Myers social psychology read. Myers D. Social psychology. What is aggression

David G. Myers is Professor of Psychology at Michigan Hope College. He is one of those teachers whom the students themselves call "outstanding". Myers loves to teach, and this passion permeates all of his work written for a wide audience. He has published articles in twenty journals and has written or co-authored nearly a dozen popular books, including The Pursuit of Happiness (Avon, 1993) and The American Paradox (Yale University Press, 2000).

Myers' research work was highly commended: for his work on group polarization, the Ninth Section of the American Psychological Association awarded him the prestigious Gordon Allport Award. Myers has published scientific articles in more than 20 journals, including Science, American Scientist, Psychological Science, and American Psychologist. He serves science and as a consulting editor for the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology and the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

In his spare time from teaching and research, David Myers heads the Humanitarian Relations Commission in his hometown, with his help the city's Community Assistance Center was founded, providing support to low-income families; lectures of the scientist sound in numerous university and religious audiences. David and Carol Myers have three children: two sons and a daughter.

Books (4)

Social Psychology

The book, at the same time strictly scientific and humane, is filled with facts and intriguing information, which makes reading it not only informative, but also fascinating. It describes the fundamental principles of social thinking, social influence and social behavior, as well as a variety of experiments and recent research.

Studying Social Psychology

Myers' book is a masterpiece of teaching art: in a fascinating way, the reader gets acquainted with the science of human behavior in society, quickly and reliably memorizes concepts, facts, theories, studies methods and experiments. The academic course of social psychology outlined in this book is assimilated effectively and easily.

Intuition

How reliable is our intuition? Can we rely on it when shopping in a store, choosing a companion, hiring employees, or evaluating our own abilities?

The prominent American psychologist David Myers skillfully shows that intuition, while awakening amazing insight in us, at the same time can sometimes lead us into a dangerous delusion.

Drawing on current psychological data, Myers discusses the strengths and weaknesses of using intuition in cases where judges and juries evaluate the veracity of evidence, when psychologists and psychiatrists identify criminal propensities, when managers make decisions about hiring new employees.

David J. Myers is professor of psychology at Hope College, Michigan. He is not only a brilliant teacher, but also an outstanding scientist: for his research on group polarization, the American Psychological Association (9th Division) awarded him the Gordon Allport Prize. His scientific articles have been published in more than two dozen journals. D. Myers - consulting editor of journals Journal of Experimental Social Psychology and The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, author of dozens of books, including popular science.

When I was first asked to write this textbook, I envisioned a book that should be both rigorously scientific and human, filled with proven facts and intriguing. It needs to be as compelling about social psychology as a forensic reporter is about an investigative story, and to do so, it needs to be both summaries of the most recent research on major social phenomena and how scientists study and interpret them. . The material should be presented in sufficient detail, but it should also stimulate thinking students - their willingness to delve into the essence of problems, analyze them and correlate the principles of science with what is happening in real life.

How should an author select material for a "sufficiently complete" introductory textbook in the discipline he is engaged in? Material that would be perceived as a whole narrative, but at the same time would not frighten away with its bulkiness, because it can be assimilated in parts? And I decided to present those theories and data that, on the one hand, are quite accessible to the average student, and, on the other hand, are not covered in other courses in sociology or psychology, and at the same time pay the main attention to the material that makes it possible to present social psychology in spirit of the intellectual tradition inherent in the humanities. A liberal arts education that addresses the masterpieces of literature and the greatest achievements of philosophy and science develops our thinking, broadens our horizons and frees us from the power of the moment. Social psychology can also contribute to the achievement of these goals.

Only a few of those who study psychology in their student years become professional psychologists, and almost all of them choose other specialties. By focusing on aspects of this science that are important from a humanistic point of view, its fundamental content can be stated in such a way that it will be useful to all students and will have a stimulating effect on them.

Social psychology is a true celebration of ideas! Throughout the history of mankind, human social behavior has been scientifically studied for only one century, the very one that has recently ended. If we take into account that we are only at the very beginning of the path, we can say that the results achieved do us credit. We have been enriched with important information about beliefs and illusions, about love and hate, about conformity and independence.

