Understanding the Differences Between Neuroscience and Social Psychology

Funny timing… I just edited that part of my classification document. Even though psych was my BA back in the day, I've never found a clear universal way of dividing it into types. Different sources have different opinions, and most psychology people are a lot less technical/analytical than those in the hard sciences.

My Creative Division

The attached screenshot is my own creation. It’s the only way I see that honors the scope/size of each one—“Field” vs. “Branch.” Otherwise, it all loses relevance, and you might as well make up your own.

Anyway: the two specific branches you asked about are pretty different from each other.

Neuropsychology: Biopsychology-Related

Neuropsychology is biopsychology-related. It investigates actual neurology and overlaps with neurosciences. It focuses on what’s going on in the actual physical central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) that influence thoughts and behaviors.

Social Psychology: Behavioral Studies Without Technical Knowledge

On the other hand, social psychology is a branch of behavioral studies that focuses on non-technical aspects. Technically, one could be an expert/specialist here without knowing the word for a single organ in the central nervous system. It analyses how people’s mentality and behavior are shaped by society and interactions.

Both Concerned with Mental Processes, but Different Roots

In a nutshell, both fields are concerned with the roots of people’s mentality, thoughts, feelings, ideas, motivations, attitudes, etc., and their corresponding behaviors. However, they just investigate different types of roots:

Social Psychology: Interactions with Others

With social psychology, the focus is on the interactions of people around them—everything from global issues, crime, socioeconomic differences, to common daily social interactions, such as their closest friends' fashion styles, social media profiles, and more.

Neuroscience: Brain Structure and Function

With neuropsychology, the focus is on the structure and functioning of the brain and spinal cord inside the person's body.

Focus on Cause and Effect vs. Function and Form

Both study behavior, but their methodologies and areas of focus are quite different. Neuroscience studies specific empirical attributes, focusing on cause and effect. Psychology, by definition, is the study of statistics, a branch of mathematics, focusing on function and form.

First Principles of Mathematics, Science, and Technology

First Principles dictate the foundational concepts:

Mathematics is the manipulation of function and form to elucidate cause and effect. Science is the manipulation of cause and effect to elucidate function and form. Technology is the final proof or the transcendence that can lift and outlast a civilization.

Software is a use of technology, not a technology itself.

Complexity and Continuity

Complexity and Continuity are key:

The Rational, defined as an implementation of the rules that iteratively bind cause, effect, function, and form, creates a universe that depends on points. The RMCM (Rational Mechanics of Complex Systems) defines the following concepts:

Attribute: any given Cause, Effect, Function, or Form. Constraint: any given embrace. Experience: any change to a given aggregate that becomes an Attribute of that aggregate. Value: any flow within a given flow.

Conclusion

Understanding the differences between neuroscience and social psychology is crucial for anyone interested in the nuances of human behavior and mental processes. While both fields share the common goal of understanding human behavior, they approach the subject matter from different angles and with different methodologies, each contributing unique insights to the broader understanding of the human mind.