PSY 310
Social Psychology
Fall I 2007
INSTRUCTOR:
STAFF [TBA]
PHONE:
EMAIL:
FAX:
REQUIRED TEXTS:
Title
Author(s)
Copyright
Publisher
ISBN
Edition
Social Psychology: Unraveling the Mystery
Kenrick, D. T., Neuberg, S. L., & Cialdini, R. B.
(2007)
Allyn and Bacon.
0-205-49395-5
4th Edition
This Course Requires the Purchase of a Course Packet:
YES
NO
Argosy University
COURSE SYLLABUS
PSY310
Social Psychology
Faculty Information
Faculty Name: STAFF [TBA]
Campus:
Contact Information:
Office Hours:
Short Faculty Bio:
Course description: Survey of theory and research on human social behavior, including topics such as aggression, attitudes, attribution, group dynamics,
interpersonal relations, and prejudice and stereotypes. Emphasis on the diversity of human experience and ethical conflicts in psychological research and
practice.
Course Pre-requisites: PSY101
Required Textbook:
Kenrick, D. T., Neuberg, S. L., & Cialdini, R. B. (2007). Social Psychology: Unraveling the Mystery.4th Edition. Allyn and Bacon.
ISBN: 0-205-49395-5
Technology: Pentium III CPU/ Windows 98; 128MB RAM, printer; Microsoft Office Acrobat (full version), Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 (PC) 5.0 (MAC) or
Netscape Navigator 4.08. Norton Antivirus.
Course length: 7.5 Weeks
Contact Hours: 45 Hours
Credit Value: 3.0
Program Outcomes:
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Cognitive Abilities
1.1. Critical Thinking - Given a psychological issue, employ skeptical inquiry and a scientific approach to respond to the issue.
1.2. Information Literacy - Given a research question related to psychology, access information from a variety of sources and select appropriate sources to
respond to the question.
Research
2.1. Understanding Research Methods – Given an article about research findings in the field of psychology from a scholarly journal, identify the research
methods used and the findings of the article.
2.2. Identifying Research Methods – Identify the appropriate statistical tools and basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data
analysis, and interpretation.
Communication Skills
3.1. Oral - Effectively present psychological concepts orally as appropriate to the audience.
3.2. Written - Effectively present psychological information, in writing, using software and style appropriate to the audience.
Ethics/Diversity
4.1. Ethics - Identify the issues and challenges related to ethics in the field of psychology.
4.2. Diversity - Identify the issues and challenges related to diversity in the field of psychology.
Knowledge of the Field
5.1. Foundations – Recognize the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, applications, and historical trends in psychology.
Knowledge of Applied Psychology
6.1. Apply psychological principles to personal, social, and/or organizational issues.
Course Objectives:
1.
2.
Present major theories and principles of social psychology in readings, lectures, online discussions and activities, and out-of-class projects. (Program
Outcome(s): 3.1, & 5)
1.1. Describe how social behavior is determined by three factors: the person, the situation, and the interaction between the person and the situation.
1.2. Analyze the principles of human social behavior assumed by the four theoretical perspectives — sociocultural, social cognitive, evolutionary, and
social learning.
1.3. Apply the main contemporary theories in social psychology to phenomena observed in real-world settings.
Critically assess the design, findings, and implications of classic and recent research studies as it pertains to social psychology with the help of repeated
opportunities (through readings, lectures, online discussions and activities, and out-of-class projects). (Program Outcome(s): 2.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5, & 6)
2.1. Describe descriptive and experimental research methodologies utilized in social psychological studies.
2.2. Analyze the implications of classic studies in social psychology, including Philip Zimbardo's mock prison study and Stanley Milgram's obedience
studies, to better understand situations involving power differences in social status.
2.3. Analyze any ethical concerns and guidelines pertinent to social psychological research.
2.4. Analyze the relevance of social psychological research to today's world.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
Write a research summary of a peer-reviewed journal article. (Program Outcome(s): 2.1, 2.2, & 6)
3.1. Distinguish between nonscientific, or popular, literature and scientific literature.
3.2. Distinguish between conceptually-oriented and empirically-oriented academic journal articles.
3.3. Apply citation and referencing guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA).
Move beyond text and note taking to apply social psychological theories, principles, and concepts to real life situations. (Program Outcome(s): 5, & 6)
4.1. Observe, record, and describe real-life social situations and apply social psychological theories and concepts to better understand the phenomena at
hand.
4.2. Describe the history of well-known individuals in terms of social psychological theories and principles.
Be sensitized to the importance of understanding the role of diversity factors in order to understand various social psychological theories and principles.
