Summative Discussion

In this course I have learned about social psychology and it importance to the field of psychology. Each discussion and class assignment provided information on social psychology and its application to society. First social psychology allows us to better understand what shapes our perception and attitudes in order to better understand how certain behaviors develop. For example it allows society to develop a better understanding of why prejudice forms and how it should be addressed. Social psychology applies science to the study human thoughts and feelings.

The second concept learned in social psychology is the study of relationships. Each relationship is unique and develops out of different attitudes, behaviors, and perceptions. The relationship I studied was friendship. Friends come in many different shapes and sizes but there are some things that could impact the relationship between friends (Mallah, 2007). Next the concept of mob mentality was discussed. The mob mentality is the conforming of large groups where they show similar behaviors. This is especially important when studying behaviors, such as cults or mass discrimination.

By nagging in the class discussion I was able to dig deeper and think more critically about social psychology and its role in the field of psychology. Social psychology is important to the field of psychology and should receive greater recognition. The current approach being applied yield a great deal of informative information. The only potential approach that could have yielded more information would be interactive activities that allow the student to learn through hands on techniques and to widen student knowledge.