Getting Used to the Social Psychology Network Website

The Social Psychology Network

Kasia E Pollock

Grand Canyon University: PSY-530

09/27/2016

Getting used to the Social Psychology Network website

        When looking at the Social Psychology Network website the first impression was overwhelming. There was a lot of information and other sites to look through but after understanding the format and where to look there was amazing information. Being able to search for social psychologists all over the world through their specific specialty at the click of a mouse was eye opening. There is a site that connects historians and social psychologists to bridge the gap and bring the two disciplines together to learn from each other. (Glaveanu, n.d.) The study of sociology and psychology was not always combined but there was a jump in the study of those who followed social psychology in the nine teen nineties and although there are numerous names mentioned that study social psychology the overlap over research and information was limited.  (Tesser, 2002) From these pioneers five theoretical perspectives emerged to set the tone for research and study. Evolutionary, Socio-cultural, Behavioral/Social Learning, Phenomenological and Social Cognition and an expert from each method will be looked at in the essay.  

The Evolutionary perspective is followed by many social psychologist, the social psychologist that I found using the search engine and map on the Social Psychology Website is named Doctor Joshua Ackerman. (Social Psychology Network, 2016) Doctor Ackerman got his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Arizona State University in 2007 and is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Michigan. Doctor Ackerman has written numerous journal entries about his research. The main body of research that Doctor Ackerman is involved in focuses on the unconscious role that humanity uses to change using psychological mechanisms. (Social Psychology Network, 2016) These mechanisms determine both social cognitive and decision making outcomes in a person’s life. Doctor Ackerman’s has also done research that deals with group psychological impact that disease and the threat of disease can cause within a society. On a lighter side Doctor Ackerman has also looked at the influence of social standings and perceived education when it comes to personal relationships. In “Let’s get serious: Communicating commitment in romantic relationships,” Ackerman talks about the impact of something as simple as who says “I love you” first and whether that will ultimately affect a personal happiness in a relationship.  (Ackerman, 2011) Doctor Ackerman’s role in culture through his work gives us a better understanding of how individuals grow and adapt within a group setting.

         The theoretical perspective of Socio-culture is being represented in this essay through Doctor Michal Bilewicz. (Social Psychology Network, 2016) Doctor Bilewicz has a Ph. D. in Social Psychology from the University of Warsaw and is now an Assistant Professor at that same school. The area that Michal is from and lives in shows great impact on his choices of research and study. Doctor Bilewicz wants to combine the experimental methods often used in social psychology with other research methods to create better results. In his current research he is trying to see the short and long term effects of mass genocide and anti-Semitism as it relates to a social group as a whole not just the individuals within the group. His research pulls in the parts of history that a lot of people try to forget but urges us to take it in and learn from those mistakes. Doctor Bilewicz observed that groups involved in tragic events of the past are able to connect positively but when the past is brought up there are still deep feelings towards generalized groups. (Bilewicz, 2007) Doctor Bilewicz takes a darker look into human interactions within group setting connected to historical events and is looking to see how these feelings change over time and how they will ultimately change our culture.

         Doctor Valerie Stone is an expert in the field of Behavioral and Social Learning Social Psychology.  (Social Psychology Network, 2016) Doctor Stone got her Ph. D. in Psychology from Stanford University in 1990 and currently is a Senior Lecturer, what we would call an Associate Professor in the United States, at the University of Queensland. Doctor Stone looks into more of a medical side of social psychology. She uses different methods to test the nature of human social intelligence. (Social Psychology Network, 2016) According to Doctor Stone, “Theory of mind” is the ability to make inferences about other human beings and how they interpret those within the study of complex social interaction.  (Stone, 1998) Doctor Stone currently focuses on several different angles of Behavioral and Social Learning, two of which are Social Competence and Theoretical Perspectives. (Social Psychology Network, 2016) Social Competence looks at the effect of social judgement within a legal system while Theoretical Perspectives is testing to see how important the frontal lobe really is in a person’s ability to have a higher level of social intelligence.  (Social Psychology Network, 2016) Doctor Stone’s work effects culture by bringing up the ideas of the brain and how it directly affects our mental states. She addresses the connection between the frontal lobe and our moral decision making skills that directly affect each person’s role in our world.