Social Psychology: United States Edition

The ninth edition of Social Psychology continues to integrate classic and current research in a highly readable and engaging fashion. This classic text retains the hallmark of its own past success: up-to-date coverage of the quickly evolving subject matter, written in a lively manner that has been embraced by hundreds of thousands of students around the world. The fascinating field of social psychology is pertinent to the lives of every reader of the text. Taking note of this fact, the authors have introduced a new theme —“taking social psychology with you” — which centers around the following idea: Social psychology offers a unique and valuable way of looking at the social world and a set of basic principles that everyone should use in their own lives. In other words, students who read this book should take social psychology with them when the course is over. This theme is reflected in the book in several ways: A new feature called “Beyond the Headlines: As Social Psychologists See It” takes real-life news events and examines them from a social psychology perspective. This feature illustrates how the topics can be applied to many aspects of human behavior. Another new feature “Ideas to Take With You” highlights important concepts at the end of every chapter that will impact the life of the student long after the course is completed. Other recent trends in the field of social psychology have been included in the ninth edition: The biological perspective has been embraced by much of the academic community, and the authors discuss this perspective at numerous points in the text. A “Biological” icon marks the discussions of this topic in the margins of the text. In addition, diversity continues to be a current and important theme in the field. Special sections of the text, called “Social Diversity: A Critical Analysis” are devoted to the topic of cultural and ethnic diversity. In addition, the authors incorporate the coverage of diversity throughout the text. This coverage is annotated with a diversity icon in the margin of the book.

Table of Contents:
Each chapter concludes with “Summary and Review of Key Points,” “Key Terms,” and “For More Information.” 1.The Field of Social Psychology: How We Think about and Interact with Others. Social Psychology: A Working Definition. Social Psychology: Where It Is Now, and Where It Seems to Be Going. Answering Questions about Social Behavior and Social Thought: Research Methods in Social Psychology. The Quest for Knowledge and Rights of Individuals: Seeking an Appropriate Balance. Using This Book: A Road Map for Readers. 2.Social Perception: Understanding Others. Nonverbal Communication: The Unspoken Language. Attribution: Understanding the Causes of Others' Behavior. Impression Formation and Impression Management: How We Combine — and Use — Social Information. 3.Social Cognition: Thinking about the Social World. Schemas: Mental Frameworks for Organizing — and Using — Social Information. Heuristics: Mental Shortcuts in Social Cognition. Potential Sources of Error in Social Cognition: Why Total Rationality is Scarcer Than You Think. Affect and Cognition: How Feelings Shape Thought and Thought Shapes Feelings. 4.Attitudes: Evaluating the Social World. Attitude Formation: How We Come to Hold the Views We Do. Do Attitudes Influence Behavior? And If So, When and How? The Fine Art of Persuasion: Using Messages to Change Attitudes. When Attitude Change Fails: Resistance to Persuasion. Cognitive Dissonance: Why Our Behavior Can Sometimes Influence Our Attitudes. 5.Aspects of Social Identity: Self and Gender. The Self: Components of One's Identity. Other Aspects of Self-Functioning: Focusing, Monitoring, and Efficacy. Gender: Maleness or Femaleness as a Crucial Aspect of Identity. 6.Prejudice and Discrimination. Prejudice and Discrimination: Their Nature and Effects. The Origins of Prejudice: Contrasting Perspectives. Why Prejudice Is Not Inevitable: Techniques for Countering Its Effects. Prejudice Based on Gender: Its Nature and Effects. 7.Interpersonal Attraction: Initial Contact, Liking, Becoming Acquainted. Recognizing and Evaluating Strangers: Proximity and Emotions. Becoming Acquaintances: The Need to Affiliate and the Effect of Observable Characteristics. Becoming Close Acquaintances and Moving toward Friendship: Similarity and Reciprocal Positive Evaluations. 8.Close Relationships: Family, Friends, Lovers, and Spouses. Interdependent Relationships With Family and Friends — or Loneliness. Romantic Relationships, Love, and Physical Intimacy. Marriage: Moving beyond Romance. 9.Social Influence: Changing Others' Behavior. Conformity: Group Influence in Action. Compliance: To Ask — Sometimes — Is to Receive. Obedience: Social Influence by Demand. 10.Prosocial Behavior: Helping Others. Responding to an Emergency: Why Are Bystanders Sometimes Helpful, Sometimes Indifferent? The Helpers and Those Who Receive Help. Explaining Prosocial Behavior: Why Do People Help? 11.Aggression: Its Nature, Causes, and Control. Theoretical Perspectives on Aggression: In Search of the Roots of Violence. Determinants of Human Aggression: Social, Personal, Situational. Child Abuse and Workplace Violence: Aggression in Long-Term Relationships. The Prevention and Control of Aggression: Some Useful Techniques. 12.Groups and Individuals: The Consequences of Belonging. Groups: Their Nature and Function. How Groups Affect Individual Performance: Facilitation or Social Loafing? Coordination in Groups: Cooperation or Conflict? Perceived Fairness in Groups: Getting What We Deserve — Or Else! Decision Making by Groups: How It Occurs and the Pitfalls It Faces. 13.Social Psychology in Action: Legal, Medical, and Organizational Applications. Applying Social Psychology to the Interpersonal Aspects of the Legal System. Applying Social Psychology to Health-Related Behavior. Applying Social Psychology to the World of Work: Job Satisfaction, Helping, and Leadership. References. Glossary. Name Index. Subject Index.