Introduction to Social

Psychology
Course-PSY 454A

Devpriya Kumar
(devpriya@iitk.ac.in)
Social Behaviour- The Elevator experiment
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOOsfkM-nGQ
Social Psychology
• What is social Psychology?

• Social Psychology vs Psychology?

• Social Psychology vs other disciplines studying social behaviour

(sociology, behavioural economics)?
 Social Behaviour
• How people behave in society?

• Why do people commit crime?

• Society level analysis – Poverty,
Unemployment

• Individual level analysis – in terms of persons

unique life/ psychological characteristics
(motives, personality)

• Interpersonal level – Focuses on a person’s

current social situation
Social Psychology
• How we perceive social events
(attributions).

• How we perceive others (Prejudice,

stereotypes).

• How are we influenced by others

( Attitudes, influence).

• Nature of relationship between

individuals (Friendship, altruism).
Social psychology as Science
• Ideas discussed in social psychology sound commonsensical

• Common sense vs. Scientific investigation.Is astrology a science?

• Way of gaining knowledge.

• The only way of gaining knowledge?

Defying commonsense
• 1.Is an agreeable person more likely to do “bad thing”?
• 2. Uniform influences your behaviour? (Police uniform vs. Military gear)
• 3. Language influences your perception of the world? (Bilinguals)
• 5. Branding influences quality perception?
• 6. Distractions help productivity? (watching funny video before task
results in lesser error)
• 7. People who own more are not happier? (materialistic people are less
healthy and happy)
• 8. Doing favors for a person increases his likeability?
Structure of the course
• Social psychology as a branch of psychology - its historical
background
• Features & Methods of contemporary social psychology.
• Social Cognition and Social Perception.
• Attitudes, stereotyping and prejudice.
• Self and Identity
• Interpersonal attraction, aggression and violence, prosocial
behaviour.
• Social influence - Social facilitation. Social loafing, Social power,
Conformity and Compliance, Obedience to authority.
• Social Groups- Coalition formation, Group dynamics,
• Social motivation.
Resources
• Baron & Branscombe, Social Psychology, Pearson.
• Aronson, The Social Animal, Worth Publishers.
• Aronson and Aronson, Readings about The Social Animal.

• Journal Articles and Handouts, TBA

Structure of Classes
3 lectures/discussions per week
1 term paper + assignments+ Quizzes
Marks Distribution
◦ Mid-semester: 20%
◦ End-Semester: 20%
◦ Assignments: 20%
◦ Quiz: 20%
◦ Term Paper: 10%
◦ Class Participation: 10%
Grading: Relative
Office Hours:
 Prior appointment via
mail for setting up
separate discussion
sessions.
 TA's
 Rujuta (rujuta@)
 Aditi (aditijub@)
 Instructor
 Devpriya (devpriya@)