 | Text: Baron, R. A., and Byrne, D. (2000). Social Psychology (9th Ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. |
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| Additional Readings: Assigned in-class and may require additional cost to students (i.e., xeroxing). |
 | Topics include: Groups and Individuals, legal and organizational applications, health (e.g., persuasion, reconceptualizing health and illness, stress and health, and coping), gender (e.g., why study gender, work and family, and gender and psychological research), mass communication and propaganda, social proof, and scarcity. |
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Course Description
The purpose of this course is to introduce the area of Social Psychology to students. The main goal is to survey topics in social psychology so that student have an appreciation and understanding of the field. In addition, emphasis will be placed on the scientific foundations of theories in social psychology and on the application of these theories to everyday issues.
Teaching Philosophy / Expectations
One of my objectives is to teach students to think as psychologists. Even those who do not think they will continue to study psychology, will potentially benefit from the critical, creative, and practical thinking skills that will be developed during this course. Much of the course will be lecture format, however, I will teach in such a way that students will be expected to ask questions, provide comments and initiate discussions. Therefore to ensure high quality in the class discussions, students are required to complete the assigned readings prior to the class.
Student Evaluation
There will be 2 tests during the eight-week course to assess knowledge and comprehension of the subject matter. There will also be 2 take-home written assignments, in-class quizzes and a group presentation. To emphasize the importance of attendance, there will be no make-up quizzes. Active learning is essential in learning any new skill or topic, thus you need to come to class and participate.
Course grades will be assigned by the number of possible points (not by percentage) accumulated in the class.
A = 360 – 400 D = 240 – 279
B = 320 – 359 F = < 240
C = 280 – 319
Because your grade is based on the work you do and not on the performance of your classmates, there is no reason that everyone cannot get an "A" in the course. In addition, because your grade will reflect your mastery of the material rather than your relative position in the class, curving of test grades (and final grades) will not be a regular occurrence. However, because I recognize that a poorly worded test question may pop up here or there, I reserve the right to shift the class’ grades on individual exams upward to a reasonable level.
 | Note the point values of the assignments are listed on the next page. |
Assignment Breakdown
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| One in-class exam (50 points): This mid-term exam will cover material from the first half of the course. It will contain a combination of the following formats: multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, matching, T/F, short answer and essay questions. |
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| One-take-home final exam (100 points): This exam will be given to you on Wednesday, May 16th, and will be due on May 23rd. The exam will consist of a series of essay questions. |
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| Two opinion and/or experiment papers (25 points each): These assignments will require you to critically think about a topic presented in class and the readings. You will be asked to provide your own ideas, criticisms, or understanding in a formally written paper. For the experimental paper you will be asked to perform an experiment demonstrating the concept of social norms. These papers should be in APA format, typed, and be about 3-4 pages long. More details and guidelines will be given in class. |
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| Group Presentation (50 points): Each group will give a lecture/discussion on a specific topic. A list of topics (which will be part of the additional readings for this course) will be presented on the first day of class. Each presentation should last 30 minutes. Grading of this assignment will be based on the overall presentation given in-class, handout(s) and/or other materials used, and the four test questions submitted for the final exam. All group members must present during the lecture/discussion. Check the course outline for due dates. |
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| Mini-quizzes (5 points each): Quizzes will occur during class time, and will cover the assigned reading for that day. You get 1 point for showing up to class and taking the quiz, and four additional points for correct responses. There will be 8 quizzes and the lowest two scores will be dropped. |
Record Keeping Guide
Assignment |
Possible points |
My score/points |
Mid-term |
50 pts. |
_____ |
Final |
100 pts. |
_____ |
Opinion & Experimental Papers |
25 pts. x 2 |
_____ _____ |
Group Presentation |
50 pts. |
_____ |
Mini-quizzes* |
5 pts. x 6 |
_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ |
Grand total |
230 |
*The top six scores will be included in the final grade enough thought 8 quizzes will be taken.
