An Introduction to Social Psychology

For over 25 years An Introduction to Social Psychology has been combining traditional academic rigour with a contemporary level of accessibility, pedagogy and instructor support to provide a definitive guide to the engaging and ever–evolving field of social psychology

This sixth edition, completely revised and updated to reflect current issues and underlying theory in the field, has been specially designed to meet the needs of students at all levels, with contributions written by leading psychologists, each an acknowledged expert in the topics covered in a given chapter. The text benefits hugely from an updated range of innovative pedagogical features intended to catch the imagination, combined with a rigorous editorial approach, which results in a cohesive and uniform style accessible to all.  Each chapter addresses both major themes and key studies, showing how the relevant field of research has developed over time and linking classic and contemporary perspectives

Key features of this highly successful text include:

Full coverage of all the major theories and topics Focused discussions of important research studies and the implications of their findings Descriptions of real–life application of theory and research are presented throughout in the Social Psychology Beyond the Lab feature Individual Differences boxes with illustrative items from scales used to measure variables discussed in the chapters Clear conclusions, further reading and learning questions to track your progression Concise biographies of Leaders in the Field , both classic and contemporary scholars from across the globe who have had a major impact on their research area

Resources designed to aid learning and help both instructors and students, including test banks, lecture slides and further reading, can also be found on the book s website at www.wiley.com/college/hewstone.

 

Notes on Contributors

Preface to Sixth Edition

Guided Tour

Accompanying Online Resources for Instructors and Students

Chapter 1 Introducing Social Psychology
Wolfgang Stroebe, Miles Hewstone and Klaus Jonas

INTRODUCTION

Some classic studies

A DEFINITION OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

The core characteristics of social psychology

THE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

The study of the individual and the social

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

The beginning

The early years

The years of expansion

The crisis years

Overcoming the crisis

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IN EUROPE

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY TODAY

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 2 Research Methods in Social Psychology
Antony S. R. Manstead and Andrew G. Livingstone

INTRODUCTION

Summary

RESEARCH STRATEGIES

Experiments and quasi–experiments

Survey research

Qualitative approaches

Summary

A CLOSER LOOK AT EXPERIMENTATION IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

Features of the social psychological experiment

Experimental designs

Threats to validity in experimental research

Social psychological experiments on the Internet

Problems with experimentation

Summary

DATA COLLECTION METHODS

Observational methods

Self–report methods

Implicit and physiological methods

Choosing a method

Social neuroscience

Summary

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 3 Social Perception and Attribution
Brian Parkinson

INTRODUCTION

SOCIAL PERCEPTION

Summary

ATTRIBUTION THEORY

Correspondent inference theory

Covariation theory

Access to covariation information

Knowledge, expectation and covariation

Learning about causation using covariation and causal power

Attributions and achievement

Attribution and depression

Misattribution of arousal

Attributional biases

Explaining intentional behaviour

The naïve scientist metaphor

Attributions as discourse

Summary

SOCIAL PERCEPTION AND SOCIAL REALITY

AUTOMATIC AND CONTROLLED SOCIAL PERCEPTION

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 4 Social Cognition
Louise Pendry

INTRODUCTION

JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS OR WORKING THINGS OUT SLOWLY

THE AUTOMATIC PILOT WITHIN

What makes a process automatic?

The pervasive nature of social categorization

Schemas: the next step in the process?

Making judgements when you don t have all the data: cognitive heuristics

Why do we fall prey to judgemental heuristics?

Schema activation and behaviour

Summary

GOING THE EXTRA MILE: REGAINING COGNITIVE CONTROL

Stereotype? What stereotype? How goals can stop the stereotype being activated in the first place

Quashing the effects of stereotype activation once it has occurred

Summary

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 5 The Self
Carolyn C. Morf and Sander L. Koole

INTRODUCTION

WHERE SELF–KNOWLEDGE COMES FROM

Through our own observation: personal sources

Through the help of others: social sources

Experiencing a coherent self: autobiographical memories and the self as narrative

Summary

THE ORGANIZATIONAL FUNCTION OF THE SELF: THE SELF AS MENTAL REPRESENTATION

The nature of the self–concept

The nature of self–esteem

Cultural and gender influences on self–knowledge

The neural underpinnings of self–knowledge

Summary

THE MOTIVATIONAL FUNCTIONS OF THE SELF

Know thyself: the self–assessment motive

Bigger, better, faster, stronger: the self–enhancement motive

The puzzle of low self–regard: self–verification

Why do we self–enhance?

