The social psychology studies life of human society and also as far as the group of people can be subject to certain emotional phenomena. This science tries to imagine society as the separate isolated organism, it is on a joint of sociology and psychology, and problems of social psychology lie in space between these two disciplines too.
Prescientific stage
In spite of the fact that people at the beginning of a civilization did not realize themselves as society, some phenomena and traditions from their life can be carried to the subject studied by social psychology it is absolutely indisputable fact. For example, various rituals and ceremonies and also public traditions which regulated stability and integrity of the tribe are a study subject for social psychology.
Philosophical stage
Philosophers raised questions for themselves from the field of social psychology since ancient times, they do not stop doing it and today. For example, Aristotle and Platon – recognized philosophers of antiquity, considered the social and psychological problems in terms of philosophy. Then Russo, Hegel, and later and Hobbes with Locke set to work. Philosophers gradually come that knowledge of social psychology is divided into theoretical and applied parts.
Phenomenological stage
It is a stage just before which the social psychology was recognized as separate science. In many respects its rasprostaneniye was affected by criminology, development of the cities and increase in urban population. The saved-up data on history and tenor of life of the different people of the past helped to define the important points which later are been the basis for new science. Scientists at that time were engaged in the fact that they compared and analyzed the available materials, they did not put experiments and did not conduct researches. It is possible to reveal a class of psychological factors also: collective spirit, behavior of crowd, imitation leader and others.
Formation of social psychology
In the middle of the 19th century the social psychology was distinguished from other sciences, then the main problems which it studies were defined. At this time the majority of works which express the point of view predominating in this science on many subjects also today was created and published.
Division into schools and solution of practical tasks
This stage began in the forties the 20th century and lasts till present. The fundamental theory is adequately developed, more and more people incline to practical researches, being guided by applied aspects of social psychology. Special attention is paid to "small theories", that is psychology of behavior of separate groups. For example, it is psychology of advertizing or business, psychology of behavior of children's group and others.