Social Psychology. 311-D Psychology Building Tuesdays (10:30-12:00 pm) and Thursdays (10:30-12:00 pm) or by appointment 311-D

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1 Social Psychology SOP 3004, Section 2402 Tuesday: Periods 2-3 (8:30-10:25 am) Thursday: Period 3 (9:35-10:25 am) Location: Psychology Building, Room 151 Fall, 2012 Instructor: Office Hours: Brian Collisson, MS 311-D Psychology Building Collisson@ufl.edu Tuesdays (10:30-12:00 pm) and Thursdays (10:30-12:00 pm) or by appointment 311-D Required Materials: Myers, D. G. (2009). Social Psychology (10 th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: Supplemental Articles: Chambers, J.R., Schlenker, B.R., Collisson, B. (In press). Ideology and prejudice: The role of value conflicts. Psychological Science. Goldstein, N.J., Cialdini, R.B., Griskevicius, V. (2008). A room with a viewpoint: Using social norms to motivate environmental conservation in hotels. Journal of Consumer Research, 35, Howell, J.L. & Shepperd, J.A. (2012). Reducing information avoidance through affirmation. Psychological Science, 23(2), doi: / Latane, B., & Darley, J. (1968). Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 10(3), doi: /h Webster, G.D., Urland, G.R., & Correll, J. (2012). Can uniform color aggression? Quasiexperimental evidence from professional hockey. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 3(3), doi: / SOP 3004, Social Psychology Spring 2011, Page 1

2 Course Description: Social Psychology is the scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another. It is a broad sub-discipline that involves various topics including: the self, beliefs and judgments, attitudes and behavior, conformity and obedience, group influences, stereotyping and prejudice, and interpersonal attachment. Life is inherently social and I have structured the material covered in this course to be directly relevant to daily life. The recognition of factors that influence attitudes and behavior and the ubiquity of social psychological phenomena will be encouraged. Throughout this course you will gain a better understanding of the field of social psychology and human nature in general. This class will be challenging, but also interesting and fun. Course Objectives: In this class students will: (1) Acquire basic knowledge of social psychology through both primary and secondary sources, and will learn relevant terms, facts, concepts, and theories. (2) Improve their higher-order thinking skills, including: (a) critical thinking about human nature, (b) evaluating theoretical assumptions, theories, and research, and (c) distinguishing between fact and opinion. (3) Understand how social psychology relates to important issues in daily life. E-Learning System Materials and Procedures Class power points, grades, and other important materials can be accessed on the course website in the E-Learning System in Sakai: It is a good idea to visit the course site before each class, to receive updates/announcements, such as grade postings and any schedule changes. All correspondence with the instructor must occur through via their ufl.edu addresses listed above, NOT through the course website. Course Activities: Exams (Total = 300 points) There will be THREE NON-CUMULATIVE ESSAY exams. The first exam will be worth 75 points, the second exam worth 100 points, and the final exam worth 125 points. Questions for exams will come from lectures, PowerPoint slides, the 10 th edition of the David Myers textbook, and assigned article readings. Individuals who arrive for an exam after the first person has turned in his or her answers, will not be permitted to take the exam. Students who are late for an exam will be given no extra time. Students must bring their GATOR ID cards to all exams as proof of identification. Please see the course schedule below for exam dates. SOP 3004, Social Psychology Spring 2011, Page 2

3 Make-Up Exam Policy Make-up exams are reserved for emergencies and previously approved absences only. If a student is unable to take an exam because of an emergency situation, it is imperative that the student inform the instructor or teaching assistant of the emergency and also provide documentation and verifiable proof of the emergency. As a make-up exam, students will complete a different, proctored essay exam covering the same, original material that was covered on the missed exam. Writing Assignments (Total = 100 points) Writing assignments will be worth 100 points of your total grade (20 points per assignment for a total of 5 assignments). The writing assignments will be based on the assigned supplemental readings. See the course schedule for due dates. Each writing assignment will be graded in regard to clear understanding and response to the topic question, logical flow, and incorporation/application of the major points of the article. Writing assignments are to be NO more than two pages long, typed, double spaced, one inch margins, and Times New Roman font. Points will be deducted if you deviate from this acceptable standard. Extra Credit (Total = Up to 5 points): Extra credit may be able to be earned in addition to points earned on exams and writing assignments. Throughout the semester, there may be a few opportunities for students to complete bonus assignments aimed at applying knowledge from the course or participate in preapproved research projects. The point value for each extra credit opportunity will be made explicit by the instructor. Extra credit will not be granted for participation in research projects that have not been pre-authorized. Students or research investigators must provide the instructor with written documentation of student participation in the research study in order to receive any extra credit. Grading: Grades will be based on scores on three non-cumulative essay exams (a possible total of 300 exam points), five writing assignments (a possible total of 100 writing points), plus any extra-credit points students might accrue from the Extra-Credit activities (maximum 5 points). Thus, the total possible number of grade points is 400 (plus extra credit). The grading scale for these 400 possible points is as follows: Grade Total Points Percentage A > 92% A %-91% B %-89% B %-87% B %-81% C %-79% SOP 3004, Social Psychology Spring 2011, Page 3

