Originally published in 1987 this third edition won praise from students and instructors alike for its challenging "no nonsense" approach to the field. Thoroughly updated to reflect current research of the time, the text retains the qualities that had become its hallmarks: a cognitive approach to the process of socialization, and an emphasis on the ideas that give the discipline continuity. It offers clear, conceptually integrated discussions of all of the major topics in social psychology from the time.

Shaver's focus on the concepts of social psychology provides a framework for students to develop their own applications. The principles of social behavior are presented in the text in the same way they develop in the individual moving from internal processes (social perception, self-recognition) to external issues (the environment, the law) that influence behavior. Shaver weaves contemporary issues into his treatment of basic theories, using examples from everyday situations. His supple writing engages students in the complexity of social behavior, and is one reason this title remained one of the most highly regarded texts in the field at the time.