Social Psychologist

Human psychology today - As a general rule, the majority of people act differently when they are with different groups of people. Social psychology is the study of how the presence of people can affect one individual's behaviors, thoughts, and feelings. The group of people that can influence a person is often real, but the imagined or even the implied presence of other people can sometimes alter an individual's behavior or thoughts. Social psychology is often thought to be a combination between sociology and psychology, since it utilizes research and analytical methods from both areas. Although social psychology is similar to sociology, it is also very different. For instance, professionals in both of these fields have a particular interest in groups of people. Sociology, however, focuses on group behavior, while social psychology focuses on how a group of people influences each individual in that group.

This special field of psychology began in the early 20th century, and it was spurred on by experiments on social facilitation performed by Norman Triplett in 1898.

Why Do We Need Social Psychology?

The world, unfortunately is teeming with all different sorts of social problems. Some of the problem areas that social psychology can be used to study include

·         prejudice

·         bullying

·         criminal activity

·         community health problems, like HIV and AIDS

·         substance abuse

·         family and domestic problems

Not all group influences on individuals is negative, however. Social psychology can be used to study these types of situations and possibly be used to help create more.

What Does a Social Psychologist Do?

Social psychologists might analyze previous social psychology research results, or they might conduct original research. Reading research papers and social psychology journals is often the best way to study research conducted by other social psychologists, and original research can be conducted a few different ways.

First, social psychologists can create environments that are replicas of real world environments. Individuals and groups of individuals can be put in these environments, and social psychologists can then observe their behaviors and actions. Social psychologists might also ask interview a person while monitoring brain activity with sophisticated equipment.

Since the presence of social psychologists and medical equipment can influence how a person behaves, however, many social psychologists prefer to do their research "in the field". The research that psychologists conduct can be applied to solve a number of real world problems, from minor problems to major problems. Some social psychologists might also provide counseling for individuals affected by social problems.

Where Does a Social Psychologist Work?

Other facilities might also hire social psychologists, like schools, correctional facilities, and social welfare organizations. Marketing and advertising firms also sometimes hire social psychologists for marketing research.

What is the Median Salary for Social Psychologists?

The Bureau of labor Statistics does not record salary data specifically for social psychologists, but it does record salary data for a number of similar professions.

Psychologists that worked at elementary and secondary schools, however, made $89,570 and those in scientific research and development made a median salary of $100,790.

Source

http://careersinpsychology.org/becoming-a-social-psychologist/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Psychologist