ADVANCED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Sociology 650, Fall, 2013
Instructor: Cardell Jacobson
Office: 2023 JFSB
Phone: 801-422-2105
Office Hours: 11:30-11:45 and 1:30-2:30 MW
Other times by appointment
Email: Cardell@byu.edu
Welcome to the world of social psychology. In this course we will examine the social influences
upon the individual as well as interpersonal influences. These are varied and pervasive, and we
cannot examine them all. In this course we will focus on the sociological side of social
psychology and we will do so by examining the history, theoretical foci, and to some extent, the
substantive areas of social psychology.
As a graduate-level seminar in social psychology this course assumes students have had an
undergraduate social-psychology. If not, you need to take one concurrently. I shall also assume
substantial ability to work independently, without prodding from the instructor. The course will
be run as a seminar/discussion class. Thus, participation is expected. You are expected to read
the assigned readings carefully.
Readings (listed in schedule):
We will read most of the Chin and Jacobson text and significant portions of the Jackson, and
some chapters in the Delamater, Tesser, Burke and Burmeister and Finkel texts. I will put as
many as possible on 2-hour reserve or give you electronic copies. The Chin and Jacobson text
will not be there, but you should be able to purchase reasonably priced copies online. Several of
the readings you will be able to get online.
A few other general works on social psychology are listed at the end of this syllabus. Here are
the major readings (though we will not read all of any of them and only a chapter or two from
some):
Jeffrey C. Chin and Cardell K. Jacobson, (eds.) Within the Social World: Essays in Social
Psychology. Pearson , Allyn and Bacon, 2009.
Roy F. Baumeister and Eli J. Finkel, (eds.) Advanced Social Psychology: The State of the
Science. Oxford University Press, 2010.
Peter J. Burke, (ed.) Contemporary Social Psychological Theories. Stanford University
Press. 2006.
John Delamater, (ed.) Handbook of Social Psychology. Kluwer Academic/Plenum
Publishers. 2003.
Jay M. Jackson Social Psychology, Past and Present: An Integrative Orientation.
Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers. 1988
Karen S. Cook, Gary Alan Fine, and James S. House, Sociological Perspectives on Social
Psychology. Allyn and Bacon, 1995.
Abraham Tesser, Advanced Social Psychology. McGraw-Hill, 1995.
The tentative reading schedule appears on the next page. For additional readings on the topic see
the general references at the end of the reading schedule.
Grading:
Grades will be based as follows:
Summary/ reaction papers...................
Book critique/review…………………
First research paper..............................
Final research paper.............................
Discussion/participation.......................
20%
20%
20%
30%
10%
The summary/reaction papers are intended for your use (toward completion of your other papers
and toward participation in the class), but they will be read and graded. They are due at the
beginning of the class period on which they are to be discussed in class. As you can see from the
reading schedule, these will be due about once a week. In the summary/reaction papers you
should summarize the readings, and provide a brief reaction to the reading. The reaction can be
to other readings in the course, to other reading your have done, or your own experiences. You
can also express your doubts about the paper, questions, or other concerns about the reading.
Reaction papers should be about 2 pages (double-spaced) in length.
The first research paper will be due about the middle of the course. This paper can take one of
two forms: 1) an elaboration or literature review of one topic in the social psych literature, or 2)
a summary and synthesis of a topic covered in the first half of the course. Recommended length
of this paper is double-spaced 10-15 pages. You should review other literature on topic and
relate it to the material covered in the course.
Each of you is to do a book review/critique of a book related to social psychology (5-6 pgs,
double-spaced). The review should summarize the book and then relate it to other material in
social psychology. You will have the opportunity to present this in class, and you should
distribute copies of the review to the other students. For examples of reviews see Contemporary
Sociology or Contemporary Psychology. Both are journals of reviews. You may use other
reviews of the books, but make sure that you give proper credit for the ideas of others that you
use.
The final paper is to be somewhat longer (suggested length 15-20 pgs). It may be a prospectus
for a thesis or a researched topic. But the topic must be a social-psychological problem and must
include a literature review and statement of the problem. The paper should be a summary
statement of some aspect of the course that you find particularly interesting or appropriate.
Although any consistent format is acceptable, I strongly recommended referencing and
bibliographic format of either ASA or APA. Plan to submit a 2-3 page proposal for the final
paper about three weeks in advance of the deadline. The deadline for the final paper is
December 15.
The grade for the discussion/participation portion of the class will include your leading the
discussion on two of the topics listed in the readings listed below, plus your presentation of your
book review.