(Program Outcome(s): 4.2, & 5)
5.1. Examine how each social psychological theory accounts for gender differences in behavior across societies.
5.2. Describe how each social psychological theory accounts for differential treatment and expectations of people based on a variety of social categories,
such as age, race, gender, ability-level, physical size, appearance, and social class.
Be sensitized to the importance of understanding the role of diversity factors when applying social psychological theories and principles. (Program
Outcome(s): 1.1, 4.2, 5, & 6)
6.1. Describe how each social psychological theory contributes to our understanding of discrimination, prejudices, and stereotyping.
6.2. Demonstrate an understanding of discrimination, prejudices, and stereotyping in terms of the basic principles of human behavior assumed by the four
theoretical perspectives.
6.3. Examine the specific social conditions that are empirically evidenced to reduce discrimination, prejudices, and stereotyping.
Assignment Table
1
Topics
 What is Social Psychology?
 Social Psychological Theories
 Social Psychology Research
Readings
Kenrick, Neuberg, &
Cialdini
Chapter 1
Assignments
Discussion Questions:
1.
Asma and Lia are sisters and are both adolescents. Their parents are
currently separated and contemplating divorce. Asma, who is a junior in
high-school, shares her feelings with her school guidance counselor,
contemplates joining a support group after school, and continues to do
well in school. In contrast, Lia, who is in the fourth grade in elementary
school, is uncomfortable talking to anyone about her feelings and spends
most of her after-school time in her bedroom alone.
a. Identify and discuss at least three possible reasons why you think
Asma and Lia are responding so differently to their parents’ divorce.
b. List one way how each parent can help Asma and Lia cope with the
situation.
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2.
Most research institutes and universities have an ethics committee which
decides the studies that meet or do not meet ethical guidelines. One wellknown study in social psychology is Stanley Milgram's research on
obedience to authority.
Refer to Stanley Milgram's research at the following Web site provided by
Psychology Today to learn about the study:
http://cms.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-20020301000037
a. Based on the findings of Stanley’s original research, discuss what you
consider as important prerequisites for conducting ethical research
when using human participants.
b. Based on the findings of Stanley Milgram’s research, analyze the
ethical issues involved in a social psychological research.
c. Discuss the considerations regarding ethical risks and safeguards in
social psychological research involving human participants. Use
examples to support your responses.
3.
Social psychologists often consider the effect of situations on people's
personalities. Refer to Philip Zimbardo's Stanford Mock Prison study at
the following Web site: http://www.prisonexp.org/
a. Based on the findings of this study, examine how the assigned status
or the position of “prisoner” affected the personality and behavior of
the research participants assigned as prisoners.
b. In addition, examine how the assigned status or position of “guard”
affected the personality and behavior of the research participants
assigned to be a guard.
c. Substantiate your findings with reasons.
Assignments:
1.
Designing a Survey
Imagine that you are asked by the Argosy University management body to
study the “student satisfaction with curriculum structure and teaching
methodology” as your term-ending assignment.
You need to conduct a brief survey to gather information from the students
enrolled for various programs.
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a.
b.
c.
2.
What type of survey will you choose? Will it be face-to-face, overthe-phone, or self-administered questionnaire in a group setting? State
reasons for choosing a particular survey type.
Provide at least five questions or items to measure student
satisfaction.
State at least three steps that you plan to incorporate as part of the
study in order to address ethical guidelines related to anonymity and
confidentiality.
Final Project
Imagine that you use the naturalistic observation research method to study
gender differences in social behavior. For this purpose, you request
permission from 16 mothers, who have children in the first-grade, to
observe their interactions with their children for an hour at home. There
are eight boys and eight girls in this group.
You notice that eight mothers, who have a daughter each, are more likely
to initiate topics concerning their daughters’ relationships and feelings —
for example, the daughters’ relationships with their best friends or
neighbors and feelings about their relationships or school work. On the
other hand, seven of the eight mothers, who have a son each, are more
likely to initiate topics that concerned the boys’ activities with others —
for example, games played with friends or neighbors — and their
accomplishments in school and sports. Only one mother of a son initiated
conversation that addressed his feelings, specifically feelings about losing
a soccer game.
Intrigued with your findings, you set out to explain these gender
differences by using any one of the four social psychological theories.
a. Analyze and include at least three reasons why you think this
perspective clearly explains gender differences in these mother-child
interactions.
b. Develop two predictions for how you believe these mother-child
interactions affect a child's development.
c. Provide at least one potentially positive outcome and one potentially
negative outcome of these mother-child interactions.
