It is during playtime that most opportunities for social interactions manifest themselves among young children. In addition, peer interaction, especially among young children, enables them to learn motor, communication, and cognitive skills (Hockenbury & Hockenbury, 2006). Playing with others inculcates in children suitable social mannerisms such as respecting other people’s property, cooperation, and sharing etc. However, as the child grows, they develop an interest in interacting and playing with other children (Kowalski & Westen, 2009). This forms the genesis of the cycle of social interaction whereby these friends either like or dislike the child. At first, children often find themselves placed in their parents’ situations and more so in the circle of their parents’ friends-those the parents interact with. Regardless of other people’s thoughts and opinions, parents teach their children the sense of “self”. Among the first things that children come into contact with are social interaction and influences from their parents and caregivers (Hockenbury & Hockenbury, 2006). As soon as children are born, they have no idea whatsoever on what to expect from their surrounding environment. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to illustrate the role of social interactions in social psychology and also explain the various aspects of social interactions.įrom childhood to adulthood, social interactions can be termed to be among the key factors in predicting the well-being and physical health of an individual. They include, biological factors, basic cognitive processes, characteristics and actions of others, cultural context, and ecological variables (Hockenbury & Hockenbury, 2006). The factors affecting social interactions can be classified into five main categories. Social interactions assist in shaping how we act and who we are in various situations (Baron, Byrne, & Suls, 2000). It investigates the means by which our actions, thoughts, and feelings are influenced by the social environments in which we live (Baron, Byrne, & Branscombe, 2008). As a scientific study, social psychology aims at understanding the causes and nature of individual thought and behavior in the social situation. On the other hand, according to Suls, “social psychology is the scientific field that aims to understand the nature and causes of individual behavior in social situations” (Baron, Byrne, & Suls, 2000). This means that social interaction exists despite there being no physical behavior involved for instance, when competitors intentionally ignore each other’s professional work. For instance, army commanders preparing war plan against their enemies or friends writing letters to each other are forms of social interactions regardless of such actions not being directly physical or in sight. In social interactions, involved parties must bear in mind each other’s self. Social interactions can also refer to practices, acts or actions of two or more people jointly concerned with each other’s selves any behavior that takes into account or tries to affect each other’s personal intentions or experiences (Baron, Byrne, & Branscombe, 2008). Social interactions can be defined as certain forms of externalities, in which the activities of a reference group influence an individual’s preferences. The Role of Social Interactions in Social Psychology
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