Personnel:
Instructor:
Edward Sargis,
Ph.D.
Office: 1058-A BSB | Office Hours: Wednesday 12:00 - 1:00,
Thursday 3:30 - 4:30
E-mail:
esargis@uic.edu
Mailbox:
Department of Psychology, 1009 BSB
Teaching
Assistants:
Sylvia Perry |
sperry2@uic.edu | Office: 1051 BSB | Office Hours: Monday 12:30 -
1:30
Greg Colflesh |
colflesh@uic.edu
Back to top.
Text
Aronson, E.,
Wilson, T. D., & Akert, R. M. (2005). Social Psychology, 5th Ed., Pearson
Education. Upper Saddle River: New Jersey.
Back to
top.
Course
Description
Social
psychology is the scientific study of the way people think, feel, and
behave in social situations. It seeks to understand how
individuals influence and are influenced by others in the world around
them. In pursuit of this understanding, social psychology relies
heavily on the scientific method. The primary goal of this course is to
introduce you to the both the theories and methods of social
psychology. In addition, an interesting feature of social psychology is
that many of the concepts you will learn apply to your everyday life. A
secondary goal of this course is to help you understand how the social
environment influences your behavior and the behavior of others around
you. Consequently, it will be important to your success in this
course that you not only have a basic understanding of the concepts
discussed in the text and during lecture, but also how those concepts
relate to the real world.
Back to
top.
Requirements
Readings.
You will be expected to have read the required chapters at the outset
of each class. The material presented in lecture will often
assume that you have read the material presented in the text. Therefore
it is strongly recommended that you do not fall behind in the reading
for the course or you risk not fully understanding the material.
Moreover, you will be held responsible for material presented in the
text on the exams.
Participation.
Even though the class is fairly large, class participation and
attendance is expected. Students who miss class are responsible
for all notes, announcements, and handouts for that class.
Exams. Exams
will consist of multiple choice, short answer, and essay
questions. Questions will require that you have a good
understanding of the concepts and theories discussed in class, as well
as evidence to support this understanding. Please note: The exam
dates are provided in the syllabus. You are expected to show up
for the scheduled exams. A total of 5 exams will be offered
throughout the semester. Of the 5 exams, only the final will be
cumulative. You may drop your lowest exam grade. I will drop your
lowest exam grade for several reasons. One is that everyone has a
bad day every now and then. If you happened to take an exam on a day
when you were not prepared and are not satisfied with your score, the
exam will be dropped from the calculation of your final grade. A second
reason one exam is dropped is because it eliminates the need for
make-up exams. Make-up exams will not be given under any
circumstances. If you are sick or out of town on an exam day you
do not need to worry because that exam will be dropped. Ideally
you would take all four exams and drop the lowest of the five.
Paper. The
paper will comprise 20% of your course grade. The goal of the
paper requirement is to give you an opportunity to apply the ideas and
theories we are learning about in class to something in your everyday
experience, such as a news story, or events depicted in a movie.
Your paper will be graded according to your ability to demonstrate your
understanding of three theories covered in the course by applying them
to another situation (e.g., advertising, current events, a film or
novel).
When doing your project, be sure to define each of the social
psychological concepts you use. Remember, the central goal is to
demonstrate your knowledge of social psychology, as well as your
ability to apply it. Thus, you must convince me that you
understand the meaning of each concept you use. Further, you
should describe in very concrete terms exactly how each concept is
relevant to, and helps explain, the news event, film, or whatever is
the focus of your project. BE CAREFUL! Students sometimes
get so caught up describing the news event, the movie plot, etc., that
they forget they are writing a social psychology paper. You will
be graded primarily on your paper's social psychological content!
You have a
choice of four paper topics. You may:
(a) Apply Social Psychological Theory to a News
Event. Pick a current event and try to understand it by applying
three different theoretical perspectives/concepts covered in the course
(e.g., theories relating to altruism, aggression, the fundamental
attribution error). Some questions you might want to address
include: What are the similarities and differences in how these
theories account for this event? Does one theory do a better job
than others? Please include a copy of a newspaper or magazine
article about the current event you are analyzing.