You may refer to the following Web sites to complete this
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2
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Person-Situation Interaction
Individualist and Collectivist
Culture
Cognitive Processes and Strategies
Attribution
Impression Management
Kenrick, Neuberg, &
Cialdini
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
assignment: http://www.socialpsychology.org/
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2294/is_n910_v37/ai_20608865
Discussion Questions:
1.
Tracy, a high-school teacher, asks each student in her class to answer the
question “Who are you?” The responses to the question vary from student
to student. Some of the responses the students come up with include:
“I like to do exciting things.”
“I like to be in control.”
“I am tall.”
“I am a girl.”
a.
b.
Your identity is based on self-perception — qualities that you learned
about yourself by observing your behavior, reflected appraisals —
traits that you believe others think that you have, and social
comparison — characteristics that involve you comparing yourself
with others.
Analyze which of these is the most appropriate measure of a person's
identity: self-perception, reflected appraisals, and social comparison.
Which of these do you think affects a person's self-esteem the most?
Discuss. Use examples to support your response.
2.
Kathryn works as a television broadcaster in the United States. As part of
her job as a talk-show host, she interviews well-known personalities in
business, sports, and entertainment. Because of the high ratings of her
show in the United States, the television producer considers broadcasting it
throughout Latin America and Asia.
a. Why do you think the show is such a success in the United States?
b. Do you think the show will be a success in Latin America and Asia?
Analyze how audiences in a collectivistic culture may view such a
program. List the adjustments the producer may need to make to the
show to make it more appealing to people from collectivistic cultures.
3.
The Covariation Model suggests that people determine or attribute the
cause of an actor's behavior by assessing whether other people act in
similar ways — consensus, whether the actor behaves similarly in similar
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situations — distinctiveness, and whether the actor behaves similarly at
different instances in the same situation — consistency.
a. Which of the three kinds of attribution about behavior would you
make about each actor in the following three cases?
i) Case #1: Steve's good grade in his psychology class. In this
situation, there is low consensus, low distinctiveness, and high
consistency.
ii) Case #2: Alba's promotion at her workplace. In this situation,
there is low consensus, high distinctiveness, and high
consistency.
iii) Case #3: Indira's decision to volunteer for a pet adoption agency.
In this situation, there is high consensus, high distinctiveness, and
high consistency.
b. Select one response for each case: external or situation attribution,
person and situation attribution, or internal or person attribution.
Provide reasons for your answer.
Assignments:
1.
Strong Vs. Weak Situations
Reflecting on past situations in your life, consider situations you
experienced and identify the situations that you perceive as “strong” and
the situations that you perceive as “weak.”
a. In one page, describe one “strong” situation. Since strong situations
are heavily scripted, in your description, include the appropriate
“script” for that situation. What was your “script” in this situation?
Consider your use of language, mode of dress, and overall demeanor.
How did others in this situation behave that supports your view that it
was a strong situation? Next, from your recollections, describe how
this situation made you feel about yourself.
b. Accordingly, in one page, describe one “weak” situation. What was
your “script” in this situation? Consider your use of language, mode
of dress, and overall demeanor. How did others in this situation
behave that supports your view that it was a weak situation? Next,
from your recollections, describe how this situation made you feel
about yourself. Based on your knowledge on strong and weak
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situations, if you are faced with the same situations will you act
differently? If yes, how?
2.
3
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

Why Attitudes Resist Change?
Consistency of Attitudes and
Behavior
Persuasion
Kenrick, Neuberg, &
Cialdini
Chapter 5
Final Project
Joe unconsciously engages in the social psychological phenomenon of
self-handicapping. There are several reasons why Joe self-handicaps. One
is to protect his fragile self-esteem. Although it is natural for people to
protect the self, self-handicapping generates a pattern that minimizes the
opportunity for them to engage in behaviors leading to successes and thus
minimizes the opportunity to increase self-esteem. Only when Joe
internalizes successes, does his fragile self-esteem become stronger.
Joe constantly self-handicaps by anticipating failure. To work on his
fragile self-esteem, he consults his school counselor. Because he expects
to fail, he does not do well. However, because he expected to fail and
already made excuses for failing, he does not feel as bad as he would have
had he not self-handicapped.
a. What suggestions may the counselor suggest to Joe to help him
decrease the number of times he self-handicaps?
b. Analyze each suggestion to assess how it may increase Joe's
motivation to present himself as competent.
c. What behavioral steps would Joe need to take in order to successfully
implement the suggestions the counselor gives?
