what is the purpose of social psychology
social exchange theory the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs superordinate goals shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation
View All. Social psychology research methods allow psychologists to get a better look at what causes people to engage in certain behaviors in social situations. In order to empirically study social behavior, psychologists rely on a number of different scientific methods to conduct research on social psychology topics. These methods allow researchers to test hypotheses and theories and look for relationships between different variables.