What is archival analysis in social psychology?

Archival analysis in social psychology refers to the study of accumulated documents and records within a culture. This method allows researchers to explore existing information and data that reflect social behaviors, norms, and historical contexts without needing to gather new data through live interactions or experiments.

By analyzing materials such as newspapers, letters, official records, photographs, or any other archival data, researchers can gain insights into societal trends and psychological phenomena over time. This approach is particularly useful for understanding how social and cultural factors have evolved and how they influence individual behavior and societal attitudes.

The other options describe different research methods but do not capture the essence of archival analysis. For example, examining live subject interactions pertains more to observational or experimental methodologies, while assessing survey responses over time focuses on analyzing data collected specifically through surveys. Evaluating experimental results in real-time refers to the immediate analysis of data from controlled studies, which is distinct from studying pre-existing documents and records.