Course Syllabus Summer 2008 
PSYCHOLOGY 351: Social Psychology
California State University, Fullerton
TWTh:  12:00pm-2:50pm 
Class Location: H-523 

Professor: 

Russ Espinoza, Ph.D., M.F.T.
	Phone: 714-278-7566
	E-mail: ruespinoza@fullerton.edu
Office: H-725H
	Office Hours: Tues. 11-12pm and by appointment
Text:

Myers, D. (2008). Social Psychology (9th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill  

Course Description

The field of psychology, defined generally as the scientific study of the thinking, feeling, and acting of individuals (i.e., individuals' behavior and its underlying mechanisms), is partitioned into a number of subdivisions. Each is characterized by its unique set of variables employed to explain behavior. For example, physiological psychology attempts to account for behavior in terms of neuro-chemical processes; developmental psychology emphasizes maturational and experiential influences which operate through one's life to affect behavior. Social psychology is a subdivision of psychology (and sociology) that attempts to identify the social, environmental, and cognitive correlates of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. As such, social psychology is a scientific discipline rather than a self-help field; however, applications to one's life are many. 
The discipline of social psychology is the study of individuals in interaction with other individuals, of individuals in interaction with groups, and of groups in interaction with other groups. The term, interaction, is well chosen, since it denotes mutual or joint influence. We will see that seldom, if ever, is there a situation involving more than a single element that is characterized by a simple, one-way type of relationship. That is, virtually all situations are complex to the extent that there are multiple directions of influence. Each element in a situation affects all other elements, or, to put that matter in different words, all elements are important. 
The major implication this has for practical purposes is that when considering any situation, one must keep in mind the many types of influence. One cannot conclude immediately that people behave the way they do because of their personalities, their motivational structures, the way they were raised, or their pattern of past experiences. It turns out that people sometimes behave the way they do largely because of the social situation in which they find themselves. Therefore, when one wishes to change some aspect of one's life, one had better look also to aspects of the situation rather than merely to the specific people who behave in the situation. In sum, situational determinants of behavior may be stronger than, and may at times override, so-called "person" or dispositional factors. 
Behavior which is characteristically human is social. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine any form of human behavior which is not in part socially determined or which does not influence the behavior of other people. Social psychology is the systematic application of basic psychological principles to human behavior. To be sure, many of our psychological principles have been gene-rated from lower animals in confined, carefully controlled laboratory settings. The problem of generalizing from this research to humans is a difficult one. We will have to decide which principles can be generalized, and how far they can be generalized. We will learn that people are not simply "bigger and better" than rats (as some psychologists have implied). And we will learn that social psychological principles have much to contribute to research with lower animals. Some important principles from the animal laboratory have had to be greatly modified or at least seriously qualified on the basis of social psychological research. 
Much of the content we will cover in this course will not be entirely new to you. You know implicitly what is meant by interpersonal attraction, prejudice, aggression, group structure, pro-social behavior, etc. We will examine these and other phenomena from a systematic point of view. To a large extent, the course will be a selective review of the representative classic and contemporary literature in social psychology. This means that the treatments of the various content areas will be empirical and theoretical rather than "common sense." 
Specific Course Goals

By the completion of this course you should 1) have developed a thorough grasp of many of the course concepts, including an understanding of and appreciation for the manner in which the concepts are interrelated; 2) have further developed your ability to view and interpret the world from a scientific perspective; 3) have further developed your written and oral communication skills; and finally 4) you should be able to apply the concepts and perspectives of social psychology to your own life and the world as a whole, and therefore, solve every problem that exists in the world today.

Assessment of Learning Objectives

Your course grade will be based upon the following (Attendance and participation in lecture will be noted and used in the assignment of the final grades, especially decisions about “borderline” grades). 

1.	3 Exams (50 points each). 
There will be three exams in this course.  The exams will consist of a combination of multiple-choice, true/false, and/or short-answer essay questions.  Make-up exams WILL NOT be given except in exigent circumstances and will require official documentation of the emergency circumstances.  The instructor maintains discretion over whether or not a make up exam (or equivalent) will be administered in the cases of emergencies. 

