Social psychology penetrates human life in a variety of ways, and it is not always possible to recognize its impact directly or indirectly. Several years ago, I heard a story from my friend about his desire to participate in the Black Lives Matter Movement. Although he did not face difficult racial discrimination situations, his decision was explained by the intention to support his community and other African American people. When he came to the meeting for the first time, he did not even expect how influential that event could be for him. He met new people and found common topics for communication. He was motivated to demonstrate his participation in social movement and prove his belongingness to the black American community that deserved equal and fair rights for developing social relationships.
This situation can be interpreted as a good example of how the causal theory, as a part of social psychology, affects personality development and explains the causes of someone’s feelings and behaviors. The self-concept is a critical concept in the chosen field, referring to the way how people think about themselves and evaluate their roles in society. In causal theory, connections play a vital role, and the self-concept is related to various causal attributions by determining human behaviors and choices. People do not always define the true causes of their behaviors, words, and decisions. The causal theory and the self-concept define the level of dependence between human knowledge and actions.
The chosen example supports this social psychological concept by using the friend’s racial belonging as a major reason for joining the movement in the country. Looking at Black Lives Matter from a social psychological perspective promotes a better understanding of why so many people are involved in this event. It was not enough to rebel and protect black people’s rights but to support the community. In addition, the offered example shed new insight into causal theories and self-concept as the initial cause of the friend’s behavior (supporting his race) became not as critical as the newly formed (improving his knowledge).