Social Psychology, Canadian Edition, 8th edition

Published by Pearson Canada (January 13, 2026) © 2027
  • Elliot Aronson
  • Timothy D. Wilson
  • Samuel R Sommers
  • Elizabeth Page-Gould
  • Neil Lewis Jr.
  • Claire Midgley
  • Beverley Fehr

Title overview

For courses in Social Psychology.

Make research relevant through a storytelling approach

Social Psychology introduces the key concepts of the field through an acclaimed storytelling approach that makes research relevant to students. Drawing upon their extensive experience as researchers and teachers, the authors present the classic studies that have driven the discipline alongside the cutting-edge research that is the future of social psychology.

The Canadian edition features the latest cutting edge research in the field. The authors have conducted an extensive updating of the literature, adding nearly 900 new references since the last edition. Of these, more than 250 are new studies by Canadian researchers.

Hallmark Features

  • Learning objectives appear at the beginning of the chapter so that it is clear what the learning goals are for that chapter. We also repeat the learning objectives in the relevant sections to remind you, and then we present them again in the summary.
  • Opening each chapter are current real-life cases that illustrate the concepts to come. We refer to this event at several points in the chapter, clarifying the relevance of the material you are learning.
  • Key terms are in boldface type in the text so that you’ll notice them. We define the terms in the text, and that definition appears again in the margin (or as pop-ups in the eTextbook). These marginal definitions are there to help you out if later in the chapter you forget what something means. The marginal/pop-up definitions are short and easy to find. You can also look up key terms in the alphabetical Glossary at the end of this textbook.
  • Be sure to do the Try It! exercises. They will solidify the concepts and help you see how they can be applied to your own life. Some of the Try It! exercises replicate social psychology experiments. Others reproduce self-report scales so you can see where you stand in relation to other people. Still others are short quizzes that illustrate social psychological concepts. The answers to most of these exercises can be found in the Instructor’s Resource Manual accompanying this text.
    • The summary at the end of each chapter is a succinct shorthand presentation of the chapter information. You should read it and make sure there are no surprises when you do. If anything in the summary doesn’t ring a bell, go back to the chapter and reread that section. Most important, remember that the summary is intentionally brief, whereas your understanding of the material should be full and complete.

New to this Edition

The Indigenous Review Process. Social psychology, with its focus on prejudice and identity, has much to offer to initiatives designed to reduce prejudice. Work to reduce prejudice is highly relevant to Indigenous Peoples, who often experience intense prejudice, discrimination, and stereotyping. Despite this intersection of interests, representation of Indigenous Peoples in social psychology is severely lacking. The Indigenous reviewer, Iloradanon H. Efimoff (PhD in social and personality psychology), contributed to filling this gap through their review of the current text. In their role, they gathered and incorporated context about Indigenous Peoples and research related to Indigenous Peoples.

What's New

  • AI Study Tool. Designed for students who want to save time and study efficiently, this eText includes Pearson’s new genAI study tool. When they open their eText, students can click the AI icon (available on any page) and request summaries, explanations, or practice questions. This tool offers consistent guidance when needed and provides quick, personalized support and feedback by referencing content from their Pearson text.
  • The eighth Canadian edition features the latest cutting-edge research in the field. We have conducted an extensive updating of the literature, adding nearly 900 new references since the last edition. Of these, more than 250 are new studies by Canadian researchers. In each chapter, we also refer to recent news events to illustrate social psychological phenomena.
  • Regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion, we have updated language throughout the book to be more respectful and inclusive. We also made more effort to acknowledge inherent biases in study samples and note where more research is needed to better understand the experiences of a particular group. Finally, more Indigenous content has been interwoven throughout the text, including research conducted by Indigenous researchers.
  • Each chapter also includes Try It! exercises for students to try out what they have learned in their real lives. Many of these exercises have been updated.

Key features

Digital Assets in MyLab Psychology

  • AI Study Tool.Designed for students who want to save time and study efficiently, this eText includes Pearson’s new genAI study tool. When they open their eText, students can click the AI icon (available on any page) and request summaries, explanations, or practice questions. This tool offers consistent guidance when needed and provides quick, personalized support and feedback by referencing content from their Pearson text.
  • Translation Tool.Pearson's new translation tool in eTextbooks allows students to translate words, sentences, or paragraphs up to 10,000 characters on-screen. Supporting over 100 languages, it helps ensure students understand the material, boosting their success.
  • Interactive Reading Assignments.Boost student engagement with all-in-one assignments in MyLab® that combine eTextbook readings, multimedia, assessments, and your own content. Help students stay organized and save time by creating a dynamic learning experience that drives academic success.
  • Ready-to-assign content.Design your own or tap into pre-built templates powered by Pearson’s world-class content, multimedia, and assessments, all curated by leading authors.