(b) Apply
Social Psychological Theory to Print Media. Pick an advertisement
or series of advertisements from the print media (e.g., a magazine or
newspaper) and analyze it/them in terms of three theoretical
perspectives related to attitudes and persuasion and/or social
influence. Some questions you should address include: What
strategies are being used? From what you know about social
psychological theorizing and research, how effective are these
strategies likely to be? How could the ad be revised to make it
more effective? Please include a copy of the advertisement(s) you are
analyzing.
(c) Propose a
Research Study to Test a Social Psychological Theory. Using a
single theory described in class, design a research study that, if
conducted, would successfully test a hypothesis derived from that
theory. The study should employ one of the research methodologies
discussed in class or in the book (Chapter 2). The idea here is
simply to design a study, not to actually collect data. Your
paper should be written as an APA style research paper, with an
Introduction and a proposed Method section (see The Publication Manual
of the American Psychological Association, 5/e, 2001 ). The
introduction to the paper should relate the current proposal to at
least three relevant published research articles not described in
detail the book (i.e., for this type of project the "rule of three"
applies to the number of outside references read and cited, not the
number of theories or hypotheses tested). The paper's Method
section should be very explicit in describing the independent and
dependent variables, as well as all of the materials and procedures
that would be used in the proposed study. You should also include
an "Expected Results" section that describes what your results should
look like if the hypothesis is true. This might be accomplished
in part by graphing the hypothetical results you expect. But
don't rely solely on a graph. You should describe you expected
results in the rest of the paper (i.e., the graph should illustrate the
text, not replace it). Also, you should briefly discuss the
advantages of your research design relative to other possible designs.
(d) Fix a
Problem Using Social Psychological Theory. Identify a common
behavioral problem that you think needs fixing, then use at least three
different social psychological theories or approaches to design an
intervention that will fix the problem. Pick a small, local
problem (e.g., litter on campus, voter apathy, inappropriate use of
cell phones in certain public locations -- e.g., city busses,
restaurants), not a large, global problem (e.g., world peace). Be
sure that the various perspectives you use in designing your
intervention are distinctly different from one another.
(e) Apply
Social Psychological Theorizing to a Film. Many of the theories
and phenomena that we will be covering in class are demonstrated in
stories about social life, such as in movies. Some
suggested films and some of their social psychological content are
outlined below. You may pick one, and analyze it in terms of
three theories relevant to the issues brought up in the film. Be sure
to provide an adequate description of the film or novel so that I can
evaluate the application of the theory to the context, and apply three
theories covered in the course to help understand what happened in the
film or novel. Some questions you might want to address include:
What are the similarities and differences in how these theories account
for this event? Does one theory do a better job than
others?
Please Note: No
more than 10 students will be permitted to analyze any one of these
movies. Further, you must reserve in advance the movie you intend
to analyze. To reserve a movie, send an email to course TA
Greg Colflesh (colflesh@uic.edu), telling him which movie you plan to
analyze (be sure to give both your name and the name of the movie in
the email). He will confirm your reservation via return
email. If you turn in a paper that analyzes a movie you did not
reserve in advance, your paper will not be graded.
Some film
possibilities:
Bend it Like Beckham
(2003). Jess, a teen-age Indian girl living in London, dreams of
playing soccer professionally like her hero, David Beckham. Her
unorthodox ambitions are opposed by her parents. Meanwhile,
Jess's sister, Pinky, prepares for her own traditional Indian wedding
and the conventional lifestyle it implies. Key social
psychological issues include: Norms and values, social
perception, stereotypes. (Fox Searchlight, 112 minutes).
The Caine Mutiny
(1954). The story of shipboard conflict and mutiny aboard a WWII
naval destroyer, and the subsequent court-martial of the ship's
captain, Lt. Comdr. Queeg (Humphrey Bogart). Queeg is a
battle-worn, no-nonsense naval officer determined to turn the ship's
slovenly crew into proper sailors. His efforts engender
resentment, and his own insecurities help fuel to the fire. Key
social psychological issues include: Leadership, obedience to
authority; conformity, stress. (Columbia/TriStar, 125 minutes).
