudice, leadership and group behavior, altruism (concern or help for others), the formation of close personal relationships, and aggression.
For example, psychologists may be interested in why people help each other in various situations. Many psychologists focus on how the distinct personality characteristics of individuals lead them to help others. However, social psychologists also examine how aspects of a situation, such as the presence of other people or the possibility of rewards, may influence a person’s decision to help another.
Social psychologists have found that other people and groups can have great influence on how people think and act. For example, individuals will tend to go along with a decision made by a group even when they privately disagree. People also have a strong tendency to obey the commands of authority figures, such as military officers or police. Experiments by social psychologists show that people will often obey commands from authorities even when those commands cause others to suffer. Social psychologists also observe that people are highly motivated to protect cherished freedoms for themselves, but people tend to help strangers only when they have time to spare. Social psychologists studying group behavior have found that conflict within a group is often reduced when the members must cooperate to achieve a particular goal.
The German-born American psychologist Kurt Lewin is recognized as the founder of social psychology. The findings of social psychologists have influenced important legal decisions, particularly those concerning discrimination. The research of social psychologists Kenneth Clark and Mamie Phipps Clark in the 1950’s documented the harm of racial segregation to the self-image of Black children. Their research was cited in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the 1954 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that ended racial segregation in U.S. public schools. In the 1980’s, the findings of the American social psychologist Susan Fiske were cited in landmark Supreme Court decisions concerning sex discrimination.
Social psychologists are often employed at universities, where they focus on teaching and conducting research. They may also work for government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or businesses. In such institutions, their work ranges from evaluating the effectiveness of after school programs to creating marketing campaigns for selling products.
