SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
FALL 2004, Tues/Thurs 12:15 – 1:30
DR. VALERIE LAMASTRO
Office Phone: 256-4500, ext. 3789
Email: davis-lamastro@rowan.edu
Office hours: Monday/Wednesday 10-11 a.m. or by arrangement
REQUIRED TEXT: Social Psychology, 6th. Edition (2005).
Authors: Brehm, Kassin, and Fein
This course is intended to be an introduction to both classical and contemporary theory and
research in social psychology. Those of you who feel that this is a totally impractical area and
those of you who believe that social psychology merely involves the study of group behavior are in
for a (hopefully) pleasant surprise. In truth, much of everyday life can conceivably be viewed in
terms of social psychology. From understanding your private self-concept to making sense of your
relationships with others; from appreciating how organizations function to shedding some light
upon why we learn to hate and how we learn to love, social psychologists explore every aspect of
our behavior in a social environment.
There is a great deal of material to cover in the course of a semester, and during such a short
time I can't hope for more than to provide you with an overview of a vital and fascinating field.
Throughout the course, I will endeavor to keep the material as practical and applicable as possible,
so that when December rolls around you'll have more to show for sitting in this classroom than 3
credits on your transcript.
ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING
There will be three non-comprehensive "hourly" exams, each consisting of 40 multiple
choice questions and one optional 20 point essay. If you choose NOT to answer the essay, each
multiple choice question will be worth 2.5 points. If you choose to answer the essay, the multiple
choice questions will be work 2 points each, and the points earned for the essay will be added to the
total. Note that attempting the essay cannot “hurt” you – if you write an essay and it does not help
your grade, it will not be counted. A week before each exam, I will hand out a study guide, and all
of the exam questions will be based upon its contents
. Each exam will be worth 25% of your final grade, with the remaining 25% based upon a
paper called the "Personal Application Assignment", focusing upon an area of Social Psychology
that you find especially interesting. The PAA is discussed in detail later in this outline; we’ll also
take time to discuss it in class as the semester progresses.
Attendance can also affect your final grade via class participation, and attendance sheets
will be distributed at every class meeting. Although no specific point value is allocated to
participation per se, individuals who attend class regularly will find that this behavior will have a
favorable impact if they should find themselves "between grades" at the end of the semester.
-2MAKE-UP EXAMS: You must receive prior permission from me to take a make-up exam in the
event that you are unable to complete an exam during the scheduled time period. “No-shows” (e.g.,
not coming for an exam and failing to notify me prior to that date) are unacceptable, and a zero will
be given for the missed exam. Exceptions to this policy are to be made only in the event of a true
emergency, and documentation of that fact must be provided before another exam date can be
arranged.
MORE ABOUT THE PERSONAL APPLICATION ASSIGNMENT
A Personal Application Assignment (PAA) is a short (5-7 page TYPED) paper consisting of
a thoughtful analysis of some social psychological issue. The choice of topic area is up to you, but
will most likely be developed from some idea that we have discussed in class or read in the text.
You need only to look at your work/personal/academic life in order to come up with viable topics.
For example, our discussion of obedience in class may bring to mind some situation where you
conformed to someone's wishes without really feeling that it was the right thing to do. What do
social psychological theories have to say about why you did that? Or maybe our discussion of the
social nature of self-image will get you contemplating your own self-consciousness (or lack thereof)
and cause you to reflect upon situations in which you feel especially self-aware.
Whatever your topic choice, you must enhance your discussion by using the information
found in TWO social psychology journal articles. I would expect you to find articles relevant to
your topic, and to summarize the theoretical basis and experimental procedures described in the
articles. The major journals in the field are The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, The
Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, The Journal of Applied Social Psychology, The Journal
of Applied Psychology, and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Other journals, such as
those found in the human resources, clinical, or educational fields, might also be used, depending
upon your topic. (NOTE: Magazines for laypersons, even those such as “Psychology Today”, are
not appropriate as a primary source for this assignment). The PAA will be due on December 9, the
last scheduled day of classes. In this way completing the paper will not interfere with preparation
for final exams. Of course, you are invited and encouraged to turn the paper in earlier.
GRADING
Final grades will be based upon the following scale:
A = 94+ points
C+ = 77-79 points
A-= 90-93 pts.
C = 73-76 pts.
B+= 87-89 pts.
C-= 70-72 pts.
B = 83-86 pts.
D+= 67-69 pts.
B-= 80-82 pts.
D = 63-66 pts.
D- = 60-62 pts.
F = 59 pts. or less
-4READINGS AND TOPICS
DATE
TOPIC
9/2-9/9
Course introduction; Overview of field & research
Chapter 1, 2
9/14-9/16
The social self
Chapter 3
9/21-9/23
Perceiving persons
Chapter 4
9/28-10/5
Perceiving groups
Chapter 5
10/7
EXAM 1 - Chapters 1, 2, 3,4 and 5
10/12-10/14
Interpersonal attraction and relationships
10/19-10/21
Altruism
10/26-10/28 Aggression, Conformity, Obedience
READING
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapters 11, 7
11/2
EXAM 2 – Chapters 7, 9, 10 and 11
11/4-11/9
Attitudes and persuasion
11/11
NO CLASS – Veteran’s Day
11/16-11/18
Group Behavior
Chapter 8
11/23-11/30
Industrial/Organizational Psychology
NO CLASS 11/25 – Thanksgiving
Chapter 13
12/2-12/9
Health Psychology
12/9 - LAST CLASS – PAPERS DUE
Chapter 14
Week of 12/13
EXAM 3 – Chapters 6, 8, 13, and 14
Chapter 6