Abstract:Social psychology is the scientific study of the reciprocal influence of the individual and his/her social context.Within its one century’s development,social psychology has focused on exploring and solving critical real-world events on the one hand,and established its scientific system and its irreplaceable disciplinary status on the other hand.The history and agenda of social psychology,characterized by the balanced combination of basic and applied research,are inextricably entwined with the history and priorities of the western society in which it develops.Contemporary social psychology has seen contribution to theory and research in three major areas: social cognition,social relationship and group & group process.Evolutionary social psychology and cultural psychology are two new research areas of the discipline.China’s social transition sets a broad research stage to social psychology.Chinese social psychologists are recommended to pay their attention to the following promising new fields: social justice and corruption,the public attitude and subjective well-being,social interaction and interpersonal harmony,intergroup relations and ethnic conflict,unconventional emergency and emergency management,workplace stress and occupational mental health,social conflicts and online collective action,changes in public values and moral education.Given its vital scientific significance and its crucial social implications,principles of social psychology should be taken when the government faces the challenges of social crises,social psychology research should be taken into account when the government plans and deploys its major national research programs.It is worth noting that the mission of social psychology in China is to provide a solid scientific foundation for understanding Chinese social reality and promote its sustainable development.