The 40 main theories of Social Psychology

Social psychology has been concerned, from its very conception, with understanding how human beings forge ties with their equals and construct a shared reality through which to transcend their individuality (and the finiteness that accompanies).

Social psychology has sought to explore the point of confluence between people and their relationships with other individuals or groups; unraveling an intangible reality inhabited by key aspects to define all that we are from an anthropological and cultural perspective.

In this article it will be carried out a brief review of the theories of social psychology more important, many of which are applicable in areas such as the clinic or human resources. Knowing them is, without any, an exciting journey.

• Related article: "What is social psychology?"

The most important theories of social psychology

Here we present, in a very summarized way, 40 of the elementary theories of social psychology. Many of them made great contributions to this field of knowledge, even in cases where they came from another area (such as basic psychology). In some cases, their incorporation to this list is merited due to the striking nature of their proposals. All are, however, very interesting and worthy of being known.

1. Attachment theory

Theory whose purpose is explore how we bond with our attachment figures during childhood, deriving from all this a safe / insecure style on which our relationships with others are built even during adult life. It is not a deterministic proposal, since the dynamics of approximation or distancing from others can change over the years, especially when we build mature relationships that harbor potential transformer.

2. Attributional theory

Theory that has the purpose of exploring how human beings explain the behavior of others, so that the causes and effects that underlie it and infer internal traits from them (such as personality, attitudes or even motivation); which come to be expressed in regular terms and allow to determine expectations, desires and wishes. Internal (traits) and external (chance or circumstances) attributions are distinguished for the observed behavior.

3. Equilibrium theory

Explore the opinions that people hold regarding the relationship established between a human being and certain objects that are located in reality. The analysis allows people to choose what is in balance with their own perception of things that are susceptible to judgment, opting more likely for what is congruent with the vision we have of who we are (a friend who thinks like us, for example).

4. Theory of cognitive dissonance

Study the way in which a human being can live with two ideas that conflict with each other, or how is his experience when he develops acts incompatible with the personal values ​​that he believes to have. This seeks to know how we solve our internal paradoxes, and the affective or type consequences behavior that can be derived from them (minimization of the relevance of the behavior, adoption of other principles, etc.). However, it is believed that dissonances can be engines for change.

• You may be interested: "Cognitive dissonance: the theory that explains self-deception"

5. Corresponding inference theory

It is a theory that explores the way in which individuals make judgments about personality of others according to the way they act, generating internal and stable or external and unstable attributions. For example, if we observe someone behaving in a friendly way, we can infer that she presents the trait of kindness to a high degree (especially when it maintains a strong reiteration trans-situational).

6. Drive or impulse theory

Theory that postulates that the human being expresses behaviors aimed at reducing his impulses, which are based on needs and / or desires. Thus, one can distinguish primary impulses (they are necessary for the maintenance of life) and secondary (which would be determined by the place and time in which one lives). All social events would be included in the last of these categories, including achievement and self-realization.

7. Dual process theory

In reality it is a group of theories, from which it is explored the way in which people process information and try to solve their problems in different kinds of circumstances (including social ones).

One of the elementary points lies in the existence of two totally different strategies (hence their name): a quick / automatic (intuitive, spontaneous and superficial) and a parsimonious (deep and systematic). Each of them requires different brain regions.

8. Dynamic systems theory

Is about a theory directed to the study of the changes that occur in stable phenomena, and the nature of them. Two independent models would be distinguished: the one that focuses on how events change as a result of the passage of time and the one that is interested in the change derived from the multiple interactions that occur between the elements that make up a system (individuals, groups, etc.).

9. Equity theory

It focuses on the dynamics that are established in interpersonal relationships, or even in those of a person with respect to a group. Specific judgments are explored about the value that is usually attributed to the bond that is forged with others, and to the fair or unfair nature of the exchange that is manifested in it. Seeks the study of the counterweights derived from power struggles, and the consolidation of symmetrical or horizontal roles.

10. Escape theory

Theory that explores the tendency to develop distancing behavior in the face of social phenomena that are perceived as aversive or unpleasant. It is generally used in the context of some problems of a relational nature, such as social anxiety, to account for specific mechanisms by which they are maintained over time (or even get worse). As can be seen, it is a theoretical model of use practically limited to the clinical field.

11. Excitation transfer theory

It is a theory that explains the way in which a specific emotional activation in the face of a past situation can condition how current events are faced that keep a relationship of similarity with that one.

Through the model, certain reactions to an event are explained, which could seem excessive in the case of contemplating them. in an isolated way, but which become reasonable based on some previous experience that directly interferes with their expression.

12. Implicit theory of personality

Theory that tries to explain the way in which the human being tends to "connect" certain traits with different ones, or to trace the way in which they covariate. Thus, it would be understood that certain ways of acting are associated with others (having a sense of humor and being very intelligent, for example), conditioning the perception that can be projected with respect to others (in a stereotyped and very arbitrary). Here, phenomena such as the halo effect would have room.

13. Inoculation theory

Explains the way in which the human being can reinforce his convictions when exposed to stimuli that threaten them moderately, with insufficient intensity to destroy the identification with them but that supposes a certain degree of reflection and elaboration, from which the original idea is strengthened and iron defensive systems are built before any new attempt to persuasion.

14. Theory of interdependence

The theory of interdependence identifies that a person's behavior and thinking cannot be explained solely by experiences individuals that he has maintained throughout his life, but also from the relationships he has forged with others in the context of experiences shared. What one is, therefore, would depend on oneself and how we relate to others.

15. Narcissistic Reactance Theory

It is a theory conceived to explain the way in which certain personality traits make the refusing an incentive to act, in order to regain a supposed freedom snatched by the refusal of others. It has been used very often to explain acts of rape or sexual harassment in those who have a narcissistic trait, with spite being understood as the spring that triggers this behavior.

• You may be interested: "Narcissistic Personality Disorder: causes and symptoms"

16. Objectification theory

Theory that focuses on the private experience of women who live in societies in which their bodies are treated as objects of a sexual nature, which positions them in the vision of themselves themselves as beings devoid of genuine depth, and that can only be valued to the extent that they adapt to the general canon of beauty that is imposed as the cardinal criterion of desirability.

17. Theory of the opponent process

It is a theory that comes from the basic branch of psychology, but has been widely used in the social field. Notes that a certain emotion, which sprouts before particular events, is immediately followed (and even sneakily) by another opposite (A and B respectively). From this it is explained that an overexposure ends up compensating the initial response (A) until its disappearance.

18. Theory of optimal distinctiveness

This theory starts from two basic needs of every human being: that of belonging and that of identity (being oneself). It explains how we integrate the basic characteristics of a group as our own, in order to reconcile what would otherwise be an insoluble dilemma. The uniqueness of the individual would be maintained, interacting with the features of the group to form a new reality that transcends the sum of the parts.

19. Realistic group conflict theory

It is a theory aimed at explaining how two groups enter into direct confrontation based on variables outside the shared identity of their members. Make reference to competitiveness by providing limited resources as the fundamental source of all their brawlsThese can be physical (such as territory or food) or psychological (such as power or social status). It has been used, especially, in tribal societies and in ethnographic work from social anthropology.

20. Theory of reasoned action

It is a model whose claim is none other than predict the behavior of the human being based on his intention to carry out some change. In this sense, it includes the individual disposition towards the goal being pursued, that of the group to which one belongs and the existing social pressure. From the confluence of all this, the probability of executing actions aimed at modifying habits or customs can be estimated. It has been used a lot in the field of health.

21. Regulatory focus theory

It studies the way in which a person adjusts his search for pleasure and his flight from pain, which are inherent in human nature, in the context of the demands and pressure exerted by the environment. The theory studies the internal process (thoughts) and external behavior, both aimed at reconciling these needs in accordance with the different spaces of operation. It has been applied, above all, to the organizational sphere.

22. Relational model theory

Study four fundamental dimensions: communality (what the subjects of an in-group share and what differentiates them from the out-group), authority (legitimacy of the hierarchies that underlie all relationships), equality (comparable treatment between individuals who are located in the same stratum or level) and the market price (valuation of the incentives or the gains that are acquired with the employment according to a standard Social). The confluence of all of them would be important to regulate the interactions that occur between members of society.

23. Role theory

Explore how people take on various roles in the social spaces in which they participate or in which they unfold their daily life, and its pertinent attributions, together with the expectations that are related to each of the they. It is a basic component to understand the systemic links that hold human groups together, from which their internal and external functioning is consolidated.

24. Self-assertion theory

This theory starts from an inherent need of any person: to feel adequate and good, or to believe in Possession of traits that are considered desirable in the environment in which one lives (and that can fluctuate throughout the weather). This is intended to guarantee a private sense of existential congruence, while maintaining the safeguard of emotional integrity. It is a factor related to self-esteem and self-efficacy.

25. Self-categorization theory

This theory is based on the fact that the members of a group continue to maintain their identity and their own character, despite being integrated into an extensive collective with which they identify.

According to this same model, individual characteristics would be maintained in certain contexts, while in others what would predominate would be attributes inherent to communality, both being reconciled within the space in which the action unfolds and according to the demands of the same.

26. Theory of self-determination

This theory introduces three basic needs that need to be satisfied so that the person can function genuinely: the relationship (links with others), autonomy (power of individual choice and real independence) and competence (confidence in the ability to successfully develop chores). When this occurs, the individual would show the tendency (of an innate order) towards his own unique development, in a proactive and integrated way. This theory has its roots in humanism.

