Social Psychology

Social psychology emphasizes the relationships between individuals and society, bridging the fields of sociology and psychology. This diverse area of study is reflected in the interests of our faculty. The domains of primary concern include psychological processes that both contribute to and result from social interaction (e.g., learning, choice and decision-making, social power, motivation, cognitive formation and change), the interplay between interaction and symbolic meaning (i.e., the symbolic interaction tradition), and the ways in which higher level phenomena (e.g., social networks, organizations, institutions) affect individual behaviors, orientations, and beliefs (i.e., the social structure and personality tradition). Social psychologists employ a range of research methods including experiments, observation of individual behavior and group interaction, and surveys.