social psychology

social psychology

Branch of psychology concerned with the personality, attitudes, motivations, and behaviour of the individual or group in the context of social interaction. The field emerged in the U.S. in the 1920s. Topics include the attribution of social status based on perceptual cues, the influence of social factors (such as peers) on a person's attitudes and beliefs, the functioning of small groups and large organizations, and the dynamics of face-to-face interactions.

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social psychology [′sō·shəl sī′käl·ə·jē]

(psychology)

The study of the manner in which the attitudes, personality, and motivations of the individual influence, and are influenced by, the structure, dynamics, and behavior of the social group with which the individual interacts.