Syllabus of SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

This syllabus is designed by Prof Dr Sohail ansari for the department of media studies of SBBU

Course description:

Social psychology course introduces key concepts through balanced coverage of classic studies, contemporary research, and current social issues so to bring vivid examples to reflect social psychology concepts in real life. The use of current events, social issues, or (narration through) iconic or evocative photographs makes the course more compelling to students by helping them relate concepts to their own lives and to see the world through the eyes of a social psychologist. Increased coverage of cross-cultural research and socio-cultural perspectives includes studies of sexual orientation, ostracism, Milgram in the 21st century, and social relations (similar to Pen pal relationships) over the Internet.  These viewpoints are examined through topics such as the social self, personal and group perception of attitudes, conformity and obedience, interpersonal behavior, and group influences etc.

Course relates current references throughout the text--such as 9/11 and its aftermath, the capital punishment of Mumtaz Qadri. Panama leaks etc -directly to social psychology. Expanded coverage of the use of social neuroscience techniques includes brain imaging techniques to explore social psychology questions.

“We are all social animals. We all realize that much of what we do stems from our interactions with other people, but we often fail to appreciate the power of these interactions over our behavior and thought. If you consider it, you will be hard put to find anything you do or think that is completely independent of your social relationships. What about your values, or your ideas of what is right and wrong? What about your preferences or your daily decisions? The list could go on and on. Social psychology is the study of human interaction and the way it affects behavior. To put it more formally, social psychology is the scientific study of the many ways in which interactions, interdependence, and influence among persons affect the individual’s behavior and thought.”
                                           Dr. John Schopler (1930-2001)

Sections:

1)    Defining social psychology and its methods.

2)    Social Psychological Concepts:

Aggression; Altruism; Attitudes and Behavior; Attraction and Relationships
Persuasion; Conflict and Peacemaking; Prejudice: Conformity: Psychology
Genes, Gender, and Culture; Social Beliefs and Judgments; etc

Topics to provide further an overview of classic and contemporary research in social psychology:

Cognitive Dissonance Attribution Theory Conformity Obedience Persuasion Techniques Compliance and Negotiation

Interpersonal Attraction Group Dynamics Stereotypes and Prejudice Psychology of Terrorism Conflict Resolution Environmentalism

3)    Theories for various kinds of social and cognitive phenomena.

Drive theory; Elaboration likelihood model; Motivation crowding theory; Observational learning; Schemata theory; Self-perception theory; Self-verification theory; Social comparison theory; Social exchange theory; Social identity theory; Social penetration theory –Socio-emotional selectivity theory; System justification theory; Terror management theory; Triangular theory of love.

4)    Looking at topical social issues through the lens of social psychological theories in order to develop understanding and ideas for intervention

Students at the cutting edge of innovative attempt to apply theories  to everyday thought, emotion and behavior in social contexts and to study of how individuals and groups interact to construct and maintain identities and how these are related to social change

5)    The relation between verbal and pictorial discourse in contemporary culture, and between verbal and pictorial media in the construction of collective historical narratives and memory.

6)    Social neuroscience techniques

Learning Objectives

• To explore the role of the self in social behavior
• To become familar with the wide variety of questions and topics that social psychologists study
• to learn the classic and contemporary theories that are relevant
• To appreciate the variety of choices and limitations in the lives of women and men as they are shaped by personal and social factors
• To explore various topic areas through readings, class activities, and discussion and by thinking and writing critically and reflectively.
• Students will learn to question rigid notions about distinctions between the personal and public, individual and society, subjectivity and objectivity, reason and passion. They will have opportunities to test their emerging ideas about social behavior both individually and collaboratively in a manner that aims for critical understanding, as well as building a knowledge base derived from an examination of empirical research.
• To encourage reflection about the application of social psychological research and how it might be used to solve real-world problems and even help understand situations we actually encounter in everyday life.

Note:

some universities uses a story-telling approach in Social psychology for example: 

Jeff Stone, Ph.D. (jeffs@email.arizona.edu) gives reading assignments for each class meeting. The lecture of his focus on central themes in the assigned reading, he usually introduces new topics not covered in the readings.  Films, videos, class demonstrations and discussions supplement the lectures.  He suggests Website:  http://www.u.arizona.edu/~jeffs/psy360/360home.html  for reading  the Brehm, Kassin & Fein textbook (available in the U of A bookstore).  The supplemental short papers are required and available online. Students can access them for reading and/or printing at the course polis website.  Students need the program called Adobe Acrobat Reader to read the articles.  It is available for free from Adobe and  can download it from the electronic reserve site. To access the supplemental readings, click on the "POLIS Private Reserves" link on the course polis page.  On the next page, type in the password "social" and click on the �OK� button.  The next page will show a list, alphabetized by the author�s last name, of all the readings for this semester.  To access a specific reading, click on "get the file" and it will load the pdf file onto your computer.  You can then read it or print it out.  Let us know if you have questions or if there are problems using the ER site.  There is other suggested readings: Texts/Readings Aronson, Elliott, & Aker, Social Psychology, 4th edition