The Disappearance of the Social in American Social Psychology is a critical conceptual history of American social psychology. In this challenging work, John Greenwood demarcates the original conception of the social dimensions of cognition, emotion and behaviour and of the discipline of social psychology itself, that was embraced by early twentieth-century American social psychologists. He documents how this fertile conception of social psychological phenomena came to be progressively neglected as the century developed, to the point that scarcely any trace of the original conception of the social remains in contemporary American social psychology. In a penetrating analysis. Greenwood suggests a number of subtle historical reasons why the original conception of the social came to be abandoned, stressing that none of these were particularly good reasons for the neglect of the original conception of the social. By demonstrating the historical contingency of this neglect, Greenwood indicates that what has been lost may once again be regained.

"Greenwood's book is unequalled in its sustained conceptual analysis of what was lost during the historical development of social psychology. It represents a profound theoretical contribution, sympathetic to empirical work, and offers an insightful commentary on the field's current problems." Kurt Danziger, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, York University, Toronto

"This book by an outstanding scholar is a major contribution to understanding social psychology. The author spells out how early 20th century views of the social were ignored or discarded, resulting in a contemporary social psychology that is too individualistic. He points the way to bringing the social back in." Paul F. Secord, Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership and Cultural Studies, University of Houston

"...I applaud the author for reviewing so extensively the history of psychological social psychology and for working to improve the field." - Robert S. Horton, Wabash College