PSYC 221 - Social Psychology

PSYC 221 Sections 0101 & 0201 – University of Maryland – Fall 2012

WHAT IS SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND WHAT DO SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGISTS DO?

Social psychology is the scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings and behavior are influenced by
the actual, imagined, or implied presence of other people (Allport, 1985). In other words, Social
Psychologists try to understand the mental processes that determine how we think about ourselves and
other people and how those other people influence our own behavior. This is more difficult than it
sounds because we all have our own subjective intuitions and experiences, and all our beliefs are
influenced by the cultures we grow up with (e.g., nations, religions, race, gender, political ideologies). In
many cases those assumptions turn out to be wrong, and in other cases the research helps us more fully
understand why the assumption was correct all along. There is a
tremendous reason to study social psychology… the more we Mondays & Wednesdays BPS 1250
understand about ourselves and those around us the more effective we Section 0101: 1:00-1:50 PM
can be at achieving our own personal goals (e.g., having healthy Section 0201: 2:00-1:50 PM
relationships, improving your academic performance, protecting your
safety) and advancing society (e.g., reducing violence, increasing Instructor: Dylan Selterman, Ph.D.
productivity, facilitating cooperation between groups).
Email: [email protected]
This course will teach you the scientific process that Social
Psychologists use to study human thoughts, feelings and behavior and Office Monday & Wednesday
Hours: 3:00-4:00 BPS 3147-A
give you the opportunity to practice applying that process in a number
(and by appointment)
of ways. You will learn how we (a) gather and critically evaluate
research findings in the existing research literature, (b) integrate those
Teaching
findings into coherent and testable theories that explain objective
Assistants: TBD
observations, (c) design and conduct valid research that tests those
theories and extends our knowledge, and (d) effectively communicate
our theories and findings to a wide range of audiences. The result of
the process is a more accurate and objective (rather than intuitive) understanding of the mental processes
that influence us - and that is what prepares you to apply your scientific understanding to explain and
influence a wide range of complex, challenging and controversial social problems.

Examples of how you will practice thinking and behaving like a Social Psychologists:
• Participate in classroom activities that require you to use the scientific process and the results from
research studies in your understanding and discussion of “real world” applications and events.
• Complete critical writing assignments that put you in the shoes of a Social Psychologist and
challenge you to engage in the process of scientific thought and practice.
• Develop a scholarly analysis paper that integrates your progressive learning of the scientific process
and practice in the “real world” and develops new research ideas on topic of interest to you.

REQUIRED TEXT
Baumeister, R. & Bushman, B. (2010). Social Psychology and Human Nature, Brief Edition,
2nd edition. Wadsworth Publishing. ISBN-10: 0495602655 | ISBN-13: 978-0495602651.
COURSE GOALS/LEARNING OUTCOMES
The learning objectives for this course are based on the Department of Psychology’s learning outcomes
for all courses, which include developing students’ abilities in the following areas:

1) Research Methods: Understand basic research methods in social psychology, including design
and interpretation. In other words, you should learn to think like a scientist who studies human
behavior.
a. Formulate testable predictions/hypotheses.
b. Incorporate existing theoretical frameworks into new areas.
c. Recognize limitations in applicability of results.
d. Demonstrate technological competency and information literacy related to research
methods.
2) Critical Thinking: Apply creative and critical thinking to behavior and mental processes.
a. Use critical thinking and reasoning to recognize, develop, defend, and criticize arguments
and other persuasive appeals.
b. Be a good “consumer” of social science research.
c. Distinguish between different types (and varying quality) of research.
d. Understand how psychological research is portrayed (accurately or inaccurately) in the
mainstream media.
3) Communication: Communicate effectively in a variety of formats.
a. Develop effective writing skills.
b. Develop interpersonal skills with peers and collaborators.
4) Content: Demonstrate familiarity with the content of the course: a sampling of the major
concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in social psychology.

As you can see, the overarching goal for you in this course is to develop an understanding process by
which Social Psychologists apply the scientific method to understand and influence human thought and
behavior.

COURSE FORMAT, GUIDELINES, AND REQUIREMENTS

1) Attending in-class meetings. It is imperative that you attend class regularly in order to learn the
material. If I see class attendance drop significantly during the semester, I reserve the right to start
conducting periodic attendance checks. Otherwise, the attendance/participation grade will be comprised
of 3 things: 1) making a visit to my office hours at least once BEFORE the last week of classes, 2)
completing the course evaluation at the end of the semester, which is very important for improving your
undergraduate learning experience as well as other students to come, and 3) completing the Career Center
assignment (detailed separately). All told, attendance/participation is worth 5% of your final grade.

You are responsible for any and all course material covered in class, announcements, and/or
handouts if you are not present. Be sure to exchange contact information with at least two classmates.
If you are unable to come to class because of an illness or another extenuating circumstance, please be
aware that I will not be providing/distributing lecture notes. You will be expected to contact another
student(s) in the class to receive notes/information. If you were present in class and would like to go over
specific material from lecture, you are more than welcome to visit myself (or the TA) and we will gladly
assist you. It is your responsibility to contact me and/or the TA for extra help as necessary.

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In class: Students are expected to treat each other with respect. Disruptive behavior of any kind will not
be tolerated. Students who are unable to demonstrate civility with one another, the teaching assistants, or
me will be subject to referral to the Office of Student Conduct or to the University Campus Police. You
are expected to adhere to the Code of Student Conduct.

2) This course is designed as a Blended Learning Course, which means that scheduled class time will
involve a variety of learning activities, including in-class activities/exercises and out-of-class assignments
(alternating every other week - see the course schedule). Some activities will require you to work in teams
or groups; others will require that you participate online instead of in the classroom. These assignments
will be evaluated to assess (a) your demonstrated learning of the material, (b) the extent to which you form
clear arguments supported by factual statements and (c) the quality of your academic writing. You are
welcome (and encouraged) to work with classmates on these assignments, though your submission must
represent only your own writing. The in-class activities/exercises will be worth 10% of your final grade,
while the out-of-class (blended learning) assignments will be worth 15% of your final grade. All together,
the weekly assignments will be worth 25% of your final grade.

