Psych 352 / Soc 320 Dr. Chuck Hill

Social Psychology Fall 2011

COURSE MEETS: 1:30-2:20 Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

OFFICE HOURS: 3:00-4:00 MWF in Science 205, or by appointment

(email chill@whittier.edu or call 562-907-4805 and leave a message)

PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the time they graduate, students with a Major in Psychology will be able to

a. Apply psychological theories and concepts to analyze behavior.

b. Analyze research reports on psychological issues.

c. Conduct data analyses and interpret their own and others’ data analyses on psychological issues.

d. Communicate their own or others’ research findings on psychological issues both orally and in writing.

e. Show personal development, including clarifying their personal values, enhancing their self-awareness and understanding of others, and identifying the academic degrees required of professional careers in psychology.

COURSE GOALS:

The specific goals of this course are (1) to become familiar with the major theories, research findings, and issues in social psychology, (2) to understand the importance of testing social science knowledge with empirical research, (3) to gain a social psychological perspective for understanding better one's own relationships with other people, and (4) to develop critical thinking and writing skills.

In addition, for those taking the course as a pair with ENLGISH 310 LINGUISTICS, the pair provides an interdisciplinary perspective and satisfies the Liberal Education Connections 1 requirement.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Midterm 1 Monday, October 10 (review October 7)

Journal Report due Friday, October 28 (see below)

Midterm 2 Monday, November 14 (review November 11)

Interaction Paper due Monday, November 28 (see below)

Analysis Paper due Wednesday, December 7

Final Exam Friday, December 16, 1:00-3:00 (review December 9)

Class attendance and participation in class discussions

Reading assignments (see below)

Text: Taylor et al., Social Psychology, 12th Ed.

On Moodle: All reprints listed on reading list

JOURNAL REPORT:

The goal of this assignment is to gain experience in reading and interpreting original research reports. Find a recent journal article online through Psych Articles that is relevant to one of the topics in the course. It must be from a professional journal and report the results of empirical research. Those taking the paired course should try to find an article relevant to both classes, if possible. Print the entire article, not just the abstract, including all references.

In your report give the citation (author, title, journal, volume, pages, year), identify the hypotheses tested, describe the independent and dependent variables and how they were operationalized or measured, and summarize the findings. Then compare those findings with a theory or other findings reported in the text or lecture, by summarizing the latter and then discussing how the new study confirms, contradicts, or qualifies the text or lecture.

The report should have the following side-headings: citation, hypotheses, independent variables, dependent variable, findings, comparison with the text. Note that the independent variable is the variable which is manipulated in an experiment to see the effects on the dependent variable; in a survey, the independent variable is represented in the groups being compared on the dependent variables (for example, if men and women are compared then gender is an independent variable).

The report should be typed double-spaced, and stapled in the upper left corner without a report cover. Write your name on the back of the last page only; do not fold the paper lengthwise. Your copy of journal article (including the citation, abstract, and complete references) should be attached. Proofread your report carefully, looking for errors in typing, spelling, and grammar. Have a friend proofread your paper too, to help spot typing errors as well as wording that may be unclear. Keep a copy of your paper on a computer hard drive and on a flash drive. The report will be returned, but not the Xerox copy of the article

Criteria for grading include (1) the appropriateness of the article selected, (2) the adequacy of the description of the article, (3) the adequacy of the comparison with the text, and (4) writing technique -- organization, clarity, grammar, spelling, typing.

INTERACTION PAPER:

The goal of this paper is to encourage you to apply a social psychological perspective in analyzing your own experience. Think of some incident, encounter, relationship, or sequence of events that is relevant to one or more topics in the course. Those taking the pair should try to find an experience relevant to both classes, if possible.

In your paper, write a description of this experience (how it began, what happened, how it ended), identify concepts from the course that are relevant to the experience, and spell out how the concepts apply to the details of the experience. In other words, show how social psychological theories and concepts help you to understand what happened.

