Handbook of Social Psychology: Vol. 1: Micro Perspective

This third edition of the highly successful handbook is presented for the first time in two volumes, covering the field of social psychology more comprehensively than earlier, including applying social psychology to different areas in sociology. It showcases the dynamics of social psychological phenomena across the micro level (Volume 1), and meso and macro levels of social reality (Volume 2). The reader will see how social psychology can be leveraged at the interactive level, within groups and larger units, and across many aspects of society, thus showing the expansiveness of social psychology in understanding social behavior, social organization, and social structures.

The emphasis in Volume 1 rests on theoretical frameworks for processes occurring within individuals and among interacting individuals. The chapters span fundamental principles pertaining to the social construction of meaning, identity, emotions, language, and social cognition, and the structure and dynamics unfolding in interactions characterized by status, social exchange, network linkages, and justice. A shorter chapter, offering an empirical illustration, complements each theoretically oriented chapter. Together, the two volumes provide the reader with theoretical tools useful in understanding the basics of individual behavior, while highlighting how social psychological processes emerge in a variety of contexts. The connections among micro, meso, and macro levels, through the lens of social psychology, forge new pathways to understanding the various forms of inequality plaguing the social world.