These assignments will vary in content and structure. Some will be to watch videos pertaining to social
psychological research. Some weeks you will be required to answer a few (3-5) multiple-choice questions
and/or complete a writing assignment (approximately 1 page in length). It is to your advantage to use the
blended learning assignments to bolster your writing abilities (especially with regards to content, structure,
clarity, accuracy, organization, grammar, syntax, and punctuation). All told, completing the weekly
assignments will be worth approximately 25% of your final grade. Details for each assignment, as well as
objectives and grading rubrics will be provided separately.

Students who have not had as much experience with academic writing are encourage to take advantage of
the resources available on campus. The Writing Center offers individual appointments to help you draft,
proof and complete writing assignments. Even experienced writers can benefit! To schedule an
appointment, and to see the other resources availabl to you, visit
http://www.english.umd.edu/academics/writingcenter.

On the weeks that you are not submitting a blended learning assignment, you will be doing an activity in-
class. If you do not participate in the in-class activity, 10 points will be deducted from your corresponding
Blended Learning assignment.

3) Final Analysis Paper. A 5-page, typed, double-spaced paper is due on the last day of class (NOT the
final exam day). The paper counts for 20% of your final grade. The task for the final paper is to identify a
social phenomenon that interests you in the external world, and then, to write a paper that includes
testable ideas for how to approach the study of that phenomenon as a social psychologist. The inspiration
for this paper can come from a variety of different sources, including articles in the popular press/media
(newspapers or magazines), or in a popular movie/film, etc. You will be charged with conducting a
literature review, coming up with conceptual and operational definitions for your variables that can be
measured, developing hypotheses and justifications for your predictions, design (conceptually) a
study/experiment to test your hypothesis, and explaining the anticipated results, drawing conclusions and
implications for understanding human social behavior.

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4) Exams. There will be 2 midterm exams, each worth 15% of your final grade. They will include both
multiple choice and short answer questions and will cover material discussed in class and in the textbook.
Midterms are not cumulative, however, some concepts/facts fit into more than one unit (e.g., self-esteem
and aggression), and may appear on an exam more than once. If that is the case, I will usually mention it
again during lecture. Alternatively, it may appear a second time in the textbook.
There will also be a final exam (worth 20% of your final grade), which will be
cumulative and contain a higher number of questions, although it will focus more
on the material covered since the 2nd midterm.

Note: No student will be allowed to start the exam once the first student finished
has turned in his or her exam and exited the room.

Note: I encourage you to go over your exams with the TAs, especially if your grade does not match your
performance goals. For any given exam, you have until the next exam is given to review it with the TAs. In
other words, you have until the date exam #2 is given to review exam #1 with the TAs or myself.

Missed Exams. If you know you are going to miss an exam, you (the student) or a guardian must email me
PRIOR to class to inform me that you will not be in attendance due to extenuating circumstances on the
day of an exam and thus will miss the exam. On the very next class session that you are in attendance, you
must present me with a note for missing the exam, accompanied with appropriate documentation (e.g.,
doctor’s note, police report, obituary, etc.). This note must include the date of illness and a statement that
the information you have provided is true. You must also state that if your statement is found to be false,
you understand that you will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. The statement must be signed
and dated. If you do not inform me or if you do not present me with timely documentation, 0 points will
be given to you for the exam/assignment. Note: In the case that you are unable to get a written medical
excuse, you may ask your provider for a copy of your medical notes for the specific visit(s) in question.

4) Group work. Everyone can relate to having a bad experience with a group project, and in those cases it
always seems to be either social loafing (someone not doing their share of the work) or conflict that isn’t
handled well (disagreements over what to do or how to do it). Luckily, Social Psychologists have been
studying groups and you’ll learn why loafing and conflict occur and what we can do to combat it. There is
a considerable amount of collaborative work in this course, so to assess the extent to which you have
developed and practiced strong group skills a portion of your grades will be based on intra-group
evaluations. This is an essential professional skill and the perfect course to refine it in. The intra-group
evaluation will assess your strengths in collaborative environments and identify areas for you to improve
your skills. There are five things that you will develop and demonstrate… a valued team member:

Eagerly contributes ideas and effort and voluntarily takes on responsibilities that advance the
Takes Initiative
group’s collective effort.
Actively participates in group discussions, both in-class and online, and responds to requests and
Is Responsive
email communication in a reasonable timeframe (within 24 hours unless otherwise requested).
Is Reliable Submits individual work by the agreed upon deadline and does not miss scheduled meetings.
Produces Quality Submits individual work that is of excellent quality and requires no substantial revisions.
Actively maintains a positive, team-oriented attitude and supports the group and its members, even
Is Collegial
during times of disagreement.

Much like in the “real” world, none of us have the right to expect that others will do our work for us, and
none of us are entitled to benefits (e.g., grades, salaries, bonuses, awards) that we did not personally work
to earn. Social loafing will not be tolerated... All students will sign an academic performance contract
before joining a group. No one wants to be the type of person that no one else wants to work with.

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RESEARCH PARTICIPATION
Students may earn extra credit by participating in a minimum of 5 credits of experimental research as
participants in the psychology department’s subject pool. If you have never done this before, you can
learn about the subject pool here http://psychology.umd.edu/research/partinfo.html and you can sign up
for research studies by going to: http://umpsychology.sona-systems.com. Upon completion of 5 credits of
experimental participation, you will receive an extra credit bump of 1/3 of a letter grade (ex: from B- to
B; from B+ to A-, from C+ to B-, etc). This will be taken into account after all other grades and credits
are factored in. For more information see the psychology department’s website or the YouTube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIDAjBHWWwg.