Table of contents

  1. Introduction to Social Psychology
  2. Methodology: How Social Psychologists Do Research
  3. Social Cognition: How We Think about the Social World
  4. Social Perception: How We Come to Understand Other People
  5. The Self: Understanding Ourselves in a Social Context
  6. Attitudes and Attitude Change: Influencing Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviour
  7. Conformity: Influencing Others
  8. Group Processes: Influence in Social Groups
  9. Attraction and Relationships: From First Impressions to Close Relationships
  10. Prosocial Behaviour: Why Do People Help?
  11. Aggression: Why We Hurt Other People
  12. Prejudice: Causes and Cures
  13. Social Psychology in Action 1 Using Social Psychology to Achieve a Sustainable Future
  14. Social Psychology in Action 2 Social Psychology and Health
  15. Social Psychology in Action 3 Social Psychology and the Law

Author bios

Elliot Aronson is Professor Emeritus at the University of California at Santa Cruz and 1 of the most renowned social psychologists in the world. In 2002, he was chosen as 1 of the 100 most eminent psychologists of the twentieth century. Dr. Aronson is the only person in the 120-year history of the American Psychological Association to have received all 3 of its major awards: for distinguished writing, distinguished teaching and distinguished research. Many other professional societies have honored his research and teaching as well. These include the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which gave him its highest honor, the Distinguished Scientific Research award; the American Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, which named him Professor of the Year of 1989; the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, which awarded him the Gordon Allport prize for his contributions to the reduction of prejudice among racial and ethnic groups; and the William James Award from the Association for Psychological Science. In 1992, he was named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A collection of papers and tributes by his former students and colleagues, The Scientist and the Humanist, celebrates his contributions to social psychological theory and its application to real-world problems. Dr. Aronson's own recent books for general audiences include Mistakes Were Made (but not by ME), with Carol Tavris, and a memoir, Not by Chance Alone: My Life as a Social Psychologist.

Tim Wilson did his undergraduate work at Williams College and Hampshire College and received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Currently Sherrell J. Aston Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, he has published numerous articles in the areas of introspection, attitude change, self-knowledge and affective forecasting, as well as the books Redirect: The Surprising New Science of Psychological Change and Strangers to Ourselves: Discovering the Adaptive Unconscious. He has received numerous honors, including elections to the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2015 he received the William James Fellow Award from the Association for Psychological Science, which honors recipients "for their lifetime of significant intellectual contributions to the basic science of psychology." Wilson has taught the Introduction to Social Psychology course at the University of Virginia for more than 40 years. In 2001 he was awarded the University of Virginia All-University Outstanding Teaching Award, and in 2015, was awarded the University of Virginia's highest honor, the Thomas Jefferson Award for Excellence in Scholarship.

Beverley Fehr graduated with a B.A. (Hons.) from the University of Winnipeg, where she was awarded the Gold Medal for the highest standing in psychology. She received her M.A. (under the guidance of James Russell) and her Ph.D. (under the guidance of Dan Perlman) from the University of British Columbia. Her doctoral thesis on lay people's conceptions of love and commitment won the Iowa/International Network for the Study of Personal Relationships Dissertation Prize. She has published numerous articles and book chapters on the topics of emotion and close relationships. Her book Friendship Processes (1996) was awarded the 1997 Outstanding Academic Book Award by Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries. Her research is supported by grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Fetzer Institute. She is past president of the International Association for Relationships Research, has served as associate editor of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and is a fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association, the Society for Experimental Social Psychology, the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and the International Association for Relationship Research. She received the Clifford J. Robson Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2016 and the University of Winnipeg Faculty of Arts Research Excellence Award in 2018.

Sam Sommers earned his B.A. from Williams College and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. Since 2003 he has been a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, where he is now Department Chair. His research examines issues related to racial equity and group diversity, with a particular interest in how these processes play out in the legal domain. He has won multiple teaching awards at Tufts, including the Lerman-Neubauer Prize for Outstanding Teaching and Advising and the Gerald R. Gill Professor of the Year Award. He was also inducted into the Tufts Hall of Diversity for his efforts to promote an inclusive climate on campus for all students. He has testified as an expert witness on issues related to racial bias, jury decision making and eyewitness memory in criminal trial proceedings in 8 states. He has written 2 general audience books related to social psychology: Situations Matter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World (2011) and This Is Your Brain on Sports: The Science of Underdogs, the Value of Rivalry, and What We Can Learn from the T-shirt Cannon (2016). He is also co-author of Invitation to Psychology (8th edition) and Psychology (13th edition), along with Carole Wade, Carol Tavris and Lisa Shin.

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