How do the social worlds in which we live – from our closest personal relationships, to the small groups and broader communities to which we belong – define who we are, shape our beliefs and values, affect our well-being, and determine how we behave? In turn, how do our responses to the social environment shape the social environment itself? These are the broad questions that are the focus of social psychology.
Social psychology at SFU emphasizes questions of practical and theoretical importance. Faculty in the social area at SFU demonstrate that a rigorous social science can engage questions of basic human processes while also providing insights relevant to the society in which we live. Our research uses a variety of methods, including experimental, correlational, and qualitative approaches, in laboratory and field settings.
The social psychology area at Simon Fraser University conducts research on the following topics:
For more detailed information click on individual faculty members in the list above.
- Self concept, collective identity
- Intergroup relations, prejudice and discrimination, intergroup contact, collective action
- Adjustment and functioning in intimate relationships
- Altruism, prosocial behavior
- Happiness, well-being