You may refer to the following Web sites to complete this
assignment:
http://www.self-esteem-nase.org/
http://www.selfgrowth.com/
http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/faculty/Gosling/reprints/JR
P01selfesteemcorrelates.pdf
Discussion Questions:
1.
As part of their persuasion tactics, television commercials are often created
to take advantage of the tendency to use “cognitive short-cuts” when
making decisions. As a result, these commercials often attempt to utilize
expertise, trustworthiness, and/or others' responses.
Consider the commercials for medications, and identify the technique that
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proves to be most effective for persuading viewers to use such a product.
Substantiate your choice with examples and reasons.
2.
Larry has bought an expensive designer suit to wear at his best friend’s
wedding. He carefully selected the suit after considering its texture, fall,
and cut. He felt a sense of satisfaction and knew he would look dapper at
the wedding. However, after the initial rush of buying, he experiences
“postdecisional dissonance.”
a. Because “old habits die hard,” do you think it is possible for Larry to
change his spending behavior?
b. Discuss two ways that Larry may employ to alleviate the dilemma of
post-decisional dissonance.
c. Examine a way in which Larry can prevent postdecisional dissonance
in the future.
3.
Depending on advertisers’ belief that you can process persuasive
information deeply, they will often appeal to your peripheral or central
processing abilities. Advertisements in magazines often provide detailed
information about a product or service. In contrast, pop-up advertisements
on the Internet provide less information.
a. In terms of your two processing abilities — peripheral and central —
why do you think advertisers provide different amounts of
information depending on the advertising medium?
b. Analyze how the target audience affects the advertisers' choice of
appealing either to the peripheral processing ability or the central
processing ability.
c. What do you think is the best advertising medium for school-going
children? Provide reasons for your answer.
d. What do you think is the best advertising medium for single, middleaged adults? Provide reasons for your answer.
Assignments:
1.
Advising the Expert
The media focused arch lights on the Clara Gomes murder trial. All eyes
are set on Dr. Stephanie Schroeder, a geneticist with expertise in DNA. As
a member of the prosecution, Dr. Schroeder is presenting detailed
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evidence to the jury.
Assume that you are an assistant for the prosecution in this high stakes
murder trial.
What advice would you give to Dr. Schroeder on how she should present
information to the jury so that the jury is convinced of her expertise in
DNA? Use examples to explain how your advice will be effective and will
convince the wide spectra of people who will form part of the jury.
2.
Final Project
An environmental organization recently completes filming a pro-recycling
public service announcement. They want you to join their team as a
volunteer to design a test for the message's persuasive power.
a. How would you recruit participants from the public to take part in this
research?
b. What methods would you use to assign the participants to either the
experimental group or the control group?
c. What would the participants in the control group do?
d. What variables need to be addressed among the experimental group
participants?
e. How would you measure the persuasiveness of the message?
f. Would you use a self-reported survey measure or an unobtrusive
behavioral measure? Explain your rationale.
g. What are the advantages and disadvantages of self-reported measures
in this type of study?
h. What are the advantages and disadvantages of nonreactive behavioral
measures in this type of study? In what ways could a pretest interfere
with your results?
i. Why would you have stronger confidence in your results if you had
200 participants as opposed to only 10?
You may refer to the following Web sites to complete this
assignment:
http://www.influenceatwork.com/
http://www.socialpsychology.org/social.html#marketing
http://www.workingpsychology.com/index.html
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4
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Conformi
ng to
Others
Complyi
ng with
Others
Followin
g Orders
Research
on Social
Influence
Kenrick, Neuberg, &
Cialdini
Chapter 6
Discussion Questions:
1.
Refer to Stanley Milgram's research on obedience at the following Web
site of Psychology Today:
http://cms.psychologytoday.com/articles/index.php?term=pto-20020301000037
a. Based on the findings of the original research, discuss why you
believe it was difficult for participants to disobey an authority figure.
b. Discuss, in general, why children are socialized to obey authority
figures.
2.
Imagine you and nine others have gone for a five-course meal at a formal
restaurant. As the waiter approaches, you begin to panic because you are
unsure about which cutlery to use.
a. What could you do to ensure that you choose the correct cutlery?
b. What situational factor do you think would increase your confidence
about making the correct choice of cutlery for each course of the
meal?
c. Generate a different social setting unfamiliar to you in which you
would like to ensure you behave appropriately. What steps would you
take to ensure your success in this social setting?
3.
