Social Psychology

Social Psychology

the scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another

The Power of the Situation

We humans are “first of all beings in a

situation, we cannot be distinguished

from our situations, for they form us and

decide our possibilities.”

Jean-Paul Sartre

Who coined the power of the situation?

Theory

is an integrated set of principles that explain and predict observed events.

Fact

Agreed upon statement about what we observe

A good theory…

Confirms/modifies the theory, generates new exploration, and suggests practical application

Correlational research

asks whether two factors (variables) are naturally associated.

Experimental research

manipulates some factor (variable) to see its effect on another.