Social psychology (sociology)

About: Social psychology (sociology) is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 18151 publications have been published within this topic receiving 907731 citations. The topic is also known as: Social psychology & sociological social psychology.

Social Contexts, Social Networks, and Urban Neighborhoods: Environmental Constraints on Friendship Choice

Abstract: This article considers the influence of neighborhood social contexts on the content of social networks. Contextual explanations for individual behavior argue that (1) individual preferences and actions are influenced through social interaction, and (2) social interaction is structured by the social composition of the individual's environment. Thus, a preliminary step to constructing contextual theories of individual behavior is an examination of the way that the social context structures social encounters and friendship choice. The empirical correspondence between the content of neighborhood social contexts and the content of social networks is examined using a sample of white male Detroit residents. A mathematical model of associational choice is developed that incorporates the ability of individuals to enforce social preferences on their choice of friends while it maintains the role of the social context in structuring that choice.

Sex Segregation in Voluntary Associations

Abstract: Strodtbeck, Fred L., and Richard D. Mann. 1956. "Sex Role Differentiation in Jury Deliberations." Sociometry 19:3-11. Ward, D., and J. Balswick. 1978. "Strong Men and Virtuous Women: A Content Analysis of Sex Role Stereotypes." Pacific Sociological Review 21:45-53. Whittaker, J. 0. 1965. "Sex Diffrences and Susceptibility in Interpersonal Persuasion." Journal of Social Psychology 66:91-2. Zelditch, Morris, Jr. 1980. "Can You Really Study an Army in the Laboratory?" Pp. 531-39 in A Sociological Reader on Complex Organizations. 3rd ed. Edited by Amitai Etzioni and Edward W. Lehman. New York: Holt. Zimmerman, Don H., and Candace West. 1975. "Sex Roles, Interruptions and Silences in Conversations." Pp. 105-29 in Language and Sex: Difference and Dominance, edited by Barrie Thorne and N. Henley. Rawley, MA: Newbury House.

Social media use and social connectedness in adolescents: The positives and the potential pitfalls

Abstract: As social media use is rising among adolescents, the issue of whether this use leads to positive or negative outcomes warrants greater understanding. This article critically reviews the literature related to this important topic. Specifically, we examine how social media use affects social connectedness in terms of three elements of adolescent development: sense of belonging, psychosocial wellbeing, and identity development and processes. Mixed findings are reported regarding the role that social media plays in fostering social connectedness, which suggests that young people may experience both positive and negative psychological outcomes. As a result, this article argues that online tools create a paradox for social connectedness. On one hand, they elevate the ease in which individuals may form and create online groups and communities, but on the other, they can create a source of alienation and ostracism. This article contributes to ongoing discourse in the area of educational and developmental psychology, and has implications for researchers and practitioners working with adolescents.

Social determinants of food choice.

Abstract: Food choice is influenced by a large number of factors, including social and cultural factors. One method for trying to understand the impact of these factors is through the study of attitudes. Research is described which utilizes social psychological attitude models of attitude-behaviour relationships, in particular the Theory of Planned Behaviour. This approach has shown good prediction of behaviour, but there are a number of possible extensions to this basic model which might improve its utility. One such extension is the inclusion of measures of moral concern, which have been found to be important both for the choice of genetically-modified foods and also for foods to be eaten by others. It has been found to be difficult to effect dietary change, and there are a number of insights from social psychology which might address this difficulty. One is the phenomenon of optimistic bias, where individuals believe themselves to be at less risk from various hazards than the average person. This effect has been demonstrated for nutritional risks, and this might lead individuals to take less note of health education messages. Another concern is that individuals do not always have clear-cut attitudes, but rather can be ambivalent about food and about healthy eating. It is important, therefore, to have measures for this ambivalence, and an understanding of how it might impact on behaviour.