UNIVERSITY & DEPARTMENT POLICIES

As a member of this campus community I expect that you are aware of, and will adhere to, all relevant
policies that relate to this course. All university policies can be found at www.president.umd.edu/policies.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Academic integrity is the foundation of science and the policies will be strictly enforced. Any indication of
academic dishonesty (including but not limited to cheating, plagiarism and falsification) will be referred to
the Office of Student Conduct (www.osc.umd.edu) without hesitation. That includes the worksheet and
learning check submissions. Please see the Department of Psychology’s policy statement on academic
integrity (attached) for more details.

ACCOMMODATIONS & ABSENCES

Students requiring specific academic accommodations should contact me with the appropriate
documentation from DSS during the first week of the semester (www.counseling.umd.edu/DSS).

University of Maryland policy dictates that a single absence during the semester due to illness or injury will
be excused with a signed letter attesting to the date of the illness and acknowledging that the information
is true and correct and that providing false information is prohibited under the Code of Student Conduct.
You are required to contact me by email prior to the class meeting if you expect to be absent for any
reason, especially due to illness or injury.

Multiple absences, and those occurring on a major scheduled grading event, require written documentation
of the illness or injury from the Health Center or an outside health care provider. The letter must verify
the dates of treatment and the time period during which you were unable to meet academic
responsibilities. Accommodations will be arranged on a case-by-case basis.

RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS

University policy “provides that students should not be penalized because of observances of their religious
beliefs; students shall be given an opportunity, whenever feasible, to make up within a reasonable time any
academic assignment that is missed due to individual participation in religious observances...It is the
student's responsibility to inform the instructor of any intended absences for religious observances in
advance. Notice should be provided as soon as possible but no later than the end of the schedule
adjustment period.” If you will miss class for a religious holiday, notify me at the start of the semester.

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UNIVERSITY EMERGENCY CLOSINGS

In the event that the University is closed for an emergency or extended period of time, I will
communicate to you via email or phone to indicate schedule adjustments, including rescheduling of
examinations and assignments due to inclement weather and campus emergencies. Official closures
and delays are announced on the campus website http://www.umd.edu. The snow phone line is
301-405-SNOW, as well as local radio and TV stations.

PROBLEMS

If you are experiencing a problem with the course or if you foresee a problem, PLEASE talk to me before
it gets any worse. We will be much more sympathetic if the problem is small and if we have forewarning.

MUTUALLY-DERIVED EXPECTATIONS

I believe it is essential that we, as members of a learning community, agree upon what is expected of each
other and ourselves. As a course instructor, my role is to design and manage a learning environment that
is rigorous, engaging and focused on evidenced-based teaching practices. As a student, your role is to take
personal responsibility for your learning and actively engage in all aspects of the course. What you see
here comes directly from working with students in previous semester, and we’ll discuss these in class so
that we can add or clarify anything that I’ve missed:

YOU, AS A STUDENT, HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXPECT THAT:

> All work is evaluated by reasonable, objective and transparent criteria intended to assess learning
> All students are treated with equality, professionalism and respect
> I will be prepared and on-time for every class meeting and scheduled appointment
> I will maintain a classroom conducive to active learning, discussion and critical thinking
> I will, when possible, integrate contemporary examples, videos and activities to reinforce learning
> I will be available to assist with coursework and offer referrals to campus resources upon request
> I will read and respond to your emails within 24 hours on weekdays
> I will do my best to answer any questions you have, and if I don’t know the answer, I’ll do my best to
work with you so we can find it (in other words, I won’t just make stuff up).

I, AS AN INSTRUCTOR, HAVE THE RIGHT TO EXPECT YOU WILL:

> Devote the necessary time and energy to master the course material. Semester Out-of-Class
According to Department of Psychology guidelines you should Length Hours/Week
budget an average of 2-3 out-of-class hours per week for every hour 16 weeks 6-9
in-class. If your schedule does not currently permit you to satisfy 6 weeks 15-22
these requirements I advise you take the course at another time. 3 weeks 30-45
> Be prepared and on-time for every class meeting, having completed the assigned work
> Save newspapers, word & math puzzles, texting, IM, email, Facebook, etc. for outside of class
> Sleep in your bed, in someone else’s bed, in the hall, or under a tree… but not in class
> Take responsibility for getting anything you might have missed from a fellow classmate
> Monitor your email and Blackboard announcements at least once every 24 hours
> Adhere to all course and university policies, deadlines, requirements and grading criteria
> Seek assistance when you need it and see that your questions are answered to your satisfaction

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COURSE EVALUATIONS

You will have at least three formal opportunities to evaluate the effectiveness of this course, though I first
want to encourage you to schedule a meeting with me if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions
for how I can help support your learning and engagement. First, I will post an anonymous survey on
Blackboard part way through the semester to help us identify ways that we can work together to further
enhance our cooperative approach to learning. A second, end-of-the-semester evaluation will give you the
opportunity to reflect on the whole course. Finally, the University will ask you to evaluate all of your
courses through the online system (www.courseevalum.umd.edu) towards the end of the semester.

As members of this learning community your feedback is crucial to the success of our program, and
therefore to the value of your degree. All I ask is that in evaluating of all your courses you approach it the
same way you expect instructors to evaluate your performance… be open, honest and objective.

GRADES

GRADES ARE NOT GIVEN, BUT EARNED. Your grade is determined by your performance on the various
learning assessments in the course and is assigned individually (not curved). With the exception of
calculation errors, no grade changes will be made to your final grade at the end of the semester. If earning
a particular grade is important to you, please speak with me at the beginning of the semester so that I can
offer some helpful suggestions for achieving your goal.

I am happy to discuss any of your grades with you. Any formal grade disputes must be submitted in
writing within 1 week of receiving the grade.

If eligible to be turned in late, work will be penalized 1 letter grade per 24 hours after the time it was due.

