How does social psychology differ from each of the following: (a) sociology, (b) the other subdisciplines of psychology, and (c) the approach taken by a journalist who examines the social behaviors of various individuals?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Although social psychologists and sociologists often study related issues, an important
difference between social psychology and sociology is the level of analysis used in
each discipline. Sociologists tend to classify people in terms of groups, such as
socioeconomic class, nationality, or race, whereas social psychologists tend to focus on
the individual, even in the context of groups. In addition, social psychologists use
experiments to study human behavior to a greater extent than do sociologists.
Compared to the other subdisciplines of psychology, social psychology is more
concerned with human behavior in social situations—that is, with thoughts, feelings,
beliefs, and desires that are relevant to social behavior. A critical difference between
social psychology and the approach taken by a journalist who examines the social
behaviors of various individuals is that social psychologists use the scientific method of
systematic observation, description, and measurement, whereas the journalist would
tend to use much less scientific methods and might rely more on personal observation
and specific anecdotal observations.