Attitudes, Measurement, and Change – PSYC 860

Course Description

This course examines theory, research, and application in attitudes and change. Through use of evidence-based psychological measurements, research regarding the growing field of implicit attitudes, with the more traditional study of persuasion will be addressed. Additionally, new research on the effects of attitude and change, as is understood within the concept of humanity’s information processing and behavior will be explored.

Rationale

The spectrum of humanity’s capacity to elicit and experience various attitudes is fairly limitless. Understanding the spectrum of attitude, how such is exhibited, the social impact of individual and communal attitude, and the neurological processes behind attitude are essential to recognizing how opinions, change, and motivation are created. This course will seek to explain how attitudes are established, the measurement of such, as well as how the processes of individual and societal change occur. This course will put major emphasis on the theory of attitude and research regarding reshaping the brain to elicit new attitudes, along with social and psychological evidence supporting the above claims. This course is designed to provide the student with research and theoretical tools for further understanding the created reality of humanity’s attitudes, as God has called each of us to be agents of redemptive change in our world today.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings, articles and lecture presentations/notes

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (5)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. In each forum, students are expected to provide one main thread that answers the question provided and two replies to classmates’ posts. Main threads must be at least 500 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. Each reply must be 250 words.

Character Case Study Assignment

The Character Study assignment requires student to select one individual from the Bible and write a study on their attitudes and behaviors. This study should include a summary of the individual as discussed in the Bible, identification of themes and trends of their attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, as well as an analysis of those attitudes based on current theories of attitude. This paper should be a minimum of 5-7 pages in length and must include a title page, abstract, and reference page. A minimum of three sources should be used within the paper, including textbooks, Scripture, and scholarly articles. All papers must have an APA title page and reference page. The title page and reference page do not count toward the total required page count.

Research Paper Assignments (2)

The purpose of these papers is to research and discuss two different subjects as they pertain to the class, while incorporating a Biblical worldview. These papers should be a minimum of 5-7 pages in length and must include a title page, abstract, and reference page. A minimum of five sources should be used within the paper, including textbooks, Scripture, and scholarly articles. Proper APA formatting in Professional Standards is expected (this can be found under Course Content>Course Syllabus and Assignment Instructions).

The student will choose a classical or contemporary theory of attitude to write an 8-10 page literature review on. The literature review should include the following: an abstract, a thesis statement, the history and origins of the theory, the theorists associated with the theory, supporting literature, contradictory literature, how the theory has been used in the past, how the theory measures attitude or change, description of the individual or social use of the theory; suggestions for theory use in the future, how the theory aligns with what is understood about humanity within the Christian worldview, how the theory differs from what the Christian worldview believes about humanity, how the theory could be used by the Christian in the professional field of developmental psychology, and a conclusion. All papers must have an APA title page and reference page. The title page and reference page do not count toward the total required page count.