Lahore University of Management Sciences

PSY300SocialPsychology
Fall201516

Instructor
RoomNo.
OfficeHours
Email
Telephone
Secretary/TA
TAOffice
Hours
CourseURL(if
any)

ImranRashid
239A,OldSSWing

COURSEBASICS
CreditHours
Lecture(s)
Recitation/Lab(per
week)
Tutorial(perweek)

4
2PerWeek
None

Duration 1:50hours
Duration

None

Duration

COURSEDESCRIPTION
Thecourseisdesignedtobeacomprehensive,uptodateintroductiontosocialpsychology,oneofthecore
areas of study within psychology. We will begin with processes occurring within an individuals head (the
neuroscienceofsocialbehavior)continueontoexplorehowtheindividualsperceiveandthinkaboutothers
(perceptionandcognition),howsuchprocessesaffecttheirinteractions,whetherforgoodorill(prejudice,
obedience,attraction,aggression,altruism),andfinishbylookingattheinterfaceofsocialpsychologywith
law,business,andmedicine.Emphasiswillbeuponexperimentalstudiesfromclassicandcurrentresearch
programsandontherelevanceofthefindingstoreallifeissues.

COURSEOBJECTIVES
1. Toacquaintstudentswiththebroadscopeofsocialpsychologyasanempiricalscience.
2. Tofamiliarizethemwithclassicstudiesandcurrentresearchinthefield.
3. Todemonstratetherelevanceofsocialpsychologicalresearchtooureverydayexperiences.
4. Toinculcateanappreciationoftheexperimentalmethodasawayofknowing.

LEARNINGOUTCOMES
1. Studentswillbeabletoidentifysocialpsychologicalprocessesastheyareplayedoutinourdailylife.
2. Students will show their understanding of the experimental method by devising a viable social
psychologicalexperiment.

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PRIMARYTEXT
Kassin,S.,Fein,S.&Markus,H.R.(2011).SocialPsychology,8thed.Wadsworth:Belmont,Ca.
SUPPLEMENTRYREADINGS
Adolphs,R.(2009).Thesocialbrain:Neuralbasisofsocialknowledge.AnnualReviewofPsychology,60,
693176.

Asch, S. E. (1955/2008).
Opinionsandsocialpressure.InJ.Aronson&E.Aronson(Eds),Readingsaboutthesocialanimal,10thed.
Worth:NY,NY.

Baron,
R.
A.,
th
Branscombe,N.R.,Byrne,D.,&Bhardwaj,G.(2010).SocialPsychology,10 ed.Pearson:Delhi.

Beauregard, M., Courtemanche, J., Paquette, V., & St. Pierre (2009). The neural basis of unconditional
love.PsychiatryResearch:Neuroimaging,172,9398.

Bertrand,
M.
&
Mullainathan,S.(2004).AreEmilyandGregmoreemployablethanLakishaandJamal?Afieldexperiment
onlabormarketdiscrimination.TheAmericanEconomicReview,94(4),9911013.

Edwards,K.&Bryan,T.S.(1997).Judgmentalbiasesproducedbybiasestodisregard:The(paradoxical)
caseofemotionalinformation.PersonalityandSocialPsychologyBulletin,23,849864.

Ferguson,C.J.,Miguel,C.
S.,Garza,A.,Jerabeck,J.M.(2012).Alongitudinaltestofvideogameviolenceinfluencesondatingand
aggression:a3yearlongitudinalstudyofadolescents.JournalofPsychiatricResearch,46,141146.

Haidt,J.,Clore,G.L.,&Jordan,A.H.(2008).Disgustasembodiedmoraljudgment.PersonalityandSocial
PsychologyBulletin,34,10961109.

Klinesmith, J., Kasser, T.,

&McAndrew,F.T.(2006).Guns,testosterone,andaggression.PsychologicalScience,17(7),568571.

Marsh, A. A., Yu, H. H.,

Schechter,J.C.,&Blair,R.J.R.(2009).Largerthanlife.PlOSOne,4(5),e5707.

Milgram, S. (1963/2008).
Behavioralstudyofobedience.InJ.Aronson&E.Aronson(Eds),Readingsaboutthesocialanimal,10thed.
Worth:NY,NY.

Taylor, K. (2007). Disgust

isafactorinextremeprejudice.BritishJournalofSocialPsychology,46(3),597617.

Lahore University of Management Sciences

Warneken,
F.
&
Tomasello, M. (2009). Varieties of altruism in children and chimpanzees. Trends in Cognitive Sciences,
13(9),397402.
GRADING
Quizzes(4)
40%
Midterm
20%
Final
20%
Termpaper
20%
Boththefinalandmidtermwillbeof100minuteduration,closedbookandclosednotes,andheldduring
classtime.

COURSESCHEDULE
Lecture1
Introduction:whatissocialpsychology?abriefhistoryofthefield(Kassin,Fein,&Markus,Chapter1).

Lecture2
Researchmethod;howtodevelopideasandconductliteraturereview;experimentaldesign;ethicsof
research(Kassin,Fein,&Markus,Chapter2;Klinesmith,etal)

Lectures3
Theneuroscienceofsocialbehavior:introductiontothebrainstructurescriticallyinvolvedinsocial
perception,cognition,andbehavior(Adolphs).

Lectures45
Socialidentity:selfandgenderidentity;selfschemas;selfesteem;selfpresentation(Kassin,Fein,&Markus,
Chapter3).

Lectures67
Socialperception:bodylanguage;attribution;impressionformationandmanagement(Kassin,Fein,&Markus,
Chapter4;Marsh,A.A.,etal).

Lectures89
Socialcognition:schemas;heuristics;automaticandcontrolledprocessing;sourcesoferrorinsocialcognition;
affectandemotion(Baronetal,Chapter2;Haidt.,J.etal).

Lectures1012
Attitudesandattitudechange:attitudeformation;attitudesandbehavior;persuasionandattitudechange;
cognitivedissonance(Kassin,Fein,&Markus,Chapter6).

Lectures1314
Prejudiceanddiscrimination:causesandeffects;targetsandforms(Kassin,Fein,&Markus,Chapter5;
Bertrand&Mullainathan).

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Lectures1516
Compliance,obedience,conformity(Kassin,Fein,&Markus,chapter7;Asch;Milgram).

Lecture17
Groupandintergroupbehavior:definitions;socialization;conflict;socialidentity;crowdbehavior;groupthink;
improvingintergrouprelationships(Kassin,Fein,&Markus,Chapter8).

Lecture1819
Interpersonalattractionandcloserelationships:initialattraction;closerelationshipsandattachmentstyles
(Kassin,Fein,&Markus,Chapter9;Beauregardetal).

Lecture2021
Altruism;empathy;bystandereffect(Kassin,Fein,&Markus,chapter10;Warneken&Tomasello).

Lectures2223
Aggression;definition;biologicalandsocial/culturaldeterminants;mediaeffects;reducingviolence.(Kassin,
Fein,&Markus,Chapter11;Fergusonetal)

Lectures2425
Socialpsychologyandhealth;causesandeffectsofstress;copingwithandpreventingstress(Kassin,Fein,&
Markus,Chapter14)

Lecture26
Socialpsychologyandlaw:juryselection;thecourtroomdrama;jurydeliberation;theprisonexperience
(Kassin,Fein,&Markus,Chapter12;Edwards&Bryan).

Lecture27
Socialpsychologyandbusiness:personnelselection;performanceappraisal,leadership;workmotivation;
economicdecisionmaking(Kassin,Fein,&Markus,Chapter13