4 C %-77% C %-71% D %-69% D %-67% D %-61% E 239 and below < 59% Contacting the Instructor The best way to contact the instructor is through , collisson@ufl.edu. Please do not use E-Learning to send . The instructor does not monitor that . The instructor has a mailbox located in 114 PSY, as well. In general, messages will be responded to within 48 hours. General Policies Please turn off all cell phones, pagers, or any other electronic devices that may be distracting during class. If your cell phone rings or you receive a text message while in class, be respectful to your other classmates. Turn it off immediately. Your fellow classmates and the instructor are genuinely uninterested in and distracted by your cell phone and text message conversations. Out of consideration, turn off all possibly distracting electronics prior to class. Please refrain from private discussions with classmates, as well. During class, please ask questions about concepts that are unclear or share examples that are relevant to the lecture. Power Point slides from the lectures will be available on E- Learning. If you miss class, please be sure to speak with another student in the class so that you can get caught up on lecture notes/class materials. Beyond the Power Point slides, the instructor or teaching assistant WILL NOT PROVIDE CLASS NOTES TO ANY STUDENTS and office hours will not be used to conduct mini-versions of missed lectures. Office hours are available to answer specific questions, discuss topics related to the course, and review grades. Academic Honesty Cheating is NOT tolerated at the University of Florida. Cheating is defined in the UF Handbook, and it is the student s responsibility to be familiar with its many forms (including plagiarism). If a student is caught cheating, the first offense will result in a zero for that exam or paper and a record of the event will be placed in a temporary file with the Office of Student Affairs. The second offense will result in an E for the course, and the student will go before the Honor Court. As a result of completing registration at UF, every student has agreed to the following statement: I understand that UF expects its students to be honest in all their academic work. I agree to adhere to this commitment to academic honesty and understand that my failure to comply with this SOP 3004, Social Psychology Spring 2011, Page 4

5 commitment may result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the University. Students Requiring Accommodations: Students requiring classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Office will provide documentation to the student who must then give this documentation to the instructor when requesting classroom accommodation. Students eligible for learning accommodations for assignments or examinations are encouraged to speak with the instructor as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made to assist him or her with meeting the requirements of this course. Tentative Course Schedule Date Topic Reading 8/23 Welcome to Social Psychology Chapter 1 (and the methodology that comes with it) 8/28-8/30 The Self: I love me some me! Chapter 2 9/4-9/6 It s still all about me 9/11 Beliefs and Judgments: Chapter 3 What in the world was I thinking? 9/13 Eternal Sunshine of the Avoiding Mind Howell and Shepperd Article Howell & Shepperd Article Due 9/18-9/20 Correspondence Bias: Why he s a jerk but you at least meant well 9/25 Exam 1 Material on Exam 1: Chapters 1-3, Howell & Shepperd article 9/27 Behavior & Attitudes: Chapter 4 Why does do as I say not mean do as I do? 10/2-10/4 Cognitive Dissonance: Takings bets for - Rock vs. Hard Place 10/9 Conformity and Obedience: Chapter 6 All the other sheep are doing it 10/11 75% of Students Love this Article Goldstein, Cialdini, & Griskevicius Article Due Goldstein, Cialdini, & Griskevicius Article 10/16-10/18 Group Influence: Chapter 8 The Power of a Crowd 10/23 Is it smoky in here or is it just me? Latane & Darley Article Latane & Darley Article Due 10/25 Groupthink and Group Polarization: Are more heads better than one? 10/30 Exam 2 Material on Exam 2: Chapters 4, 6, 8, Goldstein et al Article, Latane & Darley Article 11/1-11/6 Prejudice Understanding isms Chapter 9 SOP 3004, Social Psychology Spring 2011, Page 5

6 11/8 Are Conservatives More Prejudiced than Liberals? Chambers, Schlenker, & Collisson Article Due 11/13 Persuasion: Unveiling the Dark Side of the Home Shopping Network 11/15 Attraction and Intimacy: Cupid Take Notes 11/20-11/22 No Class Thanksgiving Break 11/27 What Ice Hockey can Teach Us about Aggression Webster et al. Article Due 11/29 Special Topics Lecture: School Violence and Mass Murders 12/4 Helping: A Happy End to the Semester 12/6 Reading Day No Class 12/10 Final Exam Monday, December 10 th 5:30-7:30 pm Chambers et al Article Chapter 7 Chapter 11 Webster et al. Article Chapter 10 Chapter 12 Material on Final Exam: Chapters 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, Chambers Article, Webster Article SOP 3004, Social Psychology Spring 2011, Page 6