Description
Social psychology is considered by some to have begun in 1895 with the work of Norman Triplett (1897), who examined the impact of fellow cyclists on the performance of an individual cyclist. Triplett observed that the mere presence of other cyclists improved an individual’s performance. Since Triplett’s pioneering work, social psychologists continue to examine the powerful impact of situationism—that is, the importance of examining people’s surroundings when trying to understand individual behavior. According to one of social psychology’s founders, Gordon Allport (1954), “[S]ocial psychology is the scientific attempt to explain how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of other human beings.” According to Fiske (2014), there are five core motives for our behavior, which are the product of human interaction with our respective context: belonging, understanding, controlling, enhancing the self, and trusting.
For this Discussion, review this week’s media The History of Social Psychology and select three key points in the evolution of social psychology that you feel are paramount to the field. You must include one element of Lewins’ influence on situationism. Consider how situationism influenced the other key points you selected and how situationism might influence your current or future work setting.
With these thoughts in mind:
Post by Day 2 a brief description of the three key points in the evolution of social psychology you selected. Include one element of Lewin’s influence on situationism. Then explain one way situationism influenced the key points you selected. Finally, explain one way situationism might influence your current or future work setting.
Explanation & Answer
Attached.
Running head: EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
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1
EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
EVOLUTION OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
The first key point in the evolution of social psychology that I selected is Norman's
(1895) study of how the presence of other cyclists influenced the performance of an individual
cyclist. In this case, Norman observed that a cyclist tends to ride faster in the presence of other
cyclists than when riding alone because of the effect of social facilitation. Secondly, I selected
Muzafer Sherif’s study (1936) of the influence of group norms on a person's performance. He
observed that the presence of other members of the group changes an individual’s behavior
change to conform to the interests of the group. Lastly, I selected the work on deindividuation
concerning group behavior that was published in 1952 by Leon Festinger who observed that
people become irrational while in a group because they lose a sense of their identity. In this
regards, the influence of other group members has a great influence on individual behavior
("History of Social Psychology," 2019).
All the three key elements that I selected were greatly influenced by situationism. In all
the studies, the behavior of the individuals was influenced by the surrounding environment. In
Norma’s study, the individual performance of a cyclist was improved because it was motivating
to ride with other cyclists. Also, the study by Muzafer Sherif indicated that people change their
behavior while in a group to avoid being disapproved by others. In this case, the influence of
others forces an individual to modify his or her behavior to conform to the interests or norms of
the group. Furthermore, Leon Festinger’s work on deindividuation depicts that the excitement
and anonymity of the group make people behave irra...
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