Discuss the nature and concept of Social Psychology.

Nature and Concept of Social Psychology: The creation of new sciences and specialized branches for specific needs have changed the scenario of education and knowledge in the last century. It studies the psychic planes and currents that came into existence among individual in consequence of their association. Social psychology comes into existence at the time when the world was undergoing a great upheaval. The two sciences psychology and sociology are regarded as the parents of social psychology. Societies manifest through communication and interaction which in turn shape the behaviour of individuals. Social psychology intrudes social life by, providing practical recommendation in various areas.

In shifting attention from the agreements in which men rest, such as languages, religions, and cultures, to the agitations into which they are drawn, it is natural to change the metaphor from plane to current. The practical needs of the discipline have been increased by the increased demand for efficient management in the areas of industry, health, education, public services and mass communication systems etc. Floyd Allport (1942) has defined social psychology as ‘The scientific study of the experience and behaviour of individuals in relation to other individuals, groups and culture’ and in 1968 Gordon W.Allport has given a similar definition that it is a discipline “That attempts to understand and explain how the thought, feeling and behaviour of and individual are influenced by the actual presence of others”.

Social Psychology is Scientific in Nature

The social psychology is scientific in nature because it bears to understand the nature and causes of individual behaviour in social situations. In reality science is not a label for certain fields of advanced studies in natural science.

It adopts scientific methods i.e. a 3 basics steps process has been employed by Mc David & Harare, 1994.

1. Careful observation needs the gathering of information about the essential concerns and processes related with interest and an attitude of skepticism.

2. The statements of general principles and the ordered observations.

3. There is also the predict future observations with the help of the utilization of important principles.

We can also take this statement as an example. When people try to dismiss who are the big public questions on being emotional it is a strategy to avoid debates. So, this is how social psychology is scientific in nature.

Social Psychology Studies: The Experience and Behaviour of Individuals

The experience and behaviour of individuals focus on individuals not groups. Behaviour is a function of person and environment by the Kurt Lewin’s (1951) famous heuristic formula, B=f (P.E)

Culture

Mc David and Harare said that social stimulus situations have some important capacities for change that non-social stimulus situations lack.

Causes of Social Behaviour and Thought

Human’s social behaviour and thoughts are caused by many things by which social psychology would try to understand, then the following five factors which have been studies by Baron and Byron in 1995 are:

1. Cognitive process: memory reasoning belief, ideas, judgement about others. This basically in studies in the area of social cognitions.

2. The action and characteristics of others.

3. Ecological variables/environments: This basically gives direct/indirect influence of the physical environment.

4. Cultural context: The culture in which we stay or born and brought up determines our behaviour. It is sum of values, beliefs and language. It also has cultural norms and membership in various groups.

5. Biological factors: This influences our social behaviour.

Biological of human behaviour and genetic inheritance relevant to social behaviour. Social psychologists are primarily interested in understanding many factors and conditions that shape the social behaviour and thoughts of individual.

Baron & Byron (1995:13), said that the basic assumption behind is accurate and useful information. About the most important of social behaviour thoughts can be through the use of basic methods of science. 

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