SOC 352 – Social Psychology

DETAILS Semester-hour credits: 3 Tuition: $448.50 Methods: DESCRIPTION Defining, and utilizing general and applied knowledge of social-psychological principles within the context of individual interactions in relation to social groups. E-mail available. Prerequisite: PSYCH 100 or permission of instructor. OBJECTIVE To achieve a basic understanding of the interaction between the individual and society, particularly the way in which societal forces influence individual behavior. In achieving this objective, the student will become familiar with major theoretical approaches and basic research methods used in social psychology. REQUIRED MATERIALS & TEXTBOOKS Elliot Aronson: The Social Animal, Freeman Press, 9th Edition. ISBN# 0-7167-5715-X Readings about the Social Animal, Worth Publishers, 9th Edition. ISBN# 0-7167-5966-7 COURSE REQUIREMENTS READINGS: Students should read through Chapter 4 of The Social Animal prior to taking Test 1. Test 2 will be all-inclusive due to the fact that each chapter builds upon the others. Students will be tested on Chapters 5-9 on the second exam, but knowledge from the earlier chapters will be needed in successful completion of the final. Students should read the corresponding chapters in the "Readings about the Social Animal" as well. (Please note that this text has no chapter 9 due to the fact that this chapter deals with how to do research.) TESTS: Both Test 1 and Test 2 have been sent to the student in the course packet. If one is missing or lost, the student should call the 1-800 number on the syllabus and request another. PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WANT YOUR TESTS RETURNED TO YOU, ENCLOSE A SELF ADDRESSED AND STAMPED ENVELOPE WITH YOUR TESTS. Otherwise the tests will be discarded once grades have been turned in. Test 1 and Test 2 consist of a list of short essay questions that are to be answered separately: Please note that you may be utilizing both texts in order to answer exam questions. The student may use the textbooks in completion of the tests. The tests are looking for overall comprehension and therefore, the student must be able to put together concepts from the entire reading sections to do well. Insofar as Test 1 and Test 2 are concerned, there are no minimum or maximum limits to answer length, but it is in your best interest to apply as much applicable information as possible to each question. When completing the tests the student should not skip any questions. Follow the guidelines for your analysis as listed below in The Report: Structure & Format Area. Upon completion of all course requirements, you have the option of either utilizing e-mail (preferred) or mailing the tests and all other required work to the mailing address as indicated above in your syllabus. JOURNAL ARTICLES: The textbook, Readings about the Social Animal, provides theory and information found in the general text of The Social Animal, relating to actual research practices. Students are to read the chapters in the Readings about the Social Animal text and discuss four of the many pieces of research that are discussed. Each of the four articles must come from different chapters, and must be an in-depth discussion of what the researchers were looking for (hypothesis), how they completed their research (methodology), and the results (conclusion) of that research. The student is to then apply it to the corresponding chapters in The Social Animal text. This instructor is not concerned about the mathematical analysis that was done, due to the fact that many students have not had research methods classes. Some readings are more interesting than others; the student can choose their favorites to discuss. Students should read all research due to the fact that examples of this research are required on both Test 1 and Test 2. Each of the four articles should follow the prescripts as listed below. The length for each of your four JOURNAL ARTICLES should be a no less than 1.5 and no more than 3.0 pages in length per analysis, each worth 25 points. DISCLAIMER: Tuition, credits, medium, description, instructors, books, materials, homework assignments, grading scale, and availability are subject to change without notice. For the most up-to-date status, please contact the Continuing Education staff.