Dynamical Social Psychology
Traditional approaches to social psychology have proven highly successful in identifying causal mechanisms underlying human thought and behavior. With the recent advent of the dynamical approach, it is now possible to assemble sets of such mechanisms into coherent systems. This book uses innovative concepts and tools to illuminate the processes by which individuals, groups, and societies evolve and change in a systemic, self-sustaining manner, at times seemingly independent of external influences. Readers learn how the dynamical approach facilitates novel predictions and insights into such social psychological phenomena as attitudes, social judgment, goal-directed behavior, attraction, and relationships. Featuring a wealth of charts and figures derived from original research and computer simulations, the volume is grounded in classic and contemporary theories of social psychology.
Robin R. Vallacher, PhD, is Professor of Psychology at Florida Atlantic University and an affiliate of the Center for Complex Systems, University of Warsaw. Dr. Vallacher has written and edited four previous books concerned with theoretical and topical issues in social psychology. His published research, funded in part by grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health, has addressed topics including group dynamics, distributive justice, person perception, self-awareness, moral behavior, the mental representation and control of action, individual differences in goal-directedness, self-presentation, moral judgment, and self-concept stability and change. Dr. Vallacher's current interest is developing dynamical models of social psychological phenomena, with special emphasis on the dynamics of self-understanding, social judgment, and close relationships.