Principles of Social Psychology - 1st International Edition
Rajiv Jhangiani, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Hammond Tarry, Adler School of Professional Psychology
Charles Stangor, University of Maryland
Copyright Year: 2014
ISBN 13: 9781774200155
Publisher: BCcampus
Language: English
Formats Available
Conditions of Use
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike
CC BY-NC-SA
Reviews
This text is written from an applied perspective. In choosing this emphasis, one that appeals to our current student population, the authors have chosen to introduce the paradigms of research and theory in a somewhat fragemented order and less... read more
This text is written from an applied perspective. In choosing this emphasis, one that appeals to our current student population, the authors have chosen to introduce the paradigms of research and theory in a somewhat fragemented order and less than complete way. Missing in the text are discussions of important paradigms that are seminal organizers of current research and theory. Bandura's work needs a more complete explanation, for example. Milgram's and Zimbardo's works are presented but the very important challenges to our understanding of group process by Hassan and Reicher are absent. Tajfel and the work by symbolic interactionist, which are the cornerstone upon which much of the group and self work are based, are absent. A useful addition to this work would be to contrast attitudes, values, and norms, Nonetheless, I applaud the work that has been done by these authors with applied social psychology topics.
My review of the various chapters are that the presentations pf research are accurate , though sometimes under-developed. My only quibble is with the overarching statements like "aggression is not cathartic". Playful aggression actually is essential to optimal brain development. Sears and others have demonstrated cathartic aggression. These authors seem to get things essentially correct with material that I know more about.
Applied social psychological perspectives are very welcome to students. Social psychological perspectives can be used to understand the world and these authors champion this use well. The authors combine a lot of perspectives and topics to attempt explain the things of interest to many of us in the world. The authors use social psychology to explain violence, gender differences in behavior, loving and liking and the reasons for differences in perceptions among people. These topics seem to be of strong interest to undergraduate and graduate students.
The applied focus of the book and its "bottom up" emphasis seem to have affected the clarity of the presentation of material. Some parts of the catalog of attributional and perceptual biases are connected to each other in a less than organized manner. Instructors with a strong theoretical base may be able to connect these related topics through use of attribution and other cognitive social psychological theories so the text material can easily be made more clear and able to be understood, Nontheless, the examples used by the authors are useful to clarity material. The exercises and quizzes also support clarity of the material.
The authors have made a strong effort to define important terms and to use those terms in a consistent manner. These efforts enhance the readability of the text. The theoretical base of the work presented, while somewhat dispersed through the topics, is presented consistently (i.e. with no detected examples of contradictions)
The authors have successfully segmented topics within and between chapters. Clearly differentiated subsections exist. Reading checks and quizzes are presented after main sections of the text. Mid-chapter questions are asked. This text useful in that aspect. If an instructor has some minor suggestions for text re-organization that can be done easily through assignment of subsections of the text.
The authors choices of text order seem logical. The use of the modularity of the text could be used to refine the organization of the text, if an instructor prefers. For example, the material on attribution theory might be assigned prior to/alongside the chapter on social cognition.
The materials connected to this work are very useful. The authors have worked hard on clarity of process, accessibility, and relevance to the subject matter.
This text has been edited well. I found the grammar and the spelling to be correct.
The cultural relevance of the work is fine overall. More representation of cultural images and ideas could be done to augment the work that these authors have done by inclusions of multi-cultural examples. The authors might also supplement the work on culture through more use of models of culture such as Hofstede, Fiske, and other authors.
The text authors have done a good job with the writing of this text. This text might be especially useful in courses where the instructor teaches from a strong theory rather than applied base. The topics written about are of interest to students. The modularity of the text would permit easy use of the book to support the theories presented in the course and the theoretical organization of the instructor.
Social psychology is both a basic and an applied field. I'd like to see more emphasis on the applied side. read more
Social psychology is both a basic and an applied field. I'd like to see more emphasis on the applied side.
The research I reviewed was accurate.
The initial text is from 2014, ad there seems to have been very little to update the text.
A cleanly written text
The format of the book is very consistent and clean.
Each chapter has subshapters which then in turn have subsections that could be used as stand alone material.
This text follows the same basic layout as other Social Psychology texts I've worked with.
The interface is very clean.
Though I din't deeply read a lot of the text, I found no grammatical issues.
Though the book does make reference to cultural issues, I think these cultural issues should take more of a center stage. Social psychological principles established in Western sample do not hold true for non-western sample.
I do not teach Social Psychology as often as I would like, but social psychological issues arise regularly in many of my other courses. I am a firm believer in demoncratizing education and do not use any paid texts in any of my courses. Most of my courses are specialized upper level courses so OER texts are often difficult to acquire. My solution, piece together course material from existing OER. This text will be a valuable resource for my creation of OER in many different courses.
This book covers all of the main topics I want my undergraduate students to know in a Social Psychology course. The classic research (cognitive dissonance, bystander effect, conformity, social categorization, etc.) are all there as well as more... read more
This book covers all of the main topics I want my undergraduate students to know in a Social Psychology course. The classic research (cognitive dissonance, bystander effect, conformity, social categorization, etc.) are all there as well as more contemporary research. The activities were updated in 2022, which helps fill in some gaps since its original publication date (2104). Importantly, the web version is completely accessible.
