Sociology 162, Social Psychology Office: SS222



Sociology 162 Office: McKee Fisk 207a Tele: 278-7834

Social Psychology Office Hours: email:

Spring, 2006 TTh 1345-1445 john_tinker@csufresno.edu

TTh 1230-1345 and by arrangement

SS 210

Social psychology is an area of study which focuses on the behavior and attitudes of individuals as they are influenced by the people around them and the social groups in which they are enmeshed. Although the specific topics investigated by social psychologists range widely (from riot participation to decision processes in small groups, for example), the focus on external social influences on individual attitudes and social interaction remains the constant perspective which unifies the field. In this course, we shall apply that perspective to a range of topics generally concerned with how we influence others and are, in turn, influenced by them.

Texts:

Michener, H. Andrew, John D. DeLamater, and Daniel J. Myers. Social Psychology, 5th Edition, Harcourt, Brace, 2004.

Selected readings available on electronic reserve at the Henry Madden Library. The password to get access to the readings is: tinker

Course procedures:

This course is based on a discussion of the principles of social psychology and their applications to our daily circumstances. Our discussion each day will be grounded on the reading assigned for that day, therefore you are expected to keep up with the reading so that you can contribute to the discussion.

How to get a grade:

1) There will be from seven to ten writing exercises. Some of these will be unannounced brief essays which you will write in class in which you will describe or explain a concept, proposition or procedure that we have read about or discussed during the week when the essay is written. Others will be exercises which you will write out of class. Each out-of-class exercise must be turned in, typed, at (or before) the beginning of the class period on the day it is due. If you are absent when one of these is assigned or, in the case of the out-of-class work, if you fail to turn it in on time, it may not be made up, but your lowest two essay scores will automatically be dropped. The remaining essays, together, will be worth 30% of your course grade.

2) You will be expected to write brief summaries of five of the articles which are on reserve. The assignments are in the reading schedule.

a) In order to receive credit, your summary must be turned in, typed, at (or before) the beginning of the class period on the day it is due. Because you might be unexpectedly and unavoidable absent on one of these days, the lowest grade among these five assignments will be automatically dropped. The remaining summaries will be worth 20% of your course grade.

b) Each of your summaries must be typed and should be limited to two standard sheets of paper. Each summary should follow this pattern:

i) State the author’s thesis. This can generally be done by completing this sentence: “The author is trying to prove that…”

ii) Briefly summarize the argument. This should contain a list of claims (the author(s) believes the thesis to be true because …).

iii) Briefly indicate the evidence that the author(s) has for each claim.

iv) State how convincing or unconvincing you found the paper (and why).

3) There will be a midterm examination and a final examination. They will be essay exams and each one will be worth 25% of your grade. The planned day for the midterm is noted on the reading schedule. It might be rescheduled, depending on how quickly we progress through the material. Any change will be announced in class at least one week prior to the exam. If you miss the examination for any reason, the make-up day will be the last scheduled day of class before the final exam. The final exam will be given at the day and time scheduled by the university for this class.

Grading Scale:

A: 90-100

B: 80-89

C: 70-79

D: 60-69

F: 0-59

This syllabus and schedule are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. If you are absent from class, it is your responsibility to check on announcements made while you were absent.

If you have a disability, it is your responsibility to identify yourself to the university so that reasonable accommodations can be made. For more information, contact Services to Students with Disabilities.

Note: the University’s policies regarding plagiarism and cheating are strictly followed in this course. A definition of plagiarism and other forms of cheating can be found in the University’s General Catalog.

