Psych 352 / Soc 320 Dr. Chuck Hill

Social Psychology Fall 2008

COURSE MEETS: 2:30-3:20 Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

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

(email chill@whittier.edu or call 562-945-6051 or ext. 4805)

COURSE GOALS:

The goals of the 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 RELIG 390 PERSON, COSMOS, COMMUNITY, the pair provides an interdisciplinary perspective and satisfies the old Comparative Knowledge or the new Connections 1 liberal education requirements.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Midterm 1 Monday, October 6 (review October 3)

Journal Report due Wednesday, October 22 (see below)

Midterm 2 Monday, November 10 (review November 7)

Interaction Paper due Wednesday, November 19 (see below)

Analysis Paper due Monday, December 1

Final Exam Wednesday, December 10, 10:30-12:30 (review December 5)

Class attendance and participation in class discussions

Reading assignments (see below)

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

ON RESERVE: All reprints listed on reading list (xeroxed)

JOURNAL REPORT:

The goal of this assignment is to gain experience in reading and interpreting original research reports. Find a recent journal article (published no earlier than last May) that is relevant to one of the topics in the course. Those taking the paired course should try to find an article relevant to both classes, if possible.

No two persons can do the same article, so whoever signs up for an article first is the only one who can use it. The sign-up sheet will be at the checkout counter in the library. Make a xerox copy of the article (including ALL of the references), and attach it to your report.

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 disk or 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 disk or 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. The group may either be a group in which you have been involved (e.g, a church group, sports team, college Society), or a group which you have researched through observations, interviews, or written materials (for example, publications from the organization, magazine articles, journal articles, and books). You must obtain approval from the instructor concerning which group you plan to analyze. Those taking the paired course must analyze a religious group and use concepts from both courses.

In your paper, first identify the group and describe the history of your involvement in the group, or the methods you used to research 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 group behaviors which 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 RELIG 390. Instructions for doing those analyses will be provided in the RELIG 390 class.

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 disk or 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 conceprts from RELIG 390 for those in the pair, and (5) writing technique.

Those taking the pair will hand in two copies of the paper, one to each course instructor. They will receive separate grades in each course.

EVENTS OUTSIDE OF CLASS

There may be one film scheduled in the evening. There may also be one or more fieldtrips on Sundays. The dates of these events and the points that they are worth will be announced in class.

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 10 course points if they are complete.

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 only be used for class notes, not email or surfing the web.

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 reserve