FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY Social Psychology of Groups SYP3000: 02-06 Spring 2013 Online Course Website (Blackboard): http://campus.fsu.edu Instructor: Erica Toothman Phone: (850) 644-6416 (Main Office) Fax: (850) 644-6208 Email: etoothman@fsu.edu (please put Social Psychology or SYP3000 in the subject line) Course Mentors: Katelyn Graves: kyg05@fsu.edu Summer McWilliams: smcwilliams@fsu.edu COURSE SYLLABUS Course Description and Learning Objectives: Hello and welcome to Social Psychology of Groups (online)! Social psychology is the study of the mechanics of human social behavior -- how we think, feel, and act. In this course, we will explore how our social environments and personal factors shape individual- and group-related thoughts, feelings, and actions. You will be introduced to theory and research on various aspects of social psychology, ranging from identity formation, to the development of love and relationships, to the antecedents of successful leadership. By the end of this course, you will be able to compare, contrast, and apply these and other major social-psychological concepts. You will understand how major social-psychological processes contribute to our understanding of social life, including how social interactions can contribute to broader social inequality. You will also be able to evaluate and understand social psychological research. Additionally, the assignments for this course are designed to enhance your critical thinking and writing skills. A note on successful completion of this course: First, in order to successfully navigate this course, you should complete the assigned readings. Read them early. Read them thoroughly. This way, when you encounter emails and assignment instructions, you will have a minimal familiarity with the concepts you will be expected to understand. I will do my best to direct your attention the most important information and explain some of the complicated concepts. Second, do not wait until the last minute to compose/complete assignments. Aside from the obvious benefits of being finished early (more time for extra-curricular activity), completing work early enables you to ask any questions you may have about the assignment, as well as avoid penalties for submitting the work late. Blackboard was down twenty minutes before the deadline will never be acceptable excuse for late work. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Textbook and Readings: Please purchase the book, Social Psychology (13 ed.) by Baron and Branscombe, ISBN13: 978-0205205585. This book should be available at the FSU bookstore, Bills Bookstore, or through online vendors. Additional readings will be posted in the course library on the Blackboard course website under the heading Course Library. Blackboard and Internet Access: You should expect this course to be vigorous and demanding in terms of your time and efforts. The assignments in this course are designed to simulate an in-class atmosphere -- 1
you will be expected to log into Blackboard at least two-to-three times a week. The most effective way to contact us is through email. Please allow 24 hours for a reply during the workweek and up to 48 hours over weekends. If you have any questions about due dates or grading, please consult this syllabus. We are here to assist you as much as possible, and in order to do so, we ask that you compose your emails carefully. Please explain problems fully (try to copy the question/problem into the email) using full words and sentences. COURSE ASSINGMENTS I will be evaluating your progress in this course through small exercises, class discussions, and several tests. I assure you this is not for my personal pleasure, but for your benefit (think about it -- the more work you have to do, the more work I have to do). Don t be intimidated by the quantity of work, I prefer to evaluate your progress as we advance through each section rather than in two large lumps at the middle and end of the term. I want your learning experience to approach that of a face-to-face class, and I can do this by encouraging you to get in the habit of practicing, little-by-little, a few times a week. In addition to your weekly discussions, you will have six small tests and two review discussions throughout the semester. Class Exercises. We will have a brief exercise for every topic covered in this course. These exercises are intended to prepare you for each lesson and discussion. After you perform each exercise, read the chapter and lecture for that week. Class exercises are located in the folder labeled Class Exercises. Each exercise should last about 10 minutes and will be available each Saturday at 6:00 AM (est) and is due by Monday at 6:00 PM. At the end of the semester, I will drop your 2 lowest exercise grades. Class Discussions. Participation is a challenge to evaluate in an online class, so you will be required to engage in meaningful discussions eleven (11) times throughout the semester. You will be expected to post one (1) response essay (175 words) and at least one (1) meaningful reply to a classmate s response essay (75 words). Full credit will be given only to students who, 1) respond thoroughly and meaningfully to the prompt (e.g., answers each question with a unique contribution); 2) reply to their classmate s essays with thoughtful that draws from each week s lesson; and 3) include word counts in all of their work. Partial credit may be given to those who do not fulfill all of the requirements for each post. I strongly encourage you to complete these early, as there will be no make-ups under any circumstances (e.g.