Socially Psyched: A Short Book Breaking Down Over a Dozen of the Most Important Findings in Social Psychology

Summary

This is a collection of what I feel are some of the most important social/cognitive psychology experiments, studies, demonstrations, biases, and systematic reviews, presented in an entertaining way while adhering to academic standards.

I have always been fascinated by how our behaviors, cognition (thoughts), and affect (how we feel) are greatly dependent upon our social environment and our imperfect brains. I find it fascinating--perhaps because I am an American who was raised in the typical American cultural environment where I learned that what we consider "the self" consists of some magic "soul" that defines who we are—our behaviors (including choices and decisions), our cognition (including thoughts and beliefs), and our feelings. This could not be further from the truth. "We" are a result of an often incomprehensible interaction between biology and environment where some traits are more greatly influenced by social factors than others. Who we are is a result of social forces—the influence of other people and the human-created systems in which we operate. We can ignore this fact, maintain an illusion of control, or face reality and learn how to navigate this world and come out on top—personally, professionally, and financially. I choose the latter.

My name is Bo Bennett, and I hold a PhD in social psychology with a passion for this subject. While this book is not about me, my interpretations and commentary do make up most of the sections of each entry based on the content written by the original authors of the research or other sources—each of which will be cited when used.

Enjoy this short book!

Bo Bennett, PhD