Social Psychology

by Thomas E. Heinzen, Wind Goodfriend

Overview

Social Psychology is an award-winning text that invites students to discover social psychology’s relevance to their lives. Authors Thomas Heinzen and Wind Goodfriend capture student interest by weaving stories drawn from their own personal experiences with compelling examples from everyday life, all carefully placed in historical context. Social psychology is presented as an evolving, science-driven conversation; chapters build on core questions central to scientific inquiry, while a methods-in-context approach cultivates psychological literacy. The Second Edition has been thoroughly updated with new pop culture examples, additional diversity coverage, recent controversies related to the Zimbardo and Milgram studies, and over a hundred new citations from the latest research.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781071834961
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	01/22/2021
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	560
Product dimensions:	8.38(w) x 10.88(h) x (d)

About the Author

Thomas Heinzen is Professor Emeritus of William Paterson University of New Jersey. He describes his career as “mostly fun” because of the diverse opportunities within social psychology. Most applications have revolved around the social psychology of creativity including:

• Individual differences among the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth
• Program Assessment for the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy
• Agent orange health statistics for the New York State Commission on Vietnam Veterans
• Technology assessment related to distance learning for Public Service Training Program
• Tractor rollovers for the New York Center for Health and Medicine
• Documentations of problem-solving among pre-retirement New York State bureaucrats
• Documentations of problem-solving among the frail elderly living in nursing homes
• Applications of game design to curriculum development

Professor Heinzen invested in students’ lives by mentoring more than 60 student conference presentations. More recently, he created video games that teach critical thinking and the unwritten rules of college success.

He also has authored several books and published journal articles based on case studies, archival analyses, in-depth interviews, controlled experiments, and quasi-experimental designs. He has been elected a fellow of the Eastern Psychological Association (EPA), the American Psychological Association (APA, Division 1), and the Association for Psychological Science (APS).

Wind Goodfriend has been teaching psychology at Buena Vista University, a Midwestern liberal arts school for fifteen years. Wind is a three-time Faculty of the Year award winner. She became Assistant Dean of Graduate Studies in 2017. She also serves as the co-director of the trauma advocacy program and volunteers as the chief research officer for the Institute for the Prevention of Relationship Violence. Wind has written 13 book chapters on psychology in pop culture, covering topics including Game of Thrones, Wonder Woman, Doctor Who, Star Trek, and more. She has developed a wide variety of undergraduate courses including special topics classes such as Psychology of Colonialism, Psychology in Popular Film, and Relationship Violence. She received her B.A. from Buena Vista University and both her Master’s and Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Purdue University.