-video and computer issues). No credit will be given for late postings or for personal attacks and inappropriate responses. Class discussions are located in the folder labeled Class Discussions. Each discussion will be available each Wednesday (following your exercise) at 6:00 AM (est) and is due by Friday at 11:59 PM. At the end of the semester, I will drop your lowest discussion grade. Review Week Discussions. We will have two review discussions: One midway through the semester and the other at the end of the semester. These review discussions will require you to apply and synthesize information from the first and second half of the semester s readings, respectively. Review discussions are located in the folder labeled Review Week Discussions. Please see the course schedule for the dates and times these discussions are available and due. Tests. You will have six (6) bi-weekly tests throughout the semester. Each test will be comprised of 20-30 structured questions on the two preceding chapters. Tests are located in the folder labeled Biweekly Tests. Each test should last about 35 minutes and will be available the Wednesday prior to its deadline at 6:00 AM (est) and is due by Friday at 11:59 PM. 2
FOR A DETAILED LIST OF READINGS, ASSIGNMENTS, AND DUE DATES, PLEASE SEE THE COURSE SCHEDULE AT THE END OF THIS DOCUMENT. COURSE EVALUATION Component Value (each) Drops Total Value Exercises (12) 2 Points 2 20 Points Discussions (11) 10 Points 1 100 Points Review Week Discussions (2) 20 Points 40 Points Tests (6) 20 Points 120 Points Total.......280 Points To calculate final grades, the total points you earn will be divided by the total possible points to determine your final percentage. Percentages translate into letter grades by the following: A =100-93 A-=92-90 B+=89-87 B =86-83 B- =82-80 C+ =79-77 C =76-73 C- =72-70 D+ =69-67 D =66-63 D- =62-60 F =<59 Incompletes: Missing quizzes and assignments are not reasons for requesting an incomplete grade. A grade of incomplete (I) is given only under extenuating circumstances at the instructor s discretion. The guidelines from the College of Social Sciences require that students seeking an I grade must be passing the course. Late work policy: There will be no credit for participation in Exercises or Classroom Discussions that are submitted after the due times mentioned in the Syllabus. Once the class has gone beyond an exercise or discussion, there is no value to the class in obtaining late input from individuals on these aspects of the course. These components cannot be made up after the due time even in the event of excusable situations such as sicknesses or other unforeseen conflicts. A grade of zero is assigned for each missed due time for an exercise or threaded discussion. In the case of tests, make-ups are only permitted in extraordinary circumstances as decided by the course instructor and with the appropriate documentation. In most cases, it is reasonable to expect that you d email me within 1-2 days of missing an assignment. Only in the most critical cases will I accept requests for make-ups made beyond one week of the missing assignment. Because this is an online course that allows for greater flexibility for submitting course work, sickness, office work, travel, vacation, family events, and other circumstances appropriate as an excuse for a normal classroom environment do not qualify as extraordinary circumstances. This policy is for your benefit so that we can control (1) cheating, (2) equality in time for concept learning, (3) timely submission of grades, and (4) maintenance of an orderly course. So take this class with the expectation that you will move through it at the pace and according to the times noted in the syllabus. It is your responsibility to monitor your grades. There will be no make-up work accepted after April 22 University Attendance Policy: Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. Consideration will also be given to students whose dependent children experience serious illness. Religious Holidays: Students absences will be excused to observe religious holidays; however, students are still responsible for all of the material covered in class on those days they have missed. It is your responsibility to make sure you make up missed work as quickly as possible. Please inform me ahead of time if you will be missing class to observe a religious holiday. 3