Joanne and Max have been dating for six months. Lately, Joanne is
sensing that Max is not the right one for her. So, she sends him a text
message communicating that though she thinks highly of him, she is no
longer interested in dating him.
a. Norms affect our behavior in powerful, pervasive ways. Consider
descriptive and injunctive norms. Did Joanne violate a descriptive
norm, an injunctive norm, or both?
b. What do you think is the appropriate “script” for breaking up with
someone?
Assignments:
1.
Message Against Drunk Driving
Students are often presented with information about the dangers of drunk
driving. However, according to studies related to the issue, this type of
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information might backfire because it may encourage students to perceive
that more students partake in drunk driving than they actually do.
Students receiving the message about drunk driving may then think that
they are unusual or atypical because they do not engage in such behavior.
To “fit in” with peers, they may begin to drink alcoholic beverages more
frequently.
a. Imagine you are a volunteer with Students Against Drunk Driving
(SADD), a community welfare organization. SADD wants its team of
volunteers to create an awareness message for a poster discouraging
drunk driving.
b. What will your message include to validate the problem of drunk
driving?
c. What will you include in your message so that it does not portray
drunk driving to be more common than it actually is?
d. How will you ensure that your message does not backfire?
e. Provide reasons to explain how your message will validate the
problem of drunk driving and prevent the message from backfiring.
2.
Final Project
Imagine that you are to assist the Activities Coordinator at an assisted
living center for elderly residents. Your duties include all of the following:
 Increase physical exercise among the residents.
 Increase community volunteerism among the residents.
 Raise funds from nonresidential individuals, companies, and
other organizations on behalf of the center. Examine three kinds
of social influence — conformity, compliance, and obedience —
and describe a strategy to motivate these residents to increase
their physical exercise; increase community volunteerism among
the residents; and raise funds.
a. Analyze which one of these strategies you believe would be the most
effective.
b. Apply the foot-in-the-door technique to this strategy, and assess its
effectiveness.
c. Apply the door-in-the-face technique to this strategy, and assess its
effectiveness.
You may refer to the following Web sites to complete this
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5
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Liking and Friendship
Gendered Patterns in Friendship
Social Psychology of Love
Social Psychology of Break-Ups
Kenrick, Neuberg, &
Cialdini
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
assignment:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/
http://www.socialpsychology.org/siteweek.htm
http://www.influenceatwork.com/
Discussion Questions:
1.
Imagine that a couple, Judith and Edward, divorced after one decade of
marriage. They met in graduate school where they both held assistantships
in the business school. After graduation, Judith started a financial services
company, earning $155,000 per year, and Edward pursued a doctorate in
business. He currently holds a research and teaching position at the local
university, earning $82,000 per year. Each serves on boards of service
organizations and is highly-respected in the community. In fact, because
Judith and Edward seemed to be an “ideal” match, their friends and
relatives were surprised when the two divorced.
Discuss at least two personal and two situational factors that contribute to
a romantic relationship breaking up. Substantiate your answer with
reasons.
2.
Many adages attempt to explain the attraction between people. One adage
is, “Birds of a feather flock together.” Another is, “Opposites attract.”
a. According to the theories and the research on attraction in romantic
relationships, which adage is true?
b. Explain your choice of adage, and include a reference to a particular
study from the textbook reading.
3.
You might have observed that men and women respond differently to
friendships.
a. Analyze gendered patterns in friendship to examine how female
friendships are different from male friendships.
b. What is it that men seek from associating with friends and
acquaintances?
c. What is it that draws women to form bonds with friends and
acquaintances?
Assignments:
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1.
Helping a Friend in Need
Keith, one of your friends from high school days, moves to a new city.
After setting down, he calls you up only to inform you that he is feeling
lonely and depressed lately. You are highly concerned because you
recently read about research findings indicating that depressed people
behave in ways that reduce the support they get from friends — just when
they need it the most.
Keeping the research findings in mind, you decide to write him a letter.
a. In your letter to Keith, state at least three actions he could take to
improve his situation.
b. Further, for each action, explain to Keith why the particular action
would help him feel better.
2.
Final Project
Monica Moore (1985), a researcher, found that women who initiated
nonverbal interaction with men in a singles' bar were more likely to be
approached by the men. Consider other settings, such as a restaurant, an
amusement park, a theatre, a community event, or an airport, in which you
can observe nonverbal interaction patterns between women and men.
a. Spend one hour observing nonverbal interaction and record your
observations by using the naturalistic observation research method.
