Functions of Social Psychologists

There are group activities everywhere—for example, in education, in the justice system, in sports, in municipal organizations, and even in neighborhood associations (Rodríguez, n.d.). According to Rodríguez (n.d.), more and more organizations are asking social psychologists to join interdisciplinary teams to address specific activities or to resolve disadvantaged areas. Nevertheless, it is still difficult to establish clear recognition of the specific tasks of social psychologists within society.

Generally speaking, social psychologists work at the level of group research and base their work on three fundamental principles (Muñoz, 2018). The first relates to thoughts, as people are constantly thinking, and that thinking is conscious. However, there is a more primitive part of thought that is unconscious—meaning it occurs automatically—and this helps people free up mental space for conscious ideas. According to Muñoz (2018), social psychologists focus on identifying unconscious thoughts that are common among humans and that lead to similar behaviors.

The second principle deals with personal traits, since the environment in which people live affects how individuals behave both when they are alone and when they are surrounded by others (Muñoz, 2018). At the same time, a person’s individual personality also influences their social behavior. The third principle, according to Muñoz (2018), is the influence on others—in other words, social psychologists study how each individual affects and influences others, thereby creating awareness and a sense of team, or in other words, a sense of belonging.

Specifically, the role of the social psychologist includes the evaluation, planning, and management of social programs. That is, the social psychologist is responsible for assessing the environment where intervention will take place, including the people involved (Castro, 2019). To do this, it's necessary to establish evaluation goals based on the group’s needs, assess the group’s capabilities, estimate the plan for prevention and promotion, consider the resources available for the people involved, and set objectives based on those resources. Therefore, the social psychologist can identify group or individual needs and establish goals accordingly. Similarly, according to Castro (2019), the social psychologist is responsible for generating projects to address identified needs and for conducting evaluations to assess the actual changes produced by the implemented interventions.

Additionally, social psychologists are in charge of training—that is, conducting educational activities for groups and for social action professionals (Eguzquiza, 2011). Through education, the social psychologist can provide various tools to help communities or individuals face the situations that are affecting them (Castro, 2019). Whether it’s a community or an individual, people learn to manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors for the sake of their well-being. In this way, in accordance with Castro (2019), the quality of life of the people being supported can be improved.

Another role of social psychologists is conducting research (Castro, 2019), which involves creating new knowledge based on studies and survey results (Eguzquiza, 2011). In other words, this professional gains new insights by analyzing social interactions between individuals and communities (Castro, 2019). To do this, they study people’s behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. According to Castro (2019), there are many notable studies in social psychology, such as the Milgram experiment, the Bobo doll experiment, the Stanford prison experiment, the Asch conformity experiment, Sherif’s experiment, and Leon Festinger’s study, among others.

Along the same lines, social psychologists can intervene in various ways (Castro, 2019). Whether individually or in groups, they work with the target population to assess, prioritize, and address their needs (Eguzquiza, 2011). On one hand, they focus on group participation through self-help groups, parenting workshops, skills training classes, group psychotherapy, and health promotion and prevention activities, among others (Castro, 2019). On the other hand, in line with Castro (2019), social psychologists can help individuals integrate into their communities through psychotherapy or psychoeducation.

Finally, social psychologists can intervene at the family level through psychotherapy or activities such as workshops or seminars (Castro, 2019). Likewise, they can help conflicting parties reach a satisfactory agreement. Lastly, social psychologists can intervene in environmental matters through the ecological model. For these interventions, in accordance with Castro (2019), social psychologists may conduct surveys, create structured groups, assess resources and needs, and use various tools and techniques to benefit the target group—that is, those affected by the intervention in one way or another.

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References

1. Castro, M. (2019). Psicólogo social: roles y funciones - La Mente es Maravillosa. Obtenido 8 Noviembre 2020, de https://lamenteesmaravillosa.com/psicologo-social-roles-y-funciones/

2. Eguzquiza, I. (2011). Roles y Funciones del Psicologo Social - Octubre, 2011. Obtenido 8 Noviembre 2020, de https://www.academia.edu/7023781/Roles_y_Funciones_del_Psicologo_Social_Octubre_2011

3. Muñoz, E. (2018). Psicólogo social: ¿cuál es su trabajo? - MundoPsicologos.com. Obtenido 8 Noviembre 2020, de https://www.mundopsicologos.com/articulos/psicologo-social-cual-es-su-trabajo

4. Rodríguez, F. (s.f.). Soy Psicóloga Social… y ahora qué?. Obtenido 8 Noviembre 2020, de https://www.educintercambio.com.ar/blog/soy-psicologa-social-y-ahora-que.htm