The pros and cons of pursuing self–esteem

Summary

THE REGULATORY FUNCTIONS OF THE SELF: THE SELF IN CONTROL

Self–awareness theory

Self–regulation theory

The consequences of self–regulation

Escaping the self

Autonomous self–regulation as a resource

Summary

SELF STABILITY AND CHANGE

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 6 Attitudes
Geoffrey Haddock and Gregory R.

INTRODUCTION

WHAT IS AN ATTITUDE?

Summary

THE CONTENT OF ATTITUDES

The cognitive component of attitudes

The affective component of attitudes

The behavioural component of attitudes

How related are the components of attitudes?

Summary

THE STRUCTURE OF ATTITUDES

Summary

WHY DO WE HOLD ATTITUDES?

Object appraisal

Utilitarian versus value–expressive attitudes

Summary

LINKING ATTITUDE CONTENT, STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

Content, structure, function and attitude strength

Summary

THE MEASUREMENT OF ATTITUDES

Explicit measures of attitudes

Issues relevant to the explicit measurement of attitudes

Implicit measures of attitudes

Are attitude measures reliable and valid?

Summary

DO ATTITUDES PREDICT BEHAVIOUR?

When do attitudes predict behaviour?

Do explicit and implicit measures of attitude predict different types of behaviour?

Models of attitude behaviour relations

Summary

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 7 Strategies of Attitude and Behaviour Change
Wolfgang Stroebe

INTRODUCTION

PERSUASION

Theories of systematic processing

Summary

A dual–process theory of persuasion

Summary

Changing implicit attitudes

Summary

Advertising as applied persuasion

Summary

INCENTIVE–INDUCED ATTITUDE CHANGE

Counterattitudinal behaviour and attitude change

Some paradoxical effects of incentives and sanctions

Further limitations of the effectiveness of incentive–induced change

Summary

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 8 Social Influence
Miles Hewstone and Robin Martin

INTRODUCTION

INCIDENTAL SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Social facilitation

The impact of social norms

Summary

WHY DOES SOCIAL INFLUENCE OCCUR?

Summary

DELIBERATE SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Inducing compliance

The influence of numerical majorities and minorities

Group decision making

Obedience to authority

Summary

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 9 Aggression
Barbara Krahé

INTRODUCTION

DEFINITION AND MEASUREMENT OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR

Observation of aggressive behaviour

Obtaining reports of aggressive behaviour

Summary

THEORIES OF AGGRESSION

Biological approaches

Psychological approaches

Summary

PERSONAL AND SITUATIONAL VARIABLES AFFECTING AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR

Individual differences in aggressive behaviour

Situational influences on aggressive behaviour

Summary

AGGRESSION AS A SOCIAL PROBLEM

Intimate partner violence

Sexual aggression

Bullying in school and the workplace

Intergroup violence

Summary

PSYCHOLOGICAL PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION

Catharsis

Punishment

De–escalation through eliciting incompatible responses

Summary

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 10 Prosocial Behaviour
Mark Levine and Rachel Manning

INTRODUCTION

PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR, HELPING AND ALTRUISM

Definitions

The altruism egoism debate

Prosocial behaviours

Summary

WHY PEOPLE DON T HELP

A decision–making model of bystander behaviour

Summary

WHY PEOPLE DO HELP

The costs and rewards of helping

Groups, identity and prosocial behaviour

Helping outgroups

Social identity and the bystander effect

Social identity, emotion and bystander intervention

Summary

ISSUES IN RESEARCHING PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

Violence and helping

Gender and helping

Long–term, sustained helping behaviours

Summary

EVOLUTION, GENES AND HELPING

When helping is not self–interested

Summary

THE SOCIAL NEUROSCIENCE OF HELPING

Summary

HELPING IN THE REAL WORLD

Selfish vs. altruistic behavior in life–threatening emergencies

Summary

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 11 Attraction and Close Relationships
Johan C. Karremans and Catrin Finkenauer

