Chabot College
Fall 2003
Replaced Fall 2010
Course Outline for Psychology 3
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Catalog Description:
3 - Social Psychology
3 units
Research and theory regarding psychological processes within individuals such as attitudes,
perception, cognition that influence or are influenced by the physical setting in which they
occur and the social groups to which individuals belong. Strongly recommended:
Psychology 1 or Sociology 1, or Anthropology 3. 3 hours.
[Typical contact hours: 52.5]
Prerequisite Skills:
None.
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course students should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
describe the history and development of the field of social psychology;
explain the research methods used to study social behavior;
analyze the effects of heredity and learning on social behavior;
compare and contrast the social behaviors of humans and other primates;
define attitudes and outline how attitudes are formed, changed and measured;
describe the factors involved in social perception and cognition;
outline the processes which influence group behavior and effectiveness;
explain the processes which contribute to social change.
Course Content:
A.
B.
Introduction to Social Psychology
1.
Historical development
2.
Definition of the field
3.
Overview of theories and methodologies developed for use in clinical,
social, and community psychology
Ethology and Human Behavior
1.
Research rationale and methods
2.
Learned vs Innate Behavior: individual behaviors and group affiliation
a.
aggression
b.
mating and parenting
c.
territorial behavior
d.
grouping
e.
social dominance
3.
The human primate: generalizations and rules of evidence for
comparative social psychology
Chabot College
Course Outline for Psychology 3
Fall 2003
Page 2
Course Content (Cont'd):
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
I.
Attitudes, Affiliation and Alienation
1.
Personality assessment and situational determinants
2.
Context and change: social behaviorism and personality
a.
political extremism
b.
the authoritarian personality
c.
obedience in a social context
3.
Values and personal identity
4.
Conformity and persuasion
Social and Personal Perception and Cognition
1.
Learned expectations and the "real" world: what you see (perceive) is what
you get
a.
perceptual set
b.
cognitive style
2.
Effect of the group on individual thought and perception
a.
situation specific perception
b.
balance, cognitive dissonance, and congruity
3.
The ecological context and potential for personal change
a.
effectiveness of individual and group therapy
b.
community change and "primary prevention"
Social and Personal Aggression
1.
Conditioning and innate potential: intra and inter-cultural comparisons
2.
Institutional forms and sanctions for types of aggression
3.
Dynamic interaction between intra and inter-personal aggression
4.
Specific social behaviors: isolation, powerlessness, and violence
Social and Personal Motivation
1.
Achievement: fulfillment or coup de grace
2.
Risk-taking and sex, ethnic and social class identification
Social Interaction, Groups and Organizations
1.
Levels of social interaction: statuses, roles, and reference groups
2.
Effects of group size and structure on patterns of individual interaction
3.
The motivational basis of organizational behavior
Social Factors and Individual Abilities
1.
Intelligence and the question of social values
2.
The "deprivation" hypothesis and cultural validity
3.
The social function of scientific myth: testing, testing, testing
4.
The vocational "aptitude" of social groups
The Individual and Social Change
1.
Personal identity and the response to "difference"
2.
Individual creativity and the social response
3.
Movements for social change: in revolution or evolution, where is the
individual?
Chabot College
Course Outline for Psychology 3
Fall 2003
Page 3
Methods of Presentation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Lecture - discussion
audio-visual aids
guest speakers
student research projects
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1.
Typical Assignments
a.
Written papers/analyzing current events using Social Psychology concepts
b.
Designing an experiment in an area of Social Psychology
c.
Read, summarize, and explain in class a research study from a selected
Social Psychology Journal.
2.
Methods of Evaluating Students Progress
a.
Exams and quizzes
b.
Student reports
c.
Classroom participation
d.
Final examination
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Social Psychology, David Myers, McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., 2002, or latest edition.
Special Student Materials:
None.
tf: Doc:/Psy 3
Revised: 10-1-02