Social Psychology: History and Fundamentals

History of Social Psychology

• Social psychology studies thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in social situations, exploring how individuals are influenced by the real or imagined presence of others.

Norman Triplett

• Conducted the earliest social psychology lab experiment in 1898, exploring social facilitation (the phenomenon where the presence of others enhances individual performance on tasks).
• Observed that children performed tasks faster in a competitive environment compared to when they were alone, suggesting that the presence of others facilitated their performance.

Kurt Lewin

• Known as the founder of modern social psychology, developed the concept of "field theory", which posits that individuals are influenced by their environments (psychological, social, physical) and that behavior is the result of interactions between the person and the environment.
• Developed the formula B = f(p, e) to model this concept.

Leon Festinger

• Known for his work on cognitive dissonance theory and social comparison theory.
• Proposed the theory of cognitive dissonance, which explains how individuals strive for consistency in their beliefs and attitudes, and are motivated to reduce discomfort when there is inconsistency between beliefs and behaviors.
• Developed social comparison theory, which suggests that individuals evaluate their own abilities and opinions by comparing themselves to others, helping to define their self-concept and reduce uncertainty in ambiguous situations.

The Power of the Situation

• Asch Conformity Studies (1950s) demonstrated the extent to which individuals conform to group pressure when faced with a unanimous but incorrect majority opinion.
• Found that about 75% of participants conformed at least once by giving an incorrect answer, highlighting normative social influence and the pressure to conform to group norms.

Milgram Experiment

• Conducted in the early 1960s to study obedience to authority figures.
• Demonstrated the powerful influence of authority figures on behavior, showing that ordinary individuals could be induced to commit morally questionable acts under the direction of an authority figure.
• Raised awareness about the psychology of obedience and the conditions under which individuals may comply with harmful commands.

Kitty Genovese

• A young woman murdered in 1964 in New York City, with the case gaining significant attention due to reports of the public's inaction during the incident.