This seminar course offers an overview of theory, research methods, and empirical findings within social psychology. Social psychology is the study of how our thoughts and behaviors affect and are affected by their social and physical environments. The class will cover topics such as the social self, social cognition, conformity and obedience, stereotypes and prejudice, and pro-sociality, as well as, topics covered in the CESS Exam in social psychology. Throughout the course, emphasis will be placed on developing critical and integrative thinking about theory and research in social psychology. This class aims to familiarize students with core concepts in social psychology, develop skills for reading and understanding peer-reviewed articles, and apply social psychology theories to the real world.
Poslední úprava: Hanson Emily Julia, Ph.D. (02.09.2026)
Podmínky zakončení předmětu - angličtina
Attendance and participation in the seminar (maximum 2 absences can be excused if you inform the teacher before the beginning of the class via email).
There will be five in-class quizzes. These quizzes will be comprised of true/false and multiple-choice questions. If a student has an excused absence on the day of a quiz, the instructor will provide an alternative.
The final exam will consist of 20 true/false and multiple-choice questions as well as three short-answer questions.
Assessment:
Attendance/Participation 30%
Quizzes 30%
Final Exam 40%
Poslední úprava: Hanson Emily Julia, Ph.D. (02.09.2026)
Sylabus
1) Introduction
2) Research Methodology
Reading: Hogg, M. A., & Graham, A. V. (2018). Chapter 1 in Social Psychology.
3) Social Cognition and Social Perception
Reading: Fiske, S. T. (2018). Stereotype Content: Warmth and Competence Endure. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 27(2), 67-73.
4) The Self and Identity
Reading: Hornsey, M. J. (2008). Social identity theory and self‐categorization theory: A historical review. Social and personality psychology compass, 2(1), 204-222.
5) Attitudes, Emotions, and Persuasion
Reading: Batson, C. D., Chang, J., Orr, R., & Rowland, J. (2002). Empathy, attitudes, and action: Can feeling for a member of a stigmatized group motivate one to help the group?. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 28(12), 1656-1666.
6) Conformity and Obedience
Readings: Milgram, S. (1965). Some conditions of obedience and disobedience to authority. Human Relations, 18(1), 57-76.
Slater, M., Antley, A., Davison, A., Swapp, D., Guger, C., Barker, C., ... & Sanchez-Vives, M. V. (2006). A virtual reprise of the Stanley Milgram obedience experiments. PloS one, 1(1), e39.
7) Role Conformity and Research Ethics
Readings: Haney, C., Banks, C., & Zimbardo, P. A Study of Prisoners and Guards in a Simulated Prison.
Declaration of Helsinki
8) Group Processes
Reading: Weisel, O., & Böhm, R. (2015). “Ingroup love” and “outgroup hate” in intergroup conflict between natural groups. Journal of experimental social psychology, 60, 110-120.
9) Stereotypes and Prejudice
Reading:Spencer, S. J., Steele, C. M., & Quinn, D. M. (1999). Stereotype threat and women's math performance. Journal of experimental social psychology, 35(1), 4-28.
10) Prosocial Behavior
Reading: Darley, J. M., & Batson, C. D. (1973). "From Jerusalem to Jericho": A study of situational and dispositional variables in helping behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 27(1), 100–108.
11) Aggression
Reading: Cikara, M., Bruneau, E. G., & Saxe, R. R. (2011). Us and them: Intergroup failures of empathy. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20(3), 149–153.
12) Conclusions
Poslední úprava: Hanson Emily Julia, Ph.D. (02.09.2026)
