21 must-read books on Social Psychology

Guides, manuals and works that you cannot miss if you want to know more about Social Psychology.

Social psychology is one of the most important branches of psychology, just like clinical psychology or educational psychology. and it is in charge of investigating the way we relate to other people, emphasizing the influence of the social on human behavior. influence on human behavior.

In other words, it seeks to understand social factors, relationships between people, as well as society as a whole and political and social institutions.

Great books on social psychology

In its attempt, this discipline deals with topics such as: prejudice, group cohesion, intergroup and interindividual conflict, values and beliefs, and the attitudes or roles that individuals play as part of society or a group.

• Recommended article: "16 subjects you should study to be an excellent psychologist".

Over the years, different successful publishing works have been written that deal with this subject matter. Below you can find 21 of the best books on social psychology. Enjoy them!

1. Collective behavior and social movements (Esteve Espelt, Federico Javaloy and Álvaro Rodríguez)

This reading is recommended for all those who want to deepen their knowledge of group behavior and social movements from a psychosocial point of view.. In its pages it is possible to find references to the functioning of the group and how an already predisposed identity with a set of norms, values, sensations, beliefs, reasons and models of action can guide our behavior.

In this work the most important theories about social movements are explained, and the authors provide a vision adapted to the 21st century, dealing with topics such as the feminist or ecologist movement.

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2. Whistling Vivaldi (Claude M. Steele)

This text was recommended by Princeton University as a very interesting work. It is an entertaining and very well explained read, which examines stereotypes from an objective point of view, without making a moral analysis of the situation, but rather a sociological and psychological one.For example, how stereotypes affect our daily lives or how we respond to them.

Inside, the author tells how Brent Staples, a black student at the University of Chicago, noticed that when crossing the streets of Hyde Park at night, people looked at him with fear. So he decided to pass by whistling a tune by Antonio Vivaldi, which allowed him to escape the racial stereotype, associated with delinquency, that many individuals have towards African-Americans. Unfortunately, this text is only available in English.

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3. Influence (Robert Cialdini)

"Influence" is a must read if you are interested in the psychology of persuasion.. It is a safe bet for all those interested in social psychology, because the author has created a text that is not only easy to follow thanks to its excellent examples, but Cialdini has worked to write a book that is readable and accessible, so that the reader will find it easy to understand even the most technical concepts.

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4. The Lucifer Effect: The Why of Evil (Philip Zimbardo)

Philip Zimbardo is one of the authors of compulsory study in social psychology courses in all psychology faculties around the world for his research and discoveries in the Stanford prison experiment. This work details everything that happened in that fictitious situation that got out of the hands of the research team, and provides many data of great scientific value.

Bottom line, reviews the influence of roles on the behavior of individuals, and explains how people, even those labeled as good, can behave very cruelly in some specific situations.It explains how people, even those labeled as good, can behave very cruelly in some specific situations.

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5. The social psychology of violence (María Concepción Fernández Villanueva)

A book that delves into the vision of violence as a product of a series of psychosocial factors that vary according to the characteristics and norms of the human groups or contexts in which it occurs. In order to study and understand this phenomenon, it must be approached from a psychosocial perspective. After a theoretical explanation of violence and aggression, this book analyzes various types and contexts of violence, for example, violence at school or at work.

In addition, among other topics, it reviews the group character of this behavior, gender violence and its social and political factors, and also analyzes the problem of violence in the media.

• You can purchase it here.

6. Social Animal (Elliot Aronson)

A very well known book on social psychology and one of the best sellers nowadays.. Elliot Aronson, with a pleasant and easy to read text, invites the reader to go through the different scientific discoveries through its pages, with examples and all kinds of details of social experiments. A highly recommended book for both students and professionals of psychology.

• You can buy it here.

7. Fundamentals of Social Psychology (Rosa Rodriguez Bailon and Miguel Moya Morales)

A great manual that aims to cover the basic knowledge of this branch of psychology.. Especially recommended for students, the book includes different CD-ROMs (one for each chapter) that help in the acquisition of the learning of this subject. Undoubtedly, a great book to introduce, but at the same time deepen, in this area of psychology.

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8. Applying social psychology (Francisca Expósito Jiménez and Miguel Moya Morales)

This social psychology text presents a different approach to most of the manuals on this topic.. After presenting a historical overview and a description of the contents of social psychology, it shows the applicability of psychosocial knowledge on basic topics, such as: attribution, attitudes or group processes; and on topics of great interest to society, for example, gender violence, migration processes, violence or political leadership or leisure and tourism. A very complete work with a very updated bibliography.

• You can buy it at this link.

9. 50 essential experiments to understand social psychology (Armando Rodríguez, José Francisco Morales, Naira Delgado y Verónica Betancor)

The objective of this reading is to present in an entertaining and enjoyable way 50 experiments that have made it possible to understand and explain social psychology.. There are many studies and researches that have been carried out on social behavior, and the authors, for this editorial work, have selected the most outstanding experiments of this branch of psychology.

