Experimental social psychology in Canada: A look at the Seventies.

Abstract

The experimental literature published by Canadian-based researchers in social psychology for the period of 1970-1979 was examined. The topics of study included attitude change, group processes, aggression, helping behaviour, impression formation, attribution, moral judgment, the social psychology of criminal justice, and discipline related issues. Contributions based on systematic empirical work and/or conceptual insights were noted especially in the areas of attitudes, aggression, moral judgment and the social psychology of criminal justice. Progress was achieved on historically traditional issues, as well as on new areas of concern. Unfortunately programmatic research constituted only a small portion of the reviewed literature. The review of the entire body of experimental literature did not reveal any distinctively Canadian issues but rather those of social psychologists in general.

The origins and development of social psychology in Canada

“…These imported scholars not only increased numbers, but brought a ready‐made experimental social psychology that, with the exception of Walters' social developmental research and a few others, had been lacking. That they contributed a much‐valued diversity to Canadian research was evident in the assessment of experimental social psychological research for the decade of the 1970s (Rule & Wells, 1981). Brendan Rule and Gary Wells observed that Canadian experimental social psychologists were researching attitudes, group processes, aggression, helping behaviour, impression formation, attribution, moral judgment, nonverbal behaviour, the criminal justice process, methodology, and discipline‐related issues.…”

La psychologie sociale appliquêe: pourquoi et comment?

“…Par exemple, Rule et Wells (1981) ont fait rkemment un relevt des recherches canadiennes effectutes en psychologie sociale exptrimentale depuis les dix dernikres anntes. Une des constatations qu'ils formulent est que les psychologues sociaux, meme s'ils oeuvrent au Canada, font B peu p r b ce que font leurs confrtres amtricains.…”

“…De plus, la majoritt des recherches rtpertorikes ne s'inske pas dans le cadre de programmes de recherches s'tchelonnant sur plusieurs annks mais sont plutat de type ponctuel. Le relevt de Rule et Wells (1981) ne couvre pas non plus les recherches hors laboratoire comme celles portant sur le bilinguisme, les relations inter-ethniques ou les recherches transculturelles. Ces recherches prksentent pourtant une valeur et un inttret importants en ce qu'elles sont frtquemment l i k s B des prtcoccupations pour la qualitt de la vie.…”

“…L'aspect fragmentt des recherches reste encore un probltme en psychologie sociale nordamtrimhe. Ce que Rule et Wells (1981) ont nott, d'autres l'avaient constatt, il y a quelques anntes. Ainsi, Schlenker (1977) affirme que:…”

“…Selon Steiner (1974)' vers la fin des annkes soixante: interest in the group as a system has waned and research was generally focused on intraindividual events or processes that mediate responses to social situations. (p. 74) Rule et Wells (1981) notent, qu'a l'exclusion des recherches sur les biais inter-groupes, les domaines de recherches sur les groupes auraient ktk victimes d'une perte de popularite auprks des chercheurs subissant I'influence des modes passagkres.…”