2. • Module I-Definition and subject matter of psychology – Social Psychology as an applied science..
• Module II-Perception, Attitude, Prejudice: Two major determinants of perception: Structural and Functional
factors – organized nature of cognitive field – Functional selectivity of Perception – whole – part relationship
– perceiving and judging people – Frame of Reference – Stereotypes. Definition and formation of attitudes –
changes of attitudes. Definition and characteristics of prejudices – cases of prejudices.
• Module III -Rumor, Propaganda: Definition and meaning of rumour – Circumstances responsible for spread of
rumour – causes for spread rumour – process of rumour – Check on propagation of rumours. Definition and
meaning of propaganda – Psychological basis of propaganda – Techniques of propaganda – Media of
propaganda – counteracting misleading propaganda
• Module IV -Behavior of Crowd and Audience: Definition and characteristics of crowd and audience-
Distinction between crowd and audience – classification of crowd and audience.
• Module V-Group Morale: Meaning of group morale- determinants of group morale-characteristics of high and
low morale
• Module VI -Leadership: Definition of leader – identifying the leader – Emergence of leadership in a Group –
the functions of leader the follower’s perception of the leader – the personality Characteristics of leaders.
4. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
• • Social psychology is “the scientific study of how people think
about, influence, and relate to one another.”
• • How the individual mind works in the actual presence of others,
implied presence of others, and the imagined presence of others.
• • Studies attitude formation, self-concept, forming relationships,
social influence, social thinking, motivations for helping and harming
others.
5. • Social Psychology is a subfield of psychology that scientifically studies
how individual thought and behaviour are influenced by the other
people in our world.
• Kurt Lewin is considered by many to be the “ Father of Social
Psychology”
7. • Social influence is the process by which an individual’s attitudes,
beliefs or behavior are modified by the presence or action of others.
• Social behavior can be defined as all behavior that influences, or is
influenced by, other members of the same species. The term thus
covers all sexual and reproductive activities and all behavior that
tends to bring individuals together as well as all forms of aggressive
behavior (Grant, 1963).
• Social Thinking is a language-based teaching approach that focuses on
social problem solving, cognitive flexibility and the emotions and
points of view of others.
8. • Social psychology is the study of how people's behavior and thought
patterns are influenced by social situations. While personality
psychologists examine the individualistic side of human personality,
social psychologists look at the social aspect of human personality.
• Social psychology shares similarities with personality psychology. They
both study behavior at the social and individual levels, but they
approach their studies from opposite perspectives.
9. APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Applied social psychology is
“Social psychological research and practice in real
world settings directed towards the understanding
of human social behaviour and the amelioration of
social problems”
Fisher, 1980
10.
11.
12. Social Psychology as an applied science
• Applied social psychology, in turn, may be defined as the systematic
application of social psychological constructs, principles, theories,
intervention techniques, research methods and research findings to
understand or ameliorate social problems (Oskamp & Schultz, 1998)
13. • Accuracy: gather and evaluate information that is as carefully examined,
precise, and error-free as possible, for example, researchers should develop
reliable measures for their main constructs. Unreliable measures can lead to
false conclusions of ‘no effect’.
• Objectivity: minimize bias in obtaining and evaluating data, for example,
researchers should make sure that their expectations do not affect the
behavior of subjects.
• Scepticism: accept findings as accurate only to the extent that they have
been verified over and over again by the data, for example, outcomes of a
single study may be caused by chance. Results should be replicated in
various comparable studies to rule out the possibility of results that occur
by chance only.
• Open-mindedness: accept evidence as valid, even if the evidence is not
consistent with one’s initial, and perhaps strongly held, beliefs and theories,
for example, researchers should accept evidence refuting their theory, even
though they may be very keen to demonstrate the validity of their theory.
