Psychology 380 – Introduction to Social Psychology

Fall 2000

Discussion Section Syllabus 013 (Thursdays 4-6 pm)

1068 East Hall

Lecture: Mondays and Wednesday, 2-3 pm

1324 East Hall

GSI: Katrina Walsemann

3261 East Hall

647-3515

kwalsema@umich.edu

GSI Office Hours: Thursdays, 3-4 pm, or by appointment via e-mail

• To develop a more in-depth understanding of the concepts and theories presented in lecture and in the readings
• To clarify concepts and discuss questions that might arise from the lectures and readings, answering the questions as a group
• To develop critical ways of thinking about social science research
• To cultivate your skills in analyzing social situations and events that you encounter in daily life

• Attend discussion section. I take attendance and will allow only one unexcused absence during the semester before your absences begin to adversely affect your grade (See grading policy). If you have a legitimate reason for missing section, please contact me prior to the absence or immediately after the absence (e-mail is the best way to get a hold of me).
• Be prepared to discuss the lecture material and the readings for the week. This means that you need to complete the readings prior to discussion section.
• Think critically about the material presented in lecture and in the readings. Come to discussion with relevant questions. Ask yourself: What are the implications of the research findings for society and for myself? How did the investigators go about testing their hypotheses? Were there limitations, and if so, what? Do the conclusions drawn reflect what I know through my personal experiences?
• Complete the "Social Psychology in Action" assignments (discussed in a separate handout).
• Participate actively in the discussion sections. Do not expect to come to discussion section and sit silently; do expect to engage in conversation in small groups and with the rest of your section.

Your grade in Psychology 380 is determined in the following manner:

60 % - Three Exam Scores (Exam locations will vary and will be announced in lecture)

15% based on your research methods paper on helping behavior

15% based on your film analysis paper

*10% based on attendance/participation and your "Social Psychology in Action" assignments

* Participation is determined by the quality of your participation and the effort you demonstrate in class performance. Participation and attendance is graded in a + (raise your participation grade by 1/3 of a grade, i.e., A- to A), Ö (participation grade remains the same), or – (lowers your participation grade by 1/3 of a grade, i.e., A- to B+) manner. Participation also requires you to complete the "Social Psychology in Action" assignments that are discussed in a separate handout. Each of these 7 assignments will be worth 14 points for a total of 100 points (you get 2 "free" points since 7 x 14 only equals 98). Together with your attendance and participation, these 7 assignments will compromise 10% of your overall course grade.

Blind grading: Papers will be graded anonymously. DO NOT put your name on these assignments, but rather the 8 digit UM ID number underlined on the front of your student ID AND your section number/time. Papers with names or without identification numbers will be returned to you ungraded and will be considered late. This includes your "Social Psychology in Action" assignments as well as your two written projects (the helping paper and the film analysis).

Formatting: Papers must be typed, double-spaced, standard font (Times Roman) with 1" margins. Papers not conforming to these guidelines also will be returned to you ungraded and will be considered late.

Spelling and Grammar: Poor grammar, disorganized structure and careless spelling will all have an adverse effect on your grade. The Sweetland Writing Center(SWC) offers assistance at all stages of the writing process. Contact SWC at 764-0429, Angell Hall, or http://www.lsa.umich.edu/swc/about/swc.html#undergrad

Late Policy: Papers are due at the beginning of section on the required day. Any paper turned in after this deadline will be penalized 1/3 of a grade for each day it is late (i.e., a B+ becomes a B if it is one day late, a B- if two days late, etc.). I will grant extensions ONLY in extenuating circumstances and only if these circumstances are brought to my attention at least 48 hours prior to the day the assignment is due.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism is not merely turning in an assignment that someone else wrote. If you include direct ideas or quotes from another source without indicating you have done so, or even if you paraphrase someone else’s ideas without acknowledging the source, you are still plagiarizing, so when in doubt, reference your source. I will address these issues when I hand out your paper assignments in section. If you are still uncertain about how to reference your sources, please contact me.

If you have any special needs (e.g. vision, hearing, English as a Second Language, learning, medical) please let me know by the second week of class so that I can make appropriate arrangements. This includes any needs related to religious and/or cultural practices.

In general, if you have questions about a grade, concerns about an assignment, or an extenuating personal circumstance that has inhibited your ability to complete an assignment on time, you need to inform me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. If you wait until the end of the semester to address these concerns, it will be too late.

