An Introduction to Social Psychology

This definitive resource in social psychology includes engaging study tools designed to help students grasp the underlying theories and the latest research in the field.

In the 7th edition of An Introduction to Social Psychology, students will discover a wealth of tools to help them understand the theories and fundamental knowledge in the ever-evolving field of social psychology. With contributions leading psychologists, this feature-rich edition includes Theory Boxes, Research Close-ups, and Lab Boxes to help cement students' understanding of the study material.

This essential study guide has been engaging and educating students on social psychology theories and research for over 34 years. For students entering into the world of social psychology for the first time, this book covers foundational topics, such as:

• The history of social psychology throughout Europe

• Updated research methods and newly developed theories

• In-depth looks at social cognition, aggression, prosocial behavior, and relationships

• Strategies for changing attitude and behavior

• Critical study materials for multiple-choice testing

The combination of traditional academic study with cohesion of topics, accessibility of material, and pedagogy in this 7th edition makes it a definitive resource for both instructors and beginning psychology students alike.

Autorentext

MILES HEWSTONE is Emeritus Professor, University of Oxford. He has (co)authored 3 books, edited 25 books, and has published over 250 articles relating to the study of social psychology. He has been awarded the Presidents' Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychological Knowledge (2001) and the Kurt Lewin Medal for Distinguished Research Achievement (2005). He is a Fellow of the British Academy. WOLFGANG STROEBE has taught social psychology in the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and the Netherlands. He is currently Emeritus Professor, Utrecht University and visiting professor at the University of Groningen. He has authored and co-authored multiple books and numerous scientific articles on social and health psychology. He has received several awards, including an honorary doctorate from the University of Louvain (Belgium), the Tajfel Award for lifelong contributions to European Social Science, and the lifetime achievement award of the German Psychological Association.

Inhalt
Notes on Contributors xvii

Preface to Seventh Edition xx

Guided Tour xxiii

Accompanying Online Resources for Instructors and Students xxix

**Chapter 1 Introducing Social Psychology 1
**Wolfgang Stroebe and Miles Hewstone

Introduction 2

Some classic studies 2

A Definition of Social Psychology 5

The core characteristics of social psychology 5

The Unique Perspective of Social Psychology 7

The study of the individual and the social 7

A Brief History of Social Psychology 11

The beginning 11

The early years 15

The years of expansion 17

Social Psychology In Europe 20

The Two Crises of Social Psychology 22

The first crisis of social psychology 22

The second crisis of social psychology 25

Why crises can be good for a field 28

Recent Developments In Social Psychology 29

Chapter Summary 32

Key Terms 33

Note 33

Suggestions For Further Reading 33

**Chapter 2 Research Methods in Social Psychology 35
**Andrew G. Livingstone and Antony S. R. Manstead

Introduction 36

Summary 38

Research Strategies 38

Experiments and quasiexperiments 40

Survey research 42

Qualitative approaches 44

Summary 47

A Closer Look At Experimentation In Social

Psychology 48

Features of the social psychological experiment 48

Experimental designs 51

Threats to validity in experimental research 56

Problems with experimentation 62

Summary 64

Data Collection Methods 64

Observational methods 65

Selfreport methods 67

Implicit and physiological methods 68

'Big data': Social media and online behaviour as a source of data 70

Choosing a method 70

Social neuroscience 71

Summary 71

Chapter Summary 72

Key Terms 73

Suggestions For Further Reading 74

**Chapter 3 Social Perception and Attribution 75
**Brian Parkinson

Introduction 76

Social Perception 77

Summary 81

Attribution Theory 81

Correspondent inference theory 82

Covariation theory 85

Access To Covariation Information 87

Knowledge, expectation and covariation 89

Learning about causation using covariation and causal power 90

Attributions and achievement 91

Attribution and depression 92

Misattribution of arousal 95

Attributional biases 99

Explaining intentional behaviour 111

The naive scientist metaphor 112

Attributions as discourse 114

Summary 114

Social Perception and Social Reality 115

Automatic and Controlled Social Perception 116

Chapter Summary 117

Key Terms 118

Suggestions For Further Reading 119

**Chapter 4 Social Cognition 120
**Roland Deutsch and Jenny Roth

Introduction 121

Five Principles of Social Cognition 121

First principle: social phenomena can be explained by general cognitive processes 121

Second principle: social cognition is situated 132

Third principle: motivation shapes social cognition 140

Fourth principle: social cognition can be a special adaptation 145

Fifth principle: social phenomena are often caused by a mixture of general and more specifically social processes 155

Chapter Summary 158 ...