As an applied science standing at the crossroads of so many disciplines, social psychology should have great potential for offering insight into countless aspects of our social lives. But teachers and students of social psychology often lament that the relevance of the subject to 'the real world' can remain obscure, as can the applicability of theories and models which continue to provide th4e foundation of the subdiscipline. Applying Social Psychology really does apply social psychology. It not only considers research which has been applied directly to social issues but also evaluates the process whereby social psychology has been and can be applied to an understanding of the social world.

Working to a common format in each chapter, the text is organised around key aspects of our lives (including work, education, health, sport, conflict, communication, economic life, crime, the environment), illustrating how multiple perspectives can work together to help understand the complexities of our social world.