Applied Social Psychology Theories and Social Problem-Solving

Introduction to Applied Social Psychology

The term applied social psychology denotes the systematic use of socio-psychological models, research approaches, concepts, theories, and intervention strategies for understanding or ameliorating social issues. Psychologists working in this subfield focus on understanding and solving practical problems and developing intervention strategies to enhance individual, organizational, and societal responses to social challenges. While the field's primary concern is the broad handling of practical and social issues—ranging from environmental problems to education—applied social psychology also works to enrich people's everyday lives (Schneider, Gruman, & Coutts, 2012). Social psychological theories offer prescriptions for solving practical and social challenges. This paper presents a literature review of major social psychological theories and their general role in resolving practical and social problems.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory and Teen Drinking

A key applied social psychological theory is cognitive dissonance, whose central premise is that individuals are motivated to remain consistent in their cognitions or beliefs, as any inconsistency may produce psychological discomfort (Brehm, 2007). The term "dissonance" implies aversion or discomfort; individuals can reduce such distress by altering their cognitions. What is its effect on family dynamics, familial issues, and teen problems? In what ways might dissonance theory apply to these situations?

Mid-adolescence is a phase characterized by a sharp rise in alcohol consumption. Because premature drinking onset has been associated with social and health problems—including participation in risky sexual activities—underage drinking is widely regarded, especially by parents, as a sign of problematic behavior. Research reveals that some parents reduce their support and control in reaction to teen drinking, though the rationale behind this response remains to be fully established.

Glatz, Kerr, and Stattin (2012) applied cognitive dissonance theory to hypothesize about parental responses to adolescent drinking. They proposed that parents of teen drinkers experience cognitive dissonance, and that, in order to reduce the associated distress, these parents alter their own attitudes toward drinking and adopt more permissive views rather than attempting to correct their children's behavior. A school-based longitudinal study sample was used to test this hypothesis. The findings showed that parents of teen drinkers eventually displayed less opposition to adolescent drinking. Furthermore, parents who did not change their views—that is, those who continued to strongly oppose teen drinking—reported higher levels of anxiety compared to parents who adopted more permissive attitudes over time.

These outcomes suggest that, in order to resolve the conflict between awareness of their child's drinking and their own intolerance of adolescent drinking, parents alter their perceptions and adopt more liberal views. This finding is significant because it suggests that parental attitudes toward teen drinking contribute substantially to reducing teenage drinking. Such information may help improve interventions aimed at reinforcing strict parental stances against underage alcohol use (Glatz, Stattin, & Kerr, 2012).

Social Learning Theory and Pediatric Pain

Bandura's social learning theory, proposed in 1977, is a second foundational social psychological model. It is grounded in the belief that individuals learn from social interactions and that the observation of others' behavior independently helps one develop and display similar behavior. From the standpoint of applied social psychology, this theory helps explain potential techniques for reducing worry and apprehension during clinical procedures. Pain represents a social experience, and inadequately managed procedural pain has both short- and long-term adverse effects on children.

Blanchette and Page (2009) examined social learning theory's contribution to the development, expression, and maintenance of procedural pain in pediatric patients. The theory provides theoretical insights into pain experience, as well as practical therapeutic mechanisms. From a social learning perspective, cognitive behavior therapy may integrate multiple sources that influence self-efficacy—such as emotional arousal through imagery, videotaped modeling or vicarious experience, and behavioral rehearsal or performance achievements—as well as distraction-based behavioral training, in order to reduce procedural pain in children (Page & Blanchette, 2009).

Conclusion

The articles discussed above explicitly describe how social psychology models and concepts can be applied to resolving practical and social issues across all domains of life, including familial issues, risky teen behaviors, terror management, health, and social networking. A majority of social issues contain socio-psychological elements, and applied social psychology facilitates both the clarification and resolution of those issues. The four theories reviewed here—cognitive dissonance, social learning, social penetration, and terror management—demonstrate that the discipline offers concrete, empirically grounded frameworks for improving individual and collective well-being.

References

Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84(2), 191–215. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037//0033-295x.84.2.191

Brehm, J. (2007). A brief history of dissonance theory. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 1(1), 381–391. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2007.00035.x

Glatz, T., Stattin, H., & Kerr, M. (2012). A test of cognitive dissonance theory to explain parents' reactions to youths' alcohol intoxication. Family Relations, 61(4), 629–641. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2012.00723.x

Greenberg, J., & Kosloff, S. (2008). Terror management theory: Implications for understanding prejudice, stereotyping, intergroup conflict, and political attitudes. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2(5), 1881–1894. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9004.2008.00144.x

Kok, G., Schaalma, H., De Vries, H., Parcel, G., & Paulussen, T. (2011). Social psychology and health education. European Review of Social Psychology, 7(1), 241–282. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14792779643000038

Page, L., & Blanchette, J. (2009). Social learning theory: Toward a unified approach of pediatric procedural pain. International Journal of Behavioral Consultation and Therapy, 5(1), 124–141. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0100875

Schaalma, H. P., Kok, G., Poelman, J., & Reinders, J. (1994). Development AIDS education: A systematic approach based on research, theories and cooperation. In D. R. Rutter & L. Quine (Eds.), Social psychology and health: European perspectives (pp. 175–194). Avebury.

Schneider, F., Gruman, J., & Coutts, L. (2012). Applied social psychology (1st ed.). Sage.

Tang, J., & Wang, C. (2012). Self-disclosure among bloggers: Re-examination of social penetration theory. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15(5), 245–250. http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2011.0403