Since 1954, The Handbook of Social Psychology has been the field's most authoritative reference work. The 6th edition of this essential resource contains 50 new chapters on a wide range of topics, written by the world's leading experts. It is available only in digital form and is free to read online and to download.

Editors

Daniel T. Gilbert, Harvard University
Susan T. Fiske, Princeton University
Eli J. Finkel, Northwestern University
Wendy B. Mendes, Yale University

How to read

For the best experience, read The Handbook online by scrolling down to the next section and clicking on a chapter title.

How to cite

Gilbert, D. T., Fiske, S. T., Finkel, E. J., & Mendes, W. B. (Eds.). (2025). The handbook of social psychology, (6th ed.). Situational Press. https://doi.org/10.70400/NYKH3013

How to download

The Handbook is designed to be read online as a continuous-scroll e-book. PDFs may contain inelegant page breaks, but you can download The Handbook in PDF here.

Chapter 02 What’s Real? A Philosophy of Science for Social Psychology (EPUB)

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