Читать книгу Social Psychology - Daniel W. Barrett - Страница 9

Core Concepts casts social psychology in terms of fundamental questions about human existence that both perplex and fascinate college students. In my experience, undergraduates are intrigued by deep questions—such as whether or not they have free will or how independent or conforming they are—and enjoy thinking about and discussing them. These expansive questions will be tied to specific bodies of research and particular outcomes that will provide arguments and empirical evidence to further student thinking on these topics—even if social psychology is unable to definitively answer them.

These fundamental issues cut across the major topics and are the following:

 Free will. Are we free to make our own decisions and choices? Are we in conscious control of our actions?

 Independence. Are we conformists or individuals following our own paths? How and when do others influence us?

 Rationality. Are we capable of truly objective or unbiased thinking? Can we separate our emotional and cognitive processes?

 Sociality. Do we need other people and, if so, why?

 The Self. Who am I? What is the nature of the self?

 Morality. Are humans intrinsically prone to and/or capable of truly prosocial/selfless behavior or are we naturally aggressive/selfish?