COURSE SYLLABUS
PSYC 250.001 (3 credit hours) Social Psychology
Spring 2017

Instructor:   Tom Mitchell, Ph.D.
Classes:      Tuesdays 11:00 AM - 1:30 PM Room BC 207
Office:        LC 411 phone 837-5348
E-mail        TMITCHELL@ubalt.edu
Website:     http://home.ubalt.edu/tmitch
Office Hours: Tuesdays and Wednesdays 1:30 - 2:30 PM

Sakai (webboard for class)
Student Resources for key University of Baltimore services:
Contact information for key university services (bottom of page)

Websites for Social Psychology

Home Pages for Social Psychologists
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Psychological Bulletin
Steve's Primer of Practical Persuasion and Influence
Society for Personality and Social Psychology

Purpose: This course is designed as an introduction to social psychology, a subsection of general psychology. The basic purpose is to acquaint you with the theories, methods and topical subject matter of social psychology. Upon completion of the course you should be familiar with the principal theories of how attitudes are formed and changed, how and why individuals perceive others as they do, how they grow to like and dislike one another, the dynamics of group behavior, some causes for aggressive behavior, and other social psychological phenomena.
Student Learning Objectives are:
1. Describe the ways in which social psychologists conduct research.
2. Describe important experiments and theoretical frameworks in social psychology.
3. Apply theoretical frameworks to current and historical events.
4. Apply the course content to everyday life
5. Think critically about how social psychology can be used to solve real-world problems
Class format: Lecture on text and other subject matter. Class discussions will be conducted for the purpose of clarifying and emphasizing important topics. Individual or group projects may be assigned.
Course requirements: Understanding of content in assigned chapters and lectures, completion of outside assignments and participation in class discussions. Outside readings may be assigned periodically. Completion of THREE tests (non-cumulative) and an Applied Social Psychology paper worth possible 60 points (instructions)

Required text: Social psychology 2013, 11th Edition David G. Myers (McGraw Hill, Publisher) ISBN: 9780078035296 (or 12th edition)

Grading and Assignments: (Please note that attendance is not required but expected)

Assessment of student's performance for the final grade will be comprised of:

Three 60 item multiple choice exams on the text chapters and lecture materials and an
Applied Social Psychology paper (ASP) (2500 words or Four page limit single spaced) on an applied social psychology topic of your choice (see Myers Chapters 14- 16 & IO psych chapter handout)

Assessment % of grade

Exam 1            25 %
Exam 2            25 %
Exam 3            25 %
Paper              25%

Total              100%

1. Each of THREE tests will consist of three 60-item multiple choice questions derived from test material and lectures.
Make up tests if warranted will be essay questions based on the material covered in text and lectures.

2. Applied Social Psychology paper worth possible 60 points (instructions)

Grading Scale: test /paper score Grade Total points (max 240)

(grade for Each of 3 Exams & Paper) Your final grade is an average of all 4 assignments:

                                    50 - 60        A              83%
                                    45 - 49        B              75%
                                    40 - 44        C              67%
                                    35 - 39        D              58%
                                         < 35                    F               <58%

Week / Date Chapter (Myers) Chapters assigned and anticipated dates of tests:

Week 1 / Jan 31 Chapter 1. Introducing Social Psychology p 2 Chap 1 PPT

Kerlinger definitions of theory and other key terms

Week 2 / Feb 7 Chapter 2. The Self in a Social World p 31 Chap 2 PPT

NOTE: Feb 13 is last day to drop without a "W"

Locus of Control Scale J. Rotter

Week 3 / Feb 14 Chapter 3. Social Beliefs and Judgment p 76 Chap 3 PPT

Week 4 / Feb 21 Chapter 4. Behavior and Attitudes p 118 Chap 4 PPT

Implicit Associations Test (IAT) Greenwald

IAT (Implicit Associations Test) Try it out! But look at this: