Microsoft Word Chapter 1 done doc

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SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 
Unit Structure: 
1.0 Objectives 
1.1 Introduction 
1.2
Social Psychology: A working definition
1.2.1 Social Psychology : Scientific Nature 
1.2.2 Focus on Individual Behaviour 
1.2.3 Understand Causes of Social Behaviour and Thought 
1.2.4 Brief History of Social Psychology : what we learn 
from it? 
1.3 
Social Psychology on Cutting Edge 
1.3.1 Cognition 
and Behaviour 
1.3.2 Social 
Neuroscience 
1.3.3 Role of Implicit Process 
1.3.4 Social 
Diversity 
1.4 
Let us sum up 
1.5 References 
1.0 OBJECTIVES : 
By the end of this unit you should be able to understand : 
• The scientific nature of Social Psychology. 
• Causes of social behaviour and thought. 
• Understand current trends in the study of Social Psychology 
such as role of cognition, social neuroscience, social 
diversity, etc. 
1.1 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY : AN INTRODUCTION : 
 
Human beings are essentially social beings. We stay with 
other and our actions, thoughts, and feelings are affected by the 
presence of others. At the same time we influence the behaviour of 
other individuals. This consists of large amount of human 
behaviour. Social psychology is a discipline that tries to understand 
the human social behaviour. As is the case with psychology, even 
social psychology has a past which is less than 100 years. This 
course will help you to learn and answer many questions. You will 
learn theoretical perspectives in various areas of social psychology. 
You will understand that the scope of social psychology is wide and 
it is ever widening. Social cognition, social perceptions, attitudes, 
self, stereotype, prejudice and discrimination, interpersonal 

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attraction, close relations, social influence, pro-social behaviour, 
aggression, group and individuals, applications of social 
psychology, and many more are the topics of social psychology. 
Most of the important topics are covered in this course. This course 
will equip you to understand social behaviour and will also motivate 
you to work in the area of social psychology and to become social 
psychologist.