General Psychology VS Social Psychology

Overview

According to the American Psychological Association, psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour. It has various branches, such as clinical psychology, counselling psychology, health psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, industrial psychology, forensic psychology, experimental psychology, sports psychology and more. 

History of Psychology

Research and experiments exploring the field of psychology have been noted since the 17th century, although the concepts of psychology were still a part of philosophy back then. In the mid-1800s, Wilhelm Wundt began using scientific methods to study psychology. In 1879, the Father of Psychology, Wilhelm Wundt established the first psychology lab at the University of Leipzig, Germany. 

Wundt published the book “Principles of  Physiological Psychology” and conducted lectures. Many of the students attending Wundt’s lectures went on to conduct research and formulate psychological theories. Some of them are Edward Titchener, James Catell, Charles Spearman and G Stanley Hall.

G Stanley Hall established the first American psychology lab at Johns Hopkins University in 1883 and James Catell was the first professor of psychology at University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University in 1888.

G Stanley Hall founded the American Psychological Association (APA) in 1892, which is the organisation representing psychologists in America.

What is General Psychology?

General psychology is the study of the basic principles, problems and methods that underlie the science of psychology. General psychology topics include perception, emotions, development, senses, learning and more. General psychology, being a vast field, is viewed from various perspectives. 

Psychology now has its roots in medicine and philosophy. It concentrates on personality, abnormalities in human behaviour, education, human development and other aspects of human life. 

Students obtain a bachelor’s degree in general psychology, which gives them a range of options for specialisation while completing their master’s degree. 

What is Social Psychology?

Social psychology is a branch of psychology based on the social effect of social settings on one’s thinking, attitudes, behaviour, ideas and overall personality. The concepts of social psychology are based on the various social psychology theories developed by social psychologists like Donald Camplbell, Norman Triplett, Leon Festinger, Fritz Heider and many more. 

Social psychologists study people’s behaviour in the presence of others and in the absence of others, the effects of social conditions on the behaviour of an individual, the influence of television and media on one’s personality. 

Although social psychology has been a part of each community since the beginning of humankind, the scientific and academic study of social psychology began at the dawn of the 20th century. The earliest text on social psychology is McDougall’s “An Introduction to Social Psychology”, published in 1908. It has chapters on sentiment, emotions, morality, etc., which were relevant at those times. McDougall believed that social behaviour was an innate quality of man and hence it was developed only through the individual

The foundation of social psychology was laid after many experiments done by social psychologists like Kurt Lewin, Leon, Norman Triplett and others. These earliest experiments were done in laboratory settings under strict supervision. The conclusions gained from these experiments are the basis of the theories of social psychology. 

Applications of General Psychology

General psychology is a broad field that applies to various aspects of human life, such as profession, health, education, and sports. Each of these aspects is divided into detailed applications of general psychology. For instance:

clinical psychology focuses on diagnosing and treating,

Behavioural psychology focuses on modifying behaviour,

Sports psychology focuses on enhancing performance,

Educational psychology focuses on developing effective teaching methods,

Organisational psychology focuses on improving job satisfaction and productivity.

General psychology is a versatile toolkit that can be applied across diverse fields to improve individual and collective well-being. Practically it is imparted through counselling, self-help and communication.

Applications of Social Psychology

Social psychology provides valuable insights into how social influences shape behaviour. These insights can be applied to address real-world problems in diverse settings. By understanding and leveraging these principles, we can develop interventions and strategies that promote positive social change and improve individual and collective well-being.

In today’s world, imparting social psychology is done majorly through social media and advertisements. The areas influenced are health, profession, public behaviour, education, law and justice, prejudices and even interpersonal relationships.

The key concepts of applying social psychology are:

• Social Influence: Understanding how individuals are influenced by others, including conformity, compliance, and obedience.
• Group Behavior: Studying how people behave in groups, including phenomena like groupthink, social facilitation, and deindividuation.
• Attitude Change: Exploring how attitudes are formed, maintained, and changed through persuasion and social influence.
• Identity and Self-Concept: Investigating how social contexts shape individual identities and self-concept.

Difference Between General Psychology and Social Psychology

GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY	SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
A larger discipline which includes the entire study of psychology.	A sub-domain of general psychology
Involves a general outlook of an individual’s life.	Focuses only on the social influences on an individual.
Is studied as a subject during bachelor’s degree	Is taken up as a specialisation during master’s degree.
Relies on main schools of psychology such as structuralism, functionalism, behaviourism, psychoanalysis, gestalt psychology and humanistic psychology.	Relies on empirical findings, laboratory experiments and specified theories.
Explores topics like perception, cognition, motivation, personality, brain functioning and many more.	Explores topics like prejudice, aggression, obedience, stereotypes, dynamics and many more.
General psychologists attempt to assist people with mental health problems like behaviour issues, relationship issues, emotional troubles and such others.	Social psychologists assist people with social problems like adjustment issues, stereotypes, discrimination and such others.

Read More:

Western Festivals and Their Effect On Mental Health

Unleash the Colours Of Happiness

Impact of Social Media on Relationships

Impact of Social Media among Married Couples

History of Social Psychology