THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY

The University of Texas at Austin

Fall 2019

SYLLABUS

SOCIOLOGY & SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

SOC 330P
UNIQUE NUMBER: 43555
MWF 10 – 11 AM
RLP 0.112

INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Mary Rose
OFFICE HOURS: Tuesdays, 3:30 – 4:30, Wednesdays, 4:00 – 5:00 and by appointment
PHONE: (512) 232-6336 OFFICE: 3.630 RLP EMAIL: mrose@austin.utexas.edu
Course website: http://canvas.utexas.edu (aka “Canvas”)

TEACHING ASSISTANT
Erika Slaymaker
EMAIL: slaymaker@utexas.edu OFFICE: Urban Ethnography Lab (RLP 3.214C)
OFFICE HOURS: Mondays 11 – 1 and by appointment PHONE: 232-6300* (*This is the main
office phone for Sociology; you can leave a message)

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to give you a broad introduction to the field of social psychology,
a topic that is investigated in both psychology and sociology departments. I have three aims for
the course: (1) I want to provide you with an overview of the field of social psychology; (2) by
discussing research, I want to introduce you to the various research methodologies that social
psychologists use to investigate a phenomenon empirically; and (3) I want you to be able to spot
applications to the “real world” of the material we discuss. Students enrolled in this course
should have upper division standing, and, ideally, they should have taken courses in either
sociology or psychology. This course is not cross-listed with psychology, which means that it
does not count towards the requirements for a degree in psychology (but of course you still get
credit for it as an upper-division sociology course). This course is part of the curriculum in the
Human Dimensions of Organizations major.

Even in a class of this size, please speak up with commentary or questions (I’ll let you
know if it’s too often or too disruptive; otherwise, let me know your thoughts). I also reserve the
right to, on occasion, call on people and ask them questions or have them give their input into a
topic we are discussing. Although I do not restrict lecture topics to what appears in the text, the
most effective discussions – and the way for you to get the most out of this class in general – is
to do your readings prior to the class for which they are assigned. This will help you immensely
with lectures and ultimately with the tests.
 REQUIRED TEXT
John D. DeLamater & Jessica L. Collett, Social Psychology (9th edition). Westview Press
(2018). [PLEASE NOTE: This version of the book is by a new publisher and differs from
editions that preceded it; I do not advise relying on older versions.]

EXAMS, ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

Your final grade will be determined by five components, three exams (worth 100 points
per test), one short writing assignment (worth 24 points, plus some small extra credit potential),
and in-class exercises (worth 26 points total). In-class exercises will be given on randomly
selected days (i.e., do not expect prior notice), typically once or twice per week. Rather than
formally taking attendance in each class, the in-class exercises serve as an indicator of how
regularly you attend during the semester. Keeping up with lecture material is your responsibility.
Power Point slides from lectures remain posted on Canvas for only about one week following
each session.

Exams
There are three “units” of lectures and readings in this course, and an exam concludes
each unit. The dates for exams are listed below in the ‘Schedule of Readings.’ Exams will be a
mixture of multiple choice questions, fill-in’s, and short answers. These exams cover material
from the previously-concluded unit only (although keep your notes, as they will be helpful for
the writing assignment). All exams are during in-class periods, except the final is during the
finals period (Friday, December 13, per current default schedule). For a TINY FRACTION of
people in this class, there may be pre-existing conflicts with the final. An example might be if
you have, right now in August, purchased airline tickets that cannot be changed. Sometimes
students get jobs in the semester and have an early start date. I will entertain a request for a
change in the final time for those types of VERY limited circumstances. Otherwise, do not make
plans that would conflict with this or any other test. Please consult your schedule for all of your
classes to ensure you are not too overloaded for any tests/assignments in this class and plan
accordingly.

Make-up exams are available only to those who (1) have a valid excuse (typically
medically-related; in all cases verifiable); and (2) have contacted me PRIOR to the test to notify
me of their circumstances and to receive permission to make up the exam. (Read that last
sentence again, because I really mean it). Failure to contact me in advance or failure to have a
verifiable conflict with the exam will result in a zero for that test. Documentation that has been
promised needs to be provided as soon as practically possible, typically by the first class after the
exam. Make-up exams will not necessarily be in the same format as the original exam and are
held during special make up sessions in RLP Building. (Timeslots will be posted to Canvas after
the Department announces them.)

Accommodations are available for students with documented disabilities. To determine if

you qualify as having a disability, please contact the Dean of Students at 471-6259; 471-4641
TTY (http://www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddcd/ssd/). If they certify your needs, we will work
together to make appropriate arrangements.
 Religious holidays. If you must miss an examination or class assignment due to
observance of a religious holy day, you will be given an opportunity to complete the work
missed within a reasonable time after the absence, provided that you have properly notified me.
The University of Texas at Austin requires that a student notify me at least 14 days prior to the
classes scheduled on dates that the student will be absent to observe a religious holy day. (For
religious holidays falling within the first two weeks of the semester, notice should be given on
the first day of the semester, or as soon as you have added the class). You will not be penalized
for excused absences based on religious holidays, but you are required to make up any work
within a reasonable time after the absence.

