PSY 250 MT01 Fall 2020

Social Psychology
University of Mount Olive

Professor David Shields

Email DShields@umo.edu
Phone Extension 919.299.4931 or 1.800.653.0854 ext. 1173
Office Henderson 203
Office Hours Posted on Moodle and Starfish
Dean Dr. Jerry Seaton, JSeaton@umo.edu

Course Description: (3 semester hours; GER Citizenship) This course is a study of the
interaction of the individual and society with topics including attitude formation, conformity,
leadership, role expectation, and aggression. Prerequisites: PSY 100 non-majors, and PSY 101
for psychology majors. GER Citizenship.

Required Text: Gilovich, T., Keltner, D., Chen, S., & Nisbett, R. E. (2019). Social Psychology.
New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

GER/Student Learning Outcomes Means of Assessment

Upon successful completion of this This outcome will be indicated by
course, students should be able to: successful:
1. Describe key concepts, principles, Completion of exams and writing
and overarching themes in assignments.
psychology.
2. Engage in innovative and Completion of exams and writing
integrative thinking and problem assignments.
solving.
3. Adopt values that build community Completion of exams and writing
at local, national, and global levels. assignments.
4. Demonstrate effective writing for Completion of exams and writing
different purposes. assignments.

Communication Policy

There are three ways to contact me throughout this course:

1. Via Email (recommended): My emails come directly to my cell phone, which is actually
part of my body. I don’t go anywhere without it. This means that I regularly check my
email throughout the day and will be able to respond relatively quickly. Please include
the course code (PSY 250) in the subject line when emailing me about this class. This
will help me to respond to you faster.
 2. Via Scheduled Zoom or Phone Meeting: I would love to be able to interact with you
visually. Zoom is a virtual meeting platform similar to Skype or Facetime. This is the
most effective way to get my undivided attention and one-on-one help. Email me in order
to arrange a mutually beneficial time for our meeting or stop by during my office hours.
3. Instructor Discussion Forum: There is an instructor discussion forum posted at the top
of the Moodle shell. You may post any public questions that you may have to this forum
and I will respond. Please do not post private questions to this forum, as the rest of the
class will be able to read them.

Course Requirements and Evaluation

Exams (30%): There will be four exams during the course of the semester. Each exam will
cover specified chapters, lectures, and/or handouts. Exams will consist of 50 multiple choice
questions, will have a 80 minute time limit, and must be completed in a single sitting.

Film Analysis Paper (25%): Films are often keen observations of social behavior. For this
assignment, you will select a Disney or Pixar film and analyze it from a social-psychological
perspective. Topic Selection: To make sure your film meets the requirements of the assignment
it must have instructor approval. A discussion forum in Moodle will be used to provide approval.
Please make sure you post your requests there by the due date. View the approved film at least
once. It might be helpful to watch it more than once because you notice intricacies that you may
have missed during the first viewing. Identify at least three social-psychological principles
present in the film.

Reflection Assignments (20%): You will be asked to personally apply and reflect on social
psychology topics throughout the semester. There will be 5 reflection assignments worth in
which you will explore the impact of an assigned social psychology topic on your own life.
These are relatively informal self-assessment papers that will be no more than a couple of
paragraphs.

Practical Application PowerPoint Presentation (25%): This assignment requires that you
create a PowerPoint presentation outlining the social psychology principles involved in a current
topic. The presentation should be aesthetically pleasing, use appropriate APA formatting and
citation, and be a minimum of 12 slides long (not including the cover slide or references).

Evaluation/Grading Scale

Grades are based strictly on a point system. You will not be graded on a "curve." Therefore, your
grade in the course is based entirely on your performance and is not affected by the excellent or
poor performance of other students in the class.

Number Letter GPA

93-100 A 4.0
 90-92 A- 3.7

87-89 B+ 3.3

83-86 B 3.0

80-82 B- 2.7

77-79 C+ 2.3

70-76 C 2.0

60-69 D 1.0

59-below F 0.0

Students must abide by the University of Mount Olive academic policies. Links to these
policies and available academic resources are available on Moodle

Accommodations and Student Accessibility

“The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides
comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities.  Among other things, this
legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that
provides for reasonable accommodation for their disabilities.  If you believe you have a disability
requiring an accommodation, please contact Student Accessibility at (919) 658-7497, or email
studentaccessibility@umo.edu for assistance.”

Student Resources and Support

For additional informational on the University Catalog, Academic Calendar, or Academic

Support Services available for free to UMO students, please see links available on the right side
of your course Moodle shell.

Academic Concerns and Questions

All academic issues must be first brought to your professor. Your professor’s contact
information is at the top of this syllabus. In the event that you and your professor cannot resolve
an issue, the next step is to contact the Dean. The Dean’s contact information is also at the top of
this syllabus.