Conduct this research in such a way as to not intrude on those being
observed. Consider how you would note your observations. For
example, would you take notes as you observe, immediately
thereafter, or between observations? Pay special attention to the
following:
 Patterns of eye contact — for example, differences in who
maintains eye contact longer and who stares more frequently
 Touching patterns — for example, differences in who initiates the
touching, what the type of touching is, such as a hug or a
handshake, and who touches the other person more frequently
 Smiling patterns — for example, differences in who smiles more
frequently.
b. Be sure to include the location of your observation, the day of week,
and the time of day in your description.
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6
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Why We Help Others?
Managing How We See Ourselves
Emotion and Mood Management
True Altruism
Aggressive Behavior
Kenrick, Neuberg, &
Cialdini
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
You may refer to the following Web sites to complete this
assignment:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/
http://nonverbal.ucsc.edu
Discussion Questions:
1.
Consider and discuss how the phenomena of prosocial behavior and pure
altruism relate to each other and how they differ from each other.
Prosocial behavior occurs when you purposefully act to help another
person. It is often a “win-win” situation because helping the other person
often brings you rewards. For example, you will most likely make a
favorable impression on the other person and affirm a positive concept of
yourself.
Pure altruism is a specific kind of prosocial behavior where your sole
motivation is to help a person in need without seeking benefit for yourself.
It is often viewed as a truly selfless form of behavior.
Provide an example each of prosocial behavior and pure altruism.
2.
Jerome and Kimberly are preparing for an exam tomorrow. Jerome's air
conditioner unit at his studio apartment has quit working, and he is
struggling to pay for its repair. In addition, soon after he begins to study,
he notices a migraine developing. Kimberly, on the other hand, is studying
for her exam in the library, where it is quiet and cool. Close to midnight,
Mark decides to call both Jerome and Kimberly on their cell phones to
remind them they have an assignment submission due tomorrow as well.
a. Who, of Jerome and Kimberly, is more likely to become irritated with
Mark's call? Provide reasons for your answer.
b. Which factor do you think most affects a person’s mood? Provide
reasons for your answer.
3.
Richard drives himself and two of his friends, Paul and Jim, to a nightclub.
They all have beer together. Paul begins to poke fun at Richard's driving
ability; and all of a sudden, Richard hits Paul in a fit of anger.
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In your opinion, is it acceptable for Richard to hit Paul? Justify your
answer. Consider possible personal and situational factors that might affect
your conclusion.
Assignments:
1.
Where Does Altruism Come From?
The four social psychological theories explain the source of altruism from
different perspectives.
a. Refer to the following Web sites for an explanation of the source of
altruistic behavior:
http://www.healthscout.com/template.asp?page=newsdetail&ap=113&id=
508164
http://www.altruism.org
http://www.altruists.org/ideas/society/consumerism/
b.
c.
2.
7

Stereotyping and Discrimination
Kenrick, Neuberg, &
Choose one of the four main theoretical perspectives to explain the
source of altruism.
Provide evidence that supports your theoretical position from the
above Web sites. Include appropriate citations and references
documenting your sources.
Final Project
The Authoritarian Personality test tries to estimate how receptive a person
would be to fascism. This test was conceived more than 50 years ago.
Take the Authoritarian Personality test at the following Web site:
http://www.anesi.com/fscale.htm
Print the test, review your results, and answer the following questions:
a. Do you think there are specific test items that are especially strong or
weak at measuring the personality variable for an authoritarian
personality?
b. Considering that the test was created 50 years ago, how relevant do
you think it is today? Provide reasons for your answer.
c. Do you think the questions in this test accurately reveal the construct
of an authoritarian personality? Provide reasons for your answer.
Discussion Questions:
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

Situational Factors in Stereotyping
Researching Inter-group Contact
Reducing Inter-group Conflict
Cialdini
Chapter 11
1.
Annaliese is counseling an Asian-American couple and their two
adolescent children. This family was referred to her because the wife is
showing signs of depression.
Annaliese has read about traditional Asian families being patriarchal.
Therefore, she plans to structure the therapy session in such a way that she
would talk to the husband first, then the wife, followed by the two
children.
a. Do you agree with Annaliese's decision to talk to the husband first in
the initial session with the family?
b. How do you think the structure of the therapy session might impact
the wife’s response to the therapy session? Provide reasons to
substantiate your answer.
2.
A “person” factor that sometimes influences behavior is our feeling or
attitude. Sometimes, we behave in ways consistent with our attitudes, but
often we may behave in ways that are inconsistent with our attitudes. Let's
discuss Nicole's case.
Nicole is 18 years old, and she and Paula are friends. Though Nicole and
Paula do many activities together, Nicole does not invite Paula home for
dinner to meet her parents. This is because Nicole's father is prejudiced
against Native-Americans, and Paula is of Cherokee descent.
