Psychology 345: Social Psychology Fall 2013 Professor Rutchick

Transcription

1 Psychology 345: Social Psychology Fall 2013 Professor Rutchick Class meeting: Friday, 11:00-1:45, Johnson Auditorium (Jacaranda Hall) Office: 332 Sierra Tower Office phone: (please do not leave voice mail here, as I do not check it) Office hours: every Friday, 8-9; some Tuesdays (11-12) and Wednesdays (12:30-2:30): 9/10 (T), 9/11 (W), 9/24 (T), 10/2 (W), 10/8 (T), 10/16 (W), 10/29 (T), 10/30 (W), 11/12 (T), 11/20(W) Textbook (e-book recommended): Social Psychology. Gilovich, Keltner, Chen & Nisbett (3 rd edition). Moodle: Course overview and objectives In this course, you will be introduced to social psychology, the scientific study of how people live in the social world; in other words, how we affect and are affected by other people. We will address a wide range of topics, including the self, persuasion, attraction, aggression, and stereotyping. Since social psychology is related to so many of our daily experiences, the application of psychological theories and research to real-life experiences and events will be a major component of the course. My goals are to introduce you to the major theoretical perspectives, methods, and research literature of social psychology, and encourage you to think critically and creatively about social behavior. About the textbook I kind of hate textbooks. For a long time, I didn t use them at all, because I don t think textbooks are the best supplement for most college courses. (Moreover, textbooks are expensive, and to justify that expense they should be clearly better than the available alternatives.) However, some people learn very well from textbooks, and are more comfortable when they have one to refer to. Thus, I ve selected an e-book, which provides a (printable) textbook as well as a large set of online resources at a fairly reasonable cost. My lectures will parallel but not fully overlap with the textbook. (What s the point of just repeating something you could have read?) Thus, we ll talk about topics that aren t in your textbook, although many topics will be well-represented there. All lectures, discussions, readings, and any assigned activities are potential subjects of exam questions.

2 Grading and assignments Grades for PSY 345 will be determined by a weighted average of: Exams: 200 points o Each exam is worth 40 points; your lowest exam score will not be counted. Paper: 40 points choose one of: o social influence paper o Psi Chi research competition report Final Exam: 60 points This adds up to 300 points, not including extra credit. Final grade cutoffs: >279 points = A >270 points = A- >261 points = B+ >249 points = B >240 points = B- >231 points = C+ >219 points = C >210 points = C- >201 points = D+ >189 points = D >180 points = D- <180 points = F Exams (held every other week; see syllabus) During the semester, we will have frequent short examinations, which collectively make up a significant component of your grade. Please be on time; once any student has finished the exam, nobody will be allowed to begin it. All exams address material presented since the previous exam. This means that exams are not cumulative in the traditional sense. However, because the course itself is cumulative (using a theory presented earlier in the semester to explain a phenomenon discussed later, for example), it s possible that questions will reference previously presented material. Exams will be in short answer format, and will last 30 minutes. Each will have six questions, and you ll choose four to answer. Each exam question is scored out of 10 points. I tend to ask questions that require thinking and reasoning, rather than simply testing your knowledge. We ll talk in more detail before the first exam. Exam grades will be posted online in an Excel sheet, using a posting code that you will select at the beginning of the semester. These sheets will be on Moodle. I do not use the Moodle grades feature.

3 Paper (due on 12/10, midnight) You will complete ONE of the following papers. At least two weeks before the paper is due, I ll give you a more detailed description of the assignment, including the rubric by which it will be graded. Papers should be three pages, double-spaced. You will either write about: Social influence you will go into the field, subject yourself to an influence professional (e.g., car salesman), and analyze the experience from a social psychological perspective (citing, of course, the weapons of influence discussed in class) The Psi Chi research competition you will attend the competition and critique one of the posters being presented. Because the competition has not yet been scheduled, I don t know yet whether you ll be able to attend hence, the choice of topic. Final Exam (held 12/13, 10:15 AM) The final exam, which is in essay format, addresses broader questions than the midterm exams. Some of these are Big Questions that span the semester. For this exam, you will know the potential questions in advance, and will be able to bring a sheet of notes with you. We ll talk about this in detail before the exam. Extra Credit: Class participation, Moodle, and the no text bonus Class participation: Your active involvement is an essential element of the course. I place considerable importance on participation; I believe that grades should be based not only on what students get out of a class, but also on what they contribute to a class. At the same time, I recognize that not everyone is comfortable talking in class, particularly a class this large. Therefore, class participation will contribute to your grade, but as extra credit; a maximum of 12 points can be earned. Moodle: Like most classes, we ll be using Moodle to post lecture slides (after class), post additional readings, etc. Moodle also has a profile feature, sort of like a mini-facebook. Because I am committed to knowing who my students are, I would like everyone in the class to post a picture of their face as their profile picture (not at a great distance, not dressed like a ninja, etc.). Also, please complete the brief description section. I will award 3 points of extra credit to people who do this before the first exam. The no text bonus: Oh my God, I hate texting. I know that everyone thinks they can text subtly; I assure you that I can see you do it. It s distracting (to you and to me) and kind of rude. To limit the texting, rather than single people out and humiliate them, I will award 1 point of extra credit to the entire class at the end of each day if I saw nobody texting that day. One other thing that is a secret: I ll tell you about it later. My friend Keith invented it.

4 Class Schedule Week Date (likely) Topics, subject to change Best Fit Chapters (will change with topics) 1 8/30 Course overview Ch. 1, 2 Major Themes 2 9/6 The Self Ch. 3 Exams, Papers etc.; also, Office Hours 3 9/13 Social Cognition Ch. 4 EXAM 1; /W 4 9/20 Automaticity, Person Perception some Ch. 4 Ch /27 Emotion, Automaticity Ch. 6, some Ch. 7 EXAM 2; 6 10/4 Attitudes and Behavior Ch. 7 office hours W 7 10/11 Social Influence Ch. 9 EXAM 3; 8 10/18 Social Influence Ch. 9 office hours W 9 10/25 Attraction Ch /1 Groups Ch. 12 EXAM 4; /W 11 11/8 Aggression Ch /15 Stereotyping and Stigma Ch. 11 EXAM 5; 13 11/22 Altruism & Cooperation Ch /29 NO CLASS (Thanksgiving) 15 12/6 Review for Final Exam EXAM 6 F 12/13, 10:15 Final Exam FINAL EXAM

5 Course policies Missed exams and late assignments Papers are due on the dates scheduled, and will not be accepted late. Similarly, makeup exams will not be given. Exceptions to this policy will only be made with official documentation demonstrating that circumstances beyond the student s control (e.g., a serious illness, accident, death in the family, or college-approved absence) prevented him or her from taking the exam. A note from a friend or family member is not acceptable documentation. Classroom etiquette I hate to be irritating, but following a few straightforward rules will make things run more smoothly: 1) Please arrive on time. I will start the class on time, and will not keep you late. 2) Please put your cell phone on silent. 3) Please do not leave the class partway through unless it is an emergency; it is very disruptive. 4) Don t text in class. 5) If you need to break rules #1-3, just let me know in advance that you might need to take a phone call, etc. 6) Don t break rule #4. Academic Misconduct Please read and become familiar with the section of the current section of the CSUN Catalog entitled Academic Dishonesty during the first week of classes. Unless stated otherwise, everything that you turn in for course credit must represent your own work. Students who engage in academic misconduct will receive a final grade of F for the course. All cases of academic misconduct will be reported to the appropriate university agency, which may impose additional penalties such as probation, suspension, or expulsion (Section 41301, Title 5, California Code of Regulations). Center on Disabilities (COD) If you have a disability and need accommodations, please register with the Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES). Students registered with DRES must complete a services agreement each semester. Staff there will verify the existence of a disability based on the documentation provided and approve appropriate accommodations. DRES is located in Bayramian Hall, room 110. Staff can be reached at DRES and I request that you make such arrangements well before a scheduled exam, ideally at the beginning of the semester. University Counseling Services (UCS) Students sometimes experience significant confusion and distress when trying to manage school, work, relationships, and family responsibilities. UCS provides free and confidential consultations to help students deal with academic stress, relationship problems, family/roommate conflicts, personal growth, crisis events (e.g., rape, divorce, assault) and other mental health issues (e.g., anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation). Students may visit UCS in Bayramian Hall (BH 520) or call (V), (TTY) for an appointment. UCS is located on the web at