Academic Honor Policy: The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the University s expectations for the integrity of students academic work, the procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy and for living up to their pledge to be honest and truthful and..[to] strive for personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University. (Florida State University Academic Honor Policy, found at http://www.fsu.edu/~dof/honorpolicy.htm.) Plagiarism and Cheating Caution: Students must abide by the highest standards of academic integrity. Any form of academic dishonesty will result in a zero for that particular assignment at the instructor s discretion. Any student who further plagiarizes, cheats on exams, or otherwise behaves in a dishonest way may be reported to the University Judicial Office for official adjudication. http://www.fsu.edu/~dof/forms/honorpolicy.pdf Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should: (1) Register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource Center; and (2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for accommodation and what type. This should be done during the first week of class. This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format upon request. For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities, contact the Student Disability Resource Center; 97 Woodward Avenue, South; Florida State University; Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167; (850) 644-9566 (voice); (850) 644-8504 (TDD); sdrc@admin.fsu.edu; http://www.fsu.edu/~staffair/dean/studentdisability/ Syllabus Change Policy. Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice. 4
COURSE SCHEDULE Readings Exercises Discussions Tests Assignment Open: Saturday 6:00 AM Saturday 6:00 AM Wednesday 6:00 AM Wednesday 6:00 AM Assignment Due: Monday 6:00 PM Friday 11:59 PM Friday 11:59 PM WEEK 1 Jan 7 to Jan 11 Syllabus and Course Website Introduction Exercise* First Day Attendance: Introduce yourselves!* First Day Attendance Sample Test* WEEK 2 Jan 14 to Jan 8 Ch. 1 Introduction + Exercise, Ch. 1 Discussion: Social Psychology WEEK 3 WEEK 4 WEEK 5 WEEK 6 WEEK 7 WEEK 8 WEEK 9 SB WEEK 10 WEEK 11 WEEK 12 WEEK 13 WEEK 14 WEEK 15 WEEK 16 Jan 21* to Jan 25 Jan 28 to Feb 1 Feb 4 to Feb 8 Feb 11 to Feb1 5 Feb 18 to Feb 22 Feb 25 to Mar 1 Mar 4 to Mar 8 Mar 11 to Mar 15 Mar 18 to Mar 22 Mar 25 to Mar 29 Apr 1 to Apr 5 Apr 8 to Apr 12 Apr 15 to Apr 19 Apr 22 to Apr 26 Apr 29 to May 3 Ch. 2 Social Cognition + Ch. 3 Social Perception + Ch. 4 The Self + Ch. 5 Attitudes + Ch. 6 Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination + Review Week Ch. 7 Interpersonal Attraction and Close Relationships + Ch. 8 Social Influence + Ch. 9 Prosocial Behavior + Ch. 10 Aggression + Ch. 11 Groups and Individuals + Ch. 12 Adversity and Happiness + Exercise, Ch. 2 (Due Tuesday at 6:00 PM due to MLK day) Exercise, Ch. 3 Discussion: Heuristics Test, Ch. 1-2 Discussion: Bias and Actor/Observer Effect Exercise, Ch. 4 Discussion: Selfmonitoring Test, Ch. 3-4 Exercise, Ch. 5 Discussion: Attitudes No Exercise Due Mid-Term Review Discussion Assignment (due following Monday) Test, Ch. 5-6 No Exercise. Review No Discussion Discussion Due Exercise, Ch. 7 Discussion: Love<3 SPRING BREAK!!!! Exercise, Ch. 8 Discussion: Obedience Test, Ch. 7-8 Exercise, Ch. 9 Discussion: Helping Exercise, Ch. 10 Discussion: Harm and Test, Ch. 9-10 Aggression Exercise, Ch. 11 Discussion: Dilemmas Exercise, Ch. 12 Discussion: Reflections on Happiness Review Week No Exercise Final Review Discussion Assignment (due following Monday) Finals Week No Exercise. Final Review Discussion Assignment Due Notes: All times are EST; See late work policy regarding missing work. * First Week Items ungraded, but you will be dropped from the course if they are not completed. Test, Ch. 11-12 5
If you have a technical question and are able to connect to the Internet: 1. Check out the Online Support website at: http://online.fsu.edu/onlinesupport 2. You may go directly to the Student Handbook for Online Learning, which provides step-by-step instructions on using the course website as well as technical contacts. It is available online at: http://www.fsu.edu/~distance/media/studenthandbook.pdf 3. If your question or problem is not addressed by the websites listed above, then send an e-mail to: problems@campus.fsu.edu If your problem concerns your course website, please include the following information in your email: The area in the course website at which you are experiencing difficulties (e.g., Discussion Board, Virtual Chat room, or file upload) A detailed description of the problem and exact transcriptions of any error messages Your course, course prefix, section, and instructor s name Your name, email address, and a daytime phone number And, if you can, include the following technical information: The Web browser your are using (e.g., Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, AOL) The operating system you are using (i.e., Windows 95, 98, or NT; Mac; Linux; or Unix) Whether you are connecting with a modem or within a network You will receive a reply to your email on the next business day. 6