Readings About the Social Animal

by Joshua Aronson, Elliot Aronson

Exploring the most important ideas in social psychology, this collection of classic and contemporary readings includes accounts of specific experimental findings as well as more general summaries of key topics.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Sociology, School, Philosophy, Read For School, Science

624 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. I've had a copy for years that I've worn out. Makes for great beach reading. Make sure you bring your horn-rim glasses and steely judgemental stare you aim at everyone who walks by whom you think is judging you. They don't understand the depth of your soul. You are a scientist. While they hook up at tourist bars full of college kids and cougars, you'll be sitting in your weekend rental, learning the inner workings of human behavior. Why did you agree to go on spring break? These things always depress you. Go to the bar and order a mai tai. But bring the book for company. Everyone else is dumb.

[Kate]

Haven't started this one yet but it's got a cartoon dog on the cover. Looks promising!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

[Reading]

《社会性动物 进阶阅读》第12版 （美）乔舒亚·阿伦森、艾略特·阿伦森。

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It might be surprising that I gave this book 3 stars, considering the lone 1 star and deep criticisms I gave to the book it supplements: The Social Animal, Ninth Edition by the same author, Elliot Aronson. However, it is important to compare the purposes of each book.

The Social Animal (TSA) is meant to be a primary text on the subject of social psychology and in that it is utterly inadequate. Readings about the Social Animal (RATSA) is meant to be a collection of key research studies in the field of social psychology that exemplify the terms and theories and it is successful in its goal.

Aronson compiled a truly enlightening set of cases. The cases themselves are so interesting, in fact, that they are great to read without the main text (TSA). However, I cannot give this book more than 3 stars because:
A) This book is certainly not enough to compensate for all of TSA's shortcomings. My social psychology professor took the initiative to define all the terms that the main book did not.
B) While Aronson compiled the research papers included in this book, the papers are ultimately the work of other researchers. One could not give credit for songs to a DJ who just plays them in an appealing order; accordingly, giving any more stars would unduly credit Aronson for the works of innovators who produced the studies.
C) This book is not as helpful to readers who do not know how to read research papers so its usefulness is limited by how much the reader already brings to the table.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Required reading in my grad social psyc course. Would also be appropriate for undergrad. It serves as a nice bridge from a classic social psyc. text to a typical, current article in Journal of Personality and Social Psyc. It contains excerpts from classic social psyc studies in years gone by, so students get exposure to those in a very readable format.

[Sergiu]

"In a more general vein, the current data support Greenwald's (1980) characterization of the self or ego as analogous to a totalitarian political regime in which history is revised and fabricated to suit present concerns. Individuals appear to be revisionist historians with respect to their personal memories."

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of articles on the most influential social psych experiments of the postwar era. These are journal articles, so they aren't exactly enjoyable to read.