This is a version of Stangor's classic Social Psychology textbook, and is therefore thorough and accurate. All of the topics are accurately covered.
The web version of this book is fully accessible, which I will take in a trade-off with completely up to date references. The references tend to end around 2010, but those updates would be easy to make in a new version of this book, or in one's lectures. I do hope the authors release an updated version of this book.
This text is very clear and concise. Complicated theories and studies are explained in a manner that undergraduate students can easily understand.
This book is consistent throughout in regards to language, activities, format, etc. It is as organized and clear as any paper textbook.
This book is a modular as any paper textbook in that the sections are divided in traditional/typical ways. This book is probably more similar to traditional textbooks because it is written in chapters. Other ebooks may break the modules down a bit more, but if you are looking to replicate, not redesign, the textbook experience this book is essentially the classic textbook but online and accessible with linked activities.
All of the chapters and sections are organized in the traditional Social Psychology textbook arrangement, starting with research methods in social psychology, then social cognition, the self, attitudes and behavior, and so forth.
The interface is relatively basic and reading this book is very similar to reading a paper textbook, but with fewer photos and sidebars. In that sense it is very straightforward, but also sometimes boring to look at. However, the accessibility of the web version is a huge benefit.
This book is professionally written, with no errors or typos.
A benefit to this book is that it is an international edition and does properly explore cultural differences in social psychological theories (emotional expression, fundamental attribution error, etc.) without generalizing or perpetrating stereotypes.
Overall this book is the best option if you want to replicate your traditional textbook experience without altering too much of the content or how you organize your syllabus and assignments. In that sense it is a very good entry into the open access ebook world, and because it is accessible all students will be able use the material. If you are considering switching to an open access ebook, this one is basically a replacement for Stangor's Social Psychology textbook.
The book is covering all major topics/areas in social psychology presenting essential and fundamental texts for each topic. read more
The book is covering all major topics/areas in social psychology presenting essential and fundamental texts for each topic.
There are references at the end of each chapter. they represent peer-reviewed, impact-factor journals.
Most of the chapters have Research Focus section related to the topic of the chapter. The necessary updates related to the up-to-date relevance will be easy to implement.
Jargon and technical terminology are introduced after the context and introduction piece, which makes it easy to comprehend the definition and the idea.
Each and every chapter introduces new terminology or concepts in a consecutive way. There is no theory introduced without previous knowledge needed to understand.
Chapters are divided in smaller sub-chapters focusing on sub-topic of the chapter. It is easy to comprehend keeping the big theme in mind while focusing on parts of it.
The topics and accordingly chapters are presented in a sequence that make sense and is easily comprehensible. Each chapter starts with the learning objectives, continues with the main text and ends with the references and summary.
The interface is easy to perceive well structures. It meets the readers' intuitive "expectation."
The book does not contain grammatical errors.
The book includes rich cross-cultural studies in many chapters.
There are many points of divergence from the textbook’s psychological perspective where I need to lecture, like Mead and the self, Stryker and identities, Goffman and dramaturgy, but I also bring in cutting edge material like Barrett’s work on the... read more
There are many points of divergence from the textbook’s psychological perspective where I need to lecture, like Mead and the self, Stryker and identities, Goffman and dramaturgy, but I also bring in cutting edge material like Barrett’s work on the social construction of emotions and Will Storr’s Selfie, which discusses the emergence of the self in Western culture. I found the book surprisingly weak on socialization, which is common to both perspectives, and on research methodology, which is only addressed in a small section of a chapter, but again this allowed me to bring in sociological paradigm in lecture. At 12 chapters, the textbook leaves room in the syllabus for a class on symbolic communication, language, and theory of mind, and more in-depth material on organizational behavior.
I have not found any errors within its paradigm.
I decided to adopt this textbook for my course Individual and Society after the two textbooks I previously used went out of print. The course is social psychology, but from a sociological point of view. The difference between psychological social psychology and sociological social psychology is that the former starts from the person and works up to society while the latter starts with society and works down to the individual, making the individual a kind of “node” of society. Unfortunately, there are no sociological social psychology open source textbooks. So, to make this work I have to rely on the textbook to provide basic material common to both paradigms and then bring in the sociological perspective in lectures and other content.
The text is appropriate for an upper level undergraduate course
There are no problems here
At 12 chapters, the textbook leaves room in the syllabus for a class on symbolic communication, language, and theory of mind, and more in-depth material on organizational behavior. I have swapped chapters around in my course with no problem. I assign quizzes on each chapter in which the students offer a "take away" summary of the sections of the chapters assigned for each class, and have seen no problems for the students.
The topics are organized well, but I have swapped a few around to fit better with my other material.
no problems
haven't found any yet
This text is cross cultural which is one of its strong points.
