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Theory in Applied Social Psychology

Past Mistakes and Future Hopes

College of Staten Island, City University of New York

Across the last four decades, applied social psychology has sought to apply theories to ‘real world’ social problems, hoping for some insight into intractable social issues. This paper reviews applied social psychology discourse on the application of theory in the resolution of social problems, with a focus on the ‘post-crisis’ literature. This analysis suggests that much of applied social psychology lacks serious theoretical analysis and has yet to use the kind of theory needed to understand social problems. While exceptions to these trends are noted and discussed, current mainstream applied social psychology, as exemplified by a survey of recent texts, seems highly individualistic, rarely focused on important social issues, and generally atheoretical. Two themes, which run counter to these trends—the emergence of critical psychology and renewed attention to the limits of generalizability, along with the importance of knowing contexts—may set the agenda for further theoretical efforts in applied social psychology.

Key Words: application • applied social psychology • history • theory

Theory & Psychology, Vol. 16, No. 5, 613-640 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0959354306067440


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