SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY: WHAT DOES A SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST DO? OLIVIA GALEA-SEYCHELL

WHAT IS SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AFTER ALL? FROM MY EXPERIENCE, IT IS ONE OF THE BRANCHES WITHIN PSYCHOLOGY, WHICH BOTH THE LAY PERSON AND AT TIMES PSYCHOLOGISTS, BESIDES SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGISTS, HAVE A DIFFICULTY IN GRASPING ITS SUBJECT MATTER AND ITS USE.

DEFINING SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IN SIMPLE TERMS IT IS THE STUDY OF SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR. IT HAS A UNIQUE APPROACH IN STUDYING SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR. ITS APPROACH IS AT THE INTERPESONAL LEVEL

WHAT IS THE INTERPERSONAL LEVEL? THERE ARE THREE LEVELS I) SOCIETAL LEVEL - THE STUDY OF SOCIOLOGISTS II) INDIVIDUAL LEVEL- THE STUDY OF CLINICAL AND COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGISTS III) INTERPERSONAL LEVEL- THIS IS SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGISTS’ REALM

THE INTERPERSONAL LEVEL CONT…. WE FOCUS ON THE PERSONS’ CURRENT SOCIAL SITUATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE THE PERSONS’ ENVIRONMENTS, THEIR ATTITUDES, BEHAVIOUR, THEIR LOCUS OF CONTROL, SELF-CONCEPT ETC. JUST LIKE ALL DISCIPLINES WE ARE LEAD BY OUR THEORIES.

THE INTERPERSONAL …... OUR THEORIES ARE VERY OFTEN ADOPTED BY OTHER PSYCHOLOGY DISCIPLINES SUCH AS ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY. EXAMPLES OF OUR THEORIES ARE: ATTITUDE THEORY ( FISHBEIN AND AJZEN) OR SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS (MOSCOVICI).

HOW DO YOU BECOME ONE OF OUR SPECIES? BY OBTAINING A MASTERS DEGREE IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, ALTHOUGH MOST SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGISTS PURSUE A PHD, PARTICULARLY IF THEY ARE IN ACADEMIA.

WHERE DO YOU FIND OUR SPECIES? 1. MOSTLY LIKELY IN ACADEMIA AND RESEARCH 2. BUT ALSO IN HUMAN RESOURCES

WHERE DO YOU FIND ME? IN HR & RESEARCH - I WORK WITH APPOGG, HEADING THE HR AND RESEARCH OFFICE HOWEVER, YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN ME AT UNIVERSITY.

BUT WHAT ELSE? WHILST, I AM IN THE FIELD PEOPLE PERCEIVE ME AS THE HR & RESEARCH MANAGER RATHER THAN AS THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST. WHILST, I AM IN THE FIELD PEOPLE PERCEIVE ME AS THE HR & RESEARCH MANAGER RATHER THAN AS THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST. MY TRAINING IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY HAS PROVIDED ME WITH BOTH HR & RESEARCH SKILLS AND A PERSPECTIVE, WHICH I ADOPT DURING MY WORK. MY TRAINING IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY HAS PROVIDED ME WITH BOTH HR & RESEARCH SKILLS AND A PERSPECTIVE, WHICH I ADOPT DURING MY WORK. HOWEVER, I DO NOT PERCEIVE MYSELF AS THE TYPICAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST, THAT YOU FIND IN ACADEMIA. HOWEVER, I DO NOT PERCEIVE MYSELF AS THE TYPICAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST, THAT YOU FIND IN ACADEMIA.

MY WORK…... UNDERTAKE RECRUITMENT PROJECTS. FORMULATE HR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES UNDERTAKE DISCIPLINARY MEASURES MONITOR THE TRAINING PROGRAMMES OF THE AGENCY DELIVER TRAINING WORK ON IMPROVEMENTS OF WORK CONDITIONS OF STAFF ATTEND TO STAFF NEEDS (EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAMME) AND FOLLOW THEM UP WITH OPERATIONS

MY WORK…... ENSURE THAT THE SERVICES HAVE THE NECESSARY SYSTEMS TO COLLECT DATA. WORK ON NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS CO-ORDINATE IT SERVICES OUTLINE AND EXECUTE IT STRATEGY MONITOR THE AGENCY’S INVESTMENTS IN DOCUMENTATION (BOOKS, JOURNALS ETC..)

WHERE DO YOU FIND ME? APPOGG 70, CAPUCHINS STREET, FLORIANA TEL: /8