{"id":589,"date":"2023-03-03T19:13:33","date_gmt":"2023-03-03T19:13:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/what-is-social-psychology\/"},"modified":"2025-12-08T19:05:55","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T19:05:55","slug":"what-is-social-psychology","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/chapter\/what-is-social-psychology\/","title":{"raw":"Social Psychology and Self-Presentation: Learn It 1\u2014Social Psychology","rendered":"Social Psychology and Self-Presentation: Learn It 1\u2014Social Psychology"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Describe situational versus dispositional influences on behavior<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Give examples of the fundamental attribution error and other common biases<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Describe social roles, social norms, and scripts and how they influence behavior<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h2>Social Psychology<\/h2>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Social psychologists emphasize that our <span class=\"s1\">thoughts, feelings, and behaviors<\/span> are strongly shaped by the social situations we encounter. We adjust our actions based on the people around us, especially in new or unfamiliar settings where we look to others for cues about what is appropriate.<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>social psychology<\/h3>\r\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Social psychology<\/b><\/span> is the scientific study of how people influence one another. It focuses on <i>the power of the situation<\/i>\u2014the idea that human behavior is often guided by social context. Essentially, individuals tend to shift their behavior to align with the expectations, norms, and dynamics of the groups and environments they are part of.<\/p>\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n<p>The field of social psychology studies topics at both the intra- and interpersonal levels:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Intrapersonal<\/strong> topics (those that pertain to the individual) include emotions and attitudes, the self, and social cognition (the ways in which we think about ourselves and others).<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Interpersonal<\/strong> topics (those that pertain to dyads and groups) include helping behavior (Figure 1), aggression, prejudice and discrimination, attraction and close relationships, and group processes and intergroup relationships.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<figure>\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"329\"]<img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/textimgs.s3.amazonaws.com\/ospsych\/m49110\/CNX_Psych_12_01_helping.jpg#fixme\" alt=\"A photograph shows several people pushing a car up an incline.\" width=\"329\" height=\"219\" data-media-type=\"image\/jpeg\" \/> <strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Social psychology deals with all kinds of interactions between people, spanning a wide range of how we connect: from moments of confrontation to moments of working together and helping others, as shown here. (credit: Sgt. Derec Pierson, U.S. Army)[\/caption]\r\n<\/figure>\r\n<p>In this module, we discuss the intrapersonal processes of self-presentation, cognitive dissonance and attitude change, and the interpersonal processes of conformity and obedience, aggression and altruism, and, finally, love and attraction.<\/p>\r\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\r\n<h2>Situational and Dispositional Influences on Behavior<\/h2>\r\n<p class=\"p1\">Human behavior is shaped by a combination of:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Situational (external) influences:<\/b><\/span> the environment, social roles, cultural norms, or the presence of others<\/li>\r\n\t<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Dispositional (internal) influences:<\/b><\/span> internal characteristics such as personality traits or temperament. <strong>Internal factors<\/strong> refer to attributes within a person\u2014such as personality traits or temperament\u2014that influence how they tend to think, feel, and behave across situations.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\r\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\r\n<h3>situational and dispositional influences on behavior<\/h3>\r\n<p><strong>Situationism<\/strong> is the view that our behavior and actions are determined by our immediate environment and surroundings. In contrast, <strong>dispositionism<\/strong> holds that our behavior is determined by internal factors (Heider, 1958).\u00a0<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal \">Historically, social psychologists favored the situationist perspective, while personality psychologists championed dispositionism. Modern social psychology, however, recognizes that both situation and individual characteristics interact to shape behavior (Fiske, Gilbert, &amp; Lindzey, 2010). The field of social-personality psychology has emerged specifically to study this complex interaction (Mischel, 1977; Richard, Bond, &amp; Stokes-Zoota, 2003).<\/p>\r\n<p>In the United States, the dominant cultural attitudes favor a dispositional approach to explaining human behavior. Why do you think this is? The individualistic cultural values and ideals within the United States emphasize that people are in control of their own behaviors, and, therefore, any behavior change must be due to something internal, such as their personality, habits, or temperament.\u00a0However, situational factors, often outside of conscious awareness, can have powerful influences on human behavior.<\/p>\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\">[ohm2_question height=\"600\"]4351[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\">\n<ul>\n<li>Describe situational versus dispositional influences on behavior<\/li>\n<li>Give examples of the fundamental attribution error and other common biases<\/li>\n<li>Describe social roles, social norms, and scripts and how they influence behavior<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h2>Social Psychology<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Social psychologists emphasize that our <span class=\"s1\">thoughts, feelings, and behaviors<\/span> are strongly shaped by the social situations we encounter. We adjust our actions based on the people around us, especially in new or unfamiliar settings where we look to others for cues about what is appropriate.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>social psychology<\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Social psychology<\/b><\/span> is the scientific study of how people influence one another. It focuses on <i>the power of the situation<\/i>\u2014the idea that human behavior is often guided by social context. Essentially, individuals tend to shift their behavior to align with the expectations, norms, and dynamics of the groups and environments they are part of.