Defending Your Life
(1991). Meryl Streep and Albert Brooks star in this comedy about
two recently deceased souls called upon to defend their lives in order
to be sent to heaven. Key social psychological issues include:
Attribution theory, social comparison, and interpersonal
attraction. (Paramount, 112 minutes).
Do the Right Thing (1989).
Director Spike Lee dives head-first into a maelstrom of racial and
social ills, using as his springboard the hottest day of the year on
one block in Brooklyn, NY. Also starring are Danny Aiello, Samuel
L. Jackson, Rosie Perez, and John Turturro. Two Academy Award
Nominations. Key social psychological issues include:
Stereotyping, prejudice, conflict. (Universal/Forty Acres and a
Mule Filmworks, 120 minutes).
Europa, Europa
(1983). A foreign film based on a true story about a 13-year-old
Jewish boy's fight to escape from the Nazi's during World War II.
Highly acclaimed. Key social psychological issues include:
Prejudice and discrimination, attitude change, cognitive
dissonance. (Orion, 115 minutes).
Finding Forrester
(2000). The story of an unlikely bond that develops between an
aging, reclusive novelist named Forrester (Sean Connery) and Jamal
Wallace (Rob Brown), a 16-year-old African American with a hidden
desire to be a writer. Key social psychological issues include:
Stereotyping, social identity, ingroup/outgroup bias, leadership,
authority. (Columbia, 133 minutes).
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
(1967). Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Sydney Poitier, and
Katherine Houghton star in this academy award winning film about
interracial dating. When an African American man is invited by an
upper class white woman to her politically liberal family home, her
parents discover that it isn't always easy to "practice what you
preach." Key social psychological issues include:
Impression formation, attitude change, stereotypes, and
prejudice. (Columbia/TriStar, 108 minutes).
Hard Promises
(1992) On the eve of her wedding day, a woman's former
husband returns to their hometown and tries to win her back. A
romantic comedy staring William Petersen and Sissy Spacek. Key
social psychological issues include: Attraction, equity and exchange
theory, attributional models of relationships. (Columbia/TriStar,
100 minutes).
Lords of
Discipline (1986). Davis Keith stars in this drama that
chronicles the operations of a secret society within a young men's
military academy. Key social psychological issues include:
Conformity and obedience, hostility and aggression, intergroup
conflict. (Paramount, 116 minutes).
Rosewood (1997). A
fictionalized account of a true story from the 1920's about a small,
mostly black Florida town. When a white woman from nearby Sumner
falsely claims that she was assaulted by a black stranger, a town mob
declares war on the peaceful residents of Rosewood. The four-day
attack left up to 250 dead, yet details of the incident lay hidden for
60 years. Key social psychological issues include: Conflict
escalation, prejudice, racism, sexism, social influence,
contagion. (Warner Bros., 140 minutes).
The War of the Buttons
(1994). In this allegorical anti-war film, rival groups of
boys from two neighboring Irish villages engage in a running
battle. Boys from Ballydowse exchange insults with boys from
nearby Carricksdowse. One day, the Bally gang cuts the buttons
off the clothes of a bully in the Carricks gang, and the Carricks
retaliate by swiping the buttons from the clothes of the leader of the
Bally boys. The conflict builds from there, and both towns are
engulfed. Key social psychological issues include: Conflict
escalation, ingroup/outgroup bias; conformity and obedience to
authority, leadership. (Warner Bros., 90 minutes).
Whale Rider (2003). This
is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of Maori
mysticism. Tribal chief Koro is obsessed with grooming a
successor who will "lead our people out of darkness" -- presumably
brought on by modernity. According to tradition, the role of
chief is passed to the first-born grandson. To Koro's dismay, a tragedy
during childbirh leaves him with a dead grandson and the boy's healthy
twin sister, Pai. Pai is little more than a curse, in Koro's
eyes, and he is the last to recognize her destiny. Key social
psychological issues include: Leadership, gender roles, culture.
(Newmarket Films, 105 minutes).
If you wish to apply
social psychological theorizing to a film not included in this list,
you must get the film pre-approved by the instructor. You may do
this by coming to talk to me before or after class or during office
hours to discuss your film choice. Your alternate film choice
must be approved by Thursday, October 14. The necessity of
getting an alternate film pre-approved is designed to ensure that (a)
the instructor has seen the film, and (b) that the film contains
adequate social psychological content to complete the assignment.