Though Nicole is not prejudiced against Native-Americans, she feels
pressured to act in accordance with her father's views. Do you agree with
Nicole's decision to withhold a dinner invitation from Paula? Provide
reasons for your answer.
3.
One of the goals of human social behavior is to manage self-image.
Consider how some people might be prejudiced toward a social group or
category and discriminate to manage their self-image.
Consider the example of Adin who moved from Eastern Europe to New
York City with his parents when he was an adolescent; now he is 23. Adin
was been laid off from his job as a construction worker. Six months later,
he visited his former employer to ask if the company was hiring again. He
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was turned down. However, he observed eight men leaving the training
room, each holding a “new hire” packet. He noticed that all were around
his age, and five of them appeared to be of Mexican descent while three
others seemed to be of different ethnicities.
When out with his male friends one evening, Adin starts to complain about
Mexican-Americans and talks about them as being less capable and less
intelligent than himself.
a. Why do you think Adin is prejudiced against Mexican-Americans?
b. In your response, address how managing his self-image might be a
factor in Adin’s prejudice against Mexican-Americans.
Assignments:
1.
Stereotyping and Discrimination
Often, you may hold prejudices of which you may not be fully aware.
Consider the case of Elizabeth who is a second-grade school teacher.
Whenever Walt, a child from a middle-class background, answers
correctly, Elizabeth praises him. If his answer is not correct, she even
spends time helping him develop a more correct response. However, when
Ricky, a child from a lower-class background, gives a correct response,
Elizabeth spends significantly less time praising him. Additionally, when
Ricky provides an incorrect answer, Elizabeth spends comparatively less
time working with him.
a. Considering that most school teachers are from middle-class
background, why do you think Elizabeth behaves in this way?
Researchers have developed instruments to test hidden biases that you may
hold toward others. Take the Implicit Association Test at either one of the
following Web sites:
www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
Note that by taking the Implicit Association Test at the second Web site,
you are partaking in an ongoing research project called Project Implicit.
b.
c.
Describe your personal reaction to the results.
Include your thoughts about whether you think this test accurately
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reflected any hidden biases and the degree of the biases.
2.
Final Project
Research suggests six principles of effective contact to reduce prejudice,
stereotyping, and discrimination. Assume that you assist a counselor in a
detention center for delinquent adolescent boys. The counselor is devising
a way to reduce intergroup conflict between these boys, many of whom
were active in local gangs. Keeping diversity and tolerance in mind, what
should the counselor make the participants do?
 Break existing negative stereotypes.
 Support participants with the help of local norms and institutions.
 Ensure that different groups interact as equals.
 Ensure that contact with the participant is at an individual level and is
rewarding.
 Ensure cooperation and teamwork between different groups.
You may refer to the following Web sites to complete this assignment:
www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias/index.html
https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/
8



Group Dynamics
Presence of Others
Groupthink
Kenrick, Neuberg, &
Cialdini
Chapter 12
http://chuma.cas.usf.edu/~penner/Prejudice/tsld018.htm
Discussion Questions:
1.
According to Irving Janis (1972), groupthink is the process by which we
conform to others’ decisions even when we individually disagree with
these decisions.
Imagine that Fred is the manager of a bookstore and the sales of books
have slowed in recent months. Fred decides to meet his employees to find
ways to reduce expenses.
To reduce the possibility of “groupthink” before the start of the meeting,
Fred encourages everyone to “speak up” with their opinions — no matter
what those opinions are.
a. Do you agree with Fred's strategy to reduce the likelihood that
groupthink will occur?
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b.
2.
Which other way can Fred employ to reduce the likelihood of
groupthink during the meeting?
Why do you think people join or create groups? Include one person factor
and one situation factor in your answer.
How do groups differ from aggregates, which are mere collections of
people who happen to be at the same place at the same time?
Explore two qualities or attributes that make a set of people a group as
opposed to just an aggregate.
3.
The social facilitation theory asserts that the presence of other people helps
an individual's performance on a task that she or he has mastered. The
social facilitation theory also asserts that the presence of other people
hinders an individual's performance on a task that she or he has not
mastered.
Imagine you are acting in a play for the college drama club. Do you think
your performance will be improved or hindered when your friends are in
the audience? Provide reasons for your answer.
Assignments:
1.
Final Project
Imagine that Jean is interested in doing a preliminary study to test social
facilitation theory. She wants to specifically test the following two
hypotheses:
“The presence of others will improve the performance of teammates who
exhibit mastery over their sport as compared to teammates who do not
exhibit mastery over their sport.”
