““People have probably been asking social People have probably been asking social psychological questions for as long as psychological questions for as long as humans could think about each other. humans could think about each other. Certainly, Plato offered keen insights Certainly, Plato offered keen insights into many social psychological issues. into many social psychological issues. But no systematic and scientific study But no systematic and scientific study of social psychological issues developed of social psychological issues developed until the end of the nineteenth until the end of the nineteenth century.” century.”

- Brehm, Kassin, & Fein (2005)- Brehm, Kassin, & Fein (2005)

Enlightenment, western Enlightenment, western conceptualisation of selfconceptualisation of self

Rapid industrialization in 19th Rapid industrialization in 19th centurycentury

Two World Wars Two World Wars

Herbert Spencer: Herbert Spencer: “survival of the fittest”“survival of the fittest”

Social Darwinian, in Social Darwinian, in 1874 extended Darwin's notions 1874 extended Darwin's notions from the biological realm into the social. from the biological realm into the social.

Studied evolution in groups, societies & culturesStudied evolution in groups, societies & cultures

Laid important academic foundations for psychology, Laid important academic foundations for psychology, sociology, economicssociology, economics

Influenced William McDougall, author of 1Influenced William McDougall, author of 1stst soc psych soc psych textbook, 1908.textbook, 1908.

Group Mind Group Mind

Europe & North America late 19th - early Europe & North America late 19th - early 2020thth cc

e.g.,e.g., Wundt’s Wundt’s Volkerpsychologie: Volkerpsychologie: ‘‘Folk’ or ‘cultural’Folk’ or ‘cultural’ psychologypsychology

-- language, myth, religion, culture, "higher" mental language, myth, religion, culture, "higher" mental functions.functions.

- comparative & historical analysis, not comparative & historical analysis, not experimentalexperimental

- political movement towards German political movement towards German reunification, national character.reunification, national character.

The CrowdThe Crowd

• • Pathology of crowd behavior (based on social Pathology of crowd behavior (based on social upheaval in Europe) upheaval in Europe) (Le Bon, 1895)(Le Bon, 1895)

• • Why do people sometimes lose their Why do people sometimes lose their rationality when in groups?rationality when in groups?

• • Lack of intelligence in group action and the Lack of intelligence in group action and the organic, powerful nature of a ‘group mind’organic, powerful nature of a ‘group mind’

• • Influenced Göbbels, Mussolini, HitlerInfluenced Göbbels, Mussolini, Hitler

11stst social psychology experiment social psychology experiment

Triplett (1898)Triplett (1898)Classically attributed as the first Classically attributed as the first experimental social psychology study - experimental social psychology study - illustration of social facilitationillustration of social facilitation

- Ringelmann on social loafing)- Ringelmann on social loafing)

• • Good candidate for an “origin myth” Good candidate for an “origin myth” (Danziger, 2000)(Danziger, 2000)

Post WW1 & Attitude Post WW1 & Attitude ScalingScaling

• • Rise of behaviourism & Rise of behaviourism & experimentationexperimentation

Social psychology splits off to study Social psychology splits off to study mental constructs, e.g., attitudes mental constructs, e.g., attitudes (Thurstone, 1930s, Likert)(Thurstone, 1930s, Likert)

Development of technology: Statistics Development of technology: Statistics imported into psychologyimported into psychology

National character issue not so National character issue not so important in USimportant in US

Central features of US political & Central features of US political & economic culture demand for feedback economic culture demand for feedback regarding aspects of behaviourregarding aspects of behaviour

Attitude assessment (voting behaviour)Attitude assessment (voting behaviour)

Migration & the Humanitarian Migration & the Humanitarian crisiscrisis

The most important single influence on The most important single influence on the development of social psychology? the development of social psychology? WWII WWII

The person who had the greatest The person who had the greatest impact on the field? Hitlerimpact on the field? Hitler

Social psychologists as outsiders (HarrSocial psychologists as outsiders (Harré é 2005).2005).

