Social psychology lacks a definition because practitioners view the world through different philosophical frameworks, just like religion, philosophy, and politics. Perspectives in social psychology can be as numerous and diverse as the observers (Aronson, 1972); but generally fall into the following main categories: sociocultural, evolutionary, social learning, and social-cognitive. After summarizing each type, this section will

1. Propose that each perspective provides valuable insight into the same phenomena rather than mutually exclusive, and;
2. Consider how the emerging field of social neuroscience offers a fresh perspective on the brain's physiological processes that influence social behavior.