Social Psychology (5th Edition)

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Highly rated by users, this complete and integrative study of social psychology employs a real-world story-telling approach to convey the science of the field in a fascinating, memorable, and entertaining manner, helping readers understand the whole context of the field—how theories inspire research, why research is performed as it is, how further research triggers new avenues of study—and how all of this impacts their everyday lives. Brings material to life with real-life vignettes and "mini" stories within every chapter that include detailed descriptions of both classic and modern research (complete with hundreds of current references) plus example of a real-life phenomenon. Offers thorough chapters on methodology, social cognition, social perception, self-knowledge, self-justification, attitudes and attitude change, conformity, group processes, interpersonal attraction, prosocial behavior, aggression, and prejudice—with concluding sections on social psychology and heath, the environment, and the law. Includes "Try It!" exercises to promote critical thinking and help readers apply concepts to their everyday lives, and offers an interactive website for additional support and enrichment. For psychologists or those interested in an engagingly written, scientifically-oriented introduction to social psychology.

FROM THE CRITICS

Booknews

A selection of 136 of the best, most important, most representative, or most exciting classical and contemporary articles in the field of social psychology. Volume I contains research investigating basic social cognition processes of perception, memory, attribution, expectations, and attitudes. Volume II begins with what goes on in the heart and looks at the self-concept, self-maintenance, self- justification, affect and emotion, and then continues with research on interpersonal processes of conformity and obedience, compliance and persuasion. Volume III continues with articles emphasizing interpersonal processes including research on group dynamics, aggression, prosocial behavior, attraction, and prejudice. The final section of Volume III presents articles about the research process used in social psychology. No subject index. Printed on acidic paper. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

I find the story-telling approach to be one of the strengths of this text. The stories seem to be consistently and intrinsically interesting and engaging. The stories are also very effective in promoting questions about the chapter material. The timeliness of the stories and their relevance to the college student reader increases the effectiveness in generating genuine interest in the material.  — Eric Cooley, Western Oregon University

Vicky Hegelson

The inclusion of cross-cultural research in these chapters is a major strength of the text.... Students are constantly asking, 'Does this apply to other cultures?' It will be nice to have data in hand!  — Vicky S. Helgeson, Carnegie Mellon University

I think you have a winner here. I find the book very readable, and the inclusion of up-to-date and cross-cultural research and the use of questions to keep the reader engaged are sure to hold the students' interest to the very end of the chapter.
—, Connie Schick, Bloomsburg University — Connie Schick

ACCREDITATION

Elliot Aronson graduated from Brandeis University (where he worked with Abraham Maslow) and received his Ph.D. from Stanford University, working under the guidance of Leon Festinger. He has done pioneering research in the areas of social influence, persuasion, prejudice reduction, and AIDS prevention. Aronson has written or edited eighteen books, including The Social Animal, The Handbook of Social Psychology, Age of Propaganda, The Jigsaw Classroom, Methods of Research in Social Psychology, and Nobody Left to Hate. He is among the world's most distinguished social psychologists. He is the only person in the 107-year history of the American Psychological Association to have earned all three of its major academic awards: for Distinguished Teaching, for Distinguished Research, and for Distinguished Writing. He has served as president of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology and president of the Western Psychological Association. In 1992, he was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is currently professor emeritus at the University of California at Santa Cruz and a visiting professor at Stanford University.

Tim Wilson did his undergraduate work at Williams College and Hampshire College and received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Currently a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia, he has published numerous articles in the areas of introspection, attitude change, self-knowledge, and affective forecasting. His research has received the support of the National Science Foundation and the National Institute for Mental Health. He has been associate editor of the Journal ofPersonality and Social Psychology and a member of the Social and Groups Processes Review Committee at the National Institute of Mental Health. He has been elected twice to the Executive Board of the Society for Experimental Social Psychology and is a Fellow in the American Psychological Society. Wilson has taught the Introduction to Social Psychology course at the University o f Virginia for more than twenty years. He was recently awarded an All University Outstanding Teaching Award.