Social Psychology
PSYC 3335 Social Psychology
What is the course?
Have you ever thought of the phrase, "humans are social beings," when making sense of someone's behavior? Then, you have thought about social psychology. This course better enables students to understand what the social in "social beings" really means on a psychological level. As such, this course provides an introduction to the scientific study of how humans think about, feel toward, and interact with others, including the dynamic contexts that influence these processes.
What are the course goals?
The first goal of this course is to familiarize students with the key concepts, themes, theories, and research findings that shape social psychology as a science. The second goal is to collaboratively create and present imaginative projects that teach the science of social psychology to the public. A final goal is to help develop professionally valuable skills. We will do this through creative and collaborative projects, online reading discussions, lecture recordings, and remote exams. A significant amount of time will be spent in and out of class reading and discussing texts, preparing materials, and working with team members. Successful completion of this course will grant effortful students the ability to understand, evaluate, and discuss the key concepts, themes, and studies in social psychology. Students will also develop marketable skills transferable to careers in psychology and beyond, such as innovative creation, critical thinking, effective collaboration, formal presentation, and clear communication.
Have you ever thought of the phrase, "humans are social beings," when making sense of someone's behavior? Then, you have thought about social psychology. This course better enables students to understand what the social in "social beings" really means on a psychological level. As such, this course provides an introduction to the scientific study of how humans think about, feel toward, and interact with others, including the dynamic contexts that influence these processes.
What are the course goals?
The first goal of this course is to familiarize students with the key concepts, themes, theories, and research findings that shape social psychology as a science. The second goal is to collaboratively create and present imaginative projects that teach the science of social psychology to the public. A final goal is to help develop professionally valuable skills. We will do this through creative and collaborative projects, online reading discussions, lecture recordings, and remote exams. A significant amount of time will be spent in and out of class reading and discussing texts, preparing materials, and working with team members. Successful completion of this course will grant effortful students the ability to understand, evaluate, and discuss the key concepts, themes, and studies in social psychology. Students will also develop marketable skills transferable to careers in psychology and beyond, such as innovative creation, critical thinking, effective collaboration, formal presentation, and clear communication.
What will students in the course learn?
Students in this course will learn:
- How the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of other human beings,
- What are the key concepts, themes, theories, findings, and applications that shape social psychology as a science and a discipline,
- How to formally present empirical research in psychology using Google Slides,
- How to collaboratively create innovative projects that can be used to inform the public about social psychology,
- How to work collaboratively in teams for a collective goal and how to provide evaluative feedback to teammates,
- How to actively read and discuss course texts with peers using Perusall,
- How to demonstrate your comprehension and understanding of the course content through online exams,
- How to produce work that is professional, prompt, ethical, and credible.