Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introducing Social Psychology

Chapter 2 Methodology: How Social Psychologists Do Research

Chapter 3 Social Cognition: How We Think about the Social World

Chapter 4 Social Perception: How We Come to Understand Other People

Chapter 5 The Self: Understanding Ourselves in a Social Context

Chapter 6 The Need to Justify Our Actions

Chapter 7 Attitudes and Attitude Change: Influencing Thoughts and Feelings

Chapter 8 Conformity: Influencing Behavior

Chapter 9 Group Processes: Influence in Social Groups

Chapter 10 Interpersonal Attraction: From First Impressions to Close Relationships

Chapter 11 Prosocial Behavior: Why Do People Help?

Chapter 12 Aggression: Why Do We Hurt Other People? Can We Prevent It?

Chapter 13 Prejudice: Causes and Cures

Chapter 14 Social Psychology in Action 1: Making a Difference with Social Psychology: Attaining a Sustainable Future

Chapter 15 Social Psychology in Action 2: Social Psychology and Health

Chapter 16 Social Psychology in Action 3: Social Psychology and the Law

About the Author

Elliot Aronson 

Elliot Aronson is one of the most renowned social psychologists in the world. In 2002 he was chosen as one of the 100 most eminent psychologists of the twentieth century. He is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of California at Santa Cruz and Distinguished Visiting Professor at Stanford University.

Dr. Aronson is the only person in the 110-year history of the American Psychological Association to have received all three of its major awards: for distinguished writing, distinguished teaching, and distinguished research. Many other professional societies have honored his research and teaching as well. These include: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which gave him its highest honor, the Distinguished Scientific Research award; the American Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, which named him Professor of the Year of 1989; the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, which awarded him the Gordon Allport prize for his contributions to the reduction of prejudice among racial and ethnic groups. In 1992, he was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has served as President of the Western Psychological Association as well as President of the Society of Personality and Social Psychology.

Tim Wilson 

Tim Wilson did his undergraduate work at Williams College and Hampshire College and received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Currently Sherrell J. Aston 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, as well as the recent book, Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious. 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 of Personality 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 of Virginia for more than twenty years. He was recently awarded an All University Outstanding Teaching Award.

Robin Akert

Robin Akert graduated summa cum laude from the University of California at Santa Cruz, where she majored in psychology and sociology. She received her Ph.D. in experimental social psychology from Princeton University. She is currently a professor of psychology at Wellesley College, where she was awarded the Pinanski Prize for Excellence in Teaching early in her career. She publishes primarily in the area of nonverbal communication and recently received the AAUW American Fellowship in support of her research. She has taught the social psychology course at Wellesley College every semester for over twenty years.