Note: Additional readings may be included later, and schedule is subject to adjustment.
Tentative Reading Schedule (*refers to dates that summary papers are due)
I. The Structure and History of Social Psychology
Dates
Topic
Readings
Sept 4
Overview: The Unit of Analysis in Social Psychology
Sept 9
*Below indicates summary/reaction paper due.
The Three Faces of
1. Preface in Chin and Jacobson (C & J)
Social Psychology
House in C & J
2. Stryker, Sheldon. "The Two Psychologies: Additional
Thoughts." Social Forces 68:45-54. 1989.
(http://www.jstor.org/stable/2579219 )
3. Sica review, Social Psych Quarterly 72:99-104
(http://spq.sagepub.com/content/72/2/99.short)
Sept 11
History and Theory
in Social Psychology
Sept 16
Biology and Social
Psychology
Sept 18
Social Psychological
Methods:
Experiments
Sept 23
The Cognitive
Revolution in
Social Psych
Cognitive
Dissonance and
Its relatives
Sept 25
1. Reis in Baumeister and Finkel (PDF to be sent)
2. Jackson Chapter 5—The Crisis in Social Psychology (you
may want to skim the earlier chapters).
1.Piliavin and LePore “Biology and Social Psychology...”
Chapter 1 in Cook, Fine, and House.
2. Shanahan et al., in C & J
1. Hovland in C & J
2. Felmlee in C & J
3. Horne in C & J
4.
Howard and Renfrow, chapter 11 in DeLamater
1. “Decisions, action, and Neuroscience” Pp. 109-131
in Festchrift in Honor of Elliot Aronson
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/byupa/docDetail.action?docID=1045
2322&p00=aronson%20elliot
2. Riding the D Train with Elliot: The Aronsonian
Legacy of Cognitive Dissonance. Pp. 159-174 in
Festchrift in Honor of Elliot Aronson
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/byupa/docDetail.action?docI
D=10452322&p00=aronson%20elliot
Alternatively, you can skim/read book: Mistakes Were Made
(but not by me by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson
Sept 30 – Oct
2
Attribution
1.Daniel Gilbert, “Attribution and Interpersonal Perception,”
chapter 4 in Tesser Advanced Social Psychology
2. Gailey and Lee in C & J
3. Baumister (p. 50-97) in Tesser
Oct 7
The Current Status of
Social
Psychology
1.House “Social Psychology, Social
Science…Twenty-first Prospects” Social
Psychology Quarterly 71:232-256.
http://spq.sagepub.com/content/71/3/232.full.pdf+html
2. Gergen, Kenneth J. (2008) “On the Very Idea of Social
Psyhology.” Social Psych Quarterly, 71:331-337.
(http://spq.sagepub.com/content/71/4/331.full.pdf+html)
3.Fifty years of social psychology
(http://www.uiowa.edu/~grpproc/crisp/crisp14_6.pdf
“Current Research in
Social Psychology”
Oct 9
First paper due
(some aspect topic in
the first section)
Oct 14-16
Symbolic
interaction
Oct 21-23
The Self
No reading due, but summarize (5-10 minutes each) your
paper to the class
1.
2.
3.
1.
McCall and Simmons in C & J (do quick overview)
Meltzer in C & J
Young in C & J (or handout)
Owens chapter 9 in DeLamater
2. Morris Rosenberg "Self-Concept Research: A
Historical Overview," Social Forces, 1989, 68:34-44.
(http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?collection=journal
s&handle=hein.journals/josf68&div=13&
size=2&rot=0&type=image)
3. Jordan and Hernandez-Reif
http://jbp.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/35/3/388
Oct 28
Socialization and the
Life Course
Oct 30
Identity Theory
Nov 4-6
Exchange Theory
(combining
elementary psych
principles with
elementary
economics)
1.
2.
3.
1.
4.
1.
Musolf in C & J
Dyer (handout)
O’Rand and Elder in C & J
Stets, chapter 5 in Burke or (electronic reserve)
Baumeister (p. 51-98) in Tesser
Molm and Cook, “Social Exchange and Exchange
Networks.” Chapter 8 in Cook, House, and Fine, or
(electronic reserve).
(or) Molm chapter 2 in Burke or (electronic reserve)
2. Carrie Miles Handout
3. Joyner, Kara “Justice and the Fate of Married and
Cohabitating Couples.” Social Psychology Quarterly
(2009) 72:61-76.