Table of Contents

Preface
About the Authors
CHAPTER 1. An Introduction to Social Psychology
What Is Social Psychology?
What Are Some Big Questions Within Social Psychology?
How Can Social Psychology Make My Life Better Now?
Chapter Summary
Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Application
CHAPTER 2. Research Methods
How Do Social Psychologists Design Studies?
How Do Experiments Work in Social Psychology?
How Can I Recognize Trustworthy Research?
Chapter Summary
Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Application
CHAPTER 3. The Social Self
How Do We Understand the “Self?”
How Do We Know the Self Is Social?
Are We Honest About Ourselves?
Chapter Summary
Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Application
CHAPTER 4. Social Cognition
How Do We Think?
Why Are There Flaws in Our Mental Machinery?
Where Does Intuition Come From—and Can We Trust It?
Chapter Summary
Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Application
CHAPTER 5. Person Perception
What Happens During and After Forming First Impressions?
How Do We Explain Other People’s Behavior?
Why Do We Misjudge One Another?
Chapter Summary
Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Application
CHAPTER 6. Attitudes and Persuasion
What Are Attitudes and Where Do They Come From?
Do Attitudes Predict Behavior?
How Do Attitudes Change?
Chapter Summary
Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Application
CHAPTER 7. Social Influence: Conformity, Social Roles, and Obedience
What Types of Social Influence Exist?
What Social Forces Compel Conformity?
How Are We Influenced by Social Roles and Obedience to Authority?
Chapter Summary
Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Application
CHAPTER 8. Group Processes
Why Are Groups So Important to Us?
How Do Groups Influence Individuals?
How Can Individuals Influence Groups?
Chapter Summary
Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Application
CHAPTER 9. Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Why Do We Keep Using Stereotypes?
How Do Stereotypes Turn Into Prejudices?
How Can We Reduce Prejudice and Discrimination?
Chapter Summary
Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Application
CHAPTER 10. Helping and Prosocial Behavior
What Motivates People to Help Others, in General?
Why Are Some People More Helpful Than Others?
What Circumstances Make Helping More or Less Likely?
Chapter Summary
Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Application
CHAPTER 11. Aggression
What Is Aggression?
Why Are Humans Aggressive?
How Can We Manage or Reduce Aggression?
Chapter Summary
Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Application
CHAPTER 12. Intimate Relationships
What Causes Attraction?
How Do We Decide to Commit to a Particular Relationship?
How Do Gender and Culture Influence Relationships?
Chapter Summary
Critical Thinking, Analysis, and Application
CHAPTER A. Social Psychology and Careers
Who Are You After Social Psychology?
Where Can a Social Problem Solver Work?
CHAPTER B. Social Psychology of Humans and Their Pets
How Do Humans Think About Animals and Pets?
What Do Pets Mean to Humans?
CHAPTER C. Social Psychology and a Sustainable Environment
What Are Threshold Effects?
How Can Social Psychologists Contribute to a Sustainable Environment?
CHAPTER D. Social Psychology of Law and the Courtroom
How Do Psychology and Law Fit Together?
What Do Social Psychologists Know About False Confessions and Eyewitness Testimony?
CHAPTER E. Social Psychology of Stress and Health
How Do Environmental Stressors Influence Health?
How Can Social Psychology Improve Medical Adherence?
CHAPTER F. Social Psychology and Happiness: Positive Psychology
What Is Positive Psychology?
How Is Positive Psychology Changing?
CHAPTER G. Social Psychology and Money
What Is Behavioral Economics?
How Can I Apply Behavioral Economics to My Personal Finances?
CHAPTER H. Social Psychology and Relationship Violence
What Does Relationship Violence Look Like?
How Can Survivors Heal and Move Forward?
References
Glossary
Author Index
Subject Index

Editorial Reviews

Good science should tell a story. Heinzen and Goodfriend focus on social psychology as an ever evolving scientific field, emphasizing what questions we’ve asked and what we’ve learned as scientists strive to uncover the causes of and factors influencing human social behavior.”

Jay L Michaels

Successfully interweaves theory and relevant applications regarding Social Psychology, with an emphasis on reflections/applications for the student.”

Jeannine Stamatakis-Amess

I feel [Social Psychology] is better than most [textbooks], because of the numerous examples given and how it also relates to current society. I also enjoyed the questions in between readings and how you can apply [concepts] to you own life.

Student Skye Mckelvy

[Social Psychology] gives me concrete examples of real life situations. The flow of the text is very comprehendible, and everything builds upon one another. It is an easy read, compared to a past Social Psychology textbook I read a year ago. It kept me engaged for the most part while reading, [without] normal, everyday distractions getting in the way.”

Student Devon Dix

Takes a modern, interactive approach to teaching Social Psychology. Packed with pop culture references and case studies, students are able to relate concepts to familiar and understandable preexisting structures. However, the emphasis on research methods keeps them thinking critically and cultivates their scientific literacy.”

Miranda E. Bobrowski

"This textbook takes a contemporary and conversational approach to social psychology while being able to satisfy a need in the market for social psychology textbooks. This includes greater emphasis on conversational discussions, practical application to the real world, emphasis on research methods, and popular culture references "

Amanda El Bassiouny

Provides a unique, modern approach to social psychology. In addition to the fundamentals, the Heinzen & Goodfriend text covers other, relevant to today, topics."

Darin Challacombe

"This textbook takes a contemporary and conversational approach to social psychology while being able to satisfy a need in the market for social psychology textbooks. This includes greater emphasis on conversational discussions, practical application to the real world, emphasis on research methods, and popular culture references"

Amanda ElBassiouny