SOP 3004-U01: Social Psychology

Fall 2010
CP 197
MWF 11:00 – 11:50am

Instructor: Kevin A. Strubler

Office: DM 291 / DM 142A
Office Hours: MW 3:30 – 4:30 pm or by appointment
Email: kstruble@fiu.edu (though I prefer you e-mail me through Blackboard)
Phone: Psychology Main Office – (305) 348-2880 (for messages in case of emergency)

Course Description:

Social psychology is the study of an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors as he/she
interacts with others. It is based on the principles of psychological science. Theories are
examined through the scientific method. This course with examine several social psychological
theories and the empirical research experiments supporting them. We will discuss the major
topics in social psychology including persuasion, conformity, helping behavior, and aggression.
Students should be prepared to think critically about each topic and to actively participate in
class discussions. Successful completion of the course requires participation in class activities,
completion of all assignments, and timely reading of assigned materials. Readings will be from
the required text and supplemental articles and are due on the dates specified in the attached
course schedule. At the end of the course, you will have a better understanding of the social
interactions that you encounter on a daily basis.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Describe both the primary findings within social psychology as well as the basic
scientific methodology that was used to obtain those findings
2. Identify fundamental research methods in social psychology, including the
development of research questions and hypotheses, measures and manipulations, etc.
3. Define basic social psychological terms and concepts
4. Critically analyze an empirical research article
5. Evaluate the role of the situation on an individual’s behavior

Required Reading:

Textbook
Kenrick, D.T., Neuberg, S.L., & Cialdini, R.B. (2010). Social Psychology: Goals in Interaction
(5th Edition). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson.
(We will skip the majority of the content in Chapters 13 & 14.)

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Additional Articles
(Available on Blackboard)

Article 1 (for W 9.8.10)

Miller, D. T. & McFarland, C. (1986). Counterfactual thinking and victim compensation: A test
of norm theory. Personality & Social Psychology Bulletin, 12, 513-519.

Article 2 (for 11.29.10)

Kassin, S. M. & Kiechel, K. L. (1996). The social psychology of false confessions: Compliance,
internalization, and confabulation. Psychological Science, 7, 125-129.

Blackboard CE6:

This course will utilize the Blackboard (Campus Edition 6) online classroom to provide you with
assignment instructions, grades, and additional materials. It is important that you become
familiar with this software and check the course website on a regular basis because all important
class updates and announcements will be posted online. If you have never used Blackboard
before, or if you want to find additional information about the software, I encourage you to
attend the Blackboard training sessions available to students during the first week of classes.
Please refer to http://ce6.fiu.edu for additional information. Login at
http://online.fiu.edu/login/uts. Enter your username (Panther ID) and password (birthdate in the
format mmddyyyy).

Attendance Policy

Successful completion of this course requires regular class attendance and active participation in
class discussions. Students are expected to complete all assigned readings as indicated on the
Course Schedule in preparation for each lecture. Lectures will clarify and expand upon
information provided in your textbook. Exams will include information from the text, as well as
from class lectures. If you miss a class, you are responsible for obtaining the information
discussed in class from your classmates. If any class or assignment conflicts with a religious
holiday, discuss with me what conflict exists during the first week of classes. I will take
attendance randomly ten times throughout the semester worth 1 point each for a total of 10
possible points toward your final grade.

Course Structure

Exams
There will be four (4) non-cumulative exams in this class. Each exam is worth 50 points and will
consist of multiple-choice questions. On the day of the exam please arrive on time and bring a
#2 pencil. If you arrive after the first person has turned in his/her exam, you will not be allowed
to take the exam. You are responsible for bringing a pencil on exam day. You may only take an
exam on the scheduled date and time unless you contact me prior to the time of the exam to
inform me of your absence and then provide documentation of a serious illness, death in the
family, or other serious emergency that prevented you from being present on the day of the exam.
In the event that you provide adequate documentation for your absence, you will be expected to

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take a make-up exam within one week of the excused absence. I reserve the right to curve the
scores for any exam.

Assignments
There will be two (2) written assignments throughout the semester worth a total of 25 points
toward your final grade. Late assignments will not be accepted.

A. Advertisement Assignment (15 pts) – Find a print advertisement and analyze the ad
from a psychological point of view. Instructions can be found on Blackboard.
[Due W 9.8.10 11am In Class]

B. Helping Assignment (10 pts