This textbook serves as an introduction to the field of applied social psychology, which focuses on understanding social and practical problems and on developing intervention strategies directed at the amelioration of such problems. A core feature of the book is attaining a balance among theory, research, and application. In the Second Edition, the contributing authors have updated the text with the latest research and incorporated current examples to which students can relate.

NEW TO THE SECOND EDITION

- Three chapters comprise a new section, Part 3, which focuses on personal applications of social psychology to one’s own life. The chapters include Applying Social Psychology to Personal Relationships (Chapter 15), and Applying Social Psychology to the Classroom (Chapter 16)—both originally in one chapter (Chapter 5) of the previous edition—and a completely new chapter, Applying Social Psychology to Positive Wellbeing (Chapter 17).
- This book introduces new research and intervention strategies relevant to the application of social psychology in different areas of life, such as the effects of embedded sexual content in the media, team goal-setting and cohesion, and the inducement of pro-environment behavior.
- The restructured and revised Chapter 12, Applying Social Psychology to the Community, includes a new opening vignette and new Culture Capsule feature. In addition, there are new sections on the values and approaches of community psychology, sense of community, diversity versus prejudice and discrimination, and achievement of social change.

KEY FEATURES

- The book is written for students with upper-level undergraduate and lower-level graduate backgrounds.
- The content and emphases of the book are guided by the assumption that at the core of applied social psychology is the development of intervention strategies for improving the functioning of individuals, groups, organizations, communities, and societies. Both student and instructor are encouraged to keep their attention on the promise of the field in addressing social and practical problems.
- The book is unique among applied social psychology books in that it contains chapters that focus on personal interventions (i.e., how readers can apply social psychology to their own lives) as well as chapters that focus on structured programs.
- Each chapter in Part 2 includes at least one "Focus on Research" section and one "Focus on Intervention" section which review research studies and social-psychologically based interventions in greater detail.
- All chapters in Parts 2 and 3 include a "Culture Capsule" feature that illustrates how social psychological knowledge from one cultural context may not necessarily generalize to other cultural contexts. This discussion recognizes that it cannot be assumed that theoretical principles, research findings, and intervention practices that are well established in the North American context would necessarily hold true or be successful in significantly different cultures.
- Other pedagogical features that enhance the student learning experience include chapter-opening outlines, chapter-opening vignettes, highlighted key terms, and chapter-ending summaries.

A password-protected Instructor Teaching Site includes a test bank in Mircosoft® Word, with multiple choice questions and answers for each chapter of the book found at www.sagepub.com/schneider2e.