Psychological issues triggered by social transformation have attracted widespread attention among social psychologists. Some scholars claim that the current social transformation provides a rare opportunity to advance social psychology studies.

Social psychology is an interdisciplinary domain that bridges the gap between psychology and sociology. In recent years amid the transformation of Chinese society, social psychology studies have become more significant. Wang Xinjian, a professor at the Zhou Enlai School of Government at Nankai University, said that social psychology is a significant component for studying social transition.

On one hand, studies reflect social psychologists’ attention of real issues. On the other hand, it is also a necessary condition for promoting social reform and transformation, added Wang.

“Recent studies are conducive to promoting the theoretical and practical development of social psychology,” said Yu Guoliang, director of the Department of Psychology at Renmin University of China, adding that social transition provides a rare opportunity for scholars to advance social psychology studies.
 

“In studying the cause of social transformation, we must focus on the localization of social psychology in China,” said Ma Xiangzhen, director of the Institute of Applied Psychology at Southeast University in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. She claimed that it is of significance for fine tuning psychology in China and constructing the theoretical system of social psychology and behavior that scholars explore the influence of the transformation of social psychology by discussing topics, including social change, economic reform and culture transformation. “Studying the social transformation is a significant approach to developing social psychology in China,” added Ma.
 

Over the past 30 years, social psychology in China has undergone rapid development. However, some scholars noted that its study still faces many challenges.
 

Wang said that current social psychology studies focus more on the psychological issues of some special groups, including migrant workers and university students, while lacking the support of a theoretical framework.
Ma said that current social psychology studies pay attention to people’s psychology and behavior for the purpose of empirical research. However, this kind of research ignores in-depth exploration of issues and theory-building, causing irrational academic patterns, said Ma.
 

How to advance social psychology in China by studying social psychological issues during the transformation period has become a significant part of advancing the future development of the discipline.
 

“Influenced by traditional Chinese culture, Chinese people’s social psychology and behavior have special characteristics that distinguish them from Westerners,” Wang said, adding that future social psychology studies should reflect the influence of Chinese culture.
 

In addition, Yu also stressed the combination of research and application. He claimed that some scholars focus more on research methods, losing the relationship with China’s real issues. However, others pay more attention to practical issues, lacking in-depth theoretical analysis. Social psychology is a discipline closely combining research and application, with the aim of finding an effective approach to address real issues, added Yu.