SOCY 4031 Social Psychology

INSTRUCTOR CONTACT:
Seth Wright
Email: seth.wright@colorado.edu

ABOUT THE COURSE:
Studies individuals in social context. Reviews philosophical and sociological treatments of the relation between the individual and society. More specific topics include the socialization process, theories of human development and personality formation, language acquisition, conformity, aggression, sex differences in personality and gender identity, and the relation between attitudes and overt behavior.

OBJECTIVES:
Upon completing the course, students will be able to:
1. Identify the most prominent theoretical perspectives in social psychology, and develop theories from within these perspectives to explain current sociological issues.
2.  Describe the basic research methods used in social psychology, with an emphasis on experimental methods.
3. Apply sociological theories to explain individual social behavior (such as self-presentation and attitudes).
4. Explain social psychological theories of social interaction.
5. Describe the current understanding of small group dynamics, and apply these findings to relevant personal experiences.

REQUIRED TEXT:
Delamater, John, Daniel Meyers, and Jessica Collett.  2015.  Social Psychology.  8th ed.  Boulder, CO: Westview Press. ISBN-13: 978-0-8133-4950-3.

GRADING:
There will be an assignment each week throughout the course.  Your lowest grade on each type of assignment is dropped from the final grade calculation.