Reading topics and schedule (note: all readings are in Michener unless otherwise noted):

|1 August 29,31 |T: Introduce class; Assign to read: |

| |1) M and D, Chapter 1. |

| |Th: |

| |1) Discuss Chapter 1. |

| |2) Assign to read: M and D, Chapter 3 (Socialization) |

|2 Sept. 5,7 |T: |

| |1) Discuss Ch. 3. |

| |2) Assign to read: Montrose M. Wolf, David K. Giles, and R. Vance Hall. “Experiments with Token Reinforcement in |

| |a Remedial Classroom,” pp. 230-250 in Behavioral Sociology, edited by Robert L. Burgess and Don Bushell, Jr., |

| |Columbia University Press, 1969. |

| |3) Assign to write and turn in Thursday: A brief typed summary of Wolf’s paper. Note: |

| |a. State the thesis. |

| |Briefly summarize the argument. This should contain a list of claims (the author(s) believes the thesis to be true|

| |because …). |

| |Briefly indicate the evidence that the author(s) has for each claim. |

| |d. State how convincing or unconvincing you found the paper (and why). |

| |Th: |

| |1) Discuss Ch. 3 and Wolf. |

| |2) Assign to read: Snyder, M., Tanke, E.D. and Berscheid, E. (1977), “Social perception and interpersonal behavior:|

| |On the self-fulfilling nature of social stereotypes.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35, 656-666. |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

|3 Sept. 12, 14 |T: |

| |1) Discuss Snyder. |

| |2) Assign to read: Chapter 4, “Self and Identity,” in M and D. |

| | |

| |Th: |

| |1) Discuss M and D, Chapter 4. |

| |2) Assign to read: |

| |a. M and D, Chapter 2: “Research Methods in Social Psychology.” |

| |b. David Snow and Leon Anderson. “Salvaging the Self from Homelessness,” pp. 98-108 in Inside Social Life, edited|

| |by Spencer E. Cahill, Roxbury Publishing Company, 2nd Edition, 1998. Note: this is an example of field research. |

| |c. Schachter, S. and Singer, J. (1962). “Cognitive, social and physiological determinants of emotional state.” |

| |Psychological Review, 69, 379-399. Note: this is an example of experimental research. |

|4 Sept. 19, 21 |T: Discuss Chapter 2. |

| |Th: |

| |1) Continue to discuss Chapter 2, Snow and Anderson, Schachter and Singer. |

| |2): Assign to read: Assign to read: Nisbett, R.E. and Wilson, T.D. (1977) “Telling more than we can know: Verbal |

| |reports on mental processes.” Psychological Review,84, 231-259. |

| |3) Assign to write and turn in Tuesday: A brief typed summary of Schachter and Singer’s paper. (Same format as |

| |before). |

| |T: |

|5 Sept. 26, 28 |1) Discuss Schachter and Nisbett. |

| |2) Assign to read: M and D, Ch. 9: “Self Presentation and Impression Management.” |

| | |

| |Th: |

| |1) Discuss M and D, Ch. 9. |

| |2) Assign to read: |

| |a. Erving Goffman, “The Presentation of Self,” pp. 81-88 in Inside Social Life, edited by Spencer E. Cahill, |

| |Roxbury Publishing Company, 2nd Edition, 1998. |

| |b. Elijah Anderson, “The Black Male in Public,” pp. 206-213 in Inside Social Life, edited by Spencer E. Cahill, |

| |Roxbury Publishing Company, 2nd Edition, 1998. |

| |c. Reich, Robert B. Locked in the Cabinet, Knopf, 1997, pp. 125-127. |

| |d. Alsop, Joseph. “I’ve Seen the Best of It”, Norton, 1992, pp. 19-23. |

|6 Oct. 3,5 |T: |

| |1) Discuss Goffman, Anderson, Reich, and Alsop. |

| |2) Assign to read: M and D Chapter 6, “Attitudes.” |

| |Th: |

| |1) Discuss M and D, Chapter 6. |

| |2) Assign to read: Festinger, L. and Carlsmith, J.M. (1959). “Cognitive Consequences of Forced Compliance. Journal|

| |of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 58, 203-210. |

| |3) Assign to write and turn in Tuesday: A brief typed summary of Festinger’s paper. (Same format as usual). |