INTRODUCTION

THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONSHIPS

Relationships and psychological well–being

Relationships and physical well–being

The role of social support

The immediate effects of social exclusion

The need to belong

Attachment

Summary

INTERPERSONAL ATTRACTION

The benefits of physical attractiveness

What is beautiful is good

The features that determine physical attractiveness

Contextual influences on physical attractiveness

Psychological attraction

Proximity

Familiarity

Similarity

Underestimating the power of the situation

Summary

ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS

Love

Relationship satisfaction and stability

Thoughts and behaviours that enhance relationship functioning

Summary

GENERAL RELATIONSHIP PROCESSES

Types of relationships

Disclosure

Perceived partner responsiveness

Relationship ending

Summary

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading 378

Chapter 12 Group Dynamics 379
Bernard A. Nijstad and Daan van Knippenberg

INTRODUCTION

THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF GROUPS

Defining groups

Why groups?

Summary

INDIVIDUALS IN GROUPS: THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL OF ANALYSIS

Joining a group and group socialization: becoming a full member

Being in a group: maintenance and role negotiation

Leaving a group: divergence and exit

Summary

GROUP DEVELOPMENT AND STRUCTURE: THE GROUP LEVEL OF ANALYSIS

Group development

On being similar: norms, shared cognition and cohesion

On being different: status and roles

Summary

GROUPS IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT: THE INTERGROUP LEVEL OF ANALYSIS

The intergroup context and the salience of group membership

The intergroup context, group perceptions and social influence

Summary

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 13 Group Performance and Leadership
Stefan Schulz–Hardt and Felix C. Brodbeck

INTRODUCTION

SOME CORE CONCEPTS: ACTUAL GROUP PERFORMANCE, GROUP POTENTIAL AND TASK TYPE

Actual and potential group performance

Basic types of group tasks and their implications for group potential

Summary

PROCESS LOSSES VERSUS PROCESS GAINS IN GROUP PERFORMANCE

Types of process losses and process gains

Summary

GROUP PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Three basic principles of group performance management

Summary

LEADERSHIP

Approaches to the study of leadership

Summary

LEADERSHIP IN GROUPS

Group and task design

Group synchronization

Group development and learning

Summary

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 14 Prejudice and Intergroup Relations
Russell Spears and Nicole Tausch

INTRODUCTION

PERSONALITY APPROACHES TO PREJUDICE

The authoritarian personality

Prejudice and a desire for social dominance

Authoritarianism and social dominance orientation as ideologies

Summary

THE COGNITIVE APPROACH TO PREJUDICE

Outgroup homogeneity, stereotyping and prejudice

Illusory correlation: a cognitive account of prejudiced stereotype formation

Developments and integrations

Summary

GROUP APPROACHES TO PREJUDICE

Intragroup processes, ingroup bias and prejudice

Intergroup explanations of prejudice and discrimination

The individual s relation to the group: group identification and its components

Elaborating the intergroup level

Integrative intergroup theories

Can emotions help to explain the variety and intensity of prejudice?

Summary

PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS TO REDUCE PREJUDICE AND IMPROVE INTERGROUP RELATIONS

The contact hypothesis

Varying levels of categorization

Psychological processes involved in intergroup contact and prejudice reduction

Other prejudice–reduction techniques

The wider implications of prejudice reduction

Summary

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

Chapter 15 Cultural Social Psychology
Peter B. Smith

INTRODUCTION

CULTURE AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

Defining culture

Nations as cultures

Measuring culture

Overcoming methodological challenges

Summary

CULTURE AND COGNITION

Summary

CULTURE AND SELF–CONSTRUAL

Cross–cultural variation in self–enhancement

Self–construal as an explanation of cultural differences

Self–construal over time

Summary

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS

Prosocial behaviour with strangers

Intimate relationships

Summary

GROUP PROCESSES

Summary

INTERGROUP RELATIONS

Group honour

Negotiation

Summary

INTERCULTURAL RELATIONS

Migration and acculturation

Summary

Chapter Summary

Suggestions for Further Reading

References

Glossary

Name Index

Subject Index