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The field of social psychology studies topics at both the intra- and interpersonal levels:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Intrapersonal<\/strong> topics (those that pertain to the individual) include emotions and attitudes, the self, and social cognition (the ways in which we think about ourselves and others).<\/li>\n<li><strong>Interpersonal<\/strong> topics (those that pertain to dyads and groups) include helping behavior (Figure 1), aggression, prejudice and discrimination, attraction and close relationships, and group processes and intergroup relationships.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<figure>\n<figure style=\"width: 329px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/textimgs.s3.amazonaws.com\/ospsych\/m49110\/CNX_Psych_12_01_helping.jpg#fixme\" alt=\"A photograph shows several people pushing a car up an incline.\" width=\"329\" height=\"219\" data-media-type=\"image\/jpeg\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Figure 1<\/strong>. Social psychology deals with all kinds of interactions between people, spanning a wide range of how we connect: from moments of confrontation to moments of working together and helping others, as shown here. (credit: Sgt. Derec Pierson, U.S. Army)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n<p>In this module, we discuss the intrapersonal processes of self-presentation, cognitive dissonance and attitude change, and the interpersonal processes of conformity and obedience, aggression and altruism, and, finally, love and attraction.<\/p>\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\n<h2>Situational and Dispositional Influences on Behavior<\/h2>\n<p class=\"p1\">Human behavior is shaped by a combination of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Situational (external) influences:<\/b><\/span> the environment, social roles, cultural norms, or the presence of others<\/li>\n<li class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Dispositional (internal) influences:<\/b><\/span> internal characteristics such as personality traits or temperament. <strong>Internal factors<\/strong> refer to attributes within a person\u2014such as personality traits or temperament\u2014that influence how they tend to think, feel, and behave across situations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<section data-depth=\"1\">\n<section class=\"textbox keyTakeaway\">\n<h3>situational and dispositional influences on behavior<\/h3>\n<p><strong>Situationism<\/strong> is the view that our behavior and actions are determined by our immediate environment and surroundings. In contrast, <strong>dispositionism<\/strong> holds that our behavior is determined by internal factors (Heider, 1958).\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\">Historically, social psychologists favored the situationist perspective, while personality psychologists championed dispositionism. Modern social psychology, however, recognizes that both situation and individual characteristics interact to shape behavior (Fiske, Gilbert, &amp; Lindzey, 2010). The field of social-personality psychology has emerged specifically to study this complex interaction (Mischel, 1977; Richard, Bond, &amp; Stokes-Zoota, 2003).<\/p>\n<p>In the United States, the dominant cultural attitudes favor a dispositional approach to explaining human behavior. Why do you think this is? The individualistic cultural values and ideals within the United States emphasize that people are in control of their own behaviors, and, therefore, any behavior change must be due to something internal, such as their personality, habits, or temperament.\u00a0However, situational factors, often outside of conscious awareness, can have powerful influences on human behavior.<\/p>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm4351\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=4351&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm4351&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\"><\/iframe><\/section>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"menu_order":4,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"cc\",\"description\":\"What is Social Psychology?\",\"author\":\"OpenStax College\",\"organization\":\"\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/12-1-what-is-social-psychology\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"Download for free at https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/1-introduction\"},{\"type\":\"original\",\"description\":\"Modification and adaptation, addition of link to learning\",\"author\":\"\",\"organization\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"cc-by\",\"license_terms\":\"\"},{\"type\":\"copyrighted_video\",\"description\":\"Should you trust your first impression?\",\"author\":\"Peter Mende-Siedlecki\",\"organization\":\"TED-Ed\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eK0NzsGRceg\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"other\",\"license_terms\":\"Standard YouTube License\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":585,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":[{"type":"cc","description":"What is Social Psychology?","author":"OpenStax College","organization":"","url":"https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/12-1-what-is-social-psychology","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":"Download for free at https:\/\/openstax.org\/books\/psychology-2e\/pages\/1-introduction"},{"type":"original","description":"Modification and adaptation, addition of link to learning","author":"","organization":"Lumen Learning","url":"","project":"","license":"cc-by","license_terms":""},{"type":"copyrighted_video","description":"Should you trust your first impression?","author":"Peter Mende-Siedlecki","organization":"TED-Ed","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eK0NzsGRceg","project":"","license":"other","license_terms":"Standard YouTube License"}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/589"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/589\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7345,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/589\/revisions\/7345"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/585"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/589\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=589"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=589"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=589"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/introductiontopsychology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=589"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}