Social Psychology and its Interface with Psychosocial Counselling

Abstract

This article was developed based on the qualitative literature research with the intention of exploring the field of social psychology and its interface with psychosocial counselling. Social psychology seeks to understand how each person’s social behaviour is influenced by the culture, situation and environment in which it takes place; whereas psychosocial counselling aims to enhance the client’s psychological and social functioning in the context of his environment and circumstance. Social psychology and psychosocial counselling have both tended to focus more on managing specific human problems and social issues. The long established partnership between these two perspectives has resulted in the development of scientific theory and practical interventions over several decades. This implies that social psychology provides a framework of resources from which psychosocial counselling draws when dealing with the diverse problem situations that affect people in their social lives. The research question was: What elements in social psychology can interface with psychosocial counselling? The focus of the research was on three key elements in social psychology: self-concept, social attitudes and social prejudice. This article illustrates how these elements interface with psychosocial counselling. Therefore, social psychology and psychosocial counselling both have a significant role to play in the wider spectrum of social-welfare and human-relation services offered to needy people at all levels of contact.