27. Theory of self-discrepancy

Explain how two people, who share the same goal for their lives, can express different feelings when faced with identical events., in which the losses they experience are also comparable. He concludes that it depends on the way in which such objectives are interpreted, which can be perceived as challenges and hopes or as impositions, so the emotional response would vary in one case or another (due to its meaning secondary).

28. Self-expansion theory

This theory delves into the basic processes of social influence, through which there is an expansion of our own identity as we share moments and places with certain trusted people to U.S. A) Yes, we are gradually adopting some of the characteristics that define them, assuming them as our own and integrating them into our intimate attitudinal repertoire. Therefore, there would be a kind of "contagion" on an emotional and cognitive level.

29. Self-perception theory

This theory explains that, when acting in spaces of great ambiguity (where we are not quite sure what to think or feel), we proceed to emphasize attention on our own behaviors and feelings as models / guides to determine our position in relation to them and what happens within they. It is similar to the attributional process that is carried out with respect to others, although directing it inwards and starting from what is perceived to estimate what is believed.

• You may be interested: "Self-concept: what is it and how is it formed?"

30. Self-verification theory

The theory starts from the will that we harbor that society value and recognize us in the same way in which we perceive ourselves. Thus, if we believe that we are shy or cheerful, we will seek that others consider us in the same way, in order to socially validate basic characteristics of who we are. This congruence would allow the consolidation of self-image in the social environment.

31. Economic sexual theory

It is a theory that starts from the premise that sex is something that women have and that men want (including any act of physical contact), so positions both sexes in a situation of disparity. In the model, men should show who they are claiming to have sufficient emotional and material resources to be selected as a potential romantic partner. At present, it is considered to be obsolete.

32. Theory of social exchange

This theory deals with studying the way in which interpersonal relationships are initiated and maintained, taking into account the balance that is perceived between the costs and the benefits attributed to them. Thus, the continuity or termination of a link would depend on how these parameters interact, precipitating its conclusion when the losses substantially exceed the gains. The variables considered are material, affective, etc.

33. Social identity theory

Social identity theory postulates that people build who they are from the relationships they forge with the groups to which they belong, to the extent that they identify with their distinctive features and adopt them as their own. This theory places special emphasis on common experiences, expectations for action, collective norms, and social pressure; above the individual experience and alien to the exchanges with the endogroup.

34. Social impact theory

Determine the persuasion potential of all groups from three variables, namely: strength (influence or salience), proximity (physical or psychological distance) and the number of people who make it up (which has an echo on the degree of social pressure perceived). As the levels increase in any of them (or all of them), the groups become abstract entities with a greater capacity to attract people.

35. Stress assessment theory

According to this theory, stressful situations are evaluated in two successive phases, although in a way related. In the first place, its objective characteristics and / or the personal relevance of the event are determined, while in the second it is determined if there are resources available to successfully deal with everything. In this theory, the role of social support is emphasized due to its ability to mediate the relationship between stress and its impact on an emotional level.

36. Symbolic interactionism

According to this theoretical model, which arose from pragmatism, there is no reality that human beings can grasp per se. Or what is the same, there are no facts devoid of subjectivity; rather, they are understood to the extent that the person establishes her reality in the context of her social exchange, which is imbued in the culture of the group and even society at a level macrosystemic.

37. Theory of mind

The theory of mind highlights a facet of neurological and social development, by which the ability to identify that others harbor mental states other than their own is possible. From this moment on, the inference of their motivations or affections, as well as their empathic integration and / or understanding, becomes viable. It is a key element to understand prosocial behaviors and altruism.

38. Theory of planned behavior

It is a theory designed for the prediction of behavior, perhaps the best known today. It has three basic axes in its formulation: attitudes (principles, values ​​and future expectations about one's own behavior), the subjective norm (expectations of other people and pressure exerted by the environment) and perceived control (internal attribution for the options of change and absence or scarcity of barriers external). It is used in the clinical setting to assess changes in attitudes and habits.

39. Triangular theory of love

The triangular theory of love was formulated for the understanding of couple ties, but it can be applied to all types of relationships. Three main components are postulated, from which a healthy relationship is built: passion (desire for contact and proximity), intimacy (ability to share intimacy and build confluence of a "we") and commitment (willingness to stay together as time progresses). The presence or absence of one or the other determines the type of bond (couple, friendship, etc.).

40. Terror management theory

This theory part of a cognitive dissonance, which arises from wanting to be part of life and the inherent need to accept its finiteness. A deep anguish emerges from this, for which there is shelter in the beliefs of the social group about the continuity of life in a place beyond death itself. It is the most basic mechanism for bridging the abyss that arises when we recognize our vulnerability.

Bibliographic references:

• Avais, M., Wassan, A., Chandio, R. and Shaikh, M. (2014). Importance of Social Psychology in the Society. Educational Research International. 3, 63-67. doi: 10.2139 / ssrn.2519104.
• Greenwood, J. (2014). The Social in Social Psychology. Social and Personality Psychology Compass. 8(7), 104-119.