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WESTERN UNIVERSITY
LONDON
CANADA
Department of Psychology
2014-2015
Psychology 2070A Section 001
Social Psychology
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
An introduction to the theories, methods, findings, and problems encountered in the study of
people as social beings.
Antirequisites: Psychology 2720A/B, 2780E and the former Psychology 170
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for
credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will
lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.
3 lecture hours, 0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
Office Hours:
Email:
Dr. James Olson
Rm. 6332, Social Science Centre (SSC)
(519) 661-2111, Extension 84637
Mondays, 1:00-3:00 p.m., or by appointment
jolson@uwo.ca
T.A.:
TBA
Office:
Office Hours:
Optional Essay:
Email:
T.A.:
TBA
Office:
Office Hours:
Optional Essay:
Email:
Time/Location of Lectures: Mondays, 7:00–9:30 p.m., Rm. 40, Health Sciences Bldg.
If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at
Western to assist you. Please visit: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more
information on these resources and on mental health.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you
require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish
to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 Ext. 82147 for any
specific question regarding an accommodation.
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3.0 TEXTBOOK
Olson, J. M., Breckler, S. J., & Wiggins, E. C. (2008). Social Psychology
Alive, First Canadian Edition. Toronto: Thomson Nelson.
[See the Lecture and Reading Schedule for the order in which textbook chapters
will be covered.]
Textbook website: http://www.socialpsychologyalive.nelson.com/student/
(click on headings in the Student Resources box on the right side of the page,
especially Chapter Resources, for helpful materials).
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
At the end of the course, students should have an understanding of the basic theories, methods,
and findings in various areas of social psychology. The topics include attitudes, conformity,
aggression, helping behaviour, social relations, social cognition, and prejudice.
Lectures are intended to complement the textbook. Thus, I will present some material that is
not in the book. Class attendance will significantly increase how much you get out of this
course. The powerpoint slides presented at lectures will be posted in advance on the course
website (by 6:00 pm on Sunday) in both Powerpoint and PDF forms. If you wish, you can print
copies of the slides, bring them to class, and use them as a framework for taking notes.
5.0 EVALUATION
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades
to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around
the following averages:
70%
72%
75%
80%
1000-level and 2000-level courses
2100-2990 level courses
3000-level courses
4000-level courses
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The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines,
which are as follows:
(see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/general/grades_undergrad.pdf)
A+
A
B
C
D
F
90-100
80-89
70-79
60-69
50-59
below 50
One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
Superior work that is clearly above average
Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
Competent work, meeting requirements
Fair work, minimally acceptable
Fail
Also, please note that grades cannot be adjusted on the basis of need (e.g., because a certain
mark is required to get into a program).
TESTS: There will be two exams, consisting of an in-class midterm test and a final exam.
The in-class test will cover five chapters (1, 3, 4, 6, 7) and be worth 45% of your final grade.
The final exam, which will be scheduled by the registrar during the exam period, will cover six
new chapters (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) and will be worth 55% of your final grade. The final exam is
NOT cumulative (i.e., material from Chapters 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 is NOT tested).
The format of both tests will be multiple choice. You will have a maximum of 90 minutes to
complete each test. Both tests will assess your knowledge of the textbook and lecture material.
Note: “lecture material” includes films, demos, and anything else presented during class time.
Make-Up Exams: Tests must be written on the scheduled dates unless you have a legitimate
excuse recognized by the university administration. Valid reasons include medical or
compassionate reasons, and must be substantiated by proper documentation (e.g., a medical
certificate, which will be verified by the Office of the Dean). A student who misses a regularly
scheduled exam for other reasons, or who cannot justify a claim, will be assigned a 0 for the
exam.
OPTIONAL ESSAY: Students can choose to write a 4-page assignment, which will be worth
10% of their final grade. For students who choose to write an essay, the in-class test will be
worth 40% of their final grade, and the final exam will be worth 50% of their final grade.
These papers will be graded by the T.A.s. You can make an appointment with the relevant
T.A. to discuss the paper if you wish.
The essay should be a maximum of 1200 words (4 double-spaced pages) of text, plus a title
page (name, student number, topic/title) and a references page.
Please submit the paper using one of these file types: Word, PDF, or RTF.
Your essay must describe in your own words one of the key terms from the textbook listed
below. Explain the concept and why it is important. Describe one experiment that illustrated
the concept/principle. This experiment should NOT be one that is described in the textbook or
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presented in class. Also, you must provide one example of the concept in real life, taken from
your own experiences. This does not necessarily mean that you were personally involved, but
it must be from your life. For example, the event might have involved someone in your family
or a friend. You must explain how your example illustrates the concept. Why is your example
a good one? Try to choose an experience that was interesting or significant, as opposed to a
mundane, every-day event.
At the end of the paper, you should list all articles or chapters that you have cited in the paper.
Use the same style as the references at the back of the textbook.
Marks will be based on the clarity and accuracy of the explanation of the concept and
supporting experiment, the appropriateness and creativity of the chosen real life example, and
the quality of writing. The T.A.s will mark these essays and can be consulted for guidance.
You must submit both a hard copy of your essay (to the professor or a TA) and an electronic
copy to TurnItIn.com at the course website on OWL. Essays can be submitted anytime, but the
last date for submission is November 17, 2014. The essays will be returned at the final exam.
Possible topics/concepts (choose 1):
Availability heuristic
Counterfactual thoughts
False consensus effect
Impression management
Overjustification effect
Representativeness heuristic
Bias blind spot
Effort justification
Hindsight bias
Jeer pressure
Planning fallacy
Self-handicapping
Correspondence bias
Evaluative conditioning
Illusory correlation
Mere exposure effect
Relative deprivation
Self-serving judgments
6.0 TEST AND OPTIONAL ESSAY DATES
Midterm Test: October 20, 2014 (in HSB 40, or in Elborn College 2155, 2168A, and 2168B)
Worth 45% of final mark in course
Final Exam:
During exam period, December 6-17, 2014 (location to be announced)
Worth 55% of final mark in course
Optional Essay: Due by November 17, 2014
Worth 10% of final mark in course
(Midterm test reduced to 40% and Final Exam reduced to 50%)
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7.0 LECTURE AND READINGS SCHEDULE
Sept. 8
Chapter 1: Introducing Social Psychology
Sept. 15
Chapter 3: Social Cognition: Thinking About People
Sept. 22
Chapter 4: Social Perception: Perceiving the Self and Others
Sept. 29
Chapter 6: Attitudes and Social Behaviour
Oct. 6
Chapter 7: Attitude Change
Oct. 13
--- No class: Thanksgiving holiday ---
Oct. 20
Midterm Test (in HSB 40 or TBA)
Oct. 27
Chapter 8: Conformity, Compliance, and Obedience
Nov. 3
Chapter 9: Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Nov. 10
Chapter 10: Group Dynamics
Nov. 17
Chapter 11: Aggression and Violence [Last date for optional essay]
Nov. 24
Chapter 12: Helpful Social Behaviour
Dec. 1
Chapter 13: Liking, Loving, and Close Relationships
TBA
Final Exam (During December exam period, December 6-17, 2014)
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8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and
other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they
undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are
described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholoff.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic
offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of
responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and
exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter
plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or
in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents
in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to
the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between The University
of Western Ontario and Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com).
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course,
suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergradresponsibilities.htm
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2013 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.