Introduction to Social Psychology (PSY 221)
Spring Semester 2022
Professor: Dr. Jeffrey Hunger (hungerjm@miamioh.edu)
TA: Madi Beedon (beedonm@miamioh.edu)
Meeting time and location: Tuesday/Thursday, 1:15pm-2:35pm in Psych 125
Office hours (via Zoom): Tuesdays 3pm-4pm, Thursdays 11am-12p
Individual Zoom meetings: by appointment
Course Required Text, Required Subscription, and Description:
Required Text: Gilovich, T., Keltner, D., Chen, S., & Nisbett, R.E. (2018). Social Psychology (5th
edition). New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
ISBN: 978-0-393-69105-4 [for e-Book version]
ISBN: 978-0-393-66770-7 [for paperback version]
Required Subscription: Norton InQuizative. This is included with the book versions above. If you are
renting, borrowing, etc. a book other than the two versions above you will need to purchase an InQuizative
subscription directly from Norton (https://wwnorton.com/inquizitive).
If you are purchasing directly, when you access InQuizative through the course Canvas page, you will be
prompted to provide the Student Set number for this course, which is 588002. Doing this is critical to
ensure that your scores on the InQuizative platform are sent to Canvas and you are given credit for
your work.
Course Description: Social psychology is the scientific study of how the real or imagined presence of
other people affects our behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. This broad definition will lead us into topics
such as the self and identity, social cognition, conformity, attitudes, persuasion, stereotyping, attraction,
aggression, and prosocial behavior. The theories and ideas we will discuss in this class apply to almost
every aspect of our day-to-day lives.
Course Format:
We will be meeting in-person (PSY 125) twice a week for lecture. It is important to keep up with the
textbook reading for the class, which are listed later at the end of this syllabus. Completing the reading
will also help you prepare for the weekly InQuizative quizzes described in detail below. It is also important
that you attend the lectures. The purpose of the lectures is to amplify, explain, demonstrate, and expand
on the material in the text and InQuizatives. There will be overlap, but there will also be material that is
unique to each.
If you miss lecture, I recommend that you obtain notes from a classmate. I will post the slides, but you are
also responsible for any examples or materials I use during class that do not appear in the slides. I
encourage you to meet with me during my office hours (or set an appointment) to discuss any questions
or concerns, how to study for the exams, or notes you have obtained from a classmate after missing class.
E-mail is the best way to contact me outside of class.
Course Goals:
1. Students should learn social psychology’s concepts, research findings, and theoretical
frameworks as they relate to topics including interpersonal relations, social cognition, attitude
formation and change, stereotyping and prejudice, conformity and obedience, group processes,
prosocial behavior, and aggression.
2. Students should be able to explain and predict how human behavior, including our own, is
influenced by social factors (e.g., in-group bias, persuasion attempts, attraction).
3. Students should understand the methods social psychologists use in their research and the
respective rationale, strengths, and limitations of these different methods.
4. Students should be able to assess and critically analyze the theories, methods, findings, and
applications developed by social psychologists. This includes those encountered in the textbook
as well as non-academic sources (e.g., podcasts, newspapers, the internet)
5. Finally, students should be able to apply the lessons of social psychology to everyday life. Social
psychology is always operating in the world! Why are some people more popular than others?
Why do people treat others differently because of their age, gender, or race? How do corporations
craft advertising campaigns to sell products?
At the end of the course, students should be able to recognize these processes as they unfold in the world
around them, to understand why they happen, and to appreciate their implications.
Course Components:
1. Online InQuizative Quizzes: Your textbook comes with access to InQuizitive, which has online
interactive quizzes that go with each module. Deadlines for these quizzes are noted later in the
syllabus. I HIGHLY recommend that you read the textbook before attempting the quizzes. The
quizzes will then help you identify areas of the module that you may need to review in greater
detail. InQuizatives must be completed before 11:30 pm EST on the due date to receive full
credit. Submissions that are less than 24 hours late will receive 75% credit, after which point no
credit will be granted. However, students only need to complete 14 of the 15 quizzes for full credit
InQuizative represent 24.5% of your overall grade (14 quizzes x 1.75% each).
InQuizitive works on computers, tablets, and smartphones, but should be accessed through the
Canvas site to ensure your grades from InQuizative are added to the Canvas gradebook. These
quizzes are designed to be mastery-oriented, and you can continue answering questions until
you’ve reached 100%. The more prepared you are for the quiz, the faster they can be completed.
On average, expect to take about 30-40 minutes per quiz.
2. Podcast Responses: Beginning in Week 3, course material will be supplemented with a podcast
(primarily from NPR’s social science show Hidden Brain). Students will listen and respond to
related discussion questions. These podcasts will do a deep dive into a topic related to topics in
class and are typically around 30-50 minutes long. Response papers will be submitted on Canvas.
Podcasts are assigned work, and exam questions may come from the podcasts and can include
content not discussed in lectures (just like book material that can appear on exams but not discussed
in lectures). Links to the podcasts are provided in Canvas, but you can also access the podcasts
through apps like Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Responses must be posted before 11:30
pm EST on the due date to receive full credit. Submissions that are less than 24 hours late will
receive 75% credit, after which no credit will be granted. However, students only need to complete
7 of the 8 podcasts for full credit. Podcasts represent 10.5% of your overall grade (7 podcasts x
1.5% each).
3. Social Exploration Activities (SEAs): To engage students outside of the classroom in reflecting
on social psychology and its relevance, students will complete independent social explorations
activities (SEAs). Each SEA requires a written document uploaded to Canvas before 11:59p.m.
EST on the assigned due date in the course calendar below. Responses must be posted before
11:30 pm EST on the due date to receive full credit. Submissions that are less than 24 hours late
will receive 75% credit, after which no credit will be granted. SEAs represent 15% of your overall
grade (3 SEASs x 5% each).
Each SEA involves students reflecting on course materials, synthesizing, and integrating their own
insights with scientific principles, then translating their ideas into written products. SEA #1
normally asks students to generate their own social psychology questions. SEA #2 asks students
to take one of their SEA1 questions and transform it into a study idea (highlighting important
concepts such as independent and dependent variables, operationalizations, etc.). Finally, SEA #3
involves an analysis of two student-selected advertisements to better understand persuasion
processes. More detailed explanations of each SEA will be provided on the course’s Canvas site.
Early submissions of SEAs are ALWAYS encouraged!
4. Exams: Three midterm exams (each worth 10% of your final grade) will be administered during
the term and one final exam (worth 30% of your grade) will be administered during finals week.
The midterm will cover material presented in Weeks 1 through 7. The final exam will be
cumulative.
Grading Breakdown:
Grade Category
Percentage of Final Grade
Online Quizzes (InQuizative)
24.5% (14 quizzes x 1.75%)
Podcast Responses
10.5% (7 responses x 1.5%)
Social Exploration Activities (SEAs)
15% (3 SEAs x 5%)
Midterm Exams
30% (3 x 10%)
Final Exam (cumulative)
20%
Final Grade Cutoffs:
Total
Percentage
Letter
Grade
93-100
A
90-92.99
A-
87-89.99
B+
83-86.99
B
80-82.99
B-
77-79.99
C+
73-76.99
C
70-72.99
C-
67-69.99
D+
63-66.99
D
60-62.99
D-
=< 59.99
F
[Image description: An animated version of Doctor Hunger holding up a
sign that reads “You Got This”]
Course Philosophy and Additional Policies:
Learning Philosophy: Research from social and educational psychology shows that students who adopt
a growth mindset – that is, those who see intelligence and academic performance as a quality that can be
developed – are more likely to achieve their academic goals. Put another way, a student with a growth
mindset believes they can learn (even when it may seem particularly challenging) and that the key to
learning is persistence and effort. I will do my best to foster a growth mindset this semester and ask that
you try to do the same.
Diversity and Inclusion Statement: We, members of the Department of Psychology, value diversity and
inclusion because the goal of psychology is to improve understanding and outcomes for all individuals.
We value persons of all identities, including dimensions such as age, culture, national origin, ability,
ethnicity, gender, gender identity, language, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and
others. As psychologists, we understand that diverse groups bring diverse perspectives; this diversity
produces better outcomes in a variety of contexts, including learning and decision making, and our ability
to work with one another. Consistent with these values, our department actively seeks opportunities to
increase and improve understanding of diversity. These enduring efforts include conducting research with
diverse populations on topics related to intergroup understanding and asking questions that are relevant to
different groups. We promote the academic and professional development of students, faculty, and staff
from different backgrounds and provide education to improve intercultural knowledge, skills, and attitudes
for all members of our academic community. We endeavor to actively engage in positive behaviors to
achieve these goals. In sum, we value diversity because multiple perspectives improve our ability to
understand psychological processes and to understand and contribute to the communities we serve.
