The Social Psychology Field...
What prompts a group of children to tease or bully another student? How can seemingly kind, non-dysfunctional individuals turn sadistic while working as prison guards? Or why do people working in management often make terrible decisions?
Difficult questions - but important ones to ask. The answers give us a better understanding of how people interact, how decision-making affects others, and how social situations influence behavior. Finding psychological reasons for these behaviors also helps create solutions that, ultimately, make life more meaningful, peaceful and just for more people.
The field of Social Psychology studies these tough social issues and the behaviors that contribute to them.
Social Psychology Links
For centuries people have tried to decode the puzzling influence of society on human behavior, but it wasn't until after the Holocaust that psychologists formalized a "social" field within psychology. Because of atrocities in Nazi Germany, psychology researchers needed to understand how conformity and obedience motivated people to commit such horrific acts.
Using scientific research methods, social psychology professionals analyze underlying causes of how individuals influence other individuals' thoughts, emotions and actions. One method uses fMRIs (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to trace decision-making activity to specific areas of the brain while people answer challenging moral questions. Another method establishes experimental environments that imitate real-world scenarios, and researchers record observable behaviors that occur. Systematically observing people in their natural environments is yet another method.
After analyzing results, researchers design intervention programs, such as the award-winning program of Ruth Hannon based on the Holocaust research of conformity and obedience. Hannon, a social psychology professor at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, directs her students in studying Holocaust research, and then has them apply the results to programs for middle schools struggling with incidences of hate crimes, prejudice and bullying. The college students implement the programs themselves.
After developing a program for one school, one of Hannon's students reported:
By the end of the second class, the child who, in the first class, kept thinking that bullying is 'no big deal' had turned his attitude to realize that it can be a big deal, and learned the importance of intervening if he sees another student being bullied.
The schools also report positive feedback. "Middle school teachers report that their students remember the lessons taught by our students long afterward. Teachers use the power of these lessons to diffuse or avoid conflict as the school year progresses," according to Hannon.
Social psychology professionals apply interventions in a variety of educational and organizational settings. Working as consultants, they advise employee assistance programs or social service agencies. They also work as marketing directors, managers and political strategists or they work for governmental agencies evaluating policy and designing programs in conflict resolution and environmental protection.
Usually a master's degree or PhD is required for these positions. Research and university teaching positions are also available for those with advanced degrees in social psychology.
If you have a passion for understanding and helping alleviate major social issues, and you are interested in how people interact and influence each other, you should consider a career in social psychology.
Find out how you can become involved, request information from schools offering Psychology degree programs. Also, learn more about the psychology career licensing processes and what the requirements for licensure are: Psychology Career Licensure.
Careers in the Social Psychology Field
- Social Psycholgists
- Social Psychology Research positions
- Various types of social workers
- Public Health positions