The paper should be typed double-spaced, and stapled in the upper left corner without a report cover. Write your name on the back of the last page only; do not fold your paper lengthwise. Proofread your paper carefully, and ask a friend to proofread it too. Keep a copy on a computer hard drive and on a flash drive.

Criteria for grading include (1) the appropriateness of the experience selected, (2) the adequacy of the description of relevant details, (3) the adequacy of identifying relevant concepts and relating those concepts to specific details of the experience, and (4) writing technique.

ANALYSIS PAPER:

The goal of this paper is to gain experience using concepts from the course to analyze the behavior of some formal group of which you have been a member (e.g., a church group, sports team, college Society).

In your paper, first identify the group and describe the history of your involvement in the group. Then analyze the group in terms of Kanter's six commitment mechanisms. For each commitment mechanism, describe the mechanism and give examples of behaviors that would fit that mechanism. Then indicate which of those behaviors are and which behaviors are not used by the group you are analyzing.

Those in the pair will also analyze the group using concepts from the ENGLISH 310 class, including the ways in which the group uses language in relation to each of the six commitment mechanisms (e.g., are there special terms or ways of speaking).

Your analysis should be typed double-spaced, and stapled in the upper left corner without a report cover. Write your name on the back of the last page only. Do not fold the paper lengthwise. Proofread your paper carefully. Have a friend proofread your paper too. Keep a copy on a computer hard drive and on a flash drive.

Criteria for grading include the adequacy of (1) the history of your involvement in the group or your methods of researching the group, (2) the description of Kanter's commitment mechanisms, (3) the discussion how the group fits each mechanism, (4) the application of concepts from RELIG 390 for those in the pair, and (5) writing technique.

STUDY QUESTIONS:

There will be a review session prior to each exam. Study questions will be handed out in class about one week before each review. Students are expected to try to answer the study questions prior to the review session, and come to the review prepared to indicate which study question answers need clarification. On the day of the exam, hand in your Study Question answers; they are worth up 10 course points depending on how complete they are.

You are encouraged to discuss your study question answers with classmates outside of class. However, each student must write out his or her own answers in order to get credit for handing in the answers. Xeroxed answers and multiple computer printouts of identical or very similar files will get zero points.

GRADING:

Each of the two midterms will be worth approximately 50 points; the final will be worth about 80 points. Attendance will count 2 points for each day -- please try to arrive on time since late arrivals distract the instructor and interrupt the class. Turn off cell phones before class. Laptops may not be used in class.

The papers will each be worth up to 20 points; late papers will lose points. Each set of study question answers will be worth 10 points if they are complete. Course grades will be based on the total number of points accumulated.

READING ASSIGNMENTS:

I. Introduction ch. 1 Theories and methods in social psychology

II. Nonverbal communication Henley, Nonverbal communication*

III. Person perception Rosenthal, Teacher expectations*

ch. 2 Person perception

IV. Impression management ch. 4 The Self

Goffman, Presentation of self*

Goffman, On Facework*

V. Attitudes ch. 5 Attitudes and Attitude change

ch. 6 Prejudice

VI. Social Influence Asch, Group pressure*

Janis, Groupthink*

Milgram, Obedience*

ch. 7 Social influence

VII. Aggression Zimbardo, Imprisonment*

ch. 13 Aggression

VIII. Helping behavior Latane & Darley, Bystander intervention*

ch. 12 Helping behavior

IX. Brainwashing Schein, Brainwashing*

Goffman, The inmate world*

Kanter, Commitment & social organization*

Lofland, Doomsday Cult*

Wheeler, Socialization in correctional communities*

X. Personal Relationships Blau, Exchange and power, pp. 76-125*

ch. 9 Personal Relationships

XI. Interpersonal Rubin, Liking and loving*

Attraction ch. 8 Interpersonal attraction

* reprint on Moodle