In the Spring of 1997, a remarkable group of social psychologists came together at Yosemite National Park to reflect upon the field which they have been so instrumental in creating. This edited collection brings together the reflections of the nine scholars who spoke at the Yosemite conference that day and marks the 100th anniversary of Tripplet's seminal study of bicycle racers—an experiment which has often been cited as the beginning of modern experimental social psychology. The contributors: Elliot Aronson, Leonard Berkowitz, Morton Deutsch, Harold Gerard, Harold Kelley, Albert Pepitone, Bertram Raven, Robert Zajonc, and Philip Zimbardo have not only observed the development of this burgeoning discipline, collectively, they have played an essential role in crafting its young legacy.The book begins with personal histories of the researchers. Being that these personal histories are, in fact, closely connected to the most significant people, laboratories and conceptual trends of the field, these reminiscences are much more than simply histories of the course of particular individuals' lives; they are at the same time histories of the discipline itself. Subsequent chapters turn to the field's historical roots: its origins, course of theories, methods, and approaches. But all chapters share a common theme: an examination of the ways that the lives and experiences of social psychology's most prominent living scholars have helped to shape the history of the field itself.

This important volume looks back to 1890 and -- 100 years later -- asks some of the same questions William James was asking in his Principles of Psychology. In so doing, it reviews our progress toward their solutions. Among the contemporary concerns of 1990 that the editors consider are: the nature of the self and the will, conscious experience, associationism, the basic acts of cognition, and the nature of perception. Their findings: Although the developments in each of these areas during the last 100 years have been monumental, James' views as presented in the Principles still remain viable and provocative. To provide a context for understanding James, some chapters are devoted primarily to recent scholarship about James himself -- focusing on the time the Principles was written, relevant intellectual influences, and considerations of his understanding of this "new" science of psychology. The balance of this volume is devoted to specific topics of particular interest to James. One critical theme woven into almost every chapter is the tension between the role of experience (or phenomenological data) within a scientific psychology, and the viability of a materialistic (or biologically reductive) account of mental life. Written for professionals, practitioners, and students of psychology -- in all disciplines.

This volume consists of personal narrative accounts of the career journeys of some of the world's most eminent social psychologists. Each contributing psychologist is an esteemed scholar, an excellent writer, and has a story to tell. Together, the contributions cover a time range from Morton Deutsch to today, and touch upon virtually every important movement and person in the history of academic social psychology. This book provides a fascinating insight into the development of outstanding academic careers and will be a source of inspiration to seasoned researchers and beginning students alike, in the fields of social psychology, history of psychology, and beyond.

This book critically examines the work of a number of pioneers of social psychology, including legendary figures such as Kurt Lewin, Leon Festinger, Muzafer Sherif, Solomon Asch, Stanley Milgram, and Philip Zimbardo. Augustine Brannigan argues that the reliance of these psychologists on experimentation has led to questions around validity and replication of their studies. The author explores new research and archival work relating to these studies and outlines a new approach to experimentation that repudiates the use of deception in human experiments and provides clues to how social psychology can re-articulate its premises and future lines of research. Based on the author’s 2004 work The Rise and Fall of Social Psychology, in which he critiques the experimental methods used, the book advocates for a return to qualitative methods to redeem the essential social dimensions of social psychology. Covering famous studies such as the Stanford Prison Experiment, Milgram’s studies of obedience, Sherif's Robbers Cave, and Rosenhan's exposé of psychiatric institutions, this is essential and fascinating reading for students of social psychology, and the social sciences. It’s also of interest to academics and researchers interested in engaging with a critical approach to classical social psychology, with a view to changing the future of this important discipline.

Revisiting the Stanford Prison Experiment and other psychological experiments as performance and theater

Elliot Aronson is among the 100 most influential psychologists of the 20th Century, whose work -- especially his cognitive dissonance theory -- is both provocative and enduring. This Festschrift celebrates Aronson's influence on the field of social psy.

Develops a theory of social knowledge based on dialogicality and social representation.