Final answer:
Social psychology is the study of how individuals' behavior, thoughts, and feelings are influenced by their social environment, including roles, norms, and the presence of others. It explores the interplay between internal and situational variables in shaping behavior, consistent with situational influences like in the Stanford Prison Experiment.
Step-by-step explanation:
Social Psychology
A psychological perspective that examines the effects of the social environment on the behavior of individuals is known as social psychology. This field studies how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. Social roles, social norms, and scripts greatly affect how we act in various situations.
For instance, in new or uncertain circumstances, individuals often look to others for cues on how to behave, which illustrates the power of situational influences on behavior. Additionally, social psychologists explore internal factors like personality traits and temperaments and their interaction with situational variables to provide a comprehensive understanding of human behavior. Examples like the Stanford Prison Experiment dramatically demonstrate the impact of situational variables on individual actions.
It's important to distinguish between situational and dispositional influences when considering behavior. Situational influences involve external factors such as the environment, cultural practices, and the presence of other individuals, whereas dispositional influences are related to internal characteristics like personality. However, the more modern approach in social psychology accounts for both situational and dispositional factors, thereby acknowledging the complex interplay between a person and their environment.