Download 1. Introduction to social psychology

Chabot College
Fall, 2010
Course Outline for Psychology 3
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Catalog Description:
3 — Social Psychology
3 units
Introduction to theories and concepts that explain individual behavior in social settings. Topics
include research methods, social perception, social cognition, beliefs, prejudice/discrimination,
interpersonal relationships, aggression, and group behavior.
Strongly recommended: Psychology 1. 3 hours.
[Typical contact hours: 52.5]
Prerequisite Skills:
None.
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:
1. define social psychology and apply the principles of social psychology to real life situations;
2. explain the role of nonverbal communication and impression formation in social perception;
3. describe the role of explicit and implicit processing in schemas, attributions, and other
cognitions;
4. explain attitude formation, cognitive dissonance, and ways to change attitudes;
5. evaluate the personal and cultural factors that alter self-concept, self-esteem, and perceived
self-control;
6. discuss how gender and culture influence principles in social psychology, such as social
roles;
7. discuss the causes of prejudice and discrimination;
8. summarize the causes of attraction;
9. discuss the factors that influence the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of close
relationships;
10. synthesize research on conformity, compliance, and obedience;
11. explain the personal and situational causes of helping behavior;
12. evaluate the theories concerning the causes of aggression;
13. contrast the costs and benefits of group membership.
Course Content:
1. Introduction to social psychology
a. Origins and development of social psychology
b. Discuss the contributions of people that come from a variety of backgrounds
c. Research methods in social psychology
d. Review of APA ethical principles
2. Social identity
a. Self-concept
b. Influences of gender and culture on social identity
c. Self-esteem and perceived self-control
3. Social perception
a. Nonverbal communication
b. Impression formation
4. Social cognition
a. Explicit and implicit processing
b. Schemas and stereotypes
c. Attribution theories and attributional errors
d. Confirmation biases
Chabot College
Course Outline for Psychology 3, Page 22
Fall 2010
5. Attitudes and attitude change
a. Components and attitudes
b. How attitudes influence behaviors
c. Theory of cognitive dissonance
d. Changing attitudes through persuasion
e. Resistance to persuasion
6. Prejudice and discrimination
a. Origins of prejudice and discrimination
b. Types of discrimination (i.e. sexism, racism, and ageism)
c. Personal and institutional racism
d. Reducing prejudiced attitudes
7. Attraction and close relationships
a. The need to belong and initial attraction
b. Theories explaining close relationships
c. Heterosexual, gay, and lesbian romantic relationships
d. Dissolution of relationships
8. Social influence
a. Compliance
b. Conformity
c. Obedience
d. Group processes
e. Benefits and costs of belonging to groups
f. Social facilitation, social loafing, and deindividuation
g. Groupthink and group polarization
h. Theories of group leadership
9. Prosocial behavior
a. Theoretical explanations for prosocial behavior
b. Factors influencing prosocial behavior
c. Responding to an emergency
10. Aggression
a. Types of aggression
b. Theoretical explanations for aggression
c. Social and personal influences of aggression
d. Prevention and regulation of aggression
11. Applied social psychology
a. Psychology and the law
b. Organizational psychology
c. Health psychology
d. Conflict, cooperation, and peace
Methods of Presentation:
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Lectures on major themes and concepts
Readings from texts, supplementary materials, primary source materials
Discussion and problem solving of significant or controversial issues
Written assignments
Utilization of video and/or CD-ROM excerpts
Student-led presentations
Demonstrations and simulations
Application of concepts to personal experiences
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1.
Typical Assignments
a. Lecture
1) Group indoctrination
Chabot College
Course Outline for Psychology 3, Page 33
Fall 2010
b. Readings:
1) Module 17: Indoctrination and Inoculation (pp 177-189) in Myers, Exploring Social
Psychology.
c.
Class discussion:
1) How do cults make use of persuasion, conformity, obedience, and other techniques
to indoctrinate members?
2) How do the social groups you belong to make use of these same techniques?
d. Writing projects:
1) Identify characteristics in one social group you observe that increase group solidarity
and commitment. You should find groups by examining friends, family, religious
organizations, sports, clubs, employment, school, characters on television,
MySpace/chat room/online gaming friends, or any other group. Select a single group
that demonstrates as many of the characteristics as possible. Write an essay (7001400 words) that discusses the following:
a) Provide a brief description of the members of the group including the number of
group members, those that seem to lead the group (active/talkative/persuasive),
those that express disagreement, and those that support the leader(s).
b) Describe the characteristics that you have observed in the group.
c) Are the characteristics helpful or harmful to individual group members? Are the
characteristics helpful or harmful to the identity/solidarity of the group?
2.
Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
a. Participation in class discussion or quizzes
b. Midterm examinations, presentations, or projects
c. Research or opinion papers
d. Final examination, presentation, or project
e. Presentation or project
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Exploring Social Psychology, Myers, David, McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, 2007, 4th edition
Social Psychology, Aronson, Eliot, Wilson, Timothy & Akert, Robin, Person/Prentice Hall, Upper
Saddle River, NJ, 2007, 6th edition
Social Psychology, Kassin, Saul, Fein, Steven & Markus, Hazel Rose, Houghton-Mifflin, Boston,
MA, 2008, 7th edition
Readings About the Social Animal, Aronson, E. (Ed.), Worth Publishers, New York, 2003, 9th
edition (Text includes classic research and articles written by prominent scholars in Social
Psychology. May go into another edition, but unknown at this time.)
Special Student Materials:
Computer access
PSY 3, revised 9/09: cs