Fay Short
Social psychology is an expansive field and the coverage required to gain a thorough understanding is both broad and deep. It is, therefore, difficult to find a textbook to successfully address all aspects of a course on this subject in sufficient depth. However, I feel that the sixth edition of Social Psychology by Hogg and Vaughan succeeds in this aim to an admirable extent.
On initial inspection, this book is both visually appealing and a little overwhelming. It is printed in full colour with lots of pictures, diagrams, and text boxes. The images are interesting, often humorous, and occasionally culturally current (for example, the concept of induced compliance is illustrated by a picture of Carol Thatcher in the popular television program ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’). The colour-coded pages make it possible to locate the reference section by examining only the spine and the colour-coded backgrounds to the various text boxes make it easy to navigate through the chapters. These may appear to be minor points, but navigation is essential when one is ploughing through such a large tome. The sheer size of this book ensures that the coverage is exceptionally thorough, but the heavy weight of 763 pages and the huge chunks of text in many of the paragraphs could be a little too much for the student studying this subject as only one of many topics in psychology. As a lecturer teaching in the online age, my concern would be that my students might feel so overwhelmed by this book that they resort to potentially unreliable web sources instead (in the manner of one who is so overwhelmed by the task of eating a large meal that he snacks on a bar of chocolate).
Expansive content does, however, ensure that this is the only textbook needed to study social psychology at undergraduate level. The book covers all of the main topics highlighted in the BPS guidelines for accredited psychology degree programmes (in fact, the author has conveniently provided a brief overview of the chapters matched to these guidelines at the start of the book) and the content includes all of the classic theories and key studies. Social psychology, however, is such a field with ever changing research aims and unfortunately the research literature in this book does contain some minor omissions. For example, there is a wealth of current relationship research exploring social networking, online dating, and same-sex marriages, but these areas are only covered briefly in this textbook. This means that the content occasionally feels slightly dated in certain areas, but such omissions are few in number and the coverage is more usually exhaustive (even to the extent of referencing research into the use of emoticons in internet language). It is also important to note that this edition of the textbook has been updated in terms of current theory relative to previous editions, so perhaps these few minor criticisms will be addressed in the next version.
One of my favourite features of this book is the use of text boxes for additional information such as classic studies, research applications, and real-world examples. I feel that the real-world examples are a particularly good addition since social psychology is so applicable to the world beyond academia and the reader is naturally interested in applying theory to their own experiences. Indeed, I find this so appealing that my only criticism is that it is a little under-used in the book, as there are many missed occasions throughout the text when culturally current examples could be used to illustrate a theoretical concept.
Another positive feature of this book is the provision of various aides to understanding. In addition to a complete glossary at the back of the book, key words throughout the text are highlighted in purple and repeated in the margin alongside a definition. This means that the reader has an instant understanding of the term without having to break away from the content to find the word in the back of the book. Further support is given by reviewing content in bullet-point form in a final
summary box at the end of each chapter. This is extremely beneficial for the reader who has felt a little overwhelmed by the volume of content as they can get a snapshot of their reading experience and quickly determine whether they have missed any crucial information. Each chapter also concludes with a thought-provoking Guided Questions box, signposting Learn More box, and a fascinating Literature, Film, and TV box. I was particularly delighted with this media box as it provided me with an opportunity to recommend films to my students with the aim of continuing their learning experience under the guise of entertainment. Movies included in this text box were clearly described in terms of the film synopsis and the links with the chapter content. I must admit to using this section as an invaluable guide to my own Saturday night entertainment!Perhaps the most appealing feature of this text does not lie within the pages of the book at all, but is instead accessible through the online Pearson MyPsychLab site. This extensive suite of student resources includes an e-text version of the book, video and audio clips related to the topics, revision questions with instant feedback, and a range of links to other relevant websites. From the lecturer perspective, downloadable instructor resources include PowerPoint slides and a manual containing teaching objectives, suggested exercises, and discussion topics for each chapter. Tutor resources also include a test bank of multiple-choice questions not accessible to students - an invaluable supplement for the busy lecturer as it provides a ready-made selection of questions to be incorporated into an exam paper.
In conclusion, I found this textbook to be interesting, informative, current, and engaging. It is easily navigated despite the size, and the exhaustive content demonstrates both breadth and depth in terms of topic coverage. Overall, it is a valuable resource for lecturers and an excellent learning aid for undergraduate students studying social psychology.
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