Applying Social Psychology : From Problems to Solutions

by Abraham P Buunk

• ISBN13: 9781412902830
• ISBN10: 1412902835
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-11-30
• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd

Summary

This comprehensive text introduces a new methodological approach for doing applied social psychology, the PATH model. The book offers a simple, systematic, step-by-step, easy-to-use methodology for applying primarily social psychological theory to a wide range of social problems, from tackling crime and prejudice to fostering environmental conservation and team performance. It will help and guide students to define a problem, conduct a theory-based analysis, develop an explanatory model, set up and execute a research project to test the model, and develop an intervention. Applying Social Psychology: From Problems to Solutions is a highly practical text useful to students who want to learn how to analyse practical problems and develop solutions for these problems based upon social psychological theory and research.

Author Biography

Abraham P. Buunk is an Academy Professor on behalf of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Evolutionary Social Psychology at the University of Groningen Mark Van Vugt is Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Kent

Table of Contents

About the Authors	p. x
Preface	p. xi
How to Use this Text	p. xiii
Introduction and Background	p. 1
Applying Social Psychology	p. 3
Example of the Application of Social Psychological Theories	p. 4
Problem: Formulating a Problem Definition	p. 4
Analysis: Finding Explanations for the Problem	p. 6
Test: Developing and Testing the Process Model	p. 9
Help: Towards an Intervention Programme	p. 13
Other Relevant Decisions	p. 14
Applying Social Psychology: The PATH from Problem to Intervention	p. 14
Problem: From the Problem to a Problem Definition	p. 15
Analysis: From a Problem Definition to Analysis and Explanation	p. 16
Test: From Explanations to a Process Model	p. 18
Help: From a Process Model to Intervention	p. 18
Problems with Applying Theories	p. 19
Oversimplification	p. 19
External Validity	p. 20
Contradictory Evidence	p. 21
Conclusion	p. 21
The Problem Phase: From a Problem to a Problem Definition	p. 25
Introduction	p. 26
Towards a Problem Definition	p. 27
Reformulating the Problem	p. 29
The Path from a Problem to a Problem Definition	p. 30
Examples of Interviews	p. 31
Key Questions for Problem Definition	p. 36
What is the Problem?	p. 36
Why is it a Problem?	p. 37
For Whom is it a Problem?	p. 38
What are the Possible Causes of the Problem?	p. 39
What is the Target Group?	p. 40
What are the Key Aspects of the Problem?	p. 41
Research for a Problem Definition	p. 45
Background Materials	p. 46
Completing the Problem Definition	p. 51
The Analysis Phase: Finding Theory-Based Explanations for Problems	p. 55
Introduction	p. 56
Specifying the Outcome Variable	p. 56
Requirements for the Outcome Variable	p. 59
Relevance	p. 59
Specificity	p. 59
Continuity	p. 60
The Divergent Phase: Generating Explanations	p. 61
Free Association	p. 61
Interviews and Observation	p. 63
Social Psychological Theories	p. 67
Theoretical Approaches Under Investigation: The Case of Safe Sex Promotion	p. 70
A Topical Strategy	p. 71
A Conceptual Strategy	p. 72
A General Theory Strategy	p. 74
The Convergent Phase: Reducing the Number of Explanations	p. 76
Getting Rid of Redundant and Irrelevant Explanations	p. 76
Getting Rid of Invalid Explanations	p. 77
Getting Rid of Implausible Explanations	p. 78
The Test Phase: Developing and Testing the Process Model	p. 83
Introduction	p. 84
Formulating a Process Model	p. 84
Case Study: Improving Cooperation in a Pharmaceutical Company	p. 85
Case Study: Reducing the Risk of STD infection	p. 90
Heuristics for Developing a Process Model	p. 96
Testing the Process Model	p. 97
Doing Your Own Research	p. 99
The Help Phase: Developing the Intervention	p. 105
Introduction	p. 106
Preparing Intervention Development	p. 107
Modifiability	p. 107
Effect Size	p. 108
The Balance Table	p. 109
Developing the Intervention	p. 111
The Channel	p. 111
The Method	p. 116
The Strategy	p. 120
Building the Intervention Programme	p. 122
Pre-testing the Intervention	p. 123
Implementation of the Intervention	p. 124
The Implementation Process	p. 125
Mapping the Implementation Route	p. 126
The Implementation Plan	p. 127
The Actual Implementation	p. 128
The Evaluation	p. 128
Case Study: The Millennium Campaign 'I Can Do That Too'	p. 130
Conclusion: Looking Backward and Forward	p. 134
Glossary	p. 136
Bibliography	p. 148
Index	p. 158
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