Why take Social Psychology?

Humans are social creatures. So, to best understand why and how humans think and behave, we must do so in a social context. Social psychology is the study of social interactions and how we are influenced by them. In this class, we will cover a variety of topics ranging from obedience and conformity, to relationships, to conflict. Because you are human (I hope!), every week you will learn something about yourself, your thoughts, and your behaviors. Some of these things will be confirmations of things you already “know”, others will challenge how you think differently about the world around you, and its influence on you.

Class Approach

This class follows a "flipped" approach where students complete reading activities before class to learn the basic information. Then, in class, students  complete a variety of  activities that are geared toward application of what students are learning, so students can get immediate feedback and ask questions on the spot. 

Application Assignments

Students  complete several application and reflection assignments. The assignments allow for further exploration of different aspects of social psychology (e.g., persuasion assignment) or reflect on your experience with social psychology (e.g., social life game). 

Group Project

At the end of the semester, student  work in groups to tackle a "problem" in the community, using social psychological concepts. One year, students identified a lack of mental health services for youth, and proposed different ways they could address this issue. 

Exams

Student demonstrate mastery of the course objectives through two exams. The exams are essay based where students are asked to apply what they have learned to different contexts or to generate examples. 

​Fall 2019 Sections:
Adult and Online Program (Fall II) Online

Winterim 2020 Sections:
online