Posted: December 28th, 2021

Social psychology seeks to understand the individual behavior in the social context

Social psychology
Social psychology seeks to understand the individual behavior in the social context. The term social psychology can also refer to the scientific field looks for the understanding of nature and the effect of individual character in the social context (Randolph, 2011). Another approach to defining the term social psychology is that it is the scientific study of how individual’s feelings and thoughts are influenced by the perceived, actual, or implied presence of other people. Social psychology therefore looks at the human behavior as having been influenced by other people and the social environment that the situation happens. A social psychologist deals with the factors that leads us to behave in a given manner in the presence of other people, and looks at various conditions that influence a particular behavior. The field of social psychology deals with the manner in which the beliefs, goals, thoughts, feelings, and intentions are created and how the existing psychological factors, in turn, affect the interactions with colleagues. There are many topics that are covered in social psychology. The areas include social cognition, aggression, social influence, growth and development, self concept, attitude, and interpersonal processes. The discipline of social psychology traditionally closed the gap that exists between sociology and psychology (Randolph, 2011).
Application social psychology in education
The teaching and learning process as currently done in schools is essentially social act. Students learn when they interact with their colleagues and with the teacher. As the learners interact with the inanimate objects like vial of solution or abacus, much of the learning potential remains untapped until social interaction occurs. With regards to the interactions, the interpretation of the learning experience often takes place once the teacher or the colleague explains to the learner what happens and what is expected to happen in a chemistry class. Most of the instructors’ roles are social in nature. Good examples include making students to perform tasks, explaining concepts to learners, and communicating with colleagues. ~ Hire our professional writers now and experience the best assignment help online with our custom paper writing service. We ensure your essays and assignments are expertly researched, written and delivered on time. ~ Grading papers and planning the classes are referred to as anticipatory social actions since the actions requires the teacher to forecast how the learners will respond to the lesson plan and comment. Given the important social nature of teaching and learning, the working ability of the key concepts that can elucidate the underlying complex social dynamics may be a fulfilling component for the instructors. I believe that the line of social psychology has untapped and great potential that can help the teachers to better understand the social settings of the classroom. Realizing the hidden potential will pay off in many ways (Reagan & Kathleen, 2011). First it is noted that social processes are key to various teaching and learning processes, for instance intervention at this stage usually produces many desirable outcomes. In addition, by drawing from key principles, the applications of the principles may be generalized in many facets of the instructors’ jobs. Second, by altering the social processes that occur repeatedly, small interventions may produce big effects. Last, since the social processes can set in cycles in motions, the underlying interventions can establish positive patterns of interactions that can have a profound and long-lasting effects. Social psychology has been used in education so as to reduce biases and to facilitate the social perspective taking (SPT) and improve pedagogy. SPT seeks to analyze people’s perceptions in the classroom set-up. The strand of the sociological research consists of a tremendous promise for teachers to improve their pedagogy. To the extent that the instructors succumb to the common biases that decrease the SPT accuracy, the teachers should gain a more accurate perception of their learners’ understanding of the world. A common bias in the classroom is referred to as the fundamental attribution error. The bias states that people’s erroneous and pervasive tendency to make attributions to another person’s personality rather than to the existing situation. In the classroom the teacher needs to know and assess what makes the learners upset and also what makes the learners not to perform as required (Reagan & Kathleen, 2011).
How social research benefits education
Social research is important in the education sector. Social research in education is important since it provides various intervention strategies in the education sector. Often, the present context of assisting the teachers to counteract the basic attribution error and synthesizing the approaches may be optimal. Social research helps to explain the biases to teachers and encourage them to use multiple hypotheses when handling classroom issues like as to why a learner engaged in a particular behavior and that may help to counter the bias. Meaning, rather than trying to train the instructor’s to suppress any dispositional attributions they may possess; the research may encourage teachers to develop at least an additional and situational attribution in case they find themselves making a dispositional explanation of a learner’s character. Research helps in identifying areas that need special interest and provide solutions if necessary. Some of the interventions that social research may focus on may be based on the motivation dimension of SPT so that teachers can engage more frequently in SPT. Research helps in coming with solutions of training teachers to refrain from any form of biased perceptions they have against the learners (Gehlbach, 2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer).

References
Gehlbach, H. (2010 – Essay Writing Service: Write My Essay by Top-Notch Writer). The social side of school: Why teachers need social psychology.
Educational Psychology Review 22, no. 3: 349-362.
Randolph, A.S. (2011). Applying Social Psychology in the College Classroom. Empirical
Research in Teaching and Learning, 160-173. Retrieved from: http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/jscp.24.1.51.59165?journalCode=jscp
Reagan, A.R. & Kathleen, C.B. (2011). How can Social Psychology Galvanize Teaching and
Learning?. Empirical Research in Teaching and Learning, 1-31. Retrieved from: http://guilfordjournals.com/doi/abs/10.1521/jscp.24.1.51.59165?journalCode=jscp

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