Hitler and WWIIHitler and WWII

a.a. The Exodus of European Psychologists The Exodus of European Psychologists fleeing Nazi-occupied Europefleeing Nazi-occupied Europe

- brings a Gestalt Perspective to American- brings a Gestalt Perspective to AmericanPsychology (Kurt Lewin, Fritz Heider, Bob Psychology (Kurt Lewin, Fritz Heider, Bob

Zajonc, Solomon Asche, Sherif)Zajonc, Solomon Asche, Sherif)

- gives rise to Social, Cognitive, and Social- gives rise to Social, Cognitive, and SocialCognitive Perspectives; experimental Cognitive Perspectives; experimental

method taken for granted; focus on method taken for granted; focus on individual.individual.

The Nazi phenomenon & The Nazi phenomenon & HolocaustHolocaust

b. begged explanation, motivation to b. begged explanation, motivation to explain atrocitiesexplain atrocities

– – Authoritarian personality (Allport)Authoritarian personality (Allport)– – Obedience (Milgram, shock expt)Obedience (Milgram, shock expt)– – Roles (Zimbardo, prison expt.)Roles (Zimbardo, prison expt.)- Conformity (Asche)- Conformity (Asche)- Prejudice reduction (Sherif, boys camps & - Prejudice reduction (Sherif, boys camps &

model worlds)model worlds)- Aggression (Bandura, Buss, Taylor)- Aggression (Bandura, Buss, Taylor)

War and the Art of PersuasionWar and the Art of Persuasion

c. Nazi Propaganda sparked interest in persuasion c. Nazi Propaganda sparked interest in persuasion researchresearch

U.S. military Persuasion Research Unit.U.S. military Persuasion Research Unit.– – persuading soldiers to continue the warpersuading soldiers to continue the war– – changing soldiers attitudes about integrating the troops.changing soldiers attitudes about integrating the troops.––Kurt Lewin- The Self Persuasion Effect - getting house wives to serve tripe.Kurt Lewin- The Self Persuasion Effect - getting house wives to serve tripe.- persuading Americans to eat underused meat products (sweetmeats) and - persuading Americans to eat underused meat products (sweetmeats) and

reducing bigotry.reducing bigotry.

Yale University Persuasion Research GroupYale University Persuasion Research Group

- made up of the ex-military researchers made up of the ex-military researchers - studied attitude formation, attitude change and studied attitude formation, attitude change and

persuasion, and how attitudes affect behavior.persuasion, and how attitudes affect behavior.

Post-WWII:Post-WWII: Applied social research Applied social research

1950’s Cognitive Revolution1950’s Cognitive Revolution

• • rise of attribution theory (Fritz Heider) rise of attribution theory (Fritz Heider) negative behaviour towards outgroupsnegative behaviour towards outgroups

Cognitive dissonance (Leon Festinger) Cognitive dissonance (Leon Festinger) no longer straightforward to predict no longer straightforward to predict

behaviour from attitudes, concept declined behaviour from attitudes, concept declined in popularity in popularity

Mid-1960’s on: 3 main Mid-1960’s on: 3 main developmentsdevelopments

1.1. Information Processing metaphor Information Processing metaphor – US based primarily– US based primarily

2.2. Crisis in social psychology (British Crisis in social psychology (British social psychology emerged as social psychology emerged as distinct subdivision)distinct subdivision)

3.3. Rise of European social Rise of European social psychologypsychology

IP metaphor: Social CognitionIP metaphor: Social Cognition

Humans = information processing Humans = information processing devices like computersdevices like computers

Novelty: humans = FAULTY Novelty: humans = FAULTY information processors information processors

Fiske, TaylorFiske, Taylor

European social psychologyEuropean social psychology

Identification of meanings and rules of Identification of meanings and rules of everyday life: intergroup perspective, everyday life: intergroup perspective, strong cultural elementstrong cultural element

Social identity theory (Tajfel )Social identity theory (Tajfel )

Social representations theory (Moscovici)Social representations theory (Moscovici)

Discursive psychology (Discursive psychology (Billig, PotterBillig, Potter, , Wetherall)Wetherall)

1970’s "1970’s "Crisis of Crisis of Confidence"Confidence"

Methodological concerns: limits of scientific Methodological concerns: limits of scientific method method

Have we discovered "artifacts" only?Have we discovered "artifacts" only?

