Course Schedule

PSY 240: Social Psychology

DATES	TOPICS	READINGS	ASSIGNMENTS

Mar 25	Introduction / Methods	Ch. 1	Ch. 1: Is it Psychology or common sense? Ch. 17: Doing social psychology research topic resources: methods 100 years of social psych "correlation" cartoon Historical figures in social psychology Facebook in the Social Sciences
Mar 27	Social Motives	p. 38-49, 362, 601-605 Mere categorization and ... Assignment 1	Correlation coefficients Type of correlation? Ch. 2: Connect the Dots Lyrics to "More" Despondex Discovering Psychology Choice affects preference for odors
Mar 29	GOOD FRIDAY - NO CLASS	p. 134-140, 219-223	Types of research methods Lacking control increases illusory perceptions Woody Allen on delusions Reactance vs. Rationalization ; article

Apr 1	Social Motives	Illusion and well-being... Questions 55-74, 96-99, 528-534	Ch. 14: Creating cop-outs Ch. 17: Putting common sense...The social self topic resources: the self
Apr 3	Attributions	Dread risk, September 11... Assignment 2 p. 100-109	topic resources: social judgments origin of the self-serving bias
Apr 5	Attributions	Evaluating videotaped confessions Assignment 3 p. 78-85

Apr 8	Impression Formation	p. 86-96 Does watching smoking... Assignment 4	Ch. 5: Shortcuts and Schemas Ch. 18: Whom do you trust? Ch. 14: Are you a chameleon? Ch. 17: Putting common sense...(Perceiving persons) Ch. 17: Putting common sense...(Perceiving groups)
Apr 10	Judgment Biases	Weapon Bias... Assignment 5 Automaticity of being	Vividness effect: Summer of the shark Racial profiling Doodling can help Overgeneralization? Don't do it! Hindsight bias: cartoon Research Summary Paper due
Apr 12	Judgment Biases	Deliberation-without-attention effect Smells like clean spirit... Assignment 6	Journal due family resemblance - confirmation bias Test your weapon bias Humor and Stereotypes Cognitive bias song

Apr 15	EXAM 1		Ch. 17: How could you not... Implicit Association Test Subliminal smells How long to form a habit Car crash consciousness Academy award winners unpopular names choice blindness Community: inattentional blindness priming of self and God detecting sexual orientation more research
Apr 17	Attitudes and Behavior	Ch. 4 The last chocolate study
Apr 19	Persuasion		Ch. 17: Putting common sense...(attitudes) topic resources: attitudes embassy suites commercial attitude/behavior consistency

Apr 22	Persuasion / Demonstrations	Ch. 7	Toyota loch ness commercial Toyota Sequoia commercial tobacco ads Calvin Klein jeans Are funny ads worth the money? Consequences Ford Aerostar Beer makes women beautiful best airline commercials
Apr 24	Conformity	Ch. 5	Ch. 17: I'll figure it out... topic resources: persuasion "A Class Divided" Cialdini's six principles ; image
Apr 26	Conformity	Ch. 6 The constructive, destructive, and reconstructive power... Assignment 7	Ch. 18: How far would you go? Ch. 18: Putting common sense..conformity The science of evil Strip-search case The art of social change

Apr 29	Group Influence	Ch. 8	topic resources: genes and culture topic resources: conformity National Social Norms Institute Asch's study without confederates The children save Atticus
May 1	Group Influence	Assignment 8	Ch. 18: Putting common sense..group processes
May 3	Group Conflict / Demonstrations	Ch. 13	topic resources: group influence Journal due

May 6	Group Conflict	Assignment 9	Ch. 18: Does self-interest pay? The group discussion effect
May 8	EXAM 2		topic resources: group conflict conflict in the middle east
May 10	Prejudice	Ch. 9	All-American Muslim "Make more babies!" Same-sex marriage threats; more

May 13	Prejudice	Accuracy in categorizing perceptually ambiguous groups	Crazed Palestinian gunman stereotype topic resources: prejudice Prejudice by Tim Minchin The Hazara Failure of perspective taking Video: Why not "that's so gay"
May 15	Prejudice / Demonstrations	Stereotype threat effects on ... Assignment 10	Stereotyping by blood type When even made up stereotypes can hurt Let them eat harmony Implicit Association Test (IAT) The IAT as suicide predictor Juan Williams' firing (transcript) double standard commentary more alternative view
May 17	Attraction	Ch. 11	topic resources: attraction reducing Islamophobia and homophobia Reducing racial bias Video: Tim Minchin: Propinquity Why love literally hurts

May 20	Attraction	Beauty is in the mind... Selective versus unselective... Assignment 11	Ch. 17: Putting common sense...(Attraction) Ch. 18: How do you say... Flashed face distortion effect
May 22	Helping / Demonstrations	Ch. 12	topic resources: helping donors choose
May 24	NO CLASS		Ch. 18: Maybe I'll help... Ch. 18: Putting common sense..helping The costs of benefits ... Aiding the fallen crotch shot

May 27	MEMORIAL DAY - NO CLASS		Ch. 18: What's aggression? Ch. 18: Are men really more.. Ch. 18: Putting common sense..aggression sensing the future?
May 29	Aggression / Demonstrations	Ch. 10	topic resources: aggression Alabama massacre School shooting in Germany Gunmen had depression appropriate methodology?
May 31	Aggression	Assignment 12 Influences of serotonin...

June 3	EXAM 3	3:30-5:30	JOURNAL DUE