Patient talking with his therapist

Social Psychology

Ever notice how people behave differently in groups? Learn how social psychology studies the way people think, behave, and feel in social environments.
Friends can provide social support.
How Social Support Contributes to Psychological Health
Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
Athlete self-handicapping
Self-Handicapping and Protecting the Ego at a Cost
Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
young women all on cell phones
The Bandwagon Effect as a Cognitive Bias
Fact checked by Sean Blackburn
Woman getting ready for a run.
10 Motivation Myths That Keep You From Reaching Goals
Fact checked by Cara Lustik
Joyous woman in front of wall
Types of Nonverbal Communication
Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
Young woman being kind
What Is Altruism?
Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
two smiling women enjoying breakfast at kitchen table
5 Important Concepts in Social Psychology
Fact checked by Sean Blackburn
Two people talking over coffee
Social Exchange Theory in Psychology
Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
collectivistic culture traits
Understanding Collectivist Cultures
Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
Individualistic culture prizes independence
Individualistic Cultures and Behavior
Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
Girls comparing height
Social Comparison Theory in Psychology
Fact checked by Emily Swaim
group of kids linking arms in a circle
How the Need to Belong Influences Human Behavior
Fact checked by Sean Blackburn
graphic of hands shaking
What Is Reciprocity?
Fact checked by Sean Blackburn
Young couple, outdoors, standing face to face, pensive expressions
How to Recognize the Signs That Someone Is Lying
Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
blurry crowd of people
Social Psychology Experiments and Studies
Fact checked by Emily Swaim
People displaying the actor-observer bias
Actor-Observer Bias in Social Psychology
Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS
Smiling businesswoman in a meeting
Psychological Methods of Persuasion
Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS
Person perception involves how we form impressions of others.
Person Perception and Impressions of Others
Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS
man and woman hugging in a warehouse with a group of red balloons shaped like a heart
5 Ways That Theories of Psychology Explain Love
Medically reviewed by Carly Snyder, MD
Making a decision based upon representativeness
How the Representativeness Heuristic Affects Decisions and Bias
Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD
children in school
Attitudes and Behavior in Psychology
Reviewed by David Susman, PhD
Crowd of people walking down a city sidewalk
The 9 Major Research Areas in Social Psychology
Reviewed by David Susman, PhD
Perspectives in social psychology
Explore the Major Perspectives in Social Psychology
By Kendra Cherry
Social psychology research methods
Social Psychology Research Methods
By Kendra Cherry
children at school
The 3 Factors of Reciprocal Determinism
By Kendra Cherry
Social Cognition
Social Cognition in Psychology
Reviewed by David Susman, PhD
Mother with her sons watching tablet in bed
Secure Attachment and Other Attachment Styles
Reviewed by David Susman, PhD
Photo of a man and woman talking in front of a computer
Attribution and Social Psychology
Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS
Social Psychology Facts
10 Quick Facts About Social Psychology
Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS
Businesswoman explaining to coworkers at meeting
10 Tips to Improve Your Nonverbal Communication
Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
Girl friends hanging out together
The Psychology of Compliance
Fact checked by Emily Swaim
A figure of lady justice holding up scales
The Just-World Phenomenon Overview and Examples
Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS
Skyscrapers, billboards, and crowds with busy traffic and yellow cabs in Times Square
How Psychologists Define Persuasion
Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS
What is empathy?
What Is Empathy?
Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
two women and one men sitting at a table together not talking
How Social Loafing Is Studied in Psychology
Fact checked by Emily Swaim
Putting their heads together Cropped shot of a group of business colleagues meeting in the boardroom
What Is Groupthink?
Fact checked by Emily Swaim
Father lecturing son
The Concept of Obedience in Psychology
Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS
Illustration of fingers pointing at a man with his hands over his face
Why Do People Blame the Victim?
Fact checked by Adah Chung
Rubin's Scales of liking and loving
Rubin's the Scales of Liking and Loving
By Kendra Cherry
Woman with mental illness
What Is Stigma?
Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD
The Rule of Commitment
Rule of Commitment and Social Norms
Fact checked by Sean Blackburn
Teaching heroism
Philip Zombardo's Heroic Imagination Project
Fact checked by Sean Blackburn
Woman blowing hearts to a man
4 Common Questions About the Science of Love
Fact checked by Cara Lustik
couple holding hands
What Affectional Bonds Mean in Attachment Theory
Fact checked by Sean Blackburn
Small group solving a problem
Effects of Group Size on Problem-Solving
Fact checked by Cara Lustik
windy day with dad
Bowlby & Ainsworth: What Is Attachment Theory?
Medically reviewed by Steven Gans, MD
shot of 3 pairs of men's legs and shiny black shoes
How Does Conformity Influence Behavior?
Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
Little boy wearing boxing gloves hitting punching bag
Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment on Social Learning
Fact checked by Emily Swaim
Loving Young Couple Romancing At Home
Compassionate and Passionate Styles of Love
Medically reviewed by Carly Snyder, MD
A couple in love holding hands
What Is Love?
Fact checked by Emily Swaim
young woman walking in the middle of a busy sidewalk
How Diffusion of Responsibility Affects Group Behavior
Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS
Man checking his cell phone among rushing crowd
What Is the Bystander Effect?
Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
Rhesus monkey clings to surrogate mother.
Controversial Psychology Experiments
Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS
physical attractiveness stereotype halo effect
Why the Halo Effect Affects How We Perceive Others
Reviewed by Amy Morin, LCSW
compassion
Can People Learn to Be More Compassionate?
By Kendra Cherry
Heroes
The Psychology Behind Heroism
Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS
cpr class
How to Overcome the Bystander Effect
Fact checked by Shereen Lehman, MS
Encouraging therapist talks with young woman
An Overview of Social Psychology
Fact checked by Adah Chung