2.	Film Analysis Paper (50 points)
The purpose of this assignment is to give you experience in applying the knowledge regarding a specific theory and/or concept of social psychology by examining a movie. You will write an APA style paper describing the application of some social-psychological concepts and/or principles to specific scenes in the movie. For a more detailed description of the paper instructions see the formal instructions posted on  Blackboard. 

3.    In-Class Assignments and Homework (50 points)

For each chapter we read there will be an in-class assignment, case study, or homework to allow you to apply the knowledge you have gained to a real world example. Some will be group discussions, some individual assignments, and some will be take home. Each assignment is worth 5-10 points each. 

4.    Attendance

We will only be meeting for 15 days so CLASS ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY! You will be penalized 5% off of your total overall grade for each unexcused absence, so don’t miss – severed limbs might be an excuse and will be looked at on a case by case basis, obviously depending on loss of blood, how much of the limb, leg or arm, etc. DON’T MISS CLASS!

Exam 1                                                    50
Exam 2                                                    50
Exam 3                                                    50
Term Paper                                              50
Homework & In-Class work                   50
Total                                                       250

Course Grade 

LETTER GRADES
A      =      225 – 250  90% and above
B      =      200 – 224  80-89%
C      =      175 – 199  70-79%
D      =      150 – 174  60-69%
149 and below will earn an F (obviously no one in this class will earn an F because we are all going to do well!)

Please note: A "C" is the minimum grade for this course to count toward a Psychology major.

Please note: Consideration of "Withdraw" and "Incomplete" grades will be according to the guidelines provided in the Undergraduate Bulletin and the Schedule of Classes

Academic Honesty

The consequences for cheating on any examination or quiz, or plagiarism (e.g., the use of unreferenced material in any laboratory writing assignment) will be: 1) failure in the course, and 2) referral of the matter to the office of Student Affairs for possible action by the Judicial Board as provided for in the CSUF Student Handbook. The issue of academic dishonesty for homework and assignments is somewhat less clear, and requires more of an explanation. The purpose of the homework, and many of the assignments, is to give you a chance to practice various skills (reading, interpreting, and computational skills). Thus, it makes good sense for you to work together with other members of your class. However, the final product you submit must be your own work and in your own words. Evidence of dishonesty on any homework or assignment (including exact or very similar phrasing, order of topics, examples, patterns of mistakes, etc.) will be addressed via a two step process: The first time “an incident" occurs we will discuss it and you will have the opportunity to re-do the homework assignment. Any additional "incident" will, again, lead to: 1) failure in the course, and 2) referral of the matter to the office of Student Affairs for possible action by the Judicial Board as provided for in the BSU Student Handbook. You will do fine…trust your intellectual capability. 

Persons with Disability

It is University policy to provide, on a flexible and individualized basis, reasonable accommodations to students who have disabilities that may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact me as soon as possible to discuss their individual needs for accommodations and to give him a copy of the documentation provided by the Office of Disabled Student Development. All such conversations will be held in the strictest confidence. The University requires students with disabilities to register with the Office of Disabled Student Services (DSS), located in UH-101 and at (714) 278 – 3112, in order to receive prescribed accommodations appropriate to their disability.  Students requesting accommodations should inform the instructor during the first week of classes about any disability or special needs that may require specific arrangements/accommodations related to attending class sessions, completing course assignments, writing papers or quizzes/tests/examinations.”  

