21 must-read Social Psychology books

The Social psychology is one of the most important branches of psychology, as are the clinical psychology wave educational psychology, Y is in charge of investigating the way we interact with other people, emphasizing the influence of the social in human behavior.

In other words, it seeks to understand social factors, relationships between people, as well as society as a whole and political and social institutions.

• You may be interested: "The 7 main currents of Psychology""

Great books on social psychology

In its attempt, this discipline deals with topics such as: prejudices, group cohesion, intergroup conflict and interindividual, the values ​​and beliefs and the attitudes or roles that individuals play as part of the society or a group.

• Recommended article: "16 topics you must study to be an excellent psychologist"

Over the years, various successful editorial works have been written that address this issue.. Below you can find 21 of the best books on social psychology. Enjoy them!

1. Collective behavior and social movements (Esteve Espelt, Federico Javaloy and Álvaro Rodríguez)

This reading is recommended for all those who want to deepen their knowledge of group behavior and social movements from a psychosocial perspective. In its pages it is possible to find references to the operation of the group and how an identity already predisposed with a set of norms, values, feelings, beliefs, reasons and models of action can guide our conduct.

This work explains the most important theories about social movements, and the authors provide a vision adapted to the 21st century, dealing with issues such as the feminist or environmental movement.

• More information here.

2. Whistling Vivaldi (Claude M. Steele)

This text was recommended by Princeton University as it is a very interesting work. It is an entertaining read and very well explained, which examines stereotypes from an objective point of view, without making a moral analysis of the situation but rather sociological and psychological, for example, how stereotypes affect our daily lives or how we respond to them.

Inside, the author recounts that Brent Staples, a black student at the University of Chicago, noticed that when crossing the streets of Hyde Park at night, people looked at him with fear. So he decided to whistle by an Antonio Vivaldi tune, which allowed him to escape the racial stereotype, associated with crime, that many individuals have towards African Americans. Unfortunately, this text is only available in English.

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3. Influence (Robert Cialdini)

"Influence" is an essential reading work if you are interested in the psychology of persuasion. It is a safe bet for all those interested in social psychology, because the author has created a text that is not only easy to follow thanks to the excellent examples of him, Rather, Cialdini has worked to write an enjoyable and affordable book from the point of view of reading it, so that the reader is easy to understand even the most basic concepts. technicians.

• Buy it here.

4. The Lucifer Effect: the reason for evil (Philip Zimbardo)

Philip Zimbardo is one of the authors of the compulsory study in the subject of Social Psychology from all psychology faculties around the globe for their research and discoveries of Stanford prison experiment. This work details everything that happened in that fictitious situation but that got out of the hands of the team of researchers, and provides many data of great scientific value.

In short, reviews the influence of roles on the behavior of individuals, and explains how people, even those classified as good, can behave very cruelly in some specific situations.

• Buy it here.

5. Social psychology of violence (María Concepción Fernández Villanueva)

The book that delves into the vision of violence as a product of a series of psychosocial factors that vary according to the characteristics and norms of the human groups or contexts in which it occurs. In order to study and understand this phenomenon, it must be approached from a psychosocial perspective. After a theoretical explanation of violence and aggression, this work analyzes various types and contexts of violence, for example, violence at school or at work.

In addition, among other topics, it reviews the group nature of this behavior, the gender violence and its social and political factors and, in addition, it analyzes the problem of violence in the media.

• You can buy it here.

6. Social Animal (Elliot Aronson)

A well-known book on social psychology and one of our best-selling books today. Elliot Aronson, with an entertaining and easy-to-read text, invites the reader to explore the different scientific discoveries through its pages, with examples and all kinds of details of the social experiments. A highly recommended book for both students and professionals of psychology.

• You can buy it here.

7. Foundations of social psychology (Rosa Rodriguez Bailon and Miguel Moya Morales)

A great manual that aims to cover the basic knowledge of this branch of psychology. Especially recommended for students, the book includes different CD-ROMs (one for each chapter) that help in the acquisition of the learning of this subject. Undoubtedly, a great book to introduce, but also deepen, in this area of ​​psychology.

• For sale in this link.

8. Applying social psychology (Francisca Expósito Jiménez and Miguel Moya Morales)

This social psychology text presents a different approach than most manuals on this topic.. After presenting a historical tour and a description of the contents of social psychology, the applicability of psychosocial knowledge on basic issues, such as: attribution, attitudes or processes group; and on topics of great interest to society, for example, gender violence, migration processes, violence or political leadership or leisure and tourism. A very complete work with a very up-to-date bibliography.

• You can buy it in this link.

