Social Thinking - Attitudes and Actions

The field of social psychology studies ways in which social settings can affect individuals' thoughts and behaviors. Social cognition examines the ways people think about and explain actions of others. People attribute their own and others' behaviors to factors stemming from fixed aspects of their disposition, or from situational factors. Attitudes are patterns of thinking that can influence behaviors. You also learned, however, that behaviors can influence attitudes. In addition, many persuasive techniques exist that you can use to change the attitudes of others.

In the next topic, you will see that there is much more to social psychology than social thinking. Social context can also drastically alter your behavior. For example, are you more likely to yell at a referee who makes a call against your team if the game is crowded, or if you are one of a few people in the stands?