SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGY - THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN SOCIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY

In the area of social psychology, sociologists have drawn more frequently from psychologists than the reverse. This is in part because sociologists more often assess the degree to which status characteristics, social relationships, and structural contexts influence individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, while psychologists more often explicate the mechanisms through which such social factors affect individuals. I illustrate these differences by discussing points of parallel theoretical development between the two disciplines, substantive divisions of labor, and selected topics of mutual inquiry. Although sociologists benefit substantially from psychologists' work, sociologists could offer their counterparts more pointed demonstrations that sociological mechanisms are crucial for explaining key psychological phenomena and that structural contexts constrain individuals' behaviors in ways often overlooked by psychologists.