Psychology Notes: Specialization and Social Psychology

Non-Chronological Development of Psychology

  • Mid-20th Century Onward
    • Lack of a unifying theory; led to specialization
    • Over 55 areas of specialization emerged

Social Psychology

  • Functioned as a bridge between psychology and sociology
  • No unifying concept or definition
Historical Background
  • Norman Triplett (1897): Introduced social loafing
  • Muzafer Sherif (1930s): Focused on conformity; began scientific inquiry into social psychology
    • Hawthorne Effect: People’s behavior changes when they are observed
  • Kurt Lewin:
    • "Father of social psychology"
    • Developed Field Theory:
      • Describes psychological forces (vector fields) affecting individuals' behavior
      • Life space: The individual's environment influenced by dynamic forces
    • Emphasized motivation and ignored past history (teleological)
    • Dualistic, untestable, and subjective theory
Development Post-Lewin
  • After Lewin’s death, Leon Festinger became prominent
  • Social psychology experienced growth during WWII and in the 1960s due to social issues
Key Studies and Theories
  • Solomon Asch: Conformity and line comparison studies
  • Cognitive Dissonance (Festinger):
    • The conflict between attitudes and actions
  • Milgram's Obedience Study: Examined authority influence on behavior
  • Bystander Effect (Darley & Latane):
    • Factors influencing bystander's likelihood to help
  • Zimbardo's Deindividuation Study: Effects of anonymity on behavior

Open Inquiries in Social Psychology

  • Attribution Theory:
    • Originally by Fritz Heider; influenced by Festinger’s cognitive dissonance
    • Ongoing research areas include:
    1. Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE)
    2. False Consensus Bias
    3. Illusion of Control
    4. Self-serving vs. Self-effacing Bias
Interpersonal Attraction and Mate Selection
  • Key Factors:
    1. Proximity (most significant)
    2. Mere-exposure effect
    3. Social-exchange theory
    4. Matching Hypothesis
    5. Heterogamy (complementary)
    6. Emotional distance strategies (e.g., playing hard to get)
    7. Evolutionary perspective on attraction

Proxemics

  • Edward Hall’s Spatial Zones:
    1. Intimate distance (0-18 inches)
    2. Personal distance (18 inches-4 ft)
    3. Social distance (4-12 ft)
    4. Public distance (12 ft+)
    • Personal space varies across cultures and relationships

Prejudice

  • Differentiated from discrimination; linked to social pressures
  • Sources of prejudice:
    • Fear of the unknown, social categorization, perceived conflict
    • Scapegoating and victim-blaming (Just-world hypothesis)

Value of Social Psychology

  • Validity of multicultural findings under scrutiny
  • Application in reducing interpersonal conflict and improving group dynamics

Psychotherapy Growth

  • Shift from character weakness to treatable psychological disorders, especially post-WWII
Forms of Therapy
  1. Psychoanalysis:
    • Traditional Freudian model still exists in a modified form today
    • Focus on ego and present issues
  2. Behavior Therapy:
    • Introduced systematic desensitization by Joseph Wolpe
    • Hierarchy of fears addressed with either in vivo or imaginary methods
  3. Cognitive Therapy:
    • Albert Ellis’s Rational-Emotive Therapy: Harsh, direct approach
    • Aaron Beck’s Cognitive Therapy: Revolutionized depression treatments, originator of CBT
Criticisms of Psychotherapy
  • Considered a healing art vs. empirical science
  • Increasing focus on physiological basis of mental illnesses
  • Questions raised about psychotherapy's effectiveness, challenged by Hans Eysenck in 1952
Conclusion
  • The landscape of psychology has expanded into various specializations and theories, reflecting evolving social contexts and scientific inquiry.