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Watch the Video

THINKING CRITICALLY

How are your actions influenced by others? Are there certain actions or personal beliefs that you feel are consistent regardless of

your social surroundings?

After you have answered the question, watch the video to compare the answers of other students to yours.

The response entered here will be saved to your notes and may be collected by your

instructor if he/she requires it.

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Why study social psychology?

If people lived in total isolation from other people, there would be no reason to study the effect that other people have

on the behavior of individuals and groups. But human beings are social creatures—we live with others, work with oth-

ers, and play with others. The people who surround us all of our lives have an impact on our beliefs and values, deci-

sions and assumptions, and the way we think about ourselves and about other people in general. Why are some people

prejudiced toward certain other people? Why do we obey some people but not others? What causes us to like, to love,

or to hate others? The answers to all these questions and many more can be found in the study of social psychology.

Social Psychology