Thurs. 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Section 013

SPA #1 "Examining Media Reports of Scientific Research" – Due Week # 3 – September 21^st

Instructions: Many times, the media reports on recent scientific findings. Maybe you have heard the report on the recent study that links higher income women with higher rates of breast cancer due to their increase use of dry cleaning. Your task is to search the media for reports about scientific research that uses the correlational method (i.e. you can use magazines, newspapers, even TV news – if you use the news cite the date, station, and headline). Include the article (if you use a magazine or newspaper) with your write-up. Answer the following: What conclusions were drawn? Could there be an alternative explanation? If so, describe what alternative explanations could be drawn linking it back to the book’s discussion of correlational studies and their limitations. Refer to pages 46-47 Try It! Exercise in your textbook to generate some ideas for this activity.

Page Limit: 1 page, double-spaced, 1" margin.

SPA #2 "Critical Thinking" about Social Cognition – Due Week # 4 – September 28^th

Instructions: Answer ONE of the following questions:

1. Generate examples (2) of the self-fulfilling prophecy that you have seen operating in the real world, perhaps examples of a self-fulfilling prophecy that you created yourself. (For example, a waitress expects a particular customer to be a big tipper and then gives him special treatment; or she expects another customer to be a cheapskate and gives him accordingly short service). What are the implications of the self-fulfilling prophecy for your examples?
2. For two of the four heuristics (availability, representativeness, counterfactual thinking, and anchoring/adjustment) discussed in the chapter, provide a personal example that illustrates how you have used the heuristic to make a decision or solve a problem. In which of these cases has relying on the heuristic been helpful? In which of these cases might you have been misled by relying on the heuristic?

Page Limit: 1 page, double-spaced, 1" margin.

SPA # 3 "Self-Serving Attributions in the Sports Pages" – Due Week # 6 – October 12^th

Instructions: To get a feel for the assignment, read the Try It! Assignment on page 139 of your textbook. Instead of answering all of the questions presented, I want you to find two articles (one from a losing team/individual and one from a winning team/individual). Next, answer the following questions: Examine the ways in which player’s attribute their wins or losses. Are winners more likely to make internal attributions and losers to make external attributions? Are stars and players in solo sports more likely to make self-serving attributions than non-stars and players in team sports? Which motive (protection of self-esteem, positive self-preservation, and personal knowledge of past performances) do you think underlie the self-serving attributions?

Page Limit: 1 page, double-spaced, 1" margin. Please include your articles with your paper.

SPA # 4 "Critical Thinking" – The Self – Due Week # 7 – October 19^th

Instructions: Answer ONE of the following questions:

1. How do you respond when somebody tells you something about yourself that doesn’t fit with your perception of yourself – for example, somebody tells you that you are a follower when you think of yourself as a leader? Do you accept this feedback and incorporate it into your self-concept? Or do you argue or disregard what the person has told you? Does it make a difference how certain you feel about yourself in that domain?
2. When is self-awareness a pleasant experience? When is it unpleasant? What are the consequences of becoming self-aware? Who seems most focused on themselves, people who are feeling good or people who are feeling down in the dumps?

Page Limit: 1 page, double-spaced, 1" margin

SPA # 5 "Critical Thinking" – Cognitive Dissonance – Due Week # 8 – October 26^th

Instructions: Answer ONE of the following questions:

1. How do fraternities and sororities make use of the principle of justification of effort?
2. Cognitive dissonance theory implies that people will experience dissonance when they act in a way that counters important self-concepts or values, and will be motivated to reduce this dissonance. Yet, consider the large numbers of people who continue to smoke, fail to exercise, or fail to wear seatbelts when they drive. Do you think people are as motivated to maintain a consistent self-perception as dissonance theory claims, or not?

Page Limit: 1 page, double-spaced, 1" margin

SPA # 6 "Attitude Change in the Real World" – Due Week # 9 – November 2^nd

Instructions: You work in a local health department. The county that you work for suffers from disproportionately high rates of breast cancer when compared to the surrounding counties. One explanation is that women are not going to their doctors to be screened on an annual basis. Your job is to create a media campaign that increases the rates of breast cancer screening in your county. How would you do this? What type of route would you use (i.e. central versus peripheral)? Why? Would you use fear arousal or not? Would your campaign be emotionally based or cognitively based? BRIEFLY describe your campaign.

Page Limit: No more than 2 pages but no less than 1 page, double-spaced, 1" margin

SPA # 7 "Analyzing Love Songs for their Social Psychological Insights" – Due Week # 13 – November 30^th

Instructions: Select a song that is about relationships and/or attraction. The song can be about any relevant aspect or stage of a relationship. Write up a paragraph or two analyzing the song using the material from class. What social psychological principles does it illustrate? Please include the title of the song, the artist, and relevant sections of the lyrics.

Page Limit: 1 page, double-spaced, 1" margin (limit does not include lyrics).