Although much in human behavior is still a mystery, social psychology can already partially answer many intriguing questions today:

Will people behave differently if they first accept the new attitudes? If so, what is the most effective method of persuasion?

Why do people sometimes help and sometimes harm each other?

How do social conflicts arise and what needs to be done to ensure that its participants open their fists and shake hands?

Answering these questions—and that is my mission as the author of this book—allows us to better understand ourselves and the social forces that affect us.

How is the textbook structured?

The presentation of the main course is preceded by a separate chapter that introduces the reader to the methods of socio-psychological research. She also warns students that results that are already known can be taken for granted, and that social psychologists' own moral values ​​seep into the science they study. The task that the author set himself while working on this chapter was to prepare students for the perception of what was presented in the remaining chapters.

The book is structured in accordance with its definition of social psychology as the science of how people think about each other (Part I), influence each other (Part II), and relate to each other (part III).

Part I is dedicated social thinking, that is, how we perceive ourselves and others. It evaluates the accuracy of our impressions, intuitions and explanations.

Part II deals with social influence. By paying tribute to the cultural sources of our attitudes and by examining the nature of conformity, persuasion, and groupthink, we can better understand the hidden social forces that affect us.

Part III is devoted to manifestations of both negative and positive social relations(in the form of attitudes and behavior). It is structured in this way: a story about aggression is preceded by a presentation of material about prejudices, and a story about altruism is preceded by material about the mutual inclinations of people; it concludes with a consideration of the dynamics of the conflict and its resolution.

The practical use of the results of socio-psychological research is described both in each chapter and in the separate chapter "Applied Social Psychology", which consists of three independent modules: "Social Psychology in the Clinic", "Social Psychology and Justice" and "Social Psychology and Reliable future".

In this edition, as well as in the previous one, much attention is paid to different cultures, as can be seen, in particular, in chapter 6, which deals with the role of cultural traditions; this is also evidenced by the use in all chapters of the book of the results of studies conducted in different countries. All authors are children of their culture, and I am no exception. And yet, thanks to my acquaintance with the world psychological literature, correspondence with researchers living in different parts of the globe, and trips abroad, I had the opportunity to introduce the world of social psychology to readers from different countries. The focus, as in previous editions, is on Fundamental Principles of Social Thinking, Social Influence, and Social Behavior as formulated on the basis of carefully conducted experimental studies. In the hope of expanding our understanding of the one family that is called humanity, I have sought to illustrate these principles with transnational examples.

To make it easier for readers to study this book, I have again divided each chapter into three or four not very long sections. Each section is preceded by a short introduction, and ends with a summary that systematizes the content of the section and highlights key concepts.

Believing, like Thoreau, that “everything that lives can be written simply and naturally in understandable language,” I worked on each paragraph in order to create the most interesting and useful textbook possible. Thanks to the new artwork for the book, the drawings and photographs have taken on a new look. about greater expressiveness. As in the previous edition, there is a glossary at the end of the book that explains the terms used in the presentation.

Although there is only one name on the cover of this book, in fact, a large team of scientists participated in its creation. Despite the fact that none of them bears any responsibility for what I have written and that not all of them agree with me in everything, their comments and suggestions undoubtedly benefited me.

(David G. Myers "Social Psychology", 7th ed., 2002)

Strictly scientific and human at the same time, this book is filled with facts and intriguing information that makes reading it not only informative, but also fascinating. It describes the fundamental principles of social thinking, social influence and social behavior, as well as a variety of experiments and recent research. The book will be useful not only to psychologists, but also to sociologists, philosophers, and political scientists.

Content

Foreword

Chapter 1 Introduction to Social Psychology

Social psychology and related disciplines

Social psychology and human values

Phenomenon "So I knew!": Is it possible to put an equal sign between social psychology and common sense?

How social psychologists work

Part I. Social thinking

Chapter 2

Self-concept: who am I?

