What Is Social Psychology?

Social psychology is the scientific study of how people think and behave in social situations. Social psychologists are interested in how people influence and are influenced by others; thus, they study such topics as attitudes, prejudice, conformity, and socialization. Social psychology emerged as a scientific discipline in the early 20th century; however, it can be traced back to several ancient philosophers who were interested in why people act the way they do when they are with other people. Many famous people have studied social psychology throughout history, including William James and Sigmund Freud. Social psychology has been used to explain a variety of social issues: for example, research on prejudice and discrimination has helped explain why some people are prejudiced against others based on racial or ethnic differences while other people are not prejudiced at all. Social psychology can be used to improve social policies and interventions—for example, knowing that children often feel nervous about speaking up in class may help teachers design lessons that encourage students to participate more often during discussions. Thus, social psychology is relevant to a wide range of fields: education, business, health care—anywhere that people come together to interact with one another!