Attendance/Participation = 5%
2 Midterm Exams (15% each) = 30%
1 Final Exam = 20%
1 Final Analysis Paper = 20%
Bi-Weekly In-Class Assignments = 10%
Bi-Weekly Blended Learning Assignments = 15%
Total = 100%

Please note: Your grade in this class is weighted according to the relative percentage weights for each
assignment/exam; it is not the accumulation of a raw total number of points. If you have questions about
how grades are calculated, come see me or the TAs for clarification.

Your final letter grade will be based on the following grading scale:
LETTER GRADE = SCORE LETTER GRADE = SCORE
A+ = 97-100 C+ = 77-79
A = 94-97 C = 73-76
A- = 90-93 C- = 70-72
B+ = 87-89 D+ = 67-69
B = 83-86 D = 60-66
B- = 80-82 F = < 60

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EXTRA CREDIT

There are opportunities to receive extra credit. As stated above, completion of 5 credits of experimental
participation will earn students a 1/3 grade extra credit bump. There is also a possibility of earning extra
credit through in-class activities (described in detail later on).

*There is one other optional extra credit assignment: “Violating a social norm.” Students can earn extra
credit by completing an assignment that will be detailed later on in the semester. The assignment is to
creatively violate a social norm (without breaking any laws or harming yourself/others) in some aspect of
society and then write a short 2-3 page paper about your experience. This paper must be handed in no
later than November 7th. Detailed guidelines are on ELMS.

Note: I encourage you to take advantage of extra credit, but be aware that no amount of extra credit can
effectively boost a failing grade. An “F” cannot turn into a “D” with extra credit.

Other extra credit opportunities, if they are offered, will be announced in class and cannot be made up if
missed.

A NOTE TO THE CLASS

I am anticipating a very thoughtful, interesting and insightful class. I expect us to have some great
conversations about social psychology and how it relates to your lives and society. Although the course
may be challenging, I believe you will all enjoy being in the class and learning what social psychology has to
offer.

Tips for doing well in the course:

1) READ THE TEXTBOOK! This is crucial. Many college students shrug off the reading, and
then are unhappy when they do not get the grade they desire. Reading up on the material can
mean the difference between a B and an A, or a C and a B.
2) Form a study group! This is STRONGLY recommended. In my experience as a teacher, those
students who work in a study group score (on average) about 10 points higher on exams and
projects. Your learning will be enhanced, and so will your performance in the class. Don’t got it
alone!
3) If you are struggling, utilize me the TAs. Come to office hours and chat with us if something is
unclear.
4) Get an adequate amount of sleep, eat a healthy diet, and exercise.
5) Don’t neglect your relationships.
6) Enjoy the college experience. Have fun!

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COURSE SCHEDULE

Full Class Meeting Discussion

Date Topic (Textbook Chapter) Group A Group B
8/29 Introduction (Ch. 1) No Discussion No Discussion
9/3 NO CLASS – Labor Day 9/7: In Class 9/7: Blended Learning
9/5 Research Methods “Fast Friends” #1
9/10 9/14: Blended 9/14: In Class
Social Cognition (Ch. 5)
9/12 Learning #1 “Fast Friends”
9/17 9/21: In Class 9/21: Blended
The Self; Personality (Ch. 3)
9/19 Personality Assessment Learning #2
9/24 9/28: Blended 9/28: In Class
Motivation (Ch. 4)
9/26 Learning #2 Personality Assessment
10/1 Exam 1 – Monday October 1st 10/5: In Class
10/3 Attitudes (Ch. 7) Exam Follow-up
10/8 10/12: In Class 10/12: Blended
Persuasion & Social Influence (Ch. 8)
10/10 “Obedience” Learning #3
10/15 10/19: Blended 10/19: In Class
Aggression & Altruism (Ch. 9 & 10)
10/17 Learning #3 “Obedience”
10/22 10/26: In Class
10/26: Blended
Emotions & Affect (Ch. 6) Morality & Politics
10/24 Learning #4
Panel
10/29 Morality & Religion 11/2: In Class
11/2: Blended
Article: Haidt – The New Synthesis in Moral Morality & Politics
10/31 Learning #4
Psychology Panel
11/5 Exam 2 – Monday November 5th 11/9: In Class
11/7 Political Psychology Exam Follow-up
11/12 11/16: Blended 11/16: Blended
Group Behavior 1 (Intra-group behavior)
11/14 Learning #5 Learning #5
11/19 11/23: No Discussion
Group Behavior 2 (Inter-group behavior)
11/21 Thanksgiving Break
11/26 Attraction & Exclusion (Ch. 11)
11/29: In Class 11/29: In Class
Article: Baumeister – Is There Anything Good
11/28 “Role Reversal” “Role Reversal”
About Men?
12/3 12/7: Prep for final 12/7: Prep for final
Sexuality & Close Relationships (Ch. 12)
12/5 analysis paper analysis paper
12/10 Wrap Up No Discussion No Discussion
FINAL EXAM: TBA

NOTE: The schedule above is TENTATIVE. It is an approximate schedule of topics and readings. I may be forced to shift
things around slightly depending on time and interest. I will announce in class any changes as they happen, and I will post notes on
Blackboard that reflect this. The one aspect of the schedule that I expect to remain fixed is the exam dates.

ALSO NOTE: This syllabus is not a binding document. I reserve the right to modify the syllabus for any time and for any reason. If
anything is modified, I will notify the class but it is your responsibility to keep up with class announcements and updates. In
addition, if you are confused about anything on the syllabus you are responsible to ask either me or the TAs for clarification.

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 Overview of PSYC 221 Coursework
To guide students in their understanding of the process by which Social Psychologists gather and
advance knowledge and apply it to real-world problems, students will participate in guided in-class
discussion activities and complete a number of practical learning assessments designed to sharpen
their scientific thinking and skills. While these assessments are supported by the content covered in
the assigned reading and discussed during the regular class meetings, the focus of these assessments
is to give students the opportunity to refine their abilities with regards to applying theory and
empirical reasoning in practical applications and to develop stronger communication skills. Each of
the assessments will engage students in an authentic experience in social psychological science, and
will cover an array of activities normally performed by a social psychologist.

