Critical Studies in the History of Social Psychology

Abstract

Recent investigations of the history of social psy chology demonstrate that the internal development of theory, methods and research cannot be separated from the social con text in which they occur. Instead, these developments reflect a dialectical exchange between science and society. The present paper reviews recent studies of social psychology's historical development; points out the inadequacies of traditional views of our history as a progression from metaphysical speculation to scientific experimentation; and discusses the implications of critical history for our "current crisis."