Define social psychology

a. Define social psychology.

b. Discuss how social psychology differs from other related disciplines (e.g., clinical psychology, general psychology, sociology).

c. Explain the role of research in social psychology.
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Myers (1997) stated “social psychology studies the relationship between people and groups and is either done by a psychologist or sociologist” (p. 266). Social psychology closely relates to personality, organizational psychologies and sociology; however, most would say it is more closely related to counseling psychology and clinical practices. It is often confused with the term “social work” as well. It is further defined as the study of how people thing feel and behave in response to the presence of others (either imagined, implied or actual). What this means is that even if nobody is physically present, we are still subject to social influences by a television program, radio announcement or internet interactions. Social psychology, in layman’s terms bridges the gap between psychology and sociology. Social psychologists focus on the social structure (macro variables) whereas psychologists focus on the individual (micro variables).

Social psychology differs from clinical psychology in that social psychology focuses on …