Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.By this definition, scientific refers to the empirical method of investigation. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all of the psychological variables that are measurable in a human being. The statement that others may be imagined or implied suggests that we are prone to social influence even when no other people are present, such as when watching television, or following internalized cultural norms.
Social psychology is an interdisciplinary domain that bridges the gap between psychology and sociology. During the years immediately following World War II,there was frequent collaboration between psychologists and sociologists.However, the two disciplines have become increasingly specialized and isolated from each other in recent years,with sociologists focusing on "macro variables" (e.g. social structure) to a much greater extent.Nevertheless, sociological approaches to social psychology remain an important counterpart to psychological research in this area.
