College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago

Division of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences

Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences

Course Number and Title: PSYC 205

Instructor: Linda Darabie
Email: linda_darabie_1@yahoo.com, ldarabie@costaatt.edu.tt
Telephone number: 665-1856, 479-7737, 790-2824
Course Meetings: Tuesday 11:00 to 2:00
Office hours: Monday, Wednesday 11:00 to 2:00, Tuesday, Friday 9:00 to 11:00

Course pre-requites: PSYC 100 or PSYC 101

 VISION
To be a student-centred, dynamic and innovative, world-class and multi-campus college, promoting
excellence in teaching and learning, serving diverse communities, and producing lifelong learners who can
compete globally.

 MISSION
To be the premier educational institution in: providing high quality, affordable and accessible education
programmes serving the needs of business, industry and the diverse campus communities and facilitating the
personal and professional development of its students, faculty and staff.

The Institution’s motto “to transform lives, transform communities, transform the nation… one student at a
time is embodied in our Core Curriculum as well as Program Curriculum through ten Competencies which
students will understand, practice, and demonstrate upon successful completion of their programmes of
study at the College:

Knowledge
Effective Communication
Analytical Ability
Technological Expertise
Collaboration
Creativity
Professionalism
Diversity
Social & Global Responsibility
Entrepreneurship

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Have you ever wondered about the reason for someone’s behaviour when with family, a group of friends or
when meeting people for the first time? Have you ever speculated about why someone else acted in what you
considered to be an unexpected way? Have you ever mused about the qualities needed to be an effective
leader? Whether groups perform tasks better than individuals? If you have asked yourself questions such as
those or any other questions about the variances of human social behaviour, then you should enjoy studying
social psychology.

The primary goal of this course is to introduce the study of social psychology with particular emphasis on the
role of the individual. It will focus on the scientific study of human social influence and interactions. It will
explore among other things the ways people think about, affect, and relate to one another. The course will cover
topics such as aggression, prejudice, attitudes and interpersonal relationships. It is hoped that completing this
course one would achieve an improved understanding of social psychological phenomena. Secondary goals of
this course include the development of critical thinking skills and communication of ideas through discussion
and writing assignments. At the same time it is hoped that participants would gain an improved knowledge of
the self, and as such help create a better world for all.
COMPETENCIES ADDRESSED IN THIS COURSE
Knowledge, Analytical Ability, and Effective Communication.

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COURSE-SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

Knowledge

- Review the development and scope of social psychology

- Outline research methods in social psychology
- Identify how the knowledge and principles of social psychology can be applied to practical situations
- Examine how the processes of social perception and cognition affects (beliefs and behaviour
Analytical Ability

- Investigate how people behave in groups and the role of social influence
- Analyse interpersonal behaviour and social relations
- Explore how an appreciation of social psychological theory and research can be used to help understand
human behaviour, especially in organizations and workplace settings.

REQUIRED TEXT

Breckler, Steven, Olson, James and Wiggins, Elizabeth, Social Psychology Alive, Thomson Wadsworth.

INSTRUCTIONAL MODE

The course will be taught for a total of 45 contact hours. Classroom lectures, activities and discussions will
form the primary method of instruction in this course. In class students will be engaged in various activities that
would help shape their conceptualisation of the theory; these in class interactions would be reinforces by the
students’ work outside the class.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

You are reminded that the primary responsibility for your success in any class is yours. This means that you
recognise when you are having difficulty and seek help, come to class having done the required reading and
assignments, and avoids tardiness and truancy in both your attendance and submission of assignments. You are
also expected to seek out reading material as recommended for this course but should not limit yourself to such.

Attendance –A minimum of seventy-five percent (75%) attendance is required. Your attendance and
punctuality to class sessions will add to the value of the course, since classes offer the opportunity for dialogue
and debate. This contributes to your ability to actively engage with the theories, and concepts introduced in the
readings in order to gain the maximum benefit from the course material.

Make-up Exams – It is the department’s policy that make-up exams will be considered only if you have an
acceptable, documented excuse (e.g. doctor's excuse or car accident report); however make-up exam will be
administered at the discretion of the department at the end of the semester.

Plagiarism – Students who use other people’s ideas without giving due credit will be deemed guilty of stealing
those ideas. The department of behavioural sciences reserves the right in such instances to award a failing grade
to the assignment and/or disqualify the student from the course altogether. Please consult with the lecturer with
regarding the use APA style citation and references.

COURSE ASSESSMENT

In course Exams 40% (2 at 20% each)

Individual Presentation 30%
Group Project 30%

DESCRIPTION OF ASSESSMENTS

Exams 40% (2 at 20% each) – the in class exams will focus on all material not covered on previous exams.
The exam format will include a combination of multiple choice, true/false and essay questions.

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Individual Presentation 30%

As children we all had a favourite TV show which left up to us we would like at everyday all day. The aim of
this assessment is to tap back to that point in our lives and determine the following:

1. What was your favourite tv show?

2. Did you have a favourite character or characters?

3. What attracted you to the show as a child?

4. Do you think that show has influenced your personality?

5. Given your understanding of social psychology and your personality now do you still identify with that
show? If yes, explain why and if no explain why

Group Presentation 30%

Social Norms Violations

Purpose

  When we violate the unwritten rules for appropriate social behaviour, we quickly learn the surprising power of
even relatively minor and usually invisible social norms. The purpose of this assignment is to make you
conscious of how these subtle norms shape our everyday behaviour and the consequences of violating norms,
and to give you an idea of how psychological research on norm violations is conducted.

