social psychology

noun

: the study of the manner in which the personality, attitudes, motivations, and behavior of the individual influence and are influenced by social groups
social psychologist noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web For more than half of a decade, his academic research was at the crossroads of music and social psychology. Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2022 In this age of total information manipulation, ads from the big luxury fashion companies contain what may be the most diabolical use of advanced social psychology, murky motivational levers, and Madison Avenue dirty tricks. Cintra Wilson, The New York Review of Books, 27 Feb. 2020 In terms of behavioral economics and social psychology, what’s going on in our brains? Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Feb. 2023 Outreach efforts should answer the specific questions of individual communities, especially those who are more susceptible to vaccine misinformation and are more skeptical of vaccines in general, says John Drury, a professor of social psychology at the University of Sussex. Annabelle Timsit, Quartz, 25 Mar. 2021 Beyond more reliable large-scale data, what’s really needed now, says Sarah E. Hill, PhD, a professor of social psychology at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX and author of How the Pill Changes Everything: Your Brain on Birth Control, is medical innovation. Vicky Spratt, refinery29.com, 10 Sep. 2020 Keon West, a professor of social psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, has investigated attitudes towards nudity in various countries in Europe as well as further afield. Sophie Tanno, CNN, 12 Mar. 2023 His work drew on social psychology, cultural anthropology and Freudian psychoanalysis, and bridged the worlds of business and academia. Harrison Smith, Washington Post, 11 Nov. 2022 While Templeton aims to inspire her residents, these conversations also inspire her own research in the field of social psychology. Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'social psychology.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of social psychology was in 1880

Dictionary Entries Near social psychology

Cite this Entry

“Social psychology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20psychology. Accessed 4 Jun. 2023.

Medical Definition

social psychology

noun
: the study of the manner in which the personality, attitudes, motivations, and behavior of the individual influence and are influenced by social groups

More from Merriam-Webster on social psychology

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