Course Outline
Below are listed chapters/readings, exam dates, quiz dates, and due dates for the writing assignments. I reserve the freedom to keep this schedule flexible, and to assign daily homework if deemed necessary. Reading assignments are to be completed by the due date. Students who do well tend to keep up in the reading. Discussion of reading material is highly encouraged. Feel free to work ahead.
Date |
Chapter |
Topic |
Notes |
||
4/2 |
M |
1 |
The field of social psychology: How we think about and interact with others | Introductions Readings list |
|
4/4 |
W |
1 & 2 |
The field of social psychology . . . Social perception: Understanding others |
Select groups, chose additional reading |
|
4/9 |
M |
2 |
Social perception: Understanding others | Group work-submitting questions |
|
4/11 |
W |
3 |
Social cognition: Thinking about the social world | ||
4/16 |
M |
3 & 4 |
Social cognition: Thinking about the social
world Attitudes: Evaluating the social world |
||
4/18 |
W |
5 |
Aspects of social identity: Self and gender | ||
4/23 |
M |
6 & 7 |
Prejudice & discrimination Interpersonal attractions: Initial contact, liking, becoming acquainted |
||
4/25 |
W |
7 & 8 |
Interpersonal attractions . . . Close Relationships: Family, friends, Lovers, and Spouses |
||
4/30 |
M |
Mid-term Exam, then start chapter 9 | Exam |
||
5/1 |
W |
9 |
Social Influences: changing others’ behavior | Movie |
|
5/7 |
M |
10 & 11 |
Prosocial behavior: Helping others Aggression: Its nature, causes, and control |
||
5/9 |
W |
11 & 13 |
Aggression: Its nature, causes, and control Social psychology in action: Legal, medical, and organizational applications |
||
5/14 |
M |
Group Presentations | Presentations & Course Evaluations |
||
5/16 |
W |
Finishing Group Presentations Review & Take-home final is passed out |
|||
5/21 |
M |
Day for working on the final OR used as a catch-up day if we fall behind | |||
5/23 |
Take-home final is due in class |
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Instructor Policies
- Take-home assignments are to be typed, word-processed, or hand written VERY neatly, double-spaced, with 1" for all margins, and in 12 point font. Proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling are expected on all assignments; i.e., points will be deducted if not followed.
- Please take advantage of talking with me about questions and concerns you have about the course. My goal in this course is for you to excel and learn something useful, but I cannot do this without some effort on your part.
- I will not drop students from the class. It is the student’s responsibility to drop from the course if s/he chooses. Simply not attending class or not taking tests will not suffice. Any student on the roster at the end of the semester will receive a grade regardless of attendance or test performance.
- The class schedule listed here is tentative, and while I do not plan too many changes, I reserve the right to adjust it as necessary. Any changes in quiz dates and/or material covered on a particular quiz will be announced at least one week in advance. Thus, if you miss a lecture, you should contact someone in the class to find out if I have made any announcements.
- Attendance Policy : Attendance allows you the opportunity to maximize your learning potential, and is therefore expected. Class attendance is a serious and vital responsibility for all students. Missing class puts you at a significant disadvantage. Obtaining lecture notes for missed classes is your responsibility. If you know in advance that you will be missing class on major due dates or for long periods of time, please notify me immediately and make sure that any missed work is made up in advance. Attendance does NOT mean that you show up to class and read a newspaper. Individuals, who exhibit behavior that the instructor considers disrespectful or a hindrance to the learning process, will be asked to leave the classroom.
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| Regarding exam days: If you have to miss an exam, then let me know before the exam by phone or email. If I do not hear from you before the exam, you receive a 0. |
Accommodation for Disability
If you have a condition (e.g., physical or learning disability) that will require special academic accommodations, please see me within the first two weeks of classes.
Copyright Ó 2001 Patricia A. Marsh as to this syllabus and all lectures. Students are prohibited from selling (or being paid for taking) notes during this course to or by any person or commercial firm without the express written permission of the instructor teaching this course.
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