Experimental Social Psychology

Experimental Social Psychology: Text with Illustrative Readings represents a new approach to undergraduate social psychology by combining both text and readings. This book grew out of the authors' laborious and yet rewarding collaboration as associate editors of the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. The book is organized into three parts that cover the three overlapping categories of social psychology: attitude and belief change, interpersonal processes, and small groups. The investigation of attitude and belief change typically involves the persuasive impact produced by a written or orally presented communication when directed at a person. The area of interpersonal processes typically involves two people, puts greater emphasis upon the interactive nature of social relations, and is not restricted to just certain effects such as attitude or belief change. The study of interpersonal processes includes person perception, interpersonal attraction, conformity, conflict resolution, norm formation, etc. The area of small groups includes the study of groups varying in size between two and the number beyond which face-to-face interaction among all the members does not, or cannot easily, occur. Included within this category is the study of leadership, status, group decision-making, etc.