The Psychological Domains: Learn It 5—The Social and Personality Domain

The Social and Personality Psychology Domain

Why do people fall in love? Why do some help strangers while others walk away? Why do we behave differently with friends, family, or in groups than when we’re alone? These are the types of questions asked within the social and personality psychology domain.

social psychology

Social psychology is the scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are shaped by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others (Ross & Nisbett, 1991).

Social psychologists investigate how people interpret situations and how those interpretations influence behavior. They study individuals in social contexts and examine how situational variables interact to guide actions.

Research topics include:

  • Interpersonal processes: attraction, love, helping behavior, aggression.
  • Group dynamics: conformity, persuasion, prejudice, discrimination.
  • Cultural influences: identity, gender roles, norms, rituals, religion, family systems, power dynamics, and regional or historical differences.

Subfields such as cultural psychology, cultural-historical psychology, and cross-cultural psychology also explore how large-scale sociocultural forces shape individuals’ mental states and behaviors.

Personality Psychology

Another major field of study within the social and personality domain is, of course, personality psychology.

personality

Personality psychology examines the enduring traits and patterns that make each person unique. Personality was once thought to be fixed, but research shows it can change across the lifespan while remaining relatively stable over many years.[1]

Key questions in personality psychology include:

  • What are the major traits that define personality?

  • How do genetics, biology, emotions, social experiences, and environments influence personality?

  • How do traits interact with contexts to shape behavior?

Image of five pillars, showing the biological, cognitive, developmental, social and personality, and mental and physical health.Historical Roots

Personality psychologists seek to understand and explain why individuals differ in their personality characteristics, such as extroversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness to experience, among others. They explore various factors that contribute to the formation of personality, including genetic, biological, cognitive, emotional, social, and environmental influences.

Early theorists such as Freud, Maslow, and Gordon Allport proposed models of how personality develops. For example, Freud emphasized unconscious conflicts, while Allport emphasized individual uniqueness.

The Big Five Model

Modern research has shifted toward a trait-based approach, focusing on identifying and measuring consistent patterns of behavior. The most widely accepted framework is the Five Factor Model (Big Five), which includes:

  1. Openness to experience
  2. Conscientiousness
  3. Extraversion
  4. Agreeableness
  5. Neuroticism

These traits have been shown to be relatively stable across the lifespan (McCrae & Costa, 2008; Rantanen et al., 2007) and influenced by genetics (Jang et al., 1996).

A diagram shows five personality traits and words to describe those who score high and those who score low on those personality traits. The following traits are shown: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. Openness can be thought of in terms of imagination, feelings, actions, and ideas. Someone with a low Openness score might be described as practical, conventional, and preferring routines. Someone with a high Openness score could be described as curious, having a wide range of interests, and independent. Conscientiousness can be thought of in terms of competence, self-discipline, thoughtfulness, and being goal driven. Someone with a low Conscientiousness score might be described as impulsive, careless, and disorganized. Someone with a high Conscientiousness score might be described as hardworking, dependable, ad organized. Extroversion can be thought of in terms of sociability, assertiveness, and emotional expression. Someone with a low Extroversion score might be described as quiet, reserved, and withdrawn. Someone with a high Extroversion score might be described as outgoing, warm, and seeking adventure. Agreeableness can be thought of in terms of being cooperative, trustworthy, and good-natured. Someone with a low Agreeableness score might be described as critical, uncooperative, and suspicious. Someone with a high Agreeableness score might be described as helpful, trusting, and empathetic. Neuroticism can be thought of in terms of a tendency toward unstable emotions. Someone with a low Neuroticism score might be described as calm, even-tempered, and secure. Someone with a high Neuroticism score might be described as anxious, unhappy, and prone to negative emotions.

  1. Helson, Ravenna; Kwan, Virginia S.Y; John, Oliver P; Jones, Constance (August 2002). "The growing evidence for personality change in adulthood: Findings from research with personality inventories". Journal of Research in Personality. 36 (4): 287–306. doi:10.1016/s0092-6566(02)00010-7. ISSN 0092-6566 ↵