Human beings are social by nature. Because of this, the people around us have a profound impact on how we think about ourselves and others—from our sense of self esteem to our opinions and attitudes to our interactions in a group setting. Social Psychology: How Other People Influence Our Thoughts and Actions describes these subtle but powerful effects in our daily lives, offering a complete and balanced view of the topic. Readers will discover the history of social psychology, grasp its theories and core concepts, learn about important issues and debates related to this topic, and see how these ideas are directly applicable to therapy and other real-world situations.

Chapters cover how an individual’s self-concept is developed and the various social forces on it, how a social psychology experiment may be conducted, and examples of social psychology in everyday life, such as group dynamics and cultural phenomena. Readers will also see how social psychology plays a role in our criminal justice system, including in the context of the prison system population; in the cultural issues associated with Latino and Native American populations; in our social collective concern about mass shootings, epidemics, and terrorism; and in the dynamics, processes, and tactics of a nationwide presidential election campaign seeking to influence the masses.

Features

• Presents perspectives on many contemporary issues—such as shooting events, terrorism, autism, post-traumatic effects on veterans, transgender issues, prejudice, and antisocial behavior—that help readers to develop critical thinking abilities
• Briefly reviews the contributions of famous psychologists and well-known social psychology experiments
• Examines topics holistically, providing a thorough and accessible overview of the subject
• Includes a bibliography of print and electronic sources for further study as well as a glossary that defines unfamiliar terms