In completing these assessments and receiving The Underlying Process

critical feedback throughout the course students Gather and critically evaluate research
a findings in the existing research literature
will then apply their knowledge and skills
towards a final analysis paper in which, like a Integrate those findings into coherent and
b testable theories that explain observations
Social Psychologists, they identify a
phenomenon in the external world (that has not Design and conduct valid research that
c tests theories and extends our knowledge
yet been extensively studied) and apply the
same logic and process to understanding that Effectively communicate our theories and
d findings to a wide range of audiences.
phenomenon.

To do so, students will approach the behavior in terms of a research question (e.g., “what causes
people to do _____?”), while utilizing existing theories and data (literature reviews) and creating
testable predictions and justified hypotheses. Students will communicate their original ideas, as well
as the relevant background and previous findings to a broad audience through writing. Students will
work in teams to help develop ideas for measures and experimental designs, as well as to critique
each other’s work. Students will derive implications and conclusions from the existing scholarship
and their original work, while synthesizing what they have learned in a format conducive to
applications in the external world. Students will be assessed, critiqued, and assisted in improving
their writing abilities, content knowledge, scientific perspective, and analytic skills.

In-Class Friday Discussion Meetings

Once each week the professor and the graduate TAs will conduct the class meetings in an alternate
format, which will give the students opportunity to develop knowledge and applied skills that reflect
scholarship and practice in social psychology. These activities will give students the opportunity to
formulate hypotheses and study designs for future research studies, with operational definitions for
experimental and correlational variables, critique existing research and synthesize psychological
science with other disciplines. Each of these meetings will reinforce the common reasoning that
underlies the process by which Social Psychologists conduct and apply scholarship in the field.

In Class #1: “Fast Friends” – Using the methods and protocol outlined by Aron, Melinat, Aron,
Vallone, and Bator (1997; PSPB), students will be randomly paired and complete the “Fast Friends”
procedure. This procedure is useful for building rapport quickly and has applications for facilitating
teamwork in organizations and reducing prejudice and conflict between groups. Knowledge and
experience with implementing this method falls under interpersonal work and application of social
psychological research to non-academic settings, as well as fluency with research methods. Students
familiar with this method would be an asset to organizations or groups seeking to build productive
work environments or positive social change between conflicting groups. After the procedure,
students will read the original Aron et al. (1997) article and answer a handful of multiple-choice
questions on it.

In Class #2: Personality Assessment – In small groups of ~5, students will design 10
questions/items for a personality assessment that indirectly measures actual behavior (e.g., “how many
times do you brush your teeth per day?”), and then to find an established measure that could be used for
validation purposes. Students must also explicitly define their target personality construct (e.g.,
“extraversion”). The goal for item creation will be “face validity;” students must generate items that
tap into some domain of personality or self-concept. The goal for using an established measure will
be “convergent validity” and “discriminant validity.” Scale creation and validation falls under
scientific research and design, and students will also gain experience working in research teams. The
submitted assignment will be the list of items as well as a description and citation for an established
scale.

In Class #3: Stanley Milgram experiment documentary or “Quiet Rage” on the Stanford
Prison Experiment. Students will view a feature-length documentary on a classic experiment in
social psychology. Social psychologists like Phil Zimbardo are at the forefront of studying “dark
behavior” and the lessons of these studies can be applied to understanding complex and disturbing
events in recent years (e.g., Abu Graib prisoner abuse). Knowledge and practical relevance of these
research findings falls under application. Following the video, students will answer a handful of
multiple-choice questions on it.

In Class #4: Morality & politics panel discussion. Students will volunteer to be on a 5-6-person
panel (mimicking academic conference style-symposia with discourse and debate) that will field
questions related to religion, ethics/morality, and political psychology. While the initial questions will
be geared toward the panel members, that will serve as a springboard for more open dialogue with
the entire class; we will open up for general commentary, questions, and debate with all students
having the potential to participate. Students will gain experience with communicating ideas,
collaboration, and group work.

In Class #5: Gender role reversal activity. In small groups of ~5, students will “act out”
behaviors stereotypically indicative of the opposite sex. Students will discuss gender norms, the
influence of cultural stereotypes on personality and behavior, social norm violations, close
relationships, and implications for how men and women are treated in contemporary society. This
exercise will also give students the opportunity to examine myths and misconceptions put forth in
the mainstream media (e.g., “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus), and reflect on evidence-based
ideas vs. naïve lay theories. Students will also read a related article by psychologist Roy Baumeister
on the social psychology of gender, and answer a handful of multiple-choice questions on it.

In Class #6: Preparation for final term paper; “peer review.” In small groups of 2-3, students will
share drafts of their papers with each other and critique their work for scientific accuracy, clarity,
organization, and style. The professor and graduate TAs will also be available to help individual
students with questions and concerns. With this exercise, students will gain the experience of “peer
review,” a necessary component of social psychological research, as well as collaborative effort and
communicating ideas. The submitted assignment will be the review of another student’s paper,
which will include a critique/commentary on strengths & weaknesses.

