An Invitation to Social Psychology

Book excerpt: Organized around the theme of self-censorship -- the disconnect between what people privately think or feel and how they act publicly -- this brief seven-chapter text introduces students to social psychology by focusing on the field's most interesting studies and real-world applications. An INVITATION TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY contains high-interest studies that will engage students as they convey how social psychologists think about social life. Dale Miller shows that the common and extreme forms of social behavior are more alike than unlike. With an emphasis on social interaction in everyday situations, he makes connections to students' lives as if to say "we've all been in this situation."AN INVITATION TO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY covers fewer studies but in considerably more detail than a traditional introductory text. It includes textured descriptions, so students come away with a deeper understanding of the core methodologies used by social psychologists to understand the world from a social psychological perspective. Miller achieves the balance of crafting a social psychology text that is valuable to instructors, while at the same time interesting and fun for students. Miller's text can be used as either a core or supplemental text in an introductory or advanced social psychology course.