|7 Oct. 10, 12 |T: |

| |1) Discuss Festinger and Carlsmith. |

| |Th: |

| |1) Discuss cognitive dissonance. |

| | |

| | |

| | |

|8 Oct. 17, 19 |T: Review. |

| |Th: |

| |1) Midterm Examination. |

| |2) Assign to read: |

| |a. Chapter 13: “Group Cohesion and Conformity.” |

|9 Oct. 24, 26 |T: |

| |1) Discuss: M and D, Ch. 13. |

| |2) Assign to read: Chapter 8, “Social Influence and Persuasion,” in M and D. |

| |Th: |

| |1) Discuss Chapter 8. |

| |2) Assign to read: |

| |a. Freedman, J. L., and Fraser, S.C. (1966). “Compliance without pressure: The foot-in-the-door technique.” |

| |Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 4, 195-202. |

| |b. Cialdini, Robert. “Social Proof: Monkey Me, Monkey Do,” pp. 84-95 in Psychology is Social, ed. By Edward |

| |Krupat, Addison-Wesley, 1999. |

| |3) Assign to write and turn in Tuesday: A brief typed summary of Freedman and Fraser’s paper. (Same format as |

| |usual). |

|10 Oct. 31, Nov. 2 |T: |

| |1) Discuss Freedman and Cialdini). |

| |2) Assign to read: |

| |a. Milgram, S. (1963). “Behavioral study of obedience.” Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67, 371-378. |

| |b. Janice Gibson and Mika Haritos-Fatouros. “The Education of a Torturer.” Psychology Today, 1986 (November), 20,|

| |50-58. |

| |Th: |

| |1) Discuss Milgram and Gibson. |

| |2) Assign to read: Chapter 10, “Helping and Altruism,” in M and D. |

|11 Nov. 7, 9 |T: |

| |1) Discuss M and D, Ch. 10. |

| |2) Assign to read: Darley, J.M. and Latane, B. (1968). “Bystander intervention in emergencies: Diffusion of |

| |responsibility.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 8, 377-383. |

| |Th: |

| |1) Discuss Darley and Latane. |

| |2) Assign to read: |

| |a. Chapter 11, “Aggression.” |

| |b. Richard Nisbett, “Violence and U.S. Regional Culture,” pp. 292-305 in Psychology is Social, edited by Edward |

| |Krupat, Longman Publishing, 4th edition, 1999. (originally in American Psychologist, vol. 48, 1993). |

| |3) Assign to write and turn in Tuesday: A brief typed summary of Nisbett’s’s paper. (Same format as usual). |

|12 Nov. 14, 16 |T: |

| |1) Discuss M and D, Ch. 11 and Nisbett. |

| |2) Assign to read: |

| |a. Chapter 12, “Interpersonal Attraction and Relationships,” in M and D. |

| |b. Dutton, D.G., and Aron, A.P. (1974). “Some evidence for heightened sexual attraction under conditions of high |

| |anxiety.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 30, 510-517. |

| | |

| |Th: |

| |1) Discuss M and D, Chapter 12 and Dutton. |

| |2) Assign to read: Chapter 14, “Group Structure and Performance,” in M and D. |

|13 Nov. 21 |T: |

| |1) Discuss M and D, Chapter 14. |

| |2) Assign to read: Chapter 15, “Intergroup Conflict,” in M and D. |

| | |

|14 Nov. 28, 30 |T: Discuss theories of minority-dominant relations. |

| | |

| |Th: |

| |1) Discuss theories of minority-dominant relations. |

| |2) Assign to read: |

| |a. M. Sherif. “Experiments in Group Conflict,” Scientific American, 1956. |

| |b.Aronson, E., and Bridgeman, D. (1979). “Jigsaw groups and the desegregated classroom: In pursuit of common |

| |goals.” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,5, 438-446. |

|15 Dec. 5, 7 |T: Discuss Sherif and Aronson. |

| | |

| |Th: Review. |

|16 Dec. 12 |T: Make-up exam day or review. |

| | |

| |Th: Consultation. |

Final examination. .

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download