Blended Learning Assignments

Similar to the in-class activities, students will write a short (~500 words) structured paper (each
specifically addressing a research problem or applying psychological research to another domain or
industry). For the first two assignments, students will be directed toward specific academic articles
and websites that can help facilitate their work using provided ‘clues’ to located them via commonly-
used literature search tools. As the semester progresses, students will conduct their assignments
more independently, and will be expected to utilize library and Internet resources to find primary
source material that will facilitate their work. Each of the 5 blended learning assignments (described
in detail) addresses specific activities relevant to the work of a social psychologist: experimental
design, measurement, and scientific perspective, successful communication of ideas, and application
of scientific findings/consulting. Each assessment will be evaluated by the following criteria:

Be Advised: All work submitted must CONTENT (105 points)

be your own original writing, and any 105 points - All aspects of 80 points - All aspects of the 0 points - Parts are missing
similarity to previous submissions, the question are addressed question are addressed but or lacking sufficient detail to
with sufficient and accurate the response is missing some demonstration an
online sources or other documents will detail so that a naïve reader significant details. understanding of the topic.
be referred to the Office of Student could understand the topic.
Conduct without hesitation.
105 points
Strong academic writing, very clear, 210 185 105
QUALITY OF WRITING

well organized and free of spelling and 100% (A+) 88% (B+) 50% (F)
grammatical errors
75 points
180 155 75
Acceptable writing, generally clear and
(105 points)

organized with room for improvement 186% (B) 74% (C) 36% (F)
50 points
Writing is not representative of
college-level work – frequently unclear 155 130 50
or disorganized or containing multiple 74% (C) 62% (D-) 24% (F)
errors. Consultation with the writing
center strongly encouraged
0 points 105 80 0
Unacceptable – consultation with the
writing center required 50% (F) 38% (F) 0% (F)

Blended Learning #1: Social Cognition & Research Design

“Priming” or spreading activation happens when a thought, image, emotion, memory, etc. becomes
more salient in the mind after some related stimulus triggers it. The following studies and resources
detail experiments in “embodied cognition,” which is the process by which metaphors related to the
physical world activate schemas in the interpersonal and social world.

Ackerman, J., Nocera, C. & Bargh, J. (2010). Incidental Haptic Sensations Influence Social
Judgments and Decisions. Science, 328, 1712-1715.
Williams, L., & Bargh, J. (2008). Experiencing Physical Warmth Promotes Interpersonal Warmth.
Science, 322, 606-607.
http://www.yale.edu/acmelab/

Option A: Imagine that you are a professor of social psychology, and

you are in the process of designing an experiment. Your task is to
devise a clever way of activating a thought/idea/etc. in someone’s
mind without explicitly saying it. It MUST be related to some aspect
of social behavior, and cannot utilize an experimental design that
involves reading a list of related words. Your write-up must include, in
scientific language, an experiment that tests whether your priming
strategy will work. Explain how you will operationalize your variables (independent & dependent)
and what results you would expect to find. Be sure to explain what spreading activation is in plain
English.

Option B: Imagine that you have been hired as an advertising or public relations consultant. Your task
is to find an advertisement that makes use of spreading activation or “priming.” This could be
through imagery, music/sounds, or words that trigger related concepts in the mind. Your task is to
draft a cover letter that pitches the technique of “spreading activation” to a company or organization
that is involved in public relations, marketing, or advertising. Your letter should be professionally
written, and it should draw on published social psychological research findings. Briefly explain how
the advertisement you found demonstrates priming, and how that technique would be useful to the
company in their core mission. Be sure to explain what spreading activation is in plain English, and
be sure to give one specific example of how priming a psychological concept is related to a
behavioral outcome that falls within public relations, marketing, or advertising.

Blended Learning #2: Motivation and Mental Health

Option A: Social psychological research has demonstrated the unique importance of intrinsic
motivation, self-determination needs, and self-control/willpower for optimal fulfillment and goal
achievement. Imagine that you are hired as a managerial consultant for a medium-sized company,
and your task is to improve worker productivity and psychological well-being. Drawing on
motivation research, your task is to explain to the employees of the company how they can utilize
this research to their advantage. Explain how self-determination theory, intrinsic motivation, and
self-control/willpower can be utilized for optimal productivity and psychological fulfillment. Be sure
to explicitly define concepts/phenomena and explain them in plain English. Make sure to discuss
this in terms of measurable variables; how would you assess an “optimally functioning” company?
How would you best increase those outcomes? Draw on the following articles and resources for
your assignment:

http://www.selfdeterminationtheory.org/

Deci, E. & Ryan, R. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-
determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11 (4), 227-268.
Ryan, R. & Deci, E. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation,
social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55 (1), 68-78.

Option B: Social psychological research has demonstrated the importance of expressive writing for
psychological health and well-being, with particular emphasis on language and the process of
deriving meaning in life experiences. Imagine that you are hired as an advisor by a local group of
doctors. Drawing on research examining the psychological and physical health benefits of “meaning-
making” and personal expressive writing, draft a letter to your local hospital or medical group. The
purpose of this letter is to urge doctors to adopt a practice of having their patients (who are
undergoing major medical treatments) to engage in meaning-making and expressive writing
activities. Be sure to explicitly define concepts/phenomena and explain them in plain English.
Discuss how mental and physical health can be improved with these methods. Draw on the
following articles and resources for your assignment:

http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/HomePage/Faculty/Pennebaker/Home2000/JWPhome.htm

Campbell, R.S., & Pennebaker, J.W. (2003). The secret life of pronouns: Flexibility in writing style
and physical health. Psychological Science, 14, 60-65.
Davison, K.P, Pennebaker, J.W., & Dickerson, S.S. (2000). Who talks? The social psychology of
illness support groups. American Psychologist, 55, 205-217.
Pennebaker, J.W. (1997). Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process. Psychological
Science, 8, 162-166.

Blended Learning #3: Altruism/Pro-social Behavior and Persuasion

Option A: Persuasion and Social Influence – Imagine that you are hired as an advisor by the
administration at your university. Your task is to come up with a scientifically-grounded approach to
influence people’s behavior in a way that is beneficial to the community. As an example, promoting
recycling and reducing energy consumption are both goals for a more optimally functioning
community, but these pro-social behaviors are often inhibited by laziness or apathy. It is possible to
promote these positive outcomes and create social change through a powerful persuasive message or
influential behavioral technique. Your strategy should be simple enough to be utilized by university
administration, with the target audience being the faculty, staff, and student population. Drawing on
research examining the psychology of social influence and/or persuasion, draft a letter to the
university administration. In this letter, you will propose that the administration broadly disseminate
your persuasive message, or adopt a new policy that encourages specific behaviors. Be sure to
explicitly define concepts/phenomena and explain them in plain English.
Your letter must be scientific and must describe in detail at least 1
study/experiment that psychologists have performed on the topic.

