SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (PSYC 2606-001), Fall 2014
https://learn.colorado.edu
Professor: Dr. Irene Blair, PhD
Office: MUEN D357c
Office Hours: Thur, 1:00 – 3:00 PM (or appointment)
Contact: irene.blair@colorado.edu
Teaching Assistant: Casey Gardiner
Office: MUEN E314
Office Hours: Mon, 10:30 - 12:30 PM (or appointment)
Contact: casey.gardiner@colorado.edu
This course is designed to provide you with a basic understanding of social psychology. As such, the goal is for you
to learn, (a) how social behavior is scientifically studied, (b) the major concepts, research findings, and issues in the
field, and (c) how to apply social psychology to everyday life and events.
PRE-REQUISITE: You must have already passed a college-level general psychology course (or equivalent)
REQUIRED MATERIALS: Textbook (Gilovich, Keltner, Chen & Nisbett [2013, 3rd ed.]. Social Psychology. NY: W.W.
Norton & Co.) and an iClicker remote.
REQUIREMENTS AND POLICIES: Regular class attendance is necessary for doing well in this course. Additional
requirements are: 3 Midterm exams (46%) and a Final exam (28%); Weekly online quizzes (12%), 1 Application
paper (6%), and Classroom activities (8%).
Midterm & Final Exams. The exams will cover material from both the textbook and class lectures. That is,
you will be questioned about material from the lectures that is not covered in the textbook, and about material
from the textbook that is not covered in the lectures. All exams will be multiple-choice, so bring a #2 pencil and an
eraser to each one. The midterm exams are not cumulative; the final exam is cumulative.
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No makeup exams will be given. If you miss one midterm exam with an excused absence, it will not count
against you; your scores from the remaining two exams will be averaged.
If you complete all three midterm exams, we will drop your lowest midterm exam score.
The final exam is required; you must take the final exam as scheduled.
Weekly Online Quizzes. Beginning with the 2nd chapter of the textbook, there will be weekly quizzes to be
completed on the D2L course website. All quizzes are available to take at any time and you have 2 tries to score
your best. Quizzes must be completed by 11:59 PM on each due date (see printed schedule and D2L calendar).
Application Paper. An application paper is due in the D2L dropbox on the date assigned to you (see
printed schedule and D2L calendar). Late papers receive a penalty of 1 grade-level reduction for each day late.
Additional information about this paper is on the class website.
Classroom Activities. There will be a number of class activities throughout the semester. You must be
present with your iClicker to receive credit for these activities. There are no make-up points if you miss a
class or your clicker is not operating properly.
GRADING: For your final letter grade for the course, a “Reference Score” will be calculated as the mean of the top
five percent of the class. Your grade will be determined in relation to this Reference Score.
A =93%
A- =90%
B+
B
=87%
=83%
B- =80%
C+ =77%
C =73%
C- =70%
D+ =67%
D
=63%
D- =60%
F <60%
Note 1: If you need accommodations because of a disability, please give Dr. Blair a letter from Disability
Services in a timely manner so that your needs may be addressed. Disability Services determines accommodations
based on documented disabilities. Contact: 303-492-8671, C4C Bldg N200, www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices
Note 2: It is expected that you will uphold the highest standards of academic integrity in completing work
for this course. Any academic dishonesty will result in a failing grade for this course, and additional sanctions
may be imposed by the CU-Boulder Honor Code.
Lecture Date
Topic
Aug 26 & 28
The Basics
 Introduction, rules & procedures
 Methods of social psychology
The Self
 Self-concept
 Self motives and regulation
Perceiving and Judging Other People
 Schemas, heuristics & priming
 First impressions
 Causal attributions
 Errors & biases in attributions
Sept 2, 4 & 9
Sept 11, 16, 18
Reading & Quiz Deadline
Ch. 2 quiz due 9/4
Ch. 3 quiz due 9/11
Ch. 4 quiz due 9/18
Ch. 5 quiz due 9/18
SEPT 23
EXAM 1
Sept 25
Emotion
 Components & expression of emotion
 Emotion, cognition & perception
Ch. 6 quiz due 10/2
Sept 30; Oct 2 & 7
(10/7: Paper due for last
names: D, E, F, J, M, P, Q, U, V)
Attitudes and Persuasion
 Attitudes & behavior
 Cognitive dissonance
 Persuasion & attitude change
Social Influence
 Social norms, conformity & compliance
 Obedience
Ch. 7 quiz due 10/2
Ch. 8 quiz due 10/9
Oct 9, 14 & 16
Ch. 9 quiz due 10/16
OCT 21
EXAM 2
Oct 23 & 28
(10/28: Paper due for last
names: A, C, G, K, N, O, R, S, W)
Interpersonal Relationships & Attraction
 Attraction
 Love & relationships
Ch. 10 quiz due 10/30
Oct 30; Nov 4 & 6
Stereotyping, Prejudice & Discrimination
 Definitions and historical changes
 Underlying processes
 Consequences for members of stigmatized groups
Group Psychology
 Social facilitation
 Group decision-making & behavior
Ch. 11 quiz due 11/6
Nov 11
Ch. 12 quiz due 11/11
NOV 13
EXAM 3
Nov 18 & 20
(12/2: Paper due for last
names: B, H, I, L, T, X, Y, Z)
Aggression
 Socialization & media violence
 Situational factors
Ch. 13 quiz due 11/20
Dec 2 & 4
Altruism and Cooperation
 Motivations for helping
 Five-step model of helping
 Cooperation
Social Psychology and Health
 Stress & your health
 Coping and social support
Ch. 14 quiz due 12/4
Dec 9 & 11
DEC 16 (Tuesday)
FINAL EXAM, 4:30 – 7:00 PM
AM 1 quiz due 12/11