PSYC 250: Social Psychology

Fall, 2009

Gary S. Gregg

http://kzoo.edu/~ggregg

Course Description

The course has two main components:

1. Studying classic experiments and core theories in social psychology. This year the course will cover conformity, authority and authoritarianism, attitudes, persuasion, media effects, cognitive dissonance, and violence.

2. Conducting a group research project which involves analyzing and reporting quantitative data. Students will learn to use SPSS to create and manage data sets, and run and interpret basic statistical tests.

Many class meetings will be divided into two parts. During the first, we will examine and discuss the readings. Students will lead these discussions, and I will provide background as necessary. During the second part, research groups will work on their projects, in consultation with me.

Each year the course has a theme to help provide focus and coherence, and this year’s theme will be the social psychology of violence – the roles of group conformity, authority, norms, media models, and military training.

Grading will be based on:

Research project: 40%

Three quizzes 45%

Class participation 15%

Social Psychology Syllabus

Texts: Aronson, The Social Animal Aronson, Readings About The Social Animal Grossman, On Killing

Electronic Reserves: links on my WebPage syllabus and library Course Reserves

	Conformity and Obedience
Week 1 Mon	Introduction SPSS: Data Management
Week 1 Wed	Conformity SPSS: Hypothesis Testing	Social Animal, Chapt 2: pp. 13-35 Readings: Asch, “Opinions and Social Pressure”
Week 1 Fri	Obedience	film: Milgram’s Obedience Experiment Social Animal, Chapt. 2: pp. 35-48 Readings: Milgram, “Behavioral Study of Obedience”
Week 2 Mon	Obedience	Burger, Replicating Milgram [electronic reserve] Milgram, Obedience to Authority [electronic reserve]
Week 2 Wed	Conformity and Violence	film: Zimbardo's Prison Experiment Milgram, Obedience to Authority, Epilogue [handout] Kelman & Hamilton, “Sanctioned Massacres” [electronic reserve]
Week 2 Fri	Conformity and Violence	Readings: Archer & Gartner, “Peacetime Casualties…” Lecture Notes
Week 3 Mon	Authoritarianism	Brown, R., “The Authoritarian Personality and the Organization of Attitudes” Part I Part II      [electronic reserve] Lecture Notes Altemeyer Notes
Week 3 Wed	Helping Behavior	Social Animal, Chapt 2: pp. 48-57 Readings: Darley & Bateson, “From Jerusalem to Jericho...”
Week 3 Fri	SPSS lab
Week 4 Mon	Quiz SPSS lab
	Cognitive Dissonance, Persuasion, Mass Media
	Topic	Reading
Week 4 Wed	Cognitive Dissonance	Social Animal, Chapt. 5: pp. 181-217 Festinger, When Prophecy Fails (excerpts)
Week 4 Fri	Cognitive Dissonance	Social Animal, Chapt. 5: pp. 217-232
Week 5 Mon	Cognitive Dissonance	Social Animal, Chapt. 5: pp. 322-243 Readings: Aronson, “Dissonance, Hypocrisy & Self-Concept”
Week 5 Wed	Cognitive Dissonance	Social Animal, Chapt. 5: pp. 243-251 Readings: Axsom & Cooper, "Reducing Weight by Reducing Dissonance" Freedman & Fraser, "Compliance Without Pressure"
Week 5 Fri	Attitudes & Persuasion SPSS lab	Social Animal, Chapt 3: pp. 59-75
Week 6 Mon	Attitudes & Persuasion	Social Animal, Chapt 3: pp. 75-102
Week 6 Wed	Persuasaion & Mass Media	Social Animal, Chapt. 3: pp. 102-115 Readings: Dabbs & Leventhal, “Effects of Varying the Recommendations in a Fear-Arousing Communication”
Week 6 Fri	Mass Media SPSS lab	Readings:Phillips, “The Impact of Mass Media Violence on U.S. Homicides”
Week 7 Mon	Quiz	Statistics Notes -- review, regression & correlation
	Violence
Week 7 Wed	Violence	Social Animal, Chapt. 6: pp. 253-265 Readings: Berkowitz, “Effects of Observing Violence”
Week 7 Fri	Violence: Catharsis & Modeling	Social Animal, Chapt. 6, pp. 265-279 Readings: Bushman, "Does Venting Anger Feed or Extinguish the Flame?
Week 8 Mon	Media and Violence	Social Animal, Chapt. 6: pp.265-279 Readings: Malamuth, "Predictors of Naturalistic Sexual Aggression"
Week 8 Wed	Violence	Grossman, On Killing. Intros, Sect. I &. II, pp. 43-66
Week 8 Fri	Violence	Grossman, On Killing. Sect. IV, pp. 231-245
Week 9 Mon	Violence	Grossman, On Killing. Section VIII
Week 9 Wed	"Terrorism"	Pape, "The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism" [elect. reserve] Moghaddam, "Cultural Preconditions for Potential Terrorist Groups" [elect. reserve] McCauley, "Psychological Issues in Understanding Terrorism" [elect. reserve]
Week 9 Fri	Quiz	Stat Notes -- chi square Stat Notes -- t-test & ANOVA Stat Notes -- regression & correlation Stat Notes: REVIEW
Week 10 Mon Night	Symposium