Option B: Altruism – There is a long-standing debate between social

psychologists about whether “pure” altruism exists (that is, helping
someone else without gaining anything in return). Some social
psychologists endorse the empathy-altruism instinct, and the framework
that altruism is naturally occurring and rewarding, but other social
psychologists argue for evolutionary-based survival mechanisms that promote altruistic behavior.
Imagine that you are a psychology professor who studies altruism. In the form of an Op-Ed piece
that would appear in a major newspaper (e.g., New York Times), magazine (e.g., The Atlantic), or
online publication (e.g., The Daily Beast), discuss some of the scientific research on altruism and make
an argument for one of the two sides (in other words, whether “pure” altruism exists or not). Be
sure to explicitly define concepts/phenomena and explain them in plain English. Your essay must be
scientific, and must describe in detail at least 1 study/experiment that psychologists have performed
that helps to answer this question.

Blended Learning #4: Emotions and Political Psychology

Option A: Promoting emotional intelligence education in school curricula – Imagine that you are
hired as an educational psychologist by a local school district. You are familiar with the research on
Emotional Intelligence (“EI” or “EQ”) as a specific form of intelligence independent of academic,
creative, or athletic abilities. Your task is to draft a letter to the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA),
persuading them to adopt a program of emotional intelligence education and literacy in the school
district. Drawing on some research describing the beneficial outcomes of such curricula (including
psychological health, social behavior and interpersonal conduct, academic performance, and athletic
performance). Be sure to explicitly define concepts/phenomena and explain them in plain English.
Your proposal must be scientific, and must describe in detail at least 1 study/experiment that
psychologists have performed on the topic.

Option B: Political psychology applications – Imagine that you are hired

as a political consultant by a major candidate for public office (it can be
for whichever political party you choose). Your task is to come up with
a 2-3 point proposal for how to run an effective political campaign,
drawing on political psychological research, as well as research on
power, leadership, and the media. Note: This proposal should not focus
on persuasive messages and the techniques described in earlier units on
social influence. Your proposal should be more strategy-based, utilizing
what we know about political ideology, party affiliation, voting behavior, etc. Be sure to explicitly
define concepts/phenomena and explain them in plain English. Your proposal must be scientific,
and must describe in detail at least 1 study/experiment that psychologists have performed on the
topic.

Blended Learning 5: Group Behavior

Option A: Social loafing and group performance. Imagine that you have been elected as a leader of a
group or organization on campus (a club, fraternity, team, etc.). Your peers (fellow students) look up
to you as a role model, and the faculty advisor/coach has asked you to devise a strategy to reduce
selfish behavior and social loafing (“free riding”) as well as optimize
group performance. Your task is to come up with a proposal for how
to accomplish this that draws on social-psychological research. Be sure
to explicitly define concepts/phenomena and explain them in plain
English. Your proposal must be scientific and must describe in detail at
least 1 study/experiment that psychologists have performed on this
topic.

Option B: Inter-group bias/prejudice. Imagine that you have been asked

by a community leader at your school to help improve relations
between 2 groups that have historically experienced a great deal of conflict. Your task is to propose
a plan to reduce prejudice, discrimination, and inter-group conflict. Design an intervention that
integrates at least 2 specific feasible strategies to accomplish this. Be sure to explicitly define
concepts/phenomena and explain them in plain English. Your proposal must be scientific and must
describe in detail at least 1 study/experiment that psychologists have performed on this topic.

Final Analysis Paper

The students’ understanding of the process by which Social Psychologists practice across a wide
range of domains will culminate in a scholarly written analysis of an aspect of human behavior of
particular interest to them personally. Their analysis requires a much broader synthesis of
knowledge as it builds on their earlier work and learning and requires further independent literature
research (a) to integrate a variety of different social
psychological concepts (b), generate new ideas for The Underlying Process
Gather and critically evaluate research
research (c), and apply them to real-world behavior a findings in the existing research literature
much as real practitioners in the field would in the
form of discussion, peer review and academic Integrate those findings into coherent and
b testable theories that explain observations
writing (d). This scholarly product represents an
authentic practice in the field in the same way that Design and conduct valid research that
c tests theories and extends our knowledge
observations of human thought and behavior have
driven the science forward through the process the Effectively communicate our theories and
d findings to a wide range of audiences.
students have been learning throughout the
semester. A few examples that students will have learned about include:
• The murder of Kitty Genovese, and subsequent research on the “bystander effect” in groups
o Darley, J. M. & Latane, B. (1968). Bystander intervention in emergencies: Diffusion
of responsibility. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 8(4), 377-383.
o Latane, B. & Darley, J. M. (1968). Group inhibition of bystander intervention in
emergencies. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 10(3), 215-221.
• Testimony at the Nuremberg Trials, and subsequent research on obedience to authority
figures.
o Milgram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social
Psychology, 67, 371–378.
o Milgram, S. (1965). Some conditions of obedience and disobedience to authority.
Human Relations, 18, 57–76.
• The killing of Amadou Diallo, and subsequent research on implicit prejudice (the “weapon
bias” and the “shooter bias”).
o Payne, B. K. (2001). Prejudice and perception: The role of automatic and controlled
processes in misperceiving a weapon. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 81(2),
181-192.
o Payne, B. K. (2006). Weapon bias: Split-second decisions and unintended
stereotyping. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15 (6), 287-291.

Instructions for the students:

Throughout this course you have learned about, and practiced, the way in which Social
Psychologists thinking scientifically about some of the most complex and puzzling aspects of
human nature and behavior. Integrating everything you have learned about the field and
that process, you will now prepare a scholarly written analysis that demonstrates your ability
to think like a Social Psychologist about some aspect of human behavior that is of interest to
you.

