The Psychology of Social Situations: Selected Readings

The Psychology of Social Situations: Selected Readings is a collection of selected readings on the psychology of social situations. The reasons for the interest in social situations and why the social situation should be considered as a unit of psychological research are discussed, along with the nature of the social environment and major trends in social psychology. The methods of analysis and the relevance or application of a psychology of social situations are also outlined. Comprised of 31 chapters, this book begins with a detailed account of a situation involving three kinds of data: the objective conditions under which the individual or society has to act; the preexisting attitudes of the individual or the group which at the given moment have an actual influence upon his behavior; the definition of the situation, that is, the more or less clear conception of the conditions and consciousness of the attitudes. Subsequent chapters deal with the structural elements of games; the specific relationships between physical environment and social behavior; perceived dimensions of interpersonal relations; social determinants of assertive behavior; and the effectiveness of situation redefinition and affective isolation in coping with stress. This monograph will be of value to psychologists and social scientists interested in the psychology of social situations from a broad perspective, as well as to advanced undergraduates and graduates in the social sciences and related fields.