Unlocking Human Dynamics: The Power of Social Interaction in Shaping Psychology

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Psychology, the study of me and you, has largely been interesting because of its ability to bring forth the hidden us. Nevertheless, one of the evidence-based branches of psychology, experimental psychology, has most dealt with individuals for the past several decades. It has been discussed how brain and neural activity in the body shape us. However, now the focus has changed from studying psychology in individuals to studying it in relation to the interaction of individuals with each other.

Experts, and believe it or not, every individual with a sound mind believes that people are shaped by their interactions. This interaction starts at the very beginning of life. For instance, an infant is unable to live without interacting with their parents, and their parents, in turn, feel rewarded when they fulfill their infant’s needs. With the passage of time, when infants grow, they start showing interaction with other people. They develop social interaction, in which they not only shape the thinking and behavior of others but are also shaped by the thinking and behavior of others. They like gossiping with like-minded people. Interestingly, the level of social interaction is not limited to human beings; other species also show this interaction. Experts opinionated that all these processes give strength to the idea that studying an individual in isolation may not be of sufficient help as compared to studying the individuals in their social context in which they interact with each other.

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Researchers in the field of psychology have also developed several instruments and resources to study social. Initially, interaction chronographs were developed and audio recordings were studied, but in recent times, computers have been more successfully used in the study of interaction psychology. With further advancements and the increased utilization of natural language processing (NLP) techniques and other approaches, such as the usage of body camera footage, the interaction processes have been rigorously studied. Machine learning algorithms have also been largely utilized to detect linguistic patterns and behaviors and explore interaction approaches. Researchers keep on exploring large-scale social media data in combination with NLP techniques to study the influence of different minds on each other, co-creation of ideas, sharing of emotional experiences, and developing bonds. Now, it has been learned that people keep on learning and remembering new information, and these processes are largely based on the types and patterns of social interactions.

Consequently, experts stated, “The most important determinants of successful development, mental health, and our individual traits and preferences arise from interacting with other individuals. Social interaction underpins who we are, how we think, and how we behave.”

Reference:

Wheatley, T., Thornton, M. A., Stolk, A., & Chang, L. J. (2024). The Emerging Science of Interacting Minds. Perspect Psychol Sci, 19(2), 355-373. https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916231200177