Purdue North Central Honors Course Proposal
Submission Date:
(Date sent to Honors Program
Subcommittee)
11/20/12
Document No:
12-H-08
(Leave blank)
Submitting Dept:
Course number and title:
SOC 34000: General
Social Psychology
Reviewed by Department:
(Date reviewed by
department)
Reviewed by Honors
Subcommittee: (Leave blank)
11/20/12
(Name of
dept/pgm)
Course instructor:
(Name & Title)
11/27/12
Approval by
Faculty Senate:
Social Sciences
Christabel Rogalin,
Assistant Professor of Sociology
December 7, 2012
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Unless marked “Leave blank” all parts of this form must be filled in before sending to the Honors Program Subcommittee.
Current catalog description of course. (For new courses, or changes to current catalog descriptions or course objectives, a
curriculum document must also be submitted)
Social influences on the individual and processes of social interaction. Individual attitudes and behavior as related
to socialization, social norms, social roles, communication and propaganda, and other social influences. Among
the interaction processes considered are interpersonal attraction, influence, leadership, cooperation, and conflict.
Not open to students with credit in PSY 240. Permission of department required. Typically offered Fall Spring
Summer.
Current course objectives.
Upon completion of this course students will:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of how social psychologists think about and study human behavior.
2. Understand the body of knowledge and underlying principles that currently exist in social psychology.
3. Reflect about the implications of social psychological research for situations that are encountered in
everyday life.
Provide a description of the honors component of the course, showing how the course will meet PNC’s
definition of an honors course.
This Honors version of SOC 340 will focus on increasing the amount of integrative thinking required and also on
requiring more collaboration between student and instructor.
All students in the course work on a research project throughout the semester. All students pick a folk saying (i.e.,
birds of feather flock together, opposites attract) and investigate the social psychological research on the topic.
The final paper and presentation is done within groups. The Honors component of the course will build on this
with an expanded and intensified version. Honors students will pick a topic that is relevant to their major and/or
their anticipated occupation and investigate the social psychology research on the topic. The final paper and
presentation will be completed by that student, not to be done as a group project.
*Honors students will meet with the instructor several times in the first part of the course to choose a topic that is
both social psychological in nature and relevant to their major and/or their anticipated occupation. As part of that
task, students will write a brief 1-2 page summary of their topic; this document will help to ensure that the student
understands the topic. They will also submit 3 reflective papers, 2-3 pages, throughout the semester. In these
reflective papers, the student is to be analytical and integrative—not simply summarizing what is being covered in
class. The student is to directly relate what is being covered in class to their everyday life and to their research
project, when applicable.
Describe how the honors version of the course will meet course objectives in a more complex, challenging, or
enriching way.
In particular, Honors students will meet goals 1 and 3 in a more complex way:
*they will be coming up with a topic on their own and more directly linking social psychological knowledge to their
everyday experience through the research project and in the reflective papers.
Describe how honors students’ work will be evaluated.
For the initial assignment—to meet with the instructor to choose and discuss a theoretical essay, and then to write
a 1-2 page summary of that essay—students will receive full credit for meeting with the instructor, making a solid
effort, and coming to a solid basic understanding of the topic.
The final paper and presentation will be evaluated on the rubrics used to evaluate all students’ papers and
presentations.
The three reflective papers will be evaluated based on a rubric.
Please also submit a syllabus for the non-honors version of this course.
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