Lecture Schedule (subject to change)
*** Materials on Blackboard ***

Date/Day	Topics	Reading Assignments and Due Dates	
7/8 - Tues. 	Introduction to Social Psychology and 
the "Self" in the Social World	Intro Ch. 1 & 2	
7/9 Wed.	Social Beliefs and Judgments	Ch. 3	
7/10 Thurs.	Start Behavior and Attitudes	Ch.  4 	
7/15 Tues.	Finish Behavior and Attitudes 	Finish Ch. 4	
7/16 Wed.	Genes, Culture, and Gender 	Ch. 5	
7/17 Thurs.	Exam 1
Conformity and Obedience 	Exam 1
Ch. 6 	
7/22 Tues.	Finish Conformity and Obedience and Start Persuasion 	Ch. 7 	
7/23 Wed. 	Group Influence 	Ch. 8	
7/24 Thurs.	Prejudice: Disliking Others 	Ch. 9	
7/29 Tues	Exam 2 
Start Aggression: Hurting Others	Exam 2 
Ch. 10	
7/30 Wed. 	Finish Aggression: Hurting Others 	Ch. 10 	
7/31 Thurs.	Attraction and Intimacy: Liking and Loving Others 	Ch. 11	
8/5 Tues.	Helping	Ch. 12
  *Papers Due*	
8/6 Wed. 	Social Psychology in the Court	Ch. 15	
8/7 Thurs.	Exam 3
Goodbye and Good Luck!!!	Exam 3 	

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
Student Responsibility Code

	The Department of Psychology is dedicated to providing you with the highest quality educational program. In order to maximize the benefits of our program, it is important that you meet your responsibilities as a student. Listed below are some of the responsibilities to be met. 

Advisement – Please familiarize yourself with university and departmental policies and deadlines.
You should obtain and read pertinent sections of the University Catalog, Class Schedule booklet, and instructor course outlines. If you are a psychology major or minor, you should read the Psychology Student Handbook and meet with a psychology undergraduate advisor (Room H-830J) at least once a year to review your study plan and career goals.  The Handbook is available to you at no charge from the Psychology Department Office (H-830M) or from the Psychology Undergraduate Advisement Office (H-830J).  Please also consult http://hss.fullerton.edu/psychology for further information.
Class Attendance – Please remember that you are responsible for attending all classes and laboratory meetings, and for being on time.  The benefit you derive from your education is often lost if you are lost too!
The Learning Environment – Please be mindful of your fellow students and the instructors.
Behavior that persistently  interferes with classroom activities may be subject to disciplinary action. Such behavior may include, but is not limited to, cell phones or beepers ringing, entering the class late, leaving the class prematurely,  eating in class or chatting with other students during class. A student responsible for continual disruptive behavior may be required to leave class pending discussion and resolution of the problem. 
Workload – Please be realistic in adjusting your outside responsibilities (work, family, social obligations, etc.) in order to allow sufficient time for your education. 
In order to receive a quality education, you must not overload yourself.  As a general rule, you should allow two to three hours of study outside of class, for each hour spent in class. Additional information on this topic is discussed in the Psychology Student Handbook.
Academic Integrity – The world of academia is completely dependent on straightforward honesty and integrity, and it protects these values in many ways.  Your ability to think of yourself as an educated person depends on these same values.  For these reasons the University imposes serious penalties for breaches of academic honesty and cases of suspected breaches of honesty may be reported.  Please familiarize yourself with the academic integrity guidelines found in the current student handbook.
o	Work produced through academic misconduct (e.g., cheating on exams, plagiarism) will be dealt with according to the policies of the academic integrity guidelines. Students who violate university standards of academic integrity are subject to disciplinary sanctions, including failure in the course and suspension from the university. Since dishonesty in any form harms the individual, other students and the University, policies on academic integrity are of great concern to us all.
o	Your exams, homework, research reports, and term papers should reflect your own work, unless your instructor  directs you otherwise. 
o	Proper methods of referencing outside sources of information should be used at all times. Additional information on this requirement may be obtained by reading the University Catalog section on Academic Dishonesty.

Special Needs – If you need special assistance in the classroom, please inform the instructor in order to facilitate contact with Dr. Paul Miller at the office of Disabled Student Services located at UH-101, (714) 278-3117.

If you have any questions concerning the above responsibilities,
please contact your psychology instructor or the Psychology Department Chair.
Rev. 8-07