Offers an overview to the field of social psychology, a branch of psychology that focuses on how an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior are influenced by and influence other people. These reciprocal influences include attention to the social and cultural environment. Predominant themes for the course include individual interpretation and social cognition, the influence and power of situations on individuals, and social relationships. Gender and cultural influences are examined from a variety of perspectives as well. Specific topics that will be studied include social cognition and perception, self-knowledge and self-esteem, attitudes, social influence, conformity, obedience, aggression, prejudice, interpersonal attraction, and prosocial behavior.
Prerequisites
- Demonstrate understanding of the historical and conceptual perspectives underlying social psychology.
- Explain central concepts related to social thinking including social cognition, social perception, self-knowledge, the need to maintain a stable self-view, and attitudes and attitude change.
- Analyze issues related to social influence, including concepts related to obedience, conformity, and processes and influences of social groups.
- Demonstrate understanding of concepts related to social relations including attraction, prosocial behavior, aggression, and prejudice.