(http://spq.sagepub.com/content/72/1/61.short)
4. Review Felmlee in C & J
Nov 11-13
Emotion Work
And Altruism
1. Thoits in C & J
2. Cahill “Emotional Capital and…Mortuary Science”
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2695852
3. Jacobson handout on PA work
4. Jacobson article on transracial adoption
Nov 18-20
Social Structure and
Personality
1. Kohn, Melvin L. "Social Structure and Personality: A
Quintessentially Sociological Approach to Social
Psychology." Social Forces 68:26-33. 1989.
2. Kiecolt, K. Jill. 1988. "Recent Developments in
Attitudes and Social Structure." Annual Review of
Sociology 14:381-403.
3. McLeod and Lively, chapter 4 in DeLamater
4. Leicht, Kevin T. “Broken Down by Race and Gender?
Sociological Explanations of New Sources of
Earnings Inequality.” Annual Review of Sociology,
2008, 34:237-255
(http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/pdf/10.1146/annur
ev.soc.34.040507.134627)
Nov. 25
5. Presentation of book reviews
Nov. 27
Attitudes, Race, and
the Social Structure
Dec 2
Gender Issues
Dec. 4
1. Harlow in C & J
2. DuBois in C & J
3. Johnson and Jacobson in C & J
4. Jacobson and Johnson in C & J
Schuman, chapter 3 “Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behavior,”
chapter 3 in Cook, Fin, and House (e-reserve)
1. Ridgeway Chapter 13 in Burke or (electronic reserve)
2. Baker and Copp C & J
Lizon and Dufur in C & J
To be announced
Recent articles in
social psychology
Dec. 9
Recent articles in
To be announced
social psychology
Dec. 11 Preliminary presentation of final papers
General References in Social Psychology
Advances in Experimental Social Psychology. Academic Press, Inc.: San Diego, California.
Annual Review(s) of Sociology. Annual Reviews Inc.: Palo Alto, California.
Brown, Roger. Social Psychology. New York: Free Press. 1965.
Brown, Roger. Social Psychology, 2nd. ed. New York: Free Press. 1986.
Burke, Peter J. (ed.) Contemporary Social Psychological Theories. Stanford, CA: Stanford
University Press. 2006.
Cook, Karen S., Gary Alan Fine, and James S. House. (eds.) Sociological Perspectives on Social
Psychology. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 1995.
DeLamater, John. (ed.) Handbook of Social Psychology. New York: Kluwer/Plenum. 2003.
Gilbert, Daniel Todd, Susan T. Fiske, and Gardner Lindzey. (1998). Handbook of social
psychology (4th ed.). Vols. 1 & 2. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
Rosenberg, Morris and Ralph H. Turner (Eds.). Social Psychology: Sociological Perspectives.
New York: Basic Books. 1981.
Shaw, M. E. and P. R. Constanzo. Theories of Social Psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill.
1982.
Other Readings
Jones, Edward. E. Major developments in social psychology during the past five decades. In
Gilbert and others (Eds.), Handbook of Social Psychology
(4th ed.), Vol. I. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 1998: 3-57.
Allport, Gordon W., The historical background of modern social psychology. In Lindzey,
Graham and Elliot Aronson. (Eds.), Handbook of Social Psychology, Vol. 1. (3rd Ed.) New
York: Random House, 1985: 1-46.
Deaux, Kay., and Lafrance, M. Gender. In Gilbert, D. T., Fiske, S. E., & Lindzey, G. (Eds.),
Handbook of Social Psychology (4th ed.), Vol. I. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 1998: 788-827.
Ridgeway, Cecilia. L., & Smith-Lovin, Lynn. The gender system and interaction. In Karen S.
Cook, K. S., and Hagen, J. (Eds.), Annual Review of Sociology 1999, 25: 191-216
Hochschild, Arlie. R. The Second Shift: Working Parents and the Revolution at Home. New
York: Viking, 1989.
House, James. S., Umberson, D., & Landis, K. R. Structures and processes of social support. In
Scott, W. R., & Blake, J. Annual Review of Sociology, 1988, 14:293-318.
Hogg, M. A Intergroup relations. In DeLamater, J. (Ed.), Handbook of Social Psychology.
New York: Kluwer-Plenum, 2003
Molm, L. D., & Cook, K. Social exchange & exchange networks. In Cook, K.S., Fine, G. A., &
House, J.S. (Eds.), Sociological Perspectives in Social Psychology. Needham Heights, MA:
Allyn and Bacon, 1995: 209-235.
Not covered: Networks, Group Processes, Collective Behavior, Social Movements, Minority
Influence, Cross-cultural Social Psychology, Perception, Deviance, Health.