Description
Book SynopsisSocial 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.
Trade Review"The greatest strength of [Social Psychology] is the quality of social psychologists that are included and the organization. I think that with each chapter they bring in the ′big names′ in research, and [that is] a very strong aspect of the text."
-- Curt G. Sobolewski
"I really like the attention to small group processes (status and power processes get short-changed in most social psychology texts), the emphasis on theory, and the use of concrete examples to flesh out the theories [in Social Psychology]."
-- David Diekema
"I was especially happy to see an entire section dedicated to emotions and affect rather than including emotion at the end of another section. I likes that a greater portion of [Social Psychology] was dedicated to group processes than other available textbooks. I think that the final section of integration may be the strongest selling point for this book. Finally, the concrete examples anchoring each theory greatly appeal to me."
-- Lindsey Joyce Chamberlain
Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments About the Authors Chapter 1 • Introduction to the Interrelated Processes of Social Psychology Roots, Overview, and Key Themes Segue: Moving From the Content of Social Psychology to the Means of Studying It Chapter 2 • Methods of Developing Social Psychological Knowledge The Logic of Scientific Inquiry Social Research Methodologies Ethical Issues Segue: From the Means of Collecting Data to the Patterns Revealed Chapter 3 • The Individual in a Social World How Do Individuals Socially Construct Their Worlds? How Does the Social Self Emerge? Segue: The Symbolic Interaction Approach and Identity Processes Chapter 4 • Identity Processes How Do Individuals Socially Construct Their Identities? How Do Identities Affect the Choices We Make and Our Interactions With Others? Segue: The Symbolic Interaction Approach, Identity Processes, and Social Cognition Chapter 5 • Intraindividual Processes: Social Cognitions Cognitive Processing: How Do Humans Perceive Social Stimuli? How Do People Form Impressions of Others? What Determines People’s Inferences About the Causes of Social Behavior? How Do Cognitions Affect Behavior? Segue: Social Cognitions Feed Attitude Processes Chapter 6 • Intraindividual Processes: Attitudes How Do Attitudes Develop? How Do Attitudes Change? Reciprocal Influences: To What Extent Are Attitudes Related to Behavior? Segue: Moving From Attitudes to Affect Chapter 7 • Beyond Cognition: Affect and Emotions What Distinguishes Emotions From Other Affective States? Why Do People Feel What They Feel? What Influences Displays of People’s Feelings? How Do Gender and Race or Ethnicity Influence Experience and Display of Emotions? How Do Affective States Influence Social Interaction? Segue: Emotions, Status, Power, and Inequality Chapter 8 • Status Processes in Groups How Are Groups Defined? What Is Conformity, and Why Do People Conform in Groups? Status Processes in Groups How Do Characteristics Acquire Status Value in the First Place? Segue: Status and Power Chapter 9 • Power Relations in Groups and Social Networks Social Exchange Theory Overview When Will Actors Use Power in Social Exchange Relations? How Do Commitment and Trust Develop in Social Exchange Relations? What Is the Role of Emotions in Social Exchange Relations? What Is the Relationship Between Status and Power? Segue: Power and Legitimacy Chapter 10 • Legitimacy: Shaping Behavior in Groups and Organizations The Milgram Studies on Obedience and Legitimate Authority What Is the Process of Legitimacy? How Do Individuals and Structures Become Legitimated? What Are the Consequences of Legitimation? The Good and the Bad Segue: Legitimacy and Justice Chapter 11 • Justice Processes and Evaluations Within Groups What Is Justice? How Do People Perceive Injustice? How Do People Respond to Perceptions of Injustice? Segue: Justice and Intergroup Relations in Society Chapter 12 • Intergroup Processes What Processes Underlie Intergroup Behavior? Prejudice and Discrimination How Can Negative Intergroup Behavior Be Ameliorated? Conclusion: Intergroup Processes and Addressing Social Inequalities Index
