Social Psychology as Science
Social psychology as a science studies the features of human behavior among other people in different life situations and in certain historical contexts.
Social psychology as a science includes the social psychology of the individual; social psychology of communication, cognition and interaction of people; social psychology of individual groups.
To understand the specifics of social psychology as a science, it is necessary to consider the complex of levels on which the social behavior of people as a whole develops.
Science considers social behavior of people onthe following levels: social, personal and interpersonal. The social level implies the influence of individual social groups on the person entering into them (for example, in the process of migration, in an atmosphere of unemployment, etc.) This level of relations is studied by sociology. The personal level is the influence of individual and psychological characteristics of a person on his own behavior. This is studied by personality psychology and differential psychology. The interpersonal level belongs to research and study of social psychology. At each level, there is an explanation of the phenomena occurring with man.
Social psychology as a science can beis defined as a science about the basic laws of human behavior, which is determined by their being in society (society). She studies the perception by individuals of the actions and feelings of other people, as well as the influence of groups of people on consciousness, as well as the behavior of individuals.
Till now disputes on whatplace occupies social psychology in the system of other sciences. Some believe that it is completely a social science, others consider it completely psychological. On the other hand, researchers disagree on whether social psychology occupies a separate niche in the knowledge system or has common overlapping areas with sociology and psychology. Most researchers share the common opinion that social psychology is an independent branch of psychological science.
Social psychology as a science uses methodsempirical research (surveys, document analysis, observation), specialized methods of socio-psychological research (experiments, tests), simulated methods (laboratory re-creation of realities) and management-educational methods (trainings).
On the subject of discipline there is no single universally recognizedrepresentation. This can be explained by the complexity of socio-psychological phenomena, the real facts and patterns that it studies. There are two approaches to this issue. The first under the subject understands the mass phenomena of the psyche, the second - the individual. Recently, a third approach has emerged, combining mass and personal psychic processes into a single subject. Thus, under the subject can be understood the facts, patterns of behavior and activity, as well as people's communication and their mechanisms, which are due to the inclusion of individuals in society.
Separate branches of social psychologyare the scientific areas associated with the study of certain areas of human activity. For example, the discipline of sociology and labor psychology studies social-psychological relations and social processes in the world of work. She uses methods of influencing the psychological and social climate of the team, collects and processes primary information on sociology with a view to resolving and preventing labor conflicts in the team.
Discipline studies, diagnoses and predicts the professional suitability of a person, examines the role of labor discipline and its significance, labor behavior, motivation and people's attitude to work.
