Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of others. It assumes that humans are subject to social influences even when alone, such as when watching television. Social psychologists examine factors that cause behaviours to unfold in a given way in the presence of others. Social psychology is concerned with the way feelings, thoughts, beliefs, intentions, and goals are cognitively constructed and how these mental representations, in turn, influence our interactions with others. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_psychology).
Much research in social psychology has consisted of laboratory experiments on social behaviour, but this approach has been criticized in recent years as being too stultifying, artificial, and unrealistic. Much of the conceptual background of research in social psychology derives from other fields of psychology. While learning theory and psychoanalysis were once most influential, cognitive and linguistic approaches to research have become more popular; sociological contributions also have been influential. (Source: https://www.britannica.com/science/social-psychology)
You need to keep this overview in mind as you learn the following key studies: