PSYC 215
Social Psychology
This course examines the scientific study of individuals embedded within a social
environment. In addition to the topics listed at the end of the syllabus, the course
emphasizes how evidence is gathered and how to evaluate the strength of the
evidence.
Lectures: Tuesday, Thursday : 4:05 – 5:25 Leacock 132
Instructor: John Lydon 2001 McGill College, 1459, office hours 1:30-2:30 Tu,Th
Teaching Assistants:
Office hours TBA on MyCourses
Student
TA you are assigned
Last names A to B: Willis Klein <willis.klein@mail.mcgill.ca>,
Last names C to E: Marlee Brownstein <marlee.brownstein@mail.mcgill.ca>,
Last names F to H Dita Kubin <TA.ditakubin@gmail.com>,
Last names I to L: Laura Lapadat <laura.lapadat@mail.mcgill.ca
Last names M to Pe: > Nmesoma Umenwofor-Nweze
<nmesoma.nweze@mail.mcgill.ca>,
Last names Pi to S: Polina Plitchenko <polina.plitchenko@mail.mcgill.ca>,
Last names T to Z: : Jeffrey To <jeffrey.to@mail.mcgill.ca>,
All email communication in the course will be with your assigned TA (based on
your last name as per above) unless otherwise announced. Be sure to title your
emails with « PSYC215 » in the subject heading to ensure your TA receives the
email.
Textbook: Social Psychology, 6th Edition (2023). Thomas Gilovich, Dacher Keltner,
Serena Chen, Richard Nisbett, Published by Norton, in the McGill Bookstore.
Course website: McGill MyCourses
Lecture slides, audio recordings of lectures, , your gradebook, entry to take the
online quiz and entry to submit your essay (see below).
Method of Evaluation:
On-line quiz: January 30 30 minutes 3-9pm window
10%
Mid-term: Tuesday Feb 21 In class
30%
Essay: Wednesday Mar 22 Online 5pm deadline
10%
Final Exam: date to be announced
50%
On-line Quiz
Date: Jan 30.
Format: Open book
The online quiz will cover Chapters 1, 3, 4, and 8 of the textbook and lectures until
and including Jan 26. You will receive 16 questions from the textbook and 4
questions from lectures, all multiple choice. Note that the questions you receive and
the order you receive them will be random. No two students will have exactly the
same quiz.
On Monday Jan 30, the quiz will be available online between 3pm and 9pm.
Whenever you start you will be on a 30 minute timer so if you want to look at notes
or the textbook, be careful that you do not run out of time. Make sure to SAVE as
you go. Click Save All Response before clicking Go To Submit. If you are unable to
complete the quiz then your final exam will be worth 10 more points.
Midterm Exam
Date: Tuesday Feb 21. Class time
The midterm will cover Chapters 1, 8, 4, , 3, 2, 7,, and 13 and all lecture material
prior to Feb 21. There will be approximately 50 questions, approximately 30 from
the textbook and 20 from lecture.
Excused absence for the midterm.
If you are sick stay home.
For those who MISS the MIDTERM
There will be a Test Mar 27 7:00-8:00 pm Room to be announced Only if you
missed the midterm. Based on chapters 6 , 10 and 11 and lectures March 7-23.
Multiple choice questions. Worth 20%.
Final exam will be worth 60% for those who miss the midterm.
Essay
Deadline: Wed Mar 22 by 5pm Online
Essay Length: 2 pages double spaced. Save your answer on your computer, upload
it to the course website Assignment option. Note that the site will time out by 5pm
Nov 20 so you are advised to submit early that day or the evening before and not
wait until the last hour.
Essay Instructions:
-
-
Read Chpt 12 on Groups, OR TWO of the short Application modules on
Health, Education or Law.
Write a short essay on your response to the chapter or modules you read.
First you need to clearly indicate at the top which chapter or modules you
are writing about.
In the First sentence state three concepts, theories or phenomena
described in the chapter or modules that you found interesting and/or
important. If modules then at least one concept from each module, not all
three from one module.