Conscious self-control

Predisposition in favor of one's self

self-presentation

Chapter 3 Social Beliefs and Judgments

How do we explain the actions of others

Construction of interpretations and memories

How do we judge others

Self-Fulfilling Beliefs

Chapter 4. Behavior and Attitudes

Do attitudes determine behavior

Does it define installation behavior?

Why actions affect attitudes

Part II. social impact

Chapter 5. Genes, culture and gender

Human nature and cultural differences

Gender differences and similarities

Evolution and gender: doing what nature intended?

Culture and gender

Chapter 6

Classic Studies

When does conformity appear?

Why does conformism appear?

Who is conformist?

Resistance to social pressure

Chapter 7

Methods of Persuasion

Components of belief

Examples of Persuasion Research: How Cults Recruit Adherents

Persuasion Resistance: Inoculation of Attitudes

Chapter 8

What is a group

social facilitation

social laziness

Deindividualization

Group polarization

Group Thinking

Minority influence

Part III. social relations

Chapter 9

The Nature and Power of Prejudice

Social sources of prejudice

Emotional sources of prejudice

Cognitive sources of prejudice

Chapter 10 Aggression: Harming Others

What is aggression?

Theories of aggression

Factors that provoke aggression

Decreased Aggression

Chapter 11

Friendship

Love

Maintaining close relationships

Ending a relationship

Chapter 12

Why do people help each other?

When do we help each other?

Who are we helping?

How to make helping more common?

Chapter 13 Conflict and Reconciliation

Conflict

Reconciliation

Modules. Applied Social Psychology

Module A. Social psychology in the clinic

How Clinical Psychologists Make Their Judgments

Social Cognition and Problem Behavior

Socio-psychological approach to treatment

Social support and well-being

Module B. Social psychology and justice

Witness testimony

Other sources of influence on judgment

Jurors as Individuals

Jury as a group

From the laboratory to life: real juries and their imitations

Module B. Social psychology and a secure future

global crisis

Social psychology of materialism and moderation

On the way to smart consumption

Glossary

David J. Myers is Professor of Psychology at Hope College, Michigan. He is not only a brilliant teacher, but also an outstanding scientist: for his research on group polarization, the American Psychological Association (9th Division) awarded him the Gordon Allport Prize. His scientific articles have been published in more than two dozen journals. D. Myers - consulting editor of journals Journal of Experimental Social psychology and The Journal of Personality and Social psychology, Author of dozens of books, including popular science.

Foreword

When I was first asked to write this textbook, I envisioned a book that should be both rigorously scientific and human, filled with proven facts and intriguing. It needs to be as compelling about social psychology as a forensic reporter is about an investigative story, and to do so, it needs to be both summaries of the most recent research on major social phenomena and how scientists study and interpret them. . The material should be presented in sufficient detail, but it should also stimulate thinking students - their willingness to delve into the essence of problems, analyze them and correlate the principles of science with what is happening in real life.

How should an author select material for a "sufficiently complete" introductory textbook in the discipline he is engaged in? Material that would be perceived as a whole narrative, but at the same time would not frighten away with its bulkiness, because it can be assimilated in parts? And I decided to present those theories and data that, on the one hand, are quite accessible to the average student, and, on the other hand, are not covered in other courses in sociology or psychology, and at the same time pay the main attention to the material that makes it possible to present social psychology in spirit of the intellectual tradition inherent in the humanities. A liberal arts education that addresses the masterpieces of literature and the greatest achievements of philosophy and science develops our thinking, broadens our horizons and frees us from the power of the moment. Social psychology can also contribute to the achievement of these goals.

Only a few of those who study psychology in their student years become professional psychologists, and almost all of them choose other specialties. By focusing on aspects of this science that are important from a humanistic point of view, its fundamental content can be stated in such a way that it will be useful to all students and will have a stimulating effect on them.

Social psychology is a true celebration of ideas! Throughout the history of mankind, human social behavior has been scientifically studied for only one century, the very one that has recently ended. If we take into account that we are only at the very beginning of the path, we can say that the results achieved do us credit. We have been enriched with important information about beliefs and illusions, about love and hate, about conformity and independence.

