Definition of Social Psychology

The psychology study human behavior. Our conduct It is related to three dimensions: the genetic traits that we inherit, the personal circumstances of our direct environment and, finally, the social context in which each individual lives. Social psychology is the branch of psychology that studies the links between individuals and society.

Our emotions, ideas and behaviors cannot be separated from the society in which we live. Human beings form communities and our individual mental schemes can only be explained within a general framework, society. Social psychology as discipline presents links with other areas of knowledge, such as the sociology wave anthropology.

Social psychology has several applications and among them the work environment, the educational system and the world of sport stand out.

In most work activities, workers perform functions with other individuals. In this sense, there is the occupational psychology. In this specific area, issues such as group cohesion, leadership, communication, the role of workers within their group, etc. are analyzed.

In the school environment, children are integrated into a level of socialization. Because of this there is a specific area, educational psychology. In this area, all kinds of variables are studied: the relationship between the student and their school environment, analysis groups, verbal and non-verbal communication between teachers and students, leadership, the climate that is generated in the classroom, etc.

Sport is more than just a set of physical activities. In fact, many sports are social phenomena that mobilize millions of people. It must be remembered that sport is part of the educational process of socialization of individuals and, on the other hand, many Sports fulfill social functions of all kinds (in some countries football plays an important role in social relations everyday).

Social agents can transform reality

At the individual level, it is possible to change habits or attitudes to better adapt to our environment. Something similar happens on the collective level. If a large group of individuals disagree with a reality, their joint action can alter the course of what seems undesirable or unfair to them.

Gandhi's followers who protested against British colonialism succeeded in bringing their country to the independence and people affected by mortgage conditions have managed to change in some countries laws.

These two examples remind us of an obvious fact: there is a collective behavior with which it is possible to promote social change.

Meanwhile, there are different approaches within Social Psychology such as: Psychoanalysis, behaviorism, postmodern psychology and the perspective of groups

On the side of psychoanalysis, this includes Social Psychology as the study of both drives and collective repressions that have their origin inside the individual unconscious to later influence the collective and the social.

On the other hand, the behaviorismunderstands Social Psychology as the study of social influence, therefore, it will focus its efforts on the behavior of the individual with respect to the influence of the environment or others.

On the other hand, from the perspective of Postmodern Psychology Social Psychology consists of the analysis of the components that make up the diversity and social fragmentation.

And finally according to the perspective proposed by the groups, each set of people will be a unit of analysis with identity own. For this reason, Social Psychology will study human groups as an intermediate point between the social-depersonalized and the individual-particular.