Fall Semester, 1998
Social Psychology, PSYC 365
MWF 1:00 - 1:50 PM
Instructor: Andrew McGarva, Ph.D.
Office phone: 227-2519, e-mail address: amcgarva@eagle.dsu.nodak.edu
Office Hours: Klinefelter 227 MWF 10-12; Tue. 11-12 & 4:30-6:30; Thur. 11-12; or by appointment
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Required Text
-- Social Psychology (9th Edition); Taylor, Peplau, & Sears (Prentice Hall, 1997)
Course Information
The goal of psychology is the prediction and explanation of behavior. Our behavior is everything we do, from chewing gum to helping one another. Psychologists have identified a number of categories of behavior, including abnormal, physiological, behavioral, developmental ,and so on. As a response to this categorization the science of Psychology has divided itself into as many subdisciplines, among which is known as Social Psychology--the study of how behavior is affected by the actual or perceived presence of others. Psyc 365 will focus on some of the more mainstream issues in contemporary social psychology, such as prejudice, persuasion, aggression, and so on.
Course Goals and Requirements
This course is intended to provide a foundational understanding of social psychology. In the process it will require students to think critically about the relations between one person and the next. Satisfactory completion of this course will also demand the demonstration of such ìtransferableî skills as the abilities to express oneself in both oral and written form. That is, you will be expected to make a presentation and write a paper.
Students are expected to put in two hours of out-of-class study for every hour of in-class time. Because this is a 3 credit hour class you should spend about six hours each week outside of class reading, reviewing lecture notes, and working on papers for this course. Some students may need more, some less to do well in this course.
I will not take roll BUT tests will be composed of questions about material not only from readings but also from lectures. Therefore, your grade for the course will indirectly reflect your attendance.
Grading
Final grades will be based on an overall point system wherein:
270-300 = A 240-269 = B 210-239 = C (average) 180-209 = D 179 or lower = F
Your total at the end of the semester will be the summation of points earned on four exams and three papers.
Exams
Four (4) noncumulative tests, each counting for fifty (50) points, will be given on material presented in class and in the assigned readings from the text. Except in cases of mutiple excused absences, there will be no make-ups; however, the lowest of these noncumulative exams will be dropped. These tests will be made up of multiple choice, short-answer, and essay questions. Be sure to bring a #2 pencil and a pen.
The final exam will be cumulative, worth fifty (50) points, and administered during finals week. This exam will also be made up of multiple choice, short-answer, and essay questions so bring your pencils.
Paper
Students will be required to complete two papers. The first will be worth twenty-five (25) points and be due early in the semester. The specific due date and topic of this paper will be discussed.
A second research project will be assigned that will count for a total of seventy-five (75) points. The project will involve a draft proposal, worth twenty-five (25) points; a final paper, worth twenty-five (25) points, to be graded on content as well as on writing quality; and an oral presentation of your findings, also worth twenty-five (25) points. The details of this paper will be discussed in class.
Papers must be word processed. Also, because I believe that adhering to deadlines is a skill that one should acquire in the course of earning a college degree, late papers will be penalized.
Cheating
Students caught cheating on tests or plagiarizing (def. "to take and use [ideas, passages, etc.] from another's work, representing them as one's own." Webster's Desk Dictionary) on papers will receive a zero for that test or paper. Bottom line: DON'T CHEAT!
Course Calendar
Topic Text (pages) August 26 Course Overview -- Aug. 28 Hierarchy of science -- Aug. 31 Historical Perspective 2 - 13 September 2 Experimental Methods 14 - 27 Sept. 4 Helping Behavior/Methods 334 - 359 Sept. 7 Labor Day Holiday (no class) Sept. 9 Methods -- Sept. 11 Methods -- Sept. 14 Class Experiment -- Sept. 16 Experiment Review and Journal Articles -- Sept. 18 Class Discussion on Final Paper -- Sept. 21 EXAM 1 -- Sept. 23 Review -- Sept. 25 Social Cognition/Heuristics 28 - 53 Sept. 28 Attribution 54 - 68 Sept. 30 Errors and Biases in Attribution 69 - 94 October 2 Nonverbal Behavior 95 - 109 Oct. 5 President's Day Holiday (no class) Oct. 7 Emotion -- Oct. 9 The Self/Social Comparison 110 - 137 Oct. 12 Attitudes 138 - 150 Oct. 14 Persuasion 151 - 173 Oct. 16 Persuasive Presentations -- Oct. 19 EXAM 2 -- Oct. 21 Review -- Oct. 23 Prejudice 174 - 193 Oct. 26 Reducing Prejudice 194 - 203 Oct. 28 Social Influence 204 - 219 Oct. 30 Obedience 220 - 225 November 2 Interpersonal Attraction 226 - 238 Nov. 4 Similarity-Attraction 239 - 255 Nov. 6 Personal Relationships 256 - 277 Nov. 9 Group Behavior/Social Facilitation 278 - 302 Nov. 11 Leadership 303 - 307 Nov. 13 Gender 308 - 333 Nov. 16 EXAM 3 -- Nov. 18 Review -- Nov. 21 Aggression 360 - 375 Nov. 23 Televised Violence 376 - 391 Nov. 25 Social Psychology and Health 392 - 415 Nov. 27 Thanksgiving Break (no class...Have a safe holiday!) Nov. 30 Social Psychology and the Envirn. 416 - 433 December 2 Social Psychology and Politics 434 - 461 Dec. 4 EXAM 4 -- Dec. 7 Review -- Dec. 9 Paper Presentations -- Dec. 11 Paper Presentations -- Final Exam -- date to be announced