Paper Requirements for all four paper options: The successful
paper will adequately define the social psychological concept you are
applying and then describe how it pertains to the event you are
discussing. In other words, you must both define the concepts you
are using and successfully describe how; for example, a character or
event in the film or novel demonstrated this concept. You will
have several opportunities in class throughout the semester to practice
applying what we are learning to current events; thus, you should have
adequate practice explaining events in your everyday lives in terms of
social psychological explanations before your paper is due. You may not
write a paper on an example that we have discussed in class.
All papers must be typewritten or word-processed and double-spaced with
one inch margins, using 12 point Times New Roman font. Although
there is no length requirement, the goals of the paper can usually be
accomplished in eight to ten double spaced pages. Papers should
not exceed 15 pages. You will be evaluated not only on your knowledge
of the social psychological concepts you have chosen, but also the
relevance of the concept to what you are trying to explain, and the
clarity of the explanation. Moreover, you will also be evaluated
on the correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. Please
utilize your computer’s spell checker.
Papers must be turned in by Thursday November 11, in class, but can be
turned in at any point in the semester prior to November 11.
Papers turned in on November 11, after class will be graded down 10%
(essentially one letter grade). Papers turned in one day late (i.e.,
Friday, November 12) will be graded down 20%; two days late 30%, and so
on. Please keep a copy of your paper for your own records.
You may start
the paper early as you like. If you complete a draft of your
paper well before the due date, we will be happy to read it and give
feedback. Please feel free to ask us any questions you have
regarding the research summaries, or if you have questions about the
appropriateness of various articles.
Back to
top.
Grades
Letter grades
will be based on the following scale:
A – 100 - 89.5%
B – 89.4 - 79.5%
C – 79.4 - 69.5%
D – 69.4 – 59.5%
E – 59.4% and
below
Your final grade
will be weighted in the following way:
Four exams @ 20%
each 80%
Paper
20%
-------------------------------------------
Total
100%
Back
to top.
Miscellaneous:
1. Please
e-mail, call, or see us in office hours as soon as possible in the case
of any emergency that affects your ability to attend class.
2. In fairness to the vast majority of students who take their
college career seriously, no form of cheating will be tolerated on
exams, papers, or any other work associated with this course.
Please understand that judicial charges will be filed against anyone
suspected of academic dishonesty.
3. Students with disabilities who require accommodations for
access and participation in this course must be registered with the
Office of Disability Services (ODS). Please contact ODS at (312)
413-2103 (voice) or (312) 413-0123 (TTY).
4. University policy on incomplete grades is very strict.
The professor will grant an incomplete grade only under the most
extreme circumstances. Do not request an incomplete unless the
following conditions apply (taken from the undergraduate catalogue):
Course work is
incomplete when a student fails to submit all required assignments or
is absent from the final examination; incomplete course work will
normally result in a failing grade. The IN (incomplete) grade may
be assigned in lieu of a grade only when all the following conditions
are met: (a) the student has been making satisfactory progress in
the course; (b) the student is unable to complete all course work due
to unusual circumstances that are beyond personal control and are
acceptable to the instructor; (c) the student presents these reasons
prior to the time that the final grade roster is due. The instructor
must submit an Incomplete report with the final grade roster for the IN
to be recorded. This report is a contract for the student to
complete the course work with that instructor or one designated by the
department executive officer in the way described and by the time
indicated on the report. In resolving the IN, the student may not
register for the course a second time, but must follow the procedures
detailed on the report. An IN must be removed by the end of the
student's first semester or summer session in residence subsequent to
the occurrence, or, if not in residence, no later than one calendar
year after the occurrence. When the student submits the work, the
instructor will grade it and change the IN to the appropriate
grade. If an undergraduate fails to meet the stated conditions,
the instructor will assign an E for the final grade.
5. If you have any problems or concerns throughout the class, the
teaching assistant and professors are here to help you. Please
come to see us in our office hours, before it is too late at the end of
the semester. Please use office hours whenever possible, but we
are willing to make appointments if your schedule makes it impossible
to make our office hours.
Back to
top.