Although much in human behavior is still a mystery, social psychology can already partially answer many intriguing questions today:

Will people behave differently if they first accept new attitudes? If so, what is the most effective method of persuasion?

Why do people sometimes help and sometimes harm each other?

- How do social conflicts arise and what needs to be done so that its participants open their fists and shake hands?

Answering these questions—which is precisely my mission as the author of this book—enables us to better understand ourselves and the social forces that affect us.

How is the textbook structured?

The presentation of the main course is preceded by a separate chapter that introduces the reader to the methods of socio-psychological research. She also warns students that results that are already known can be taken for granted, and that social psychologists' own moral values ​​seep into the science they study. The task that the author set himself while working on this chapter was to prepare students for the perception of what was presented in the remaining chapters.

The book is structured in accordance with its definition of social psychology as the science of how people think about each other (Part I), influence each other (Part II), and relate to each other (part III).

Part I is dedicated social thinking, that is, how we perceive ourselves and others. It evaluates the accuracy of our impressions, intuitions and explanations.

Part II deals with social influence. By paying tribute to the cultural sources of our attitudes and by examining the nature of conformism, persuasion, and groupthink, we can better understand the hidden social forces that affect us.

Part III is devoted to manifestations of both negative and positive social relations(in the form of attitudes and behavior). It is structured in this way: a story about aggression is preceded by a presentation of material about prejudices, and a story about altruism is preceded by material about the mutual inclinations of people; it concludes with a consideration of the dynamics of the conflict and its resolution.

The practical use of the results of socio-psychological research is described both in each chapter and in the separate chapter "Applied Social Psychology", which consists of three independent modules: "Social Psychology in the Clinic", "Social Psychology and Justice" and "Social Psychology and Reliable future".

In this edition, as well as in the previous one, much attention is paid to different cultures, as can be seen, in particular, in chapter 6, which deals with the role of cultural traditions; this is also evidenced by the use in all chapters of the book of the results of studies conducted in different countries. All authors are children of their culture, and I am no exception. And yet, thanks to my acquaintance with the world psychological literature, correspondence with researchers living in different parts of the globe, and trips abroad, I had the opportunity to introduce the world of social psychology to readers from different countries. The focus, as in previous editions, is on Fundamental Principles of Social Thinking, Social Influence, and Social Behavior as formulated on the basis of carefully conducted experimental studies. In the hope of expanding our understanding of the one family that is called humanity, I have sought to illustrate these principles with transnational examples.

To make it easier for readers to study this book, I have again divided each chapter into three or four not very long sections. Each section is preceded by a short introduction, and ends with a summary that systematizes the content of the section and highlights key concepts.

Believing, like Thoreau, that “everything that lives can be written simply and naturally in understandable language,” I worked on each paragraph in order to create the most interesting and useful textbook possible. Thanks to the new artwork for the book, the drawings and photographs have taken on a new look. about greater expressiveness. As in the previous edition, there is a glossary at the end of the book that explains the terms used in the presentation.

Although there is only one name on the cover of this book, in fact, a large team of scientists participated in its creation. Despite the fact that none of them bears any responsibility for what I have written and that not all of them agree with me in everything, their comments and suggestions undoubtedly benefited me.

The book retains many of the useful comments and improvements made by the consultants and reviewers of the first six editions. And I am sincerely grateful to each of them.

They gave me invaluable help Hope College(Michigan) and University of St. Andres(Scotland). Thanks to the people working in these educational institutions and the atmosphere prevailing in them, I enjoyed the very process of "nurturing" "Social Psychology". AT Hope College the poet Jack Riedle helped me find the intonation you will hear when you start reading this book, and Cathy Adamsky re-invested her benevolence and secretarial talent into it. Phyllis and Rick Vandervelde handled all the drawings extremely professionally and quickly. Katherine Brownson, Jennifer Huber, and Rachel Brownson worked on the bibliography, proofreading, and did all the paperwork. Katherine Brownson, in addition, worked on the creation of a new column "Social Psychology in My Work", she completed and about The main part of such a thankless job as compiling an author's index and page-by-page verification of links.