9. 50 essential experiments to understand social psychology (Armando Rodríguez, José Francisco Morales, Naira Delgado and Verónica Betancor)

The objective of this reading is to present in an entertaining and pleasant way 50 experiments that have made it possible to understand and explain social psychology. Many studies and research have been carried out on social behavior, and the The authors, for this editorial work, have selected the most outstanding experiments of this branch of the psychology.

• You can buy it here.

10. Obedience to authority (Stanley Milgram)

Stanley Milgram is known for one of the most famous investigations of social psychology. This Yale University psychologist, in 1961, carried out a series of experiments with the idea of ​​knowing why we obey the orders of an authority. This text collects these surprising results.

If you want to know more about his famous investigation, you can read our article: "The Milgram Experiment: the danger of obedience to authority"

• Buy it at this link.

11. Why do we lie... especially ourselves (Dan Ariely)

Dan Ariely gives us a must-read text for lovers of social psychology. In it, he immerses us in the chiaroscuro of the mind to help us understand what makes us lie and how we protect ourselves from it. Ariely answers questions like: Do we lie more when we are forced to collaborate? Are the believers more honest? On what topics is it easier for us to lie? Does the fear of being discovered reduce our tendency to deception? All this while he reviews topics of social psychology as interesting as the cognitive dissonance.

Lying is one of the most characteristic aspects of human social behavior. While we are able to communicate in very accurate ways thanks to the use of language, we can also give false information to mislead others. This book is a great way to understand how we tend to use lies and the logic behind this behavior.

• You can buy it comfortably in this link.

12. Treatise on social psychology Vol. I: basic processes (J. F. Morales Domínguez and Carlos Moya Montes)

Another must-have manual. The book "Treatise on social psychology" has two volumes. This first offers a detailed analysis of the emerging psychosocial processes of this discipline. For example, the processes that influence group interaction; stereotypes, causal analysis, intergroup conflict, or attitudes and influence.

• Available here.

13. Treatise on social psychology Vol. II: social interaction (J. M. Fernández Dols, P. Carrera Levillaín, L. V. Oceja Fernández, J. Berenguer Santiago)

This text, which follows the previous one, offers those interested in social psychology a body of knowledge that allows them to broaden their horizons in this field. Focused on the specific processes of social interaction, it dedicates its pages to attractive themes, for example, the tension between mind and society.

• You can buy it in this link.

14. The advantages of desire

A book that addresses the issue of irrationality in our behaviors and answers questions about the decisions we make. For example, Are we really owners of our decisions or can we be manipulated as consumers?

This work shows us the surprisingly positive effects that irrationality can have in our lives. In addition, the author draws, thanks to the conclusions of his fun and original experiments, incredible conclusions about how and why we behave the way we do.

• It can be purchased at this link.

15. Love from social psychology (Carlos Yela García)

Love is one of the most important topics in our lives. That is why it has aroused great interest among psychologists, and also among social psychologists.

Some experts on the subject have focused their research on biological aspects (for example, the chemistry of love), while others have contributed knowledge about the psychosocial and cultural factors that influence this phenomenon. This work tries to answer many of the questions that arise when addressing the theme of love and makes interesting contributions to the scientific literature in this field.

• You can also buy it here.

Social psychology books beyond Spanish

There are many excellent titles that, unfortunately, have not yet been translated into Spanish. Here you can find a selection of these works in relation to social psychology books.

16. Drive (Daniel H. Pink)

One of the most interesting social psychology books for those who want to learn to motivate work teams. In its pages you will find ways to understand job satisfaction and formulas to improve the fit between the members of a group.

• You can know more about him here.

17. Mistakes were made... but not by me (Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson)

If you don't mind getting away from books in Spanish, you will love this most interesting work. Similar to Dan Arielly, here the idea that we are rational beings is called into question and we are oriented towards the search for truth through logical thinking. In fact, we are incredibly prone to remain blind to our own mistakes and attribute them to others or elements of the environment.

• Do you want to know more about this book? Click here.

18. Social Engineering (Christopher Hadnagy)

An excellent book to understand the manipulation methods used to guide people's behavior towards certain objectives or goals... without them noticing.

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19. Methods of Persuasion (Nick Kolenda)

Another excellent title to add to the list of social psychology books that focus on the phenomenon of persuasion. It is based on principles of cognitive science to apply this knowledge in business or informal personal relationships.

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20. The psychology of advertising (Bob M. Fennis and Wolfgang Stroebe)

A 10-second advertising piece broadcast on television is capable of making us want to buy a product that we hardly know anything about. That is the power of advertising, which thanks to its ability to appeal to our emotions, achieves incredible things. This book explains how that is possible.

• You will find more information about this work here.

21. The Social Psychology of the Classroom (Elisha Babad)

A relatively unknown book that will undoubtedly interest everyone interested in education. Its extensive documentation can be of great help, for example, to educators and pedagogues.

• If you consider acquiring it, Click here.