TY - JOUR
T1 - Realizing the Promise of Social Psychology in Improving Public Health
AU - Klein, William M.P.
AU - Shepperd, James A.
AU - Suls, Jerry
AU - Rothman, Alexander J.
AU - Croyle, Robert T.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.
PY - 2015/2/14
Y1 - 2015/2/14
N2 - The theories, phenomena, empirical findings, and methodological approaches that characterize contemporary social psychology hold much promise for addressing enduring problems in public health. Indeed, social psychologists played a major role in the development of the discipline of health psychology during the 1970s and 1980s. The health domain allows for the testing, refinement, and application of many interesting and important research questions in social psychology, and offers the discipline a chance to enhance its reach and visibility. Nevertheless, in a review of recent articles in two major social-psychological journals (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology), we found that only 3.2% of 467 studies explored health-related topics. In this article, we identify opportunities for research at the interface of social psychology and health, delineate barriers, and offer strategies that can address these barriers as the discipline continues to evolve.
AB - The theories, phenomena, empirical findings, and methodological approaches that characterize contemporary social psychology hold much promise for addressing enduring problems in public health. Indeed, social psychologists played a major role in the development of the discipline of health psychology during the 1970s and 1980s. The health domain allows for the testing, refinement, and application of many interesting and important research questions in social psychology, and offers the discipline a chance to enhance its reach and visibility. Nevertheless, in a review of recent articles in two major social-psychological journals (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin and Journal of Personality and Social Psychology), we found that only 3.2% of 467 studies explored health-related topics. In this article, we identify opportunities for research at the interface of social psychology and health, delineate barriers, and offer strategies that can address these barriers as the discipline continues to evolve.
KW - health behavior
KW - health psychology
KW - public health
KW - social psychology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84920645381&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1177/1088868314539852
DO - 10.1177/1088868314539852
M3 - Article
C2 - 24981514
AN - SCOPUS:84920645381
SN - 1088-8683
VL - 19
SP - 77
EP - 92
JO - Personality and Social Psychology Review
JF - Personality and Social Psychology Review
IS - 1
ER -