Review of open source social psychology textbook
Marty Laubach
Professor of Sociology
Marshall University
Jhangiani, R., Tarry, H., & Stangor, C. (2022). Principles of social psychology (1st international H5P edition). BCcampus. https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsychology/
I decided to adopt this textbook for my course Individual and Society after the two textbooks I previously used went out of print. The course is social psychology, but from a sociological point of view. The difference between psychological social psychology and sociological social psychology is that the former starts from the person and works up to society while the latter starts with society and works down to the individual, making the individual a kind of “node” of society. Unfortunately, there are no sociological social psychology open source textbooks. So, to make this work I have to rely on the textbook to provide basic material common to both paradigms and then bring in the sociological perspective in lectures and other content. This requirement has made the course heavy on lecture, but as it is a hyflex course (available face to face, virtual, and asynchronous online), it has to be designed with online discussion as reflections on the weekly course materials, so lecture (and my notes and the transcript) is effectively a substitute for the second textbook. I record the lectures and post them for the asynchronous students. Since I assign podcasts and videos, I see my recorded lectures (in front of the synchronous students) as essentially another podcast but one that organizes all of the rest of the weekly content.
There are many points of divergence from the textbook’s psychological perspective where I need to lecture, like Mead and the self, Stryker and identities, Goffman and dramaturgy, but I also bring in cutting edge material like Barrett’s work on the social construction of emotions and Will Storr’s Selfie, which discusses the emergence of the self in Western culture. I found the book surprisingly weak on socialization, which is common to both perspectives, and on research methodology, which is only addressed in a small section of a chapter, but again this allowed me to bring in sociological paradigm in lecture. At 12 chapters, the textbook leaves room in the syllabus for a class on symbolic communication, language, and theory of mind, and more in-depth material on organizational behavior.
So far I have received good feedback from the students, especially appreciating the free textbook and the flexibility on how the course material is delivered. I warned them in the beginning that I was experimenting both with the new textbook and with the hyflex delivery methodology, so they have been tolerant about it all. We are in the midst of the course so I haven’t yet received the anonymous feedback.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introducing Social Psychology
- 2. Social Cognition
- 3. The Self
- 4. Attitudes, Behavior, and Persuasion
- 5. Perceiving Others
- 6. Influencing and Conforming
- 7. Liking and Loving
- 8. Helping and Altruism
- 9. Aggression
- 10. Working Groups: Performance and Decision Making
- 11. Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
- 12. Competition and Cooperation in Our Social Worlds
Ancillary Material
Submit ancillary resourceAbout the Book
Helping students organize their thinking about social psychology at a conceptual level.
About the Contributors
Authors
Rajiv Jhangiani is a core faculty member at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Vancouver, Canada, and an Open Learning Faculty Member at Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, Canada, where he teaches a variety of courses including social psychology, personality psychology, conservation psychology, and the psychology of genocide. He completed his PhD in Social and Personality Psychology from the University of British Columbia in 2008. Dr. Jhangiani’s research focuses on political violence, social cognition, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. His research has been supported by agencies including the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research and the Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, & Violence. Dr. Jhangiani is a Faculty Fellow with the BC Open Textbook Project, the Director of Research, Resources, and Special Initiatives on the Society for the Teaching of Psychology’s Early Career Psychologists Committee, a member of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology’s Task Force on Undergraduate Skills Assessment, and an Associate Editor of Psychology Learning & Teaching. Among other honours, Dr. Jhangiani is the recipient of the Robert E. Knox Master Teacher Award from the University of British Columbia and the Roberta Sigel Award from the International Society of Political Psychology.
Hammond Tarry is a faculty member at the Adler School of Professional Psychology, Vancouver, Canada, and at Capilano University, North Vancouver, Canada. Dr. Tarry completed his doctoral research in psychology in 2001 at the University of Oxford, U.K. His thesis was entitled Delinquency, Moral Reasoning, and Social Control. He has published and supervised research on topics including sociomoral development, political orientation, attitudes toward institutional authority, and reputation management. He teaches a wide range of courses, including social psychology, group dynamics, research methods, and introductory psychology. He has a particular interest in open textbooks from a social justice perspective.
Charles Stangor is professor of psychology at the University of Maryland. He has also taught at the New School for Social Research, Michigan State University, and the University of Tübingen in Germany. He received his BA from Beloit College in 1973 and his PhD from New York University in 1986. Dr. Stangor is the recipient of research grants from the National Institute of Mental Health and from the National Science Foundation. He has published seven books and over seventy research articles and book chapters and has served as an associate editor of the European Journal of Social Psychology. He is a charter fellow of the American Psychological Society. He has served as the chair of the executive committee and is currently executive officer for the Society for Experimental Social Psychology. Dr. Stangor’s research interests concern the development of stereotypes and prejudice and their influences upon individuals who are potential victims of discrimination. Dr. Stangor regularly teaches social psychology, research methods, and, at the graduate level, Fundamentals of Social Psychology and Group Processes. Dr. Stangor is chair of the undergraduate committee in the psychology department and has won the distinguished teaching award from the University of Maryland. Dr. Stangor also serves as the chair of the psychology department’s human subjects committee.