Social Psychology For Dummies

Your straightforward guide to Social Psychology!

Written for psychology students, Social Psychology For Dummies is an accessible and entertaining introduction to the field. Social Psychology For Dummies follows a typical university course, which makes it the perfect reference if you're in need of a clear (and enjoyable) overview of the topic. Whether you plan is to get ahead of the game or make up for lost time, we have you covered.

Online accessible review questions for each chapter are available to consolidate learning!

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Started with Social Psychology 5

Chapter 1: Introducing the Science of Social Psychology 7

Chapter 2: Exploring the Territory of Social Psychology 21

Chapter 3: Kitting Out: The Tools of Social Psychology 41

Part II: Understanding Attitudes and Actions 65

Chapter 4: Appraising Attitudes: The Troublesome Atoms of Social Psychology 67

Chapter 5: Uncovering Implicit Attitudes and Associations 81

Chapter 6: Investigating the Link between Behaviour and Attitudes 97

Part III: Thinking about Ourselves and Others 111

Chapter 7: Asking the Perennial Question: Who Am I? 113

Chapter 8: How Fantastic Am I! Looking at Self-serving Bias 123

Chapter 9: Attributing Causes to People’s Behaviour 135

Chapter 10: Making Judgements about Other People: Bias and Prejudice 149

Part IV: Comprehending Social Influence 163

Chapter 11: Appreciating the Power of the Situation 165

Chapter 12: Carrying Out Orders: Obedience 179

Chapter 13: Getting into Line: Conformity and Social Norms 195

Chapter 14: Persuading People to Part with Their Pounds 205

Part V: Assessing Relationships, Groups and Societies 219

Chapter 15: Interpersonal Relations: Liking, Loving and Living with Other People 221

Chapter 16: Examining the Benefits and Dangers of Social Groups 245

Chapter 17: Bridging Cross-Cultural Differences 261

Part VI: The Part of Tens 273

Chapter 18: Ten Questions for Getting the Most from Psychology Articles 275

Chapter 19: Ten Great Ways to Delve Deeper into Social Psychology 287

Index 295

Primary market: undergraduate university students studying psychology; undergraduate university students in related fields of study (social work, sociology, etc.) who are taking a social psychology class or require an understanding of the topic. 

Secondary market: Lifelong learners.

Daniel C. Richardson, PhD, is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Experimental Psychology at University College London. He has taught psychology at Stanford University and the University of California Santa Cruz, and his Introduction to Social Psychology course was awarded the Provost Teaching Award at University College London.