• • Rosenthal (1969) experimenter bias Rosenthal (1969) experimenter bias

• • Orne (1962) demand characteristicsOrne (1962) demand characteristics

Ethical (APA 1972); Socially Relevant? Ethical (APA 1972); Socially Relevant?

Epistemological crisisEpistemological crisis

Social psychology is historical rather than scientific (Gergen)

Problem with individualistic mechanistic orientation

Insufficient account of context

Joint forces of experimentation & positivism have led to demise of interest in collective phenomena

Rise of alternative approachesRise of alternative approaches

New paradigms outside the labNew paradigms outside the lab

Critical social psychology, Social Critical social psychology, Social ConstructionismConstructionism

Psychological knowledge as socially Psychological knowledge as socially constructed, deconstructed to constructed, deconstructed to reveal cultural and political reveal cultural and political foundationsfoundations

Field polarisedField polarised

Cognitivists: Universal laws of Cognitivists: Universal laws of social interaction social interaction

vs. vs.

Constructionists: Patterns of social Constructionists: Patterns of social life as local cultural convention & life as local cultural convention &

customcustom

ReferencesReferences

Danziger, K. (2000). Making social psychology experimental: A Danziger, K. (2000). Making social psychology experimental: A conceptual history, 1930 - 1970. conceptual history, 1930 - 1970. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Journal of the History of the Behavioral SciencesSciences, 36, 329 - 347., 36, 329 - 347.

Haslam, S. A., & McGarty, C. (2001). 100 years of certitude? Social Haslam, S. A., & McGarty, C. (2001). 100 years of certitude? Social psychology, the experimental method and the management of scientific psychology, the experimental method and the management of scientific uncertainty. uncertainty. British Journal of Social PsychologyBritish Journal of Social Psychology, 40, 1-21., 40, 1-21.

Jones, D. & Elcock, J. (2001) Jones, D. & Elcock, J. (2001) History and Theories of Psychology: A History and Theories of Psychology: A Critical PerspectiveCritical Perspective. London: Arnold. Chapter 7.. London: Arnold. Chapter 7.

Manstead, A. S. R., & Hewstone, M. (1995). The Manstead, A. S. R., & Hewstone, M. (1995). The Blackwell Encyclopedia Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Psychology.of Social Psychology. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell. (a qualitative summary) Cambridge, MA: Blackwell. (a qualitative summary)

Moghaddam, F.M. (2005) Moghaddam, F.M. (2005) Great Ideas in Psychology: A Cultural & Great Ideas in Psychology: A Cultural & Historical Introduction.Historical Introduction. Oxford: One World press. Oxford: One World press.

McGuire, W.J. (1999) McGuire, W.J. (1999) Constructing Social Psychology: Creative and Constructing Social Psychology: Creative and Critical ProcessesCritical Processes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 10. . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Chapter 10. Psychology and history.Psychology and history.

Richard, F. D., Bond, C. F., Jr., & Stokes-Zoota, J. J. (2003). One hundred Richard, F. D., Bond, C. F., Jr., & Stokes-Zoota, J. J. (2003). One hundred years of social psychology quantitatively described. years of social psychology quantitatively described. Review of General Review of General PsychologyPsychology, 7, 331-336. (a quantitative summary), 7, 331-336. (a quantitative summary)

Richards, G. (2002) (2nd ed.). Richards, G. (2002) (2nd ed.). Putting Psychology in its Place: A Putting Psychology in its Place: A Critical Historical OverviewCritical Historical Overview. London: Routledge. Chapter 12.. London: Routledge. Chapter 12.