Make-Up Exam Policy: Make-up exams will not be offered in cases of unexcused absences. Documented
excuses are required to be eligible for a make-up exam. These include: extreme illness, medical
emergency, death of a family member, religious observance of holy days, participation in a required
University sanctioned activity. Students excused for religious purposes or University sanctioned events
must contact me at least two weeks before the intended absence. Where applicable, work must be
submitted to me before an excused absence. I ask that students excused for medical and bereavement try
to contact me within two days of the missed exam.
Academic Integrity: Academic Integrity is at the heart of the mission and values of Miami University
and is an expectation of all students. Maintaining academic integrity reflects your character and underpins
your learning and understanding of the course material. Try your best, manage your time well, ask
questions, and be ethical. If you are struggling with these issues, come to me as soon as possible.
Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:
Submitting work you have completed for another class
Submitting someone else’s work as yours – either in part or whole
Copying directly from a source without appropriate citation and/or quotations
Copying a classmate’s answers for an assignment
Students who are found responsible for committing academic dishonesty will receive a sanction that
ranges from a zero on the assignment to an F in the course, which could contain the AD transcript notation.
Students who are found responsible for committing two acts of dishonesty [Academic or Code of Student
Conduct section 102 (Dishonesty)] automatically will be suspended from Miami University. Please feel
free to visit me during office hours if you would like any of the above policies clarified, and familiarize
yourself with the current Student Academic Integrity Policy here.
Copyright Statement: Some of the materials in this course are possibly copyrighted. They are intended
for use only by students registered and enrolled in this course and only for instructional activities with and
for the duration of this course. They may not be retained in another medium or disseminated further. They
are provided in compliance with the provisions of the Teach Act.
Student Accommodations: Accommodations to ensure equal access to course content will be made
available to all students. Students in need of special accommodations should register with the Student
Disability Services in a timely manner (i.e., before the end of Week 1). This will allow me adequate time
to ensure that the course and its contents are accessible to all members of the class. Additional resources
can also be found at the MU Office of Disability Resources (http://miamioh.edu/student-life/sds/).
Changes to the Syllabus: I reserve the right to change the syllabus as is necessary, but will do so
transparently with considerable advanced warning.
*Continue to the next page for the full (tentative) schedule of topics, textbook readings,
quizzes, and assignments*
Tentative Schedule of Topics, Textbook Readings, Quizzes, and Assignments
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
Finals
Date
Topic
Chapter
January 25
Introduction to the Class
---
January 27
An Invitation to Social Psychology
Chapter 1
InQuizative
Due
--Using InQuizative
(due end of week)
Chapter 2
--Chapter 3
--Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Assignment
Due
-----
February 1
The Methods of Social Psychology
Chapter 2
--February 3
The Social Self
Chapter 3
--February 8
The Social Self
Chapter 3
--February 10
The Social Self
Chapter 3
Podcast #1
February 15
Social Cognition
Chapter 4
SEA#1
February 17
Social Attribution
Chapter 5
Podcast #2
February 22
Wellness + Study Day
February 24
Exam 1 (Chapters 2-5)
March 1
Emotion
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
--March 3
Attitudes & Behavior
Chapters 7
Chapter 7
Podcast #3
March 8
Persuasion
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
--March 10
Social Influence
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Podcast #4
March 15
Relationships and Attraction
Chapter 10
--SEA #2
March 17
Relationships and Attraction
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Podcast #5
March 22
Spring Break
March 24
March 29
Exam 2 (Chapters 6-10)
March 31
Stereotyping, Prejudice, Discrimination
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
--April 5
Stereotyping, Prejudice, Discrimination
Chapter 11
--Podcast #6
April 7
Groups
Chapter 12
Chapter 12
--April 12
Groups
Chapter 12
--Podcast #7
April 14
Aggression
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
--April 19
Altruism and Cooperation
Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Podcast #8
April 21
Wellness + Study Day
April 26
Exam 3 (Chapters 11-14)
April 28
Social Psychology and Health
Application 1
----May 3
Social Psychology and Health
Application 1
--SEA#3
May 5
Social Psychology and Education
Application 2
----Final Exam – Cumulative of Chapters 2-14 (No Questions on Chapter 1; Questions on
May 10
Application 1 and 2 for Extra Credit)