Patient talking with his therapist

Social Psychology

Ever notice how people behave differently in groups? Learn how social psychology studies the way people think, behave, and feel in social environments.
Nerve theory
Polyvagal Theory and How It Relates to Social Cues
two female friends talking and drinking coffee at a cafe
The Profound Impact of Self-Disclosure on Social Relationships
Friends can provide social support.
A Social Support System Is Imperative for Health and Well-Being
Athlete self-handicapping
How Self-Handicapping Can Sabotage Your Chances of Success
young women all on cell phones
The Bandwagon Effect Is Why People Fall for Trends
Joyous woman in front of wall
What Are the 9 Types of Nonverbal Communication You Might Be Missing?
Young woman being kind
Why We Risk Our Own Well-Being to Help Others
two smiling women enjoying breakfast at kitchen table
Social Psychology Studies How We Interact With the World
Two people talking over coffee
Understanding Social Exchange Theory in Psychology
collectivistic culture traits
Understanding Collectivist Cultures
Individualistic culture prizes independence
How Do Individualistic Cultures Influence Behavior?
Girls comparing height
How Social Comparison Theory Influences Our Views on Ourselves
group of kids linking arms in a circle
What Is a Sense of Belonging?
graphic of hands shaking
Why Do We Feel Compelled to Return Favors?
Young couple, outdoors, standing face to face, pensive expressions
Do You Notice the Signs When Someone Is Lying?
blurry crowd of people
8 Interesting Social Psychology Experiments
People displaying the actor-observer bias
How Actor-Observer Biases Affect the Way We Interact With People
Smiling businesswoman in a meeting
A Quick Guide to Becoming a Master of Persuasion
Person perception involves how we form impressions of others.
How Do We Form Impressions of Other People?
man and woman hugging in a warehouse with a group of red balloons shaped like a heart
5 Ways That Theories of Psychology Explain Love
Making a decision based upon representativeness
How Does Representativeness Affect Your Decisions?
children in school
How Can Our Attitudes Change and Influence Behaviors?
Crowd of people walking down a city sidewalk
Social Psychology Research Areas That Include Interaction Among People
Perspectives in social psychology
The Major Perspectives in Social Psychology
Social psychology research methods
How Do Social Psychologists Conduct Their Research?
children at school
The 3 Factors of Reciprocal Determinism
Social Cognition
Social Cognition and the World Around Us
Mother with her sons watching tablet in bed
What You Should Know About Attachment Styles
Photo of a man and woman talking in front of a computer
What Is Attribution in Social Psychology?
Social Psychology Facts
10 Things You Should Know About Social Psychology
Businesswoman explaining to coworkers at meeting
10 Ways to Master the Art of Nonverbal Communication
Girl friends hanging out together
The Psychology of Compliance
A figure of lady justice holding up scales
How the Just-World Phenomenon Explains Victim-Blaming
Skyscrapers, billboards, and crowds with busy traffic and yellow cabs in Times Square
What Is Persuasion?
What is empathy?
Why Empathy Is Important
two women and one men sitting at a table together not talking
How Social Loafing Explains Why We Do Less When We're in a Group
Putting their heads together Cropped shot of a group of business colleagues meeting in the boardroom
The Psychology Behind Why We Strive for Consensus
Father lecturing son
Obedience Research and Meaning in Psychology
Illustration of fingers pointing at a man with his hands over his face
The Different Reasons Why People Victim-Blame
Rubin's Scales of liking and loving
Can You Measure Love With Rubin's Scales?
Cheerful afro young woman taking selfie with smart phone while standing by wall
What to Know About Attention-Seeking Behavior
Woman with mental illness
How to Cope With Stigma When You Have a Mental Illness
The Rule of Commitment
Why We Feel Pressure to Say Yes With the Rule of Commitment
Teaching heroism
How the Heroic Imagination Project Helps Kids Become Everyday Heroes
Woman blowing hearts to a man
4 Common Questions About the Science of Love
Small group solving a problem
Smalls Groups Solve Problems Better Than Those Working Alone
windy day with dad
How Attachment Theory Works
shot of 3 pairs of men's legs and shiny black shoes
Why Do We Try So Hard to Be Like Other People?
Little boy wearing boxing gloves hitting punching bag
What the Bobo Doll Experiment Reveals About Kids and Aggression
Loving Young Couple Romancing At Home
Differences Between Compassionate and Passionate Love in Relationships
A couple in love holding hands
Is Love Biological or Is It a Cultural Phenomenon?
young woman walking in the middle of a busy sidewalk
How Diffusion of Responsibility Affects the Way We Act in Groups
Man checking his cell phone among rushing crowd
What Psychology Says About Why Bystanders Sometimes Fail to Help
Rhesus monkey clings to surrogate mother.
Controversial and Unethical Psychology Experiments
physical attractiveness stereotype halo effect
How the Halo Effect Influences the Way We Perceive Attractive People
compassion
Research Suggests the Brain Can Be Trained in Compassion
Heroes
The Psychology of Heroism: Are Heroes Born or Made?
cpr class
Are You Guilty of Participating in the Bystander Effect?
Encouraging therapist talks with young woman
Social Psychology Field Overview