Ethics of experimental methods were called into question. The continuing efforts to address these issues result in a stronger, more vital field of social psychology. The self is shaped by and shapes the social environment. People as selves are active agents in their social worlds, promoting desired changes in the environment. The manner in which people think about themselves, the self-concept, influences social behavior.
Culture shapes social behavior.
Culture is defined as the total lifestyle of people from a particular social grouping, including all the ideas, symbols, preferences, and material objects that they share. Researchers culture can shape their perceptions. Ideology is defined as a set of beliefs and values held by the members of a social group, which explains its culture both to itself and to other groups. Ideology guides society the way self-concept guides an individual s behavior. Societies containing diverse subcultures contain multiple ideologies.