Social Psychology

Social psychology is the study of human interaction. Social psychologists study individual and collective beliefs, attitudes, and practices in social situations. It has been argued that, with the possible exceptions of perception and physiology, all areas of human activity are social and require some social analysis. This includes the departmental research areas of child-rearing and violence, clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, community psychology, cross-cultural psychology, feminist issues, human factors, kaupapa Māori, anti-social behaviour, resilience, health psychology, and organisational psychology. The study of social activities has been one of the strongest areas of the Psychology Department at Waikato since the department began, and this shows in the number of related research areas listed above.

These areas are all touched upon in Social and Developmental Psychology (PSYC102), and more specific analyses of social activities are then developed in 200-level papers, in particular Culture, Ethnicity and Psychology (PSYC228) and Contemporary Issues and Social Psychology (PSYC229). A 300-level course, Community, Culture and Diversity: Applied Social Psychology (PSYC301) explores applications of theory and research in social psychology to addressing real world problems and prepares students for graduate study including the specialist programmes in community and organisational psychology. PSYC317 Organisational Psychology includes coverage of work attitudes and motives, and social factors relating to well-being in the workplace. One of the strengths of the department's offerings in social psychology is the integration with the other social sciences, which begins in the 200-level and includes the study of Community Psychology. For students considering further study this is a bonus. Postgraduate courses that incorporate social psychology include Advances in Organisational Psychology; Community Health Psychology; Evaluation Research; Foundations of Community Psychology; Psychological applications and the Treaty of Waitangi, The Social Psychology of Anit-Social Behaviour and Violence in Family and Society. In addition, the University of Waikato offers New Zealand's only Postgraduate Diploma in Community Psychology, as well as a Postgraduate Diploma in Organisational Psychology.

Staff with interests in social psychology include:

Dr Cate Curtis
Associate Professor Darrin Hodgetts
Ms Bridgette Masters-Awatere
Associate Professor Linda Nikora
Professor Michael O'Driscoll
Professor Jane Ritchie
Dr Neville Robertson