Major Theories in Social Psychology

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus Fiedler ◽  
Karolin Salmen
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Attitude Change ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Regulatory Focus ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Semantic Representation ◽  
Group Behavior ◽  
Change Motivation ◽  
Psychological Inquiry ◽  
Dissonance Theory

A synopsis of major theories of social psychology is provided with reference to three major domains of social-psychological inquiry: attitudes and attitude change, motivation regulation, and group behavior. Despite the heterogeneity of research topics, there is considerable overlap in the basic theoretical principles across all three domains. Typical theories that constitute the common ground of social psychology rely on rules of good Gestalt consistency, on psychodynamic principles, but also on behaviorist learning models and on semantic-representation and information-transition models borrowed from cognitive science. Prototypical examples that illustrate the structure and the spirit of theories in social psychology are dissonance theory, construal-level, regulatory focus, and social identity theory. A more elaborate taxonomy of pertinent theories is provided in the first table in this article.

Dissonance and Attitude Change

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeff Stone ◽  
John J. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Cognitive Dissonance ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Attitude Change ◽  
The Self ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Cognitive Dissonance Theory ◽  
Early 21St Century ◽  
Dissonance Theory ◽  
And Behavior

Cognitive dissonance theory (CDT) was first introduced by Leon Festinger. Cognitive dissonance is the process by which people detect an inconsistency between cognitions, such as attitudes, beliefs, and behavior. When individuals become aware of an inconsistency between cognitions, they experience a state of psychological discomfort that motivates them to restore consistency. Factors such as the importance of the cognitions and the magnitude of the discomfort play a role in determining how people restore consistency. Festinger described three primary ways people can reduce dissonance: change a cognition; add new cognitions; or change the importance of the inconsistent cognitions. Many early studies showed that when people are unable to change their behavior, they will change their attitudes to be more in line with the inconsistent behavior. Over the years, CDT has undergone many challenges and revisions. Some revisions focus on the importance of cognitions about the self in the processes by which dissonance motivates attitude change. Others focused on the consequences of the behavior and various cognitive mechanisms that underlie the experience of dissonance. In the early 21st century, research has examined the underlying motivation for dissonance-induced attitude and behavior change, and how people prefer to reduce dissonance once it is present. And, as with the entire field of social psychology, dissonance researchers are also raising concerns about the replicability of classic dissonance effects and focusing their attention on the need to improve the methods the field uses to test predictions going forward.

“The Teacher Who had the Greatest Influence on My Thinking”

2008 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rainer Reisenzein ◽  
Irina Mchitarjan
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Common Sense ◽  
Interpersonal Relations ◽  
Responsibility Attribution ◽  
Alexius Meinong ◽  
Theory Of Value ◽  
Psychological Inquiry ◽  
Academic Teacher ◽  
Common Sense Psychology

According to Heider, some of his ideas about common-sense psychology presented in The Psychology of Interpersonal Relations ( Heider, 1958 ) originally came from his academic teacher, Alexius Meinong. However, Heider makes no reference to Meinong in his book. To clarify Meinong’s influence on Heider, we compare Heider’s explication of common-sense psychology with Meinong’s writings, in particular those on ethics. Our results confirm that Heider’s common-sense psychology is informed by Meinong’s psychological analyses in several respects: Heider adopts aspects of Meinong’s theory of emotion, his theory of value, and his theory of responsibility attribution. In addition, Heider more or less continues Meinong’s method of psychological inquiry. Thus, even without Meinong’s name attached, many aspects of Meinong’s psychology found their way into today’s social psychology via Heider. Unknowingly, some of us have been Meinongians all along.

The Oxford Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Human Nature ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Natural Environments ◽  
Compelling Evidence ◽  
Future Prospects ◽  
Ongoing Functioning

The second edition of The Oxford Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology captures the history, current status, and future prospects of personality and social psychology—presented not as a set of parallel accounts, but as an integrated perspective on the behavior of persons in social contexts. This handbook combines these two fields in a single integrated volume, offering a unique and generative agenda for psychology. It is dedicated to the proposition that personality and social psychology are best viewed in conjunction with one another and that the synergy to be gained from considering links between the two fields can do much to move both fields forward and to enrich our understanding of human nature. Such interdependence is particularly crucial if one wishes to address the ongoing functioning of persons in their natural environments, where splits between person and situation are not so easily fashioned. The chapters of the Handbook weave together work from personality and social psychology, not only in areas of long-standing concern, but also in newly emerging fields of inquiry, addressing both distinctive contributions and common ground. In so doing, they offer compelling evidence for the power and the potential of an integrated approach to personality and social psychology.

Judaism and Violence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Eisen
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Early Modern ◽  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Identity Theory ◽  
Rabbinic Judaism ◽  
Middle East Conflict ◽  
Modern Judaism

This Element explores the potential in Judaism to incite Jews to engage in violence against non-Jews. The analysis proceeds in historical fashion, with sections devoted to the Hebrew Bible, rabbinic Judaism, medieval and early modern Judaism, and modern Zionism. The last topic is given special attention because of its relevance to the current Middle East conflict. This Element also draws on insights from social psychology to explain Jewish violence - particularly Social Identity Theory.

Nationalism

2021 ◽  
pp. 197-220
Author(s):  
Nils Holtug
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
National Identity ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
National Culture ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Identity Theory ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Nation Building ◽  
Causal Mechanism

Chapter 7, on nationalism, addresses the so-called ‘national identity argument’, according to which a shared national identity fosters social cohesion and is required for, or at least facilitates, egalitarian redistribution. First, it is argued that the prospect for nation-building policies, built on the idea of a shared national culture, is severely restricted by the liberal egalitarian requirements of justice defended in Chapter 4. Then the causal mechanism through which a national culture is supposed to promote trust and solidarity is scrutinized, and it is argued that it is not really supported by, for example, social identity theory and evidence from social psychology. Finally, empirical studies of the effect of national identity on trust and solidarity are considered, and it is argued that these do not support the national identity argument either.

scholarly journals Making clear what is fuzzy about community membership: A prototypic approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan Reed ◽  
Ariel Jordan-Zamora ◽  
Crystal Nicole Steltenpohl ◽  
Christopher Keys
Keyword(s):  
Social Psychology ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Social Identity Theory ◽  
Growth Mindset ◽  
Thematic Content Analysis ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Community Membership ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Equal Interest

Aims: The critical task of positively identifying membership of the communities with which we work prior to initiating programs of research purporting to represent said communities is often forgone and treated as self-evident. This study demonstrates undertaking this task at the outset of a program of research by gathering member self-definitions of a relational, online and face-to-face community- the Fighting Game Community.Methods: Borrowing from social identity theory in social psychology, this study uses a prototypic approach and thematic content analysis with 319 open-ended descriptions of “good players” and “bad player” deviants.Results: In general, having a growth mindset and winning games were the most crucial amongst divergent themes. Of equal interest, definitions were not consensual across the community; some directly conflicted with one another. These definitions represented a community with fuzzy boundaries, that exists more as a multi-layered tapestry than a black-and-white unit with sharply delineated boundaries.

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