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Social psychology is the study of how the presence of people can affect one individual’s behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. The group of people that can influence a person is often real, but the imagined or even the implied presence of other people can sometimes alter an individual’s behavior or thoughts. Social psychology is often thought to be a combination between sociology and psychology, since it utilizes research and analytical methods from both areas. Although social psychology is similar to sociology, it is also very different. For instance, professionals in both of these fields have a particular interest in groups of people. Sociology, however, focuses on group behavior, while social psychology focuses on how a group of people influences each individual in that group.

Since its beginnings, social psychology has been used to study everything from hate crimes to bullying to marketing tactics. Today, it is still a growing field, and it can be applied to many areas.

The world, unfortunately is teeming with all different sorts of social problems. All it takes to see this is watching the evening news or skimming the morning paper. Understanding these problems and how a group can influence each of the individuals in that group, is one of the first steps toward putting an end to these problems. Some of the problem areas that social psychology can be used to study include:

Not all group influences on individuals is negative, however. Some individuals that are in the presence of certain people, for example, might feel more inclined to react positively to the world around them. Social psychology can be used to study these types of situations and possibly be used to help create more.

Below is the complete educational path for the Psychologists:Psychologist Educational TrackSchool ProgramsAverage Education LengthChoosing Online or Campus1.Earn a Bachelor’s DegreeView Programs4 YearsOnlineorCampus2.Earn A Master’s DegreeView Programs2 Additional YearsOnlineorCampus3.Earn a PHD or PsyDView Programs2-4 Additional YearsOnlineorCampus

Psychologist Educational TrackSchool ProgramsAverage Education LengthChoosing Online or Campus1.Earn a Bachelor’s DegreeView Programs4 YearsOnlineorCampus2.Earn A Master’s DegreeView Programs2 Additional YearsOnlineorCampus3.Earn a PHD or PsyDView Programs2-4 Additional YearsOnlineorCampus

Most aspiring social psychologists will also go on to earn advanced degrees as well. After earning their bachelor degrees, for instance, they will typically earn theirmaster’s degreeanddoctorate. Social psychologists that prefer to work in a clinical setting should consider earning Doctor of Psychology, or PsyD, degrees, and those interested primarily in research should earn Doctor of Philosophy, or PhD, degrees.

Read more aboutsocial psychology degrees.

First, social psychologists can create environments that are replicas of real world environments. Individuals and groups of individuals can be put in these environments, and social psychologists can then observe their behaviors and actions. Social psychologists might also ask interview a person while monitoring brain activity with sophisticated equipment

Since the presence of social psychologists and medical equipment can influence how a person behaves, however, many social psychologists prefer to do their research “in the field”. This typically involves watching “real” people in “real” environments and situations.

Social psychologists will often be able to find employment in a number of different facilities and organizations. Those that focus on research, for instance, will often be able to find employment in private and government research facilities. They might conduct research in controlled environments, such as laboratories, or in natural environments, such as urban settings. Other facilities might also hire social psychologists, like schools, correctional facilities, and social welfare organizations.

Marketing and advertising firms also sometimes hire social psychologists for marketing research. Social psychologists that work at universities will often be hired to teach, but they will also usually be able to conduct research as well.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, psychologists outside of clinical, school, and industrial specialties earn a median salary of $106,420 as of May 2022.

However, to get a clearer picture of what a social psychologists might make, it may be helpful to look at median salaries for this group in relevant industries:

Influences on SocialNorman Triplettconducted research on social facilitation and published the first social psychology study in 1898.Solomon Aschconducted laboratory research to discover that most people will conform to the beliefs of a majority rule, even if those beliefs are false or incorrect.

Additional Resources and Further Reading

2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market trends and salary figures forpsychologists (all other)are based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed June 2023.

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