Violating Norms

    Choose any 2 of the following behaviours or any other option deemed appropriate:
o Cut into the middle of a line by yourself; stay in line for at least 2 minutes
o Ask someone you don't know for his/her seat in a public place (e.g., at the doctor’s office or in
the library); stay in the seat for at least 2 minutes
o Acting otherwise completely normally, hold hands with a same-sex friend (who is "in" on the
project) while you walk across campus
o Surprise 3 of your same-sex friends with a kiss on the cheek.
o Applaud at the end of a class after the lecturer is done lecturing
o Before one of your classes begins (NOT social psych!), go around the classroom and shake
hands with at least 8 people; say "good morning (afternoon)" to them or use other words to
welcome them to class today.
o Wear unusual clothing to class or another public place (e.g., your bunny slippers to a Math or
English class; your hooded sweatshirt on backwards)

    Before, during, and after your 2 different norm violations, mentally observe:
o your own reactions (thoughts, feelings, physical responses, behaviour)
o the reactions of the people around you (your friends may help you observe others' reactions --
and your friends might have reactions of their own that are interesting!)

    After violating the social norms, you may tell the people around you WHY you were acting this way.

Reading Research

    Now that you have conducted your own research on norm violations, you can better relate to other
researchers who have studied this topic. For this part of the assignment, read the Milgram et al. (1986). Do not
worry about understanding every word or concept -- the goal is to have you become familiar with reading a
scholarly research article and to understand how psychological research is conducted. 

MARK SCHEME

Letter Range Definitions DEPARTMENT

Grade Performance Criteria
A 90 – 100 Excellent Proficient
B+ 85 – 89.9 Very Good
Competent
B 80 – 84.9 Good

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 C+ 75 – 79.9 Satisfactory
Emerging
C 70 – 74.9 Satisfactory
D 65 – 69.9 Passing
D 60 – 64.5 Passing
Unacceptable
0 – 59.9 Failure/
F
Unsuccessful completion of course

ONLINE RESOURCES

Access online databases http://search.ebscohost.com/

Neyhart, D., Karper, E., Seas, K. & Russell, T. (2009). The OWL at Purdue, APA Formatting and Style Guide.
Retrieved on 3 January, 2009 from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
Trinidad and Tobago National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS) http://www.nalis.gov.tt

American Psychological Association http://www.apa.org

British Psychological Society http://www.bps.org.uk

PSYC 205: Social Psychology

Class Calendar and Outline

Topic Required Reading

MODULE 1. Approaches to understanding social behaviour Breckler et al
o The scope and development of social psychology Chapter 1
o The role of theory in research
o Research methods in social psychology
o Ethical issues in research
o Applying the knowledge and principles of social
psychology to practical problems in Social
Psychology.

MODULE 2. Research Methods of Social Psychology Breckler et al

o The role of theory in research Chapter 2
o Research methods in social psychology
o Ethical issues in research
o Applying the knowledge and principles of social
psychology to practical problems in Social Psychology
MODULE 3. Social cognition Breckler et al
Chapter 3
o Perception of self and others impression
management and forming impressions of others
o Cognitive strategies: heuristics, biases and fallacies
o Counterfactual thinking

MODULE 4. Social Perception Breckler et al

Chapter 4
o Attribution theory; sources of error and bias
o Self perception
 Looking glass self
 Social Comparison
 Self-Perception Theory

MODULE 5. Social Identity- Breckler et al

Chapter 5
o Self-concept
o Social identity
o Self-presentation
o Establishing one’s self and gender
o Self-serving bias

MODULE 6. Attitudes and Social Behaviour: Breckler et al

Chapter 6
o Defining attitudes
o Evaluating and Measuring Attitudes
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 o Formation of Attitudes
o Attitudes across the lifespan

MODULE 7. Conformity, Compliance and Obedience Breckler et al

Chapter 8
o The power of groups to control behaviour and
individual members: conformity, or majority
influence, minority influence and obedience
o Attitude change
o Persuasive communication, especially in
advertising and the media

MODULE 8. Stereotypes, Prejudice and Discrimination: Breckler et al

Chapter 9
o Social exchange: fairness and equity; strategic
interaction: competition and cooperation
o Prejudice
o Cultural and gender diversity

MODULE 9. Group Dynamics and Intergroup Conflict Breckler et al

Chapter 10
o Social Facilitation
o Social Loafing
o De-individuation
o Leadership
o Intergroup Conflict

MODULE 10.Aggression and Violence Breckler et al

Chapter 11
o Types of aggression
o Theories of aggression
o Influences on aggression
o Controlling aggression
MODULE 11. Helpful Social Behaviour Breckler et al
Chapter 12
o Helping others: Altruism
o Gender and helping
o Situational influences

MODULE 12.Liking, loving and close relationships Breckler et al

Chapter 13
o Establishing Friendships
o Love
o Family, Friends, Lovers, Spouses
o Maintaining Relationships

MODULE 13.Social Psychology in your Life Breckler et al

Chapter 14
Social Psychology impact on:
 Government
 Business and Organization
 Law
 Health and Medicine
 Education – Research
MODULE 14. REVIEW

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