Short writing assignment

Writing is a skill that improves only with practice. Therefore, this class includes a short
writing assignment, worth 24 points if turned in by the final due date. The assignment is a 3 – 4
page paper that asks you to locate two different articles from a news source and discuss how they
reflect topics from class (select articles to present two different topics). The final due date is
Wednesday, November 20th. However, you have an opportunity to earn up to five points of extra
credit by turning the assignment in at an earlier time. The earlier you turn in the paper, the more
extra credit is available (and your papers will likely be returned to you in a more timely manner).
Papers that come in by the end of class on Friday, 10/18 get five points of extra credit. Those
turned in the following Friday (10/25) earn four points; those turned in by end of class on the
following week, Friday, 11/1, earn three points (etc. – see schedule of readings below).

I will make available more detailed assignments for this project on Canvas. Papers turned
in ahead of the deadline will be graded and returned as soon as practical (hopefully within a
week). Papers turned in on the last deadline (November 20) will be returned by the day of the
final. Please know that I expect the highest level of academic integrity on writing assignments; I
expect students to be familiar with the University Honor Code (“The core values of the
University of Texas at Austin are learning, discovery, freedom, leadership, individual
opportunity, and responsibility. Each member of the University is expected to uphold these
values through integrity, honesty, trust, fairness, and respect toward peers and community.”); and
I enforce rules on plagiarism (see: http://registrar.utexas.edu/catalogs/gi09-
10/app/gi09.appc03.html, especially Sec 11-802).

In-class exercises.
Attendance is important to me (and exams reflect this), but I have no interest in regularly
“taking attendance.” Instead I gauge your participation in the class by way of a series of short
assignments or, sometimes, just taking attendance or a single day. Point values for these tasks
will vary, but no single one will be worth so much that it would affect your final grade (most are
in the 2-point range, and I would always round up if you were two points off from the next-
highest grade). For this reason, and because one goal is to credit people who come to class, there
are no make-up’s for these in-class exercises (religious holidays excepted). Regular attendance is
the best and sole way to ensure you do not miss these points.

With respect to any individual test or paper grade, I will entertain requests for regrades,
but such requests must (1) be in writing, with specific descriptions of what part of the grading
you believe was incorrect and why; and (2) must occur within two weeks of grades being posted.
Always see your TA to go over results for a test or paper prior to contacting me to discuss a
grade. A GENERAL NOTE: Fairness requires consistency in application of rules. Know that
this is a guiding principle for me when students seek exceptions. Enrollment in the course
signifies acceptance of syllabus policies.

Grade calculations
Total points possible in this course: 350 (assuming no extra credit from the writing
assignment; see above). Final grades are determined by the percentage of total points you
accrue, with minimum values for each grade as follows (Other than as I have outlined, do not
request adjustments for being “close”):

325 (93%) A 305 (87%) B+ 270 (77%) C+ 235 (67%) D+

315 (90%) A- 290 (83%) B 255 (73%) C 220 (63%) D
280 (80%) B- 245 (70%) C- 210 (60%) D-

SCHEDULE OF SESSIONS, READINGS & ASSIGNMENTS

Date Day Subject Chapter

UNIT I: SELF & OTHERS

8/28 Wed Overview of class and syllabus --

8/30 Fri Theories and explanations 1

9/2 Mon NO CLASS – LABOR DAY

9/4 Wed Theories and explanations (cont’d)

9/6 Fri Social Perception 7

9/9 Mon Social Perception (cont’d)

9/11 Weds Social Perception (cont’d)

9/13 Fri Transitions: Social Psychology & Self

9/16 Mon The Self 4

(pp. 117 – 137)
9/18 Wed The Self (cont’d)

9/20 Fri The Self (cont’d)

9/23 Mon Self-Presentation 5

(pp. 149 – 169)
Date Day Subject Chapter

9/25 Wed Self-Presentation (cont’d)

9/27 Fri Self-Presentation (cont’d)

9/30 Mon Finish up + review/question-answer session

10/2 Wed TEST I

UNIT II – SOCIAL INFLUENCE

10/4 Fri Attitudes 8

10/7 Mon Attitudes (cont’d)

10/9 Wed Attitudes (cont’d)

10/11 Fri Obedience to Authority 10

10/14 Mon Obedience to Authority (cont’d)

10/16 Wed Obedience to Authority (cont’d)

10/18 Fri Influence techniques Papers turned in today earn

five extra credit points)

10/21 Mon Groups and influence 15

10/23 Wed Groups and influence (cont’d)

10/25 Fri Groups and influence (cont’d) (Papers turned in

today earn four extra credit points)

10/28 Mon Groups and identity

10/30 Wed Groups and identity (cont’d)

11/1 Fri Groups and identity (cont’d) (Papers turned in

today earn three extra credit points)

11/4 Mon Finish-up & Review

11/6 Wed TEST II

 Date Day Subject Chapter

UNIT III: STATUS AND RELATIONSHIPS

11/8 Fri Prosocial Behavior (Papers turned in today 11

earn two extra credit points)

11/11 Mon Prosocial Behavior (cont’d)

11/13 Wed Prosocial Behavior (cont’d)

11/15 Fri Group Processes (Papers turned in today earn one 16

extra credit point)

11/18 Mon Group Processes (cont’d)

11/20 Wed Group Processes (cont’d) ***PAPERS DUE***

11/22 Fri Group Processes (cont’d)

11/25 Mon Group Processes (cont’d)

11/27-29 Wed, Fri NO CLASS – HAPPY THANKSGIVING

12/2 Mon Relationships: Attraction, Liking & Communication 14

12/4 Wed Relationships (cont’d)

12/6 Fri Relationships (cont’d)

12/9 Mon Catch-up and review session

12/13 Fri TEST III (9AM)