Applied Social Psychology: Understanding and Addressing Social and Practical Problems ( 2nd edition)

This is an introduction to the field of applied social psychology which looks at the nature of social psychological theory and how it is used to enhance our understanding of social and practical issues. The book begins with separate chapters that define the field, examine social psychological theory, review research methods, and consider the design and evaluation of interventions. Subsequent content chapters focus on the application of social psychological theory and knowledge to such areas as counseling, sports, media, health, education, organizations, criminal justice, community, environment, and diversity.

Key Features:

• offers a greater level of expertise with contributing authors to each chapter while ensuring unity of perspective and approach in their writing style

• balances theory and research methods and the role they play in applied social psychology

• provides broad coverage to give students a more thorough appreciation of the scope of this field and the variety of social problems it addresses

• includes a "Culture Context" discussion in most chapters to highlight cross-cultural concerns and perspectives

• provides "Focus on Research" and "Focus on Intervention" boxes that provides students with a more in depth appreciation of the processes of designing, executing, and evaluating research studies and interventions.


New to this Edition:


• new separate chapters on personal relationships (chapter 15) and applying social psychology to the classroom (chapter 16)

• new cutting-edge research and topics that explore social psychology in everyday life such as research on the effects of embedded sexual content in the media, team goal-setting and social cohesion in teams, and new strategies for inducing pro-environment behavior


The Second Edition of Applied Social Psychology is reader friendly and emphasizes the connection between academic material and the student's real-world experiences. It is designed for undergraduate students in the social and behavioral sciences studying applied social psychology.