If not for the publisher McGraw-Hill in the person of Nelson Black, the idea of ​​writing a textbook would never have occurred to me. Alison Meerschaert supervised the layout of the first edition. Rebecca Hope and Sharon Geary helped me plan the seventh edition and the accompanying study guides. Project leader Susan Brush, with the active participation of editor Laurie Baron, patiently guided the process of turning the manuscript into a finished book.

I sincerely thank everyone who helped me and supported me. Collaboration with them has made the creation of this book an enjoyable and exciting experience.

David J. Myers

Chapter 1 Introduction to Social Psychology
Social psychology and related disciplines
Social psychology and human values
Phenomenon "So I knew!": Is it possible to put an equal sign between social psychology and common sense?
How social psychologists work
Part I. Social thinking
Chapter 2
Self-concept: who am I?
Conscious self-control
Predisposition in favor of one's self
self-presentation
Chapter 3 Social Beliefs and Judgments
How do we explain the actions of others
Construction of interpretations and memories
How do we judge others
Self-Fulfilling Beliefs
Chapter 4. Behavior and Attitudes
Do attitudes determine behavior
Does it define installation behavior?
Why actions affect attitudes
Part II. social impact
Chapter 5. Genes, culture and gender
Human nature and cultural differences
Gender differences and similarities
Evolution and gender: doing what nature intended?
Culture and gender
Chapter 6
Classic Studies
When does conformity appear?
Why does conformism appear?
Who is conformist?
Resistance to social pressure
Chapter 7
Methods of Persuasion
Components of belief
Examples of Persuasion Research: How Cults Recruit Adherents
Persuasion Resistance: Inoculation of Attitudes
Chapter 8
What is a group
social facilitation
social laziness
Deindividualization
Group polarization
Group Thinking
Minority influence
Part III. social relations
Chapter 9
The Nature and Power of Prejudice
Social sources of prejudice
Emotional sources of prejudice
Cognitive sources of prejudice
Chapter 10 Aggression: Harming Others
What is aggression?
Theories of aggression
Factors that provoke aggression
Decreased Aggression
Chapter 11
Friendship
Love
Maintaining close relationships
Ending a relationship
Chapter 12
Why do people help each other?
When do we help each other?
Who are we helping?
How to make helping more common?
Chapter 13 Conflict and Reconciliation
Conflict
Reconciliation

Modules. Applied Social Psychology
Module A. Social psychology in the clinic
How Clinical Psychologists Make Their Judgments
Social Cognition and Problem Behavior
Socio-psychological approach to treatment
Social support and well-being
Module B. Social psychology and justice
Witness testimony
Other sources of influence on judgment
Jurors as Individuals
Jury as a group
From laboratory to life: real jurymen and their imitations
Module B. Social psychology and a secure future
global crisis
Social psychology of materialism and moderation
On the way to smart consumption
GLOSSARY

This book can be called both strictly scientific and purely human, because. its pages are filled with interesting information and intriguing facts, which makes the study of the material informative and exciting.

Description

This book can be called both strictly scientific and purely human, because. its pages are filled with interesting information and intriguing facts, which makes the study of the material informative and exciting. The paper provides data on the fundamental principles of social thinking, social behavior, social influence, as well as the results of recent research and experiments. The book is adapted for psychologists, political scientists, sociologists and philosophers.

The book consists of 13 chapters and several additional modules.

The chapters deal with the question of what social psychology is and its interaction with related disciplines, how it is associated with human values. The issues of social thinking, a person's place in society, self-control, beliefs, behavior, attitudes, social influence and social relations are considered. At the end of each chapter, the author makes very interesting conclusions.

The module part consists of several small chapters that deal with applied social psychology and how social psychology touches themes of justice and a secure future.

At the end of the book there is a glossary and an alphabetical index for easy searching of the necessary information in the book.

about the author

Myers David- American professor of psychology at Hope College in Michigan, USA. Educator and eminent scientist who received the Gordon Allport Award from the 9th Division of the American Psychological Association for his research on group polarization. His scientific papers have been published in more than twenty journals in psychology. In addition, David Myers is a consulting editor for The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, and is the author of numerous books.