Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

  • Appraise the value of the social influence research conducted by Muzafer Sherif, Solomon Asch, and Stanley Milgram.
  • Propose common themes running through the work of social cognition psychologists Leon Festinger, Stanley Schachter, and Elliot Aronson.
  • Evaluate the work of the social perception psychologists in understanding the attribution process and the dynamics of  interpersonal relationships.
  • Critique the work of the social psychologists at the University of Michigan, particularly Theodore Newcomb and Robert Zajonc.