PSY 2510 Social Psychology: Brief History of Social Psychology

Summary

This video script explores the evolution of social psychology, from its birth in the late 1800s to modern-day practices. It discusses key milestones, including early research by Norman Triplet, the influence of World War II on social psychological studies, and the ethical dilemmas that arose from controversial experiments like Zimbardo's prison study. The script highlights the contributions of pioneers like Kurt Lewin, who pushed for practical applications and multicultural research. It also examines the shift towards social cognition and new ethical standards that have shaped the field into a more inclusive and applied science.

Takeaways

• 😀 Social psychology is a young science, with its roots beginning in the 1880s and being shaped by early researchers like Norman Triplett, who studied social facilitation.
• 😀 The foundation of psychology as a scientific field began in 1879 when Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology laboratory.
• 😀 The 1930s to 1950s were pivotal years for social psychology, with World War II and Hitler’s regime pushing researchers to explore obedience, conformity, and social behavior.
• 😀 The work of Kurt Lewin was instrumental in shaping social psychology, especially his ideas on the interactionist perspective, focusing on how behavior is influenced by both personal and environmental factors.
• 😀 The horrors of World War II, such as blind obedience and genocide, prompted social psychologists to study conformity and aggression in new ways, including through laboratory experiments.
• 😀 The 1960s and 1970s marked a period of significant research and confidence in social psychology, with studies like Stanley Milgram’s on obedience and Philip Zimbardo’s simulated prison experiment.
• 😀 Ethical concerns emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, especially regarding the distress caused to participants in studies like Milgram’s and Zimbardo’s, leading to a reevaluation of research methods.
• 😀 In the 1980s and beyond, social psychology embraced pluralism, using various research methods like correlational studies, field research, and cross-cultural studies to better understand human behavior.
• 😀 Multicultural research became more prominent, recognizing the importance of studying diverse groups, not just American college students, to understand universal and cultural differences in social behavior.
• 😀 Social cognition emerged as an important subfield in the 1980s, focusing on how people think, feel, and behave about themselves and others, particularly in terms of thought processes about social interactions.

Q & A

When did psychology as a science officially begin?

Psychology officially began as a science in 1879 when Wilhelm Wundt, a German psychologist, established the first laboratory dedicated to the study of psychology at a university.

What early study in social psychology is often considered the first major social psychological research?

Norman Triplett's study on social facilitation, specifically examining how people performed better when they were in the presence of others, is often considered the first major social psychological research.

What helped establish social psychology as a subfield within psychology?

The publication of three key textbooks—by William McDougall, Edward Ross, and Floyd Allport—helped establish social psychology as a subfield within psychology.

How did the events of World War II influence the development of social psychology?

The events of World War II, including atrocities like blind obedience to authority figures, mass conformity, and genocide, raised questions about human behavior. These events spurred social psychologists to investigate topics like obedience, conformity, and aggression.

How did Kurt Lewin contribute to the field of social psychology?

Kurt Lewin contributed significantly by introducing the interactionist perspective, emphasizing the importance of both personal and environmental factors in shaping behavior. He also pushed for practical applications of social psychology, particularly in wartime, and helped research social influence and propaganda.

What is the interactionist perspective that Kurt Lewin promoted?

The interactionist perspective, as promoted by Kurt Lewin, suggests that behavior is a function of the interaction between the individual and their environment, combining both social psychology and personality psychology to better understand human behavior.

What was the nature of the research conducted during the 1960s and 1970s in social psychology?

The 1960s and 1970s were a period of great confidence for social psychology, marked by influential and controversial studies, such as Stanley Milgram's obedience experiment and Philip Zimbardo's prison experiment, which explored authority, conformity, and aggression.

What led to a crisis within social psychology during the 1960s and 1970s?

The crisis in social psychology during this period was caused by concerns about the ethical issues of experiments, such as the psychological distress caused to participants in Milgram's and Zimbardo's studies, as well as the question of whether laboratory experiments were truly applicable to real-world behavior.

What ethical considerations emerged in social psychology in the 1970s and 1980s?

In the 1970s and 1980s, ethical concerns became more prominent, leading to the development of new ethical standards. Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) were established to ensure ethical practices, and informed consent became a crucial part of study design.

How did social psychology evolve in terms of research methods in the late 20th century?

Social psychology evolved by embracing pluralism in research methods, incorporating correlational research, field studies, and cross-cultural studies in addition to traditional laboratory experiments, thus allowing for more comprehensive and varied approaches to studying human behavior.