Social Psychology

From

01/02/2012

To

01/08/2012

Content

-The influence of social factors upon self-concept and behavior
-Attribution theory, including situational and dispositional attributions
-Dissonance theory
-Conformity and obedience
-Altruism and prosocial behavior
-Social relationships

Skills

-College-oriented note-taking
-Critical thinking and analysis
-Synthesis and application of knowledge to novel situations
-Taking a position during active debate

Resources

Textbook: Psychology and Life, by Richard J. Gerrig and Philip G. Zimbardo
Videos: A Bug's Life, Pleasantville, and Quiet Rage: The Stanford Prison Experiment
Selections from various literary works:
-Animal Farm, by George Orwell
-Lord of the Flies, by William Gerald Golding
-The Reader, by Bernhard Schlink
-Life and Death in Shanghai, by Nien Cheng
-Educating for Life, by Thomas Groome

Instructional Strategies

-Lecture
-Demonstrations
-Discussion
-Film clips

Assessment

-Homework
-Student-generated experimental projects
-4-6 page paper
-Unit exam

Outcomes

-Students will be able to define key terms related to the study of social psychology
-Students will be able to describe and differentiate between obedience and conformity
-Students will be able to describe self-fulfilling prophesy and the Pygmalion effect
-Students will understand the aspects involved in the fundamental attribution error
-Students will be able to apply the concept of cognitive dissonance to events in daily living
-Students will understand and be able to identify examples of the various categories of prosocial behavior
-Students will be able to describe key factors involved in attraction and the maintenance of relationships