Social Psychology — subject primer
This page is a Chinese-language primer on social psychology. The outline below summarises it in English.
Overview
Social psychology studies how the actual, imagined or implied presence of others shapes what people think, feel and do — and how situations can outweigh individual dispositions.
Core themes
Social cognition and attribution, attitudes and persuasion, conformity and obedience, prosocial and aggressive behaviour, group decision making, prejudice and intergroup relations.
Key theories and figures
Lewin's field theory, Asch on conformity, Milgram on obedience, Festinger on cognitive dissonance, Tajfel and Turner on social identity, Cialdini on influence.
Research methods
Laboratory and field experiments, surveys and daily-diary studies, implicit measures, and meta-analysis; the field's replication reforms since 2011.
Applications
Health and environmental behaviour change, intergroup contact and conflict, consumer and political communication, and organisational behaviour.
In China
Chinese social psychology studies guanxi, face, collectivism and social change; indigenisation debates run alongside mainstream empirical work.
Appendices
A quick-reference table of classic studies and concepts, plus further reading (textbooks, journals, organisations and standards).