For this analysis, your task is to make an observation about a phenomenon in the world that
has not yet been studied extensively, and then write a paper with detailed ideas for how to
study it (as a Social Psychologist would). The social phenomenon you identify and describe
should be something that is important and interesting to you. It does not have to be
negative. The crux of the assignment will be to develop testable ideas for how to study the
phenomenon, and follow through with a sketch of what such research would look like and
what you would expect to find. You will need to clearly identify and explain the social
phenomenon involved, define your variables, and design (conceptually) a scientific study that
would help illuminate the causes and/or effects of this phenomenon. This will involve the
following:

1. Creating conceptual and operational definitions for social variables that can be
measured objectively.
a. You must identify, define, and describe social psychological phenomena as
they manifest in the behavior of others (in film, popular press/media, and
academic articles). This will involve citing clear, appropriate, and relevant
examples of social psychological concepts in the external world, and
explaining precisely how people’s behavior demonstrates these concepts.
b. You must also describe how the behaviors you’ve identified will be studied.
This involves coming up with conceptual definitions for abstract behavior
(e.g., conformity, aggression) and operational definitions (e.g., responses on a
visual perception task; blasting another person’s ears with noise).
2. Conducting a review of relevant existing literature and explaining what has already
been studied and discovered (related theories and facts) and how they may guide new
research. You MUST include 5 theoretical and/or empirical academic journal articles
in social psychology.
a. In your literature review, you should summarize results (concisely) from
scientific studies in social psychology, in such a way that the findings are
accessible to a mainstream audience, while commenting on broader
theoretical implications for understanding human social behavior.
b. You should also identify gaps or limitations in the previous research. Critique
the existing literature for strengths and limitations.
3. Developing hypotheses for what you would expect to find (and justifications for why
you would expect those findings based on theory and research evidence).
4. Developing the methodology that you would use to scientifically test your hypothesis
5. Explaining how the results of the proposed research would increase our
understanding of human social behavior (in other words, what the
implications/conclusions would be).

Feel free to draw inspiration for this project from various sources. You can make an
observation based on a news story (e.g., a magazine article in the popular press) or
noteworthy event/incident related to human social behavior. You may choose to critique
some questionable claims made by journalists or commentators in the media and argue
for/against what they say (e.g., “Facebook depression”), using your proposed research
 design as a way to test their claims. You may also draw on a popular film/movie in which
the characters display behaviors that reflect social psychological processes.

The extent to which you have achieved the learning objectives for this course will be evaluated
using a rubric that gauges:

• Clarity: Excellent papers will demonstrate that the student has a firm understanding of the
scientific process that underlies their analysis of behavior while discussing it in a way that is
free of scientific jargon and would be easily understood by a lay audience.

• Organization/Structure: Excellent papers will have strong organization, each point

following logically and sequentially, organized around a central thesis statement, question, or
argument following the underlying sequence of thought involved in the scientific process

• Scientific Accuracy: Excellent papers will have all terms, concepts, phenomena, and
theories explicitly and accurately defined, with research studies that are described thoroughly
and cited appropriately.

• Professional Style: Excellent papers will have professional writing throughout, free of
casual, conversational language, esoteric colloquialisms, etc. The paper presents information
in a way that reflects the standards of a working professional academic environment, in APA
style.

• Writing Quality: Excellent papers will contain writing that is polished and free of errors in
spelling, grammar, diction, punctuation, etc.

GROUP WORK: Note that this assessment will involve working with your peers in a
discussion and peer review process. A portion of your grade will be based on intragroup
evaluations on which you and your peers evaluate your contribution to the collective effort.

With your permission we will publish these analysis papers on a course blog that demonstrates
how you are learning to think and practice like a Social Psychologist.
Careers in Psychology Assignment
Overview - The purpose of this assignment is to learn about career options available to you. There
are many jobs that someone can get after studying social psychology. The University Career Center
& The President’s Promise is an excellent place to find out about getting a job no matter what your
field of study is. Your assignment is to find out more about career options in social psychology.

To fulfill this assignment, you must:

1) Create an account on the University Career Center & the President’s Promise website:
c4t.umd.edu (if you do not have an account set up already). Instructions are below.
2) Use information on the website to learn about jobs and career options in psychology or a related
field.
3) Pick one job that you would apply for. Briefly describe the responsibilities/duties that job
requires.
4) In ! page, describe 3 concepts from social psychology that you learned this semester, that
would apply to the job you selected. What practical knowledge or skills do you now possesses
that would enable you to do this job well?
5) In ! page, describe 3 tips for the interview or application process (based on concepts learned
from social psychology this semester) that would better equip you to be hired for that job. This
can include what clothes to wear, how to position your body, etc.
6) In total, the assignment will be ~1 page long. You must make reference to social psychological
concepts (e.g., impression formation and the “Halo Effect”), and use these concepts to illustrate
why your knowledge/skills are beneficial for the job application process and for doing the job
successfully.
7) This assignment can be turned in at any point in time but it must be submitted in hard copy
format BEFORE the Thanksgiving Break.

Instructions for setting up a Career Center account and exploring jobs/careers:

1. Go to The University Career Center & The President’s Promise website: www.c4t.umd.edu and
register for an account.

2. Click on Focus2 on the website’s main page.

3. Create an account and login on Focus2 (you will have to do this even though you already created
an account on c4t)
4. In the Main Menu, Under “Research any Career/ Explore the Possibilities” click on “what can I
do with a major in . . .?
5. The system may ask you to do a brief assessment. I encourage you to take the assessment, but
you don’t have to if you don’t want to. When you see the list of majors, scroll down and click
on __________.
6. Look at the different careers, their average salaries, and which have the brightest outlooks. Click
on any that you find interesting and read about skills, education, etc. required for that job.