Social psychology studies the influence of others on an
individual's thoughts, emotions and behaviours. Because we spend a great deal
of each day interacting with others in a variety of different situations, the
topics of social psychology are both interesting and relevant to our lives.
From the moment we start asking ourselves the big
questions, we start to think about the
topics of social psychology. Who is the real me and how does it fit into my
social world? Why do we act one way with one group of friends and differently
in another context? Why are we persuaded by some arguments while other people
form different views? Why are we attracted to some people and not others? Why
are some people altruistic one moment and aggressive the next? In this course,
we will learn what social psychology can tell us about feelings, thoughts, and
behaviours in social situations.
Social psychologists commonly use experimental and other
scientific methods to dissect the sources, variations, and implications of
everyday behaviours. When it comes to topics such as prejudice and aggression,
sex roles and interpersonal attraction, communication, obedience and rebellion,
and cooperation and competition, social psychology research often makes us
realize that things we take for granted are not always so straight forward to
understand.
As we critically assess social psychology's
accomplishments and weaknesses we will inevitably reflect on our own lives.
What social behaviours do we assume to be natural, inevitable, desirable, or fair?
Where did our own assumptions and behaviour patterns come from, and what are
the consequences of what we believe to be true? If we succeed, by the end of
this course we may understand ourselves and others a little better. Perhaps we
will become more thoughtful about the choices we make as individuals and as
members of society.
Course
Topics:
Overview of Social Psychology:
This lecture provides an orientation to the field of
modern social psychology. The area is defined, and the different levels at which
social psychological phenomena can be observed are elaborated. What is the
individual's relationship with society? How does it influence our behaviour?
Under which circumstances do we retain our individuality?
Social relationships; attraction, affiliation &
love:
Wouldn’t it be beneficial if we could understand what
makes others attracted to us? In this lecture we examine the role of
‘attraction’ in interpersonal relationships and identify the key factors that
contribute to attraction while discussing the main theoretical approaches that
have been developed in this field. In the second lecture we will examine some
of the ways in which ‘romantic love’ has been studied by social psychologists.
We also study the various classifications of love, and some of the attempts to
model the structure of love. What role does physical attractiveness play in the
formation of personal relationships? Can we settle the question of whether
similarity is a decisive factor in attraction? On what evidence does Sternberg base
his claim that love involves a ‘balance’ between passion, intimacy and
commitment? To what extent is romantic love culturally specific?
Attitudes, persuasion and attitude change:
“The concept of attitudes is probably the most
distinctive and indispensable concept in contemporary American social
psychology. No other term appears more frequently in the experimental and
theoretical literature” (Allport, 1935). This lecture examines different
attitude models, cognitive theories of attitudes, and illustrates the
psychological process of persuasion. Finally, as part of this question we
discuss the interesting concept of cognitive dissonance – what happens when
your attitude and your behaviour are in conflict?
Social influence: Conformity & Obedience:
Bosnia-Herzegovina: 1992-1995 --> 200,000
deaths
Rwanda: 1994
-->
800,000 deaths
Pol Pot in Cambodia: 1975-1979 -->
2,000,000 deaths
Human history reveals horror stories of genocide. What
makes the “average citizen” join such a terrible act of murder? In this series
of lectures we will try to understand the psychological motives behind such
acts through the investigation of conformity theories and obedience research
(e.g. Milgram’s obedience studies and Zimbardo’s prison experiment). To what
extent do social forces constrain the behaviour of individuals? Under which
circumstances do we conform? Why do we conform? How could we keep our
individuality?
Prejudice and discrimination:
Imagine a situation where someone who is less qualified
than you is given a job (in preference to you) because that person belongs to a
historically disadvantaged social group – how would you feel? In these lectures
the nature and dimensions of prejudice are discussed. Who are the main targets
of prejudice? What forms of discrimination do we find? How does it feel to be part
of a minority? Are there personality differences in regard to prejudice and
discrimination? In what ways are self-worth, self-esteem and psychological
well-being influenced by prejudice and discrimination? How can we reverse
discrimination?
Communication:
In these lectures we will discuss one of the main
characteristics of human society – communication. Both language and NVC’s (Non
Verbal Communication) will be explored through the social basis of
communication, impression management and deception. What constitutes authentic
communication? How can we communicate with those around us with fewer
misunderstandings? What are the cultural influences on how we communicate?
Course
Objectives:
By the end of the course you will be able to:
1. Understand the aim and scope of social psychology.
2. Articulate the main approaches to attitude that have
been offered by social psychologists.
3. Describe the key factors that allow persuasion and
attitude change.
4. Evaluate the relevance of studies of attitude change
to real-world situations.
5. Compare and contrast the main approaches to the study
of attraction and affiliation.
6. Articulate the key factors which have been shown to
influence attraction and affiliation.
7. Discuss the demands that different types of situations
place on conformity and obedience.
8. Discuss the application of social psychology to
resistance to authority.
9. Assess different psychological motives that lead to
conformity.
10. Be aware of some of the special methodological
problems faced by social psychologists.
11. Discuss the nature and characteristics of prejudice.
12. Evaluate which groups in society are vulnerable to
prejudice and discrimination.
13. Discuss the ways in which prejudice might be
countered.
14. Define the nature and function of verbal and
non-verbal communication.
15. Discuss impression management in our everyday life.
16. Develop an excitement and passion for social
psychology.
Social Psychology - Course details and registration
Dates: TBA
Day & Time: TBA
Number of classes: TBA
Venue:
UCL (University
College London)
Department of Psychology
26 Bedford Way
London WC1H 0AP
3rd floor, room 313
Nearest Underground stations:
Russell Square (Piccadilly line)
Goodge Street (Northern Line)
Euston Square (Hammesmith & City, Circle, and Metropolitan lines)
Tottenham Court Road (Northern and Central lines)
For a map - click on the picture below:
Certificate of Participation
All studentswill
be givena Certificate
of participationoncompletionof the course.
Social Psychology Course
