Social Psychology is a branch of the social sciences that deals with how and why people interact with each other the way they do. As a Social Psychology major, you’ll learn about how our attitudes form and why they change; what causes social conflict, aggression, and violence; and what influences judgment. You’ll dig into arcane theories of conformity, emotions, motivation, personality, negotiation, persuasion, social identity, and gender. You’ll learn about inter-personal dynamics in different types of relationships and discover how social issues can influence physical health. Social Psychology, as with most of the social sciences, is a research-oriented discipline. Integral to your studies will be learning about past research and its influences on the field. You’ll do your own research, perhaps in conjunction with faculty or other students. Be prepared for a load of laboratory work, statistics, and paper writing.

Preparation

Since Psychology often involves science courses, try to get a good foundation in biology and chemistry. English classes are imperative since much of psychology involves writing up your experiments and giving close readings to others’ research. Math courses, statistics especially, will give you a great head start. Social sciences, like history and economics, will obviously come into play with Social Psychology. And, of course, if your school offers psychology courses, you should take them.