Scientific Discipline Of Social Psychology

Throughout this essay I am going to discuss the scientific discipline of social psychology, I will give a brief definition and history of the discipline. I will talk about some important people who contributed to the development of social psychology, such a Wundt and Triplett who are both considered founders of social psychology. As well as others who conducted studies in the field such as Carl Hovland and Kurt Lewin. One person who had a major influence in the development of social psychology is Adlof Hitler. Some of the most significant studies that were conducted were in the aftermath of the Second World War. Hitlers actions and authority over the German nation sparked interest in psychologists and influenced them to carry out different

Social psychology is not to be confused with sociology; sociology is the academic study of social behaviour, including its origins, development, organization, and institutions. It is a social science that uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about social order, social disorder and social change. Whereas, in psychology, social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. Social psychology is the study of the events and processes that make up our everyday lives. It examines the way in which our thought and behaviour is influenced by the presence of others and seeks to discover the principles underlying group and individual interaction. It tries to link observations, theory & application. These are the two different types of social psychologies. German psychologist Wilhelm Wundt (1832-1921), was a German physician, physiologist, philosopher, and professor, known today as one of the founding figures of modern psychology. “In 1862, Wundt proposed that there should be two branches of psychology: physiological psychology and social or folk psychology (Völkerpsychologie). Largely due to his influential writings, by 1900 Germany's annual bibliography of the psychological literature listed over 200

But which of these studies are distinguished as classics? What distinguishes a classic, “one quality that makes these studies genuine classics is that their details are well-known not just inside but also outside social psychology – not only by researchers in other academic disciplines (e.g., sociology, politics, economics, history), but also by journalists, social commentators, policy makers and other interested members of the general public.” Throughout the last century the single most influential events that impacted on the development of social psychology was the Second World War and the holocaust. “It is therefore unsurprising to discover that although many of the classic studies were conducted before 1945, most of those classic studies that came afterwards were motivated by a desire to understand the behaviour of those who participated in these events (both as perpetrators and victims), and that they were conducted by researchers who had first-hand experience of their devastating consequences.” One of these classic studies was conducted by American psychologist Floyd Allport. “Reading his words today, you can see the emerging perspective that would one day permeate the psychological branch of the field: ‘I believe that only within the individual can we find the behavior mechanisms and consciousness which are