Social Psychology – PSYC 312

Course Description

Social psychology is the study of how the presence of other people (real or imagined) affects individuals. This course will provide an overview of theory and research related to: development of the self, cognitive dissonance, attitudes and attitude change, group processes, attraction and relationships, prosocial behavior, aggression, as well as stereotyping and discrimination.

Rationale

Many individuals go through their daily routines with little thought as to what influences their own thoughts and behaviors, as well as the behavior of those around them. They seem unaware of how other people influence their thoughts and behavior. Still, others attempt to understand and explain their behavior, but their explanations are inaccurate. This course will seek to explain how students’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual or imagined presence of others so that the students can better understand themselves and those around them.

Course Assignment

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

Course Requirements Checklist

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

Discussions (3)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will complete 3 discussions throughout the term. The student is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each forum. Each thread must be 300–500 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. For each thread, the student must use and cite the textbook, and Scripture in current APA format. In addition to the thread, the student is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must include 150-250 words and cite at least one item of information from the textbook (CLOs A, B, D).

Research Project: Topic Development Worksheet Assignment

Using the Research Project: Topic Development Worksheet Template provided, each student will select a topic from the textbook, develop a research concept based on current research, and obtain current articles from peer-reviewed journals (original research only) to be used later for the Research Project: Literature Review Assignment.
The reference list must include 5 peer-reviewed journal articles (original research only). Current APA style must be used. Journal articles must have a publication date within the past five years. Students must also submit a PDF copy of the full article for each of the five resources. (CLOs C, D).

Research Project: Literature Review Assignment

The student will use three of the articles identified in the Research Project: Topic Development Assignment as the foundation for the Research Project: Literature Review Assignment. A brief description will be written about each article (250-350 words each) approved by the instructor in the Research Project: Topic Development Assignment. The description should include the following: Purpose, brief description of methods (participants and procedure), results, and a description of how these findings relate to the research topic. (CLOs C, D).

Aggression and Prejudice Activity Assignment

The student will complete one Aggression and Prejudice Activity Assignment which includes scenarios and short answer questions (3-5 sentences for each answer) that ask him or her to apply social psychology concepts to real-world situations. (CLO B).

Research Project: Biblical Integration Project Assignment

The student will explore what the Bible says about his/her chosen topic. In doing so each student will begin to understand how psychological science aligns with Biblical truth. This paper will include a minimum of 1,000 words and will follow current APA formatting guidelines.

Quizzes (8)

Each quiz will cover the Learn material for the Module: Week in which it is assigned. Each quiz will be open-book/open-notes, contain 25 multiple-choice questions, and have a 60-minute time limit (CLOs A, B).