5 Key Social Psychology Concepts:

Social Behavior Is Goal-Oriented: Our actions are driven by social needs, such as belonging, self-understanding, status, protection, and companionship.

Behavior is Influenced by the Situation: Individual traits, situational factors, and their interactions all play a role in determining behavior. Situations can override personality factors.

Social Situations Shape the Self: We form our self-concept through reflected appraisal and social comparison. We imagine how others see us and compare ourselves to peers.

We Analyze Others' Behavior: Social cognition involves interpreting social cues. Expectation confirmation influences our perception of others' behavior, sometimes leading to stereotyping.

We Believe Behavior Reflects Personality: Correspondent inferences lead us to infer intentions and personalities from observed behaviors. Behavior is shaped by situations, so inferences can be misleading.