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For us, the problem with the three-ring circus presentation of social psychology is that it masks something crucial: Human social behaviors are woven together in related, interconnected patterns. To present an array of separate, disjointed chapter topics--aggression here, persuasion, prejudice, and personal relationships there, there, and there--offers a sorely inadequate view of the field. Common concepts, dimensions, and principles underlie all social behavior, and we are convinced that students will benefit greatly from knowing about them. After all, a primary rule of learning and memory is that people grasp and retain more material, more easily, when the various parts can be connected by organizing principles. As entertaining and stimulating as a circus may be, it is not a good arena for learning. Much better, and equally engaging, is a well-constructed work of theater, cinema, or literature. The field of social …