“The presence of others will hinder the performance of teammates who do
not exhibit mastery over their sport as compared to teammates who exhibit
mastery over their sport.”
To test these hypotheses, Jean decides to observe a week-long state-wide
gymnastics competition. Throughout the week, Jean notices that the teams
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that perform in front of a large crowd score higher than the teams that
perform in front of a small crowd.
Jean concludes that she has found support for social facilitation theory,
and she shares her findings and conclusion with you.
As an evaluator of Jean’s research, you notice several flaws in her research
design. What specific strategies would you recommend to Jean to improve
the study so that it tests her hypotheses more adequately?
You may refer to the following Web sites to complete this assignment:
http://www.socialpsychology.org/
http://www.psych.ucsb.edu/research/cep/
http://www.spsp.org
Grading Criteria
Grading Scale
Grading requirements
A
100 -93
A-
92 – 90
B+
89 – 88
B
87 – 83
B-
82 – 80
C+
79 – 78
C
77 – 73
C-
72 – 70
D+
69 – 68
D
67 – 63
D-
62 – 60
F
59 and below
Attendance/participation
Weekly Assignments
Final paper
Optional
Optional
25%
20%
35%
10%
10%
100%
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Library:
All resources in Argosy University’s online collection are available through the Internet. The campus librarian will provide students with links, user IDs, and
passwords.
Library Resources: Argosy University’s core online collection features nearly 21,000 full-text journals and 23,000 electronic books and other content covering
all academic subject areas including Business & Economics, Career & General Education, Computers, Engineering & Applied Science, Humanities, Science,
Medicine & Allied Health, and Social & Behavior Sciences. Many titles are directly accessible through the Online Public Access Catalog at
http://library.argosy.edu. Detailed descriptions of online resources are located at http://library.argosy.edu/misc/onlinedblist.html.
In addition to online resources, Argosy University’s onsite collections contain a wealth of subject-specific research materials searchable in the Online Public
Access Catalog. Catalog searching is easily limited to individual campus collections. Alternatively, students can search combined collections of all Argosy
University Libraries. Students are encouraged to seek research and reference assistance from campus librarians.
Information Literacy: Argosy University’s Information Literacy Tutorial was developed to teach students fundamental and transferable research skills. The
tutorial consists of five modules where students learn to select sources appropriate for academic-level research, search periodical indexes and search engines, and
evaluate and cite information. In the tutorial, students study concepts and practice them through interactions. At the conclusion of each module, they can test their
comprehension and receive immediate feedback. Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Please view the tutorial at http://library.argosy.edu/infolit/
Academic Policies
Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism: In an effort to foster a spirit of honesty and integrity during the learning process, Argosy University requires that the
submission of all course assignments represent the original work produced by that student. All sources must be documented through normal scholarly
references/citations and all work must be submitted using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5 th Edition (2001). Washington
DC: American Psychological Association (APA) format. Please refer to Appendix A in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5 th
Edition for thesis and paper format. Students are encouraged to purchase this manual (required in some courses) and become familiar with its content as well as
consult the Argosy University catalog for further information regarding academic dishonesty and plagiarism.
Scholarly writing: The faculty at Argosy University is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports scholarly and ethical writing, free from
academic dishonesty and plagiarism. This includes the proper and appropriate referencing of all sources. You may be asked to submit your course assignments
through “Turnitin,” (www.turnitin.com), an online resource established to help educators develop writing/research skills and detect potential cases of academic
dishonesty. Turnitin compares submitted papers to billions of pages of content and provides a comparison report to your instructor. This comparison detects
papers that share common information and duplicative language.
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Americans with Disabilities Act Policy
It is the policy of Argosy University to make reasonable accommodations for qualified students with disabilities, in accordance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). If a student with disabilities needs accommodations, the student must notify the Director of Student Services. Procedures for
documenting student disability and the development of reasonable accommodations will be provided to the student upon request.
Students will be notified by the Director of Student Services when each request for accommodation is approved or denied in writing via a designated form. To
receive accommodation in class, it is the student’s responsibility to present the form (at his or her discretion) to the instructor. In an effort to protect student
privacy, the Department of Student Services will not discuss the accommodation needs of any student with instructors. Faculty may not make accommodations
for individuals who have not been approved in this manner.
The Argosy University Statement Regarding Diversity
Argosy University prepares students to serve populations with diverse social, ethnic, economic, and educational experiences. Both
the academic and training curricula are designed to provide an environment in which students can develop the skills and attitudes
essential to working with people from a wide range of backgrounds.
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