Second, write a short paragraph for each of these three, explaining what
the concept, theory or phenomena is and mention some evidence to
support it. Be sure to cite the sources of this evidence
Third, choose ONE of the three concepts, theories or phenomena and
describe why YOU think it is especially important. You might describe the
implications of the concept that go beyond what was described in the
textbook. Why should we care about this concept? You might link this
concept to something else in the course and comment on how it gives us a
different understanding of the concept from a previous chapter or lecture.
Note: Use your own words and paraphrase to show your understanding of the
concepts you identify. Your final paragraph should express YOUR ideas.
If you believe that your grade on the essay is unfair, you may submit a half page
rationale for why you think you deserved more points to Ping in 2001 McGill College
room 775 within 5 days of the grades being posted. Clearly indicate your name and
ID #. Remember that your grade may go up or down or remain the same.
Final Exam
Date: Date, time and place announced by the university.
• Comprehensive (i.e. on the whole course). That includes all lectures and all
chapters EXCEPT chapter 12. You are not tested on the modules. More weight
to material since the Midterm.
• If you do better on the final than on the midterm and quiz I will count the
Final as 70%, midterm 15%, and quiz 5%.
If you have a problem with the schedule of the Final Exam or you miss the final, do
NOT contact me. You need to contact Student Affairs
Reviewing your exams
The TA’s will schedule sessions in March for students who want to review their
midterm results. Students taking the March 27 test should email the TA’s to arrange
seeing the test results during TA office hours. If at the session you see a question
that you believe was graded incorrectly (e.g. another option was correct), you may
write a note indicating the question, the version # of the midterm and why you think
it is graded incorrectly and give that to the TA. A session will be scheduled in May
for a review of the Final Exam.
Conferences
We plan to have three conferences this term in late January, late February, and late
March. There will be an activity related to a course topic. Attendance at the first
conference will count as 1 bonus point toward the midterm. Attendance at the
second and third conferences will count as bonus points toward the final exam.
Extra-Credit Research Participation (Optional)
In order to increase understanding of the science of psychology, you can participate
in research conducted by members of the McGill Psychology Department. It is an
opportunity for you to learn more directly about how questions are investigated
empirically with systematic research. You can earn up to 2% by participating in
research studies. The extra-credit research participant pool is run by the
department with its own separate teaching assistant. Details about this extra-credit
option will be explained at a later date by the Participant Pool TA.
Bonus Points
During the term I may on occasion give a question at the beginning of class based on
the previous lecture. I will post this through Quizzes and start it sometime between
4:05 and 4:10. If you get the question correct then it will be added to your score for
the next test. The number of bonus quizzes will be due in part to the cooperation of
the class in doing the quizzes in a quiet orderly manner.
Supplemental Exam
This is an option for students who receive a D or F in the course. The exam is worth
1/3 of your supplemental grade and it is the same format covering the same
material as the final exam. You make arrangements with the university in May if
you plan to take the supplemental. You do not see me.
In the event of circumstances beyond the instructor’s control, the evaluation scheme
as set out in this handout might require change.
McGill values academic integrity.
Therefore all students must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating ,
plagiarism, and other academic offenses under the code of student conduct and
disciplinary procedures (see www.mcgill.ca/integrity for more information).
Week
Lecture Topic
Suggested Chpt
Jan 5
Construal
1
Jan 10
Social Influence
8
Jan 17
Automaticity
4
Jan 24
Dynamic Self
3
Jan 31
Self-affirmation, Illusions and Mindset
2
Feb 7
Self presentation and the Social Self
7
Feb 14
Self control
13
Mar 7
Terror Management
6
Mar 14
Prejudice and Stereotype threat
10
Mar 21
System Justification and Morality
11
Mar 28
Helping
14
Ap 4
Need to Belong
9
Ap 11
Subjective Well-Being
5
No in- class lecture Thursday Feb 23. Conference with TA between Feb 16 and Feb
24.
No class Tues Feb 28 or Thursday March 2 Reading Week
No class Thursday April 13 as it is a Friday schedule