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Social psychology is a diverse, dynamic discipline that investigates a wide range of topics, issues, and aspects of human social behavior. Although all of the social sciences study people, social psychology stands apart in the way that we examine the person in the group, take into account multiple levels of analysis, and focus primarily on laboratory research. Let’s briefly contrast social psychology with several other social sciences and psychology subdisciplines.

Sociology overlaps with social psychology, because it also emphasizes social aspects of human existence. However, sociology examines group-level phenomena—such as societal trends, cultural norms, the effects of race or social class, and so forth—without examining the internal processes occurring at the individual level that are affected by those phenomena. Anthropology is similar to social psychology in that both examine the relationship between culture and social behavior. Anthropology seeks culture-level explanations for human behavior by exploring a specific culture in-depth utilizing observational research, whereas social psychologists study cultural and noncultural explanations, primarily using laboratory experimentation, and also typically compare social behavior in multiple cultures.

Biological/physiological psychology inquires about the influence of genes, hormones, brain functioning and structure, and other elements of the nervous system on all kinds of human behavior. As we’ve seen, social psychology takes biology into account, but it focuses exclusively on social behavior and considers other, nonbiological levels of explanation for it.

Cognitive psychology seeks to explain mental processes such as memory, problem solving, decision-making, language, and the nature of consciousness. Although social psychologists examine some of these same processes, we limit ourselves to their social aspects, such as person memory, judgments of persons, and so forth.

Clinical psychology examines the nature, causes, and consequences of mental disorders and dysfunction of individuals who deviate from the norm and seeks ways to treat them. Social psychology emphasizes normal psychological functioning; how most people act, feel, or think.

Personality psychologists investigate the development and nature of personality traits over the lifespan. Social psychologists often examine personality characteristics but are more interested in how social situations affect most people, regardless of their personalities. Both clinical and personality psychologists are primarily concerned with individual-level causes, whereas social psychologists balance individual- and group-level explanations for social behavior.

Sociology: Examines group-level phenomena—such as societal trends, cultural norms, the effects of race or social class, and so forth

Anthropology: Seeks culture-level explanations for human behavior by exploring a specific culture in depth, utilizing primarily observational research

Biological/Physiological Psychology: Examines the influence of genes, hormones, brain functioning and structure and other elements of the nervous system on all kinds of human behavior

Cognitive Psychology: Seeks to explain mental processes such as memory, problem solving, decision-making, language, and the nature of consciousness

Clinical Psychology: Examines the nature, causes, and consequences of mental disorders and dysfunction of individuals who deviate from the norm and seeks ways to treat them

Personality Psychology: Investigates the development and nature of personality traits over the lifespan