• You can buy it here.

10. Obedience to Authority (Stanley Milgram)

Stanley Milgram is known for one of the most famous investigations in social psychology.. This psychologist from Yale University, in 1961, conducted a series of experiments with the idea of finding out why we obey the orders of an authority. This text gathers these surprising results.

If you want to know more about his famous research, you can read our article: "The Milgram Experiment: the danger of obedience to authority".

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11. Why we lie... especially to ourselves (Dan Ariely)

Dan Ariely gives us a must-read text for lovers of social psychology.. In it, he immerses us in the chiaroscuro of the mind to help us understand what makes us lie and how we protect ourselves from it. Ariely answers questions such as: Do we lie more when we are forced to collaborate? Are believers more honest? On what subjects do we find it easier to lie? Does the fear of being discovered reduce our tendency to deceive? All this while reviewing such interesting topics of social psychology as cognitive dissonance.

Lying is one of the most characteristic aspects of human social behavior. While we are able to communicate in very accurate ways thanks to the use of language, we can also give false information to deceive others. This book is an excellent way to understand how we tend to use lies and the logic behind this behavior.

• You can buy it conveniently at this link.

12. Treatise on Social Psychology Vol. I: Basic Processes (J. F. Morales Domínguez and Carlos Moya Montes)

Another essential manual. The book "Tratado de psicología social" has two volumes. The first volume offers a detailed analysis of the emerging psychosocial processes of this discipline. For example, processes that influence group interaction; stereotypes, causal analysis, intergroup conflict or attitudes and influence.

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13. Treatise on Social Psychology Vol. II: Social Interaction (J. M. Fernández Dols, P. Carrera Levillaín, L. V. Oceja Fernández, J. Berenguer Santiago)

This text, which follows the previous one, offers those interested in social psychology a set of knowledge that allows them to broaden their horizons in this field.. Focused on the specific processes of social interaction, it devotes its pages to attractive topics, for example, the tension between mind and society.

• You can buy it at this link.

14. The advantages of desire

A book that addresses the issue of irrationality in our behaviors and answers questions about the decisions we make. For example, Are we really the masters of our decisions or can we be manipulated as consumers?

This book shows us the surprisingly positive effects that irrationality can have on our lives. In addition, the author draws, thanks to the conclusions of his entertaining and original experiments, incredible conclusions about how and why we behave the way we do.

• It can be purchased at this link.

15. Love from the point of view of social psychology (Carlos Yela García)

Love is one of the most important topics in our lives.. That is why it has aroused great interest among psychologists, and also among social psychologists.

Some experts on the subject have focused their research on the Biological aspects (e.g., the chemistry of love), while others have contributed knowledge on the psychosocial and cultural factors that influence this phenomenon. This book tries to answer many of the questions that arise when dealing with the subject of love and makes interesting contributions to the scientific literature in this field.

• You can also buy it here.

Books on social psychology beyond the Spanish language

There are many excellent titles that, unfortunately, have not yet been translated into Spanish. Here you can find a selection of these works regarding books on social psychology.

16. Drive (Daniel H. Pink)

One of the most interesting social psychology books for those who want to learn how to motivate work teams. to learn how to motivate work teams.. In its pages you will find ways to understand job satisfaction and formulas to improve the fit between the members of a group.

• You can learn more about it here.

17. Mistakes were made... but not by me (Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson)

If you don't mind staying away from books in Spanish, you'll love this very interesting work. Similar to Dan Arielly's, here the idea that we are rational beings is challenged. the idea that we are rational beings and that we are oriented towards the search for truth through and we are oriented towards the search for truth through logical thinking. In fact, we are incredibly prone to remain blind to our own mistakes and attribute them to others or elements in the environment.

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18. Social Engineering (Christopher Hadnagy)

An excellent book to understand the manipulation methods used to guide people's behavior towards certain objectives or goals... without them realizing it.

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Methods of Persuasion (Nick Kolenda)

Another excellent title to add to the list of books on social psychology that focus on the phenomenon of persuasion.. It is based on cognitive science principles to apply this knowledge in business or informal personal relationships.

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20. The psychology of advertising (Bob M. Fennis and Wolfgang Stroebe)

A 10-second piece of advertising broadcast on television is capable of making us want to buy a product that we hardly know anything about. That is the power of advertisingThanks to its ability to appeal to our emotions, it achieves incredible things. This book explains how that is possible.

• You will find more information about this book here.

The Social Psychology of the Classroom (Elisha Babad)

A relatively unknown book that will undoubtedly interest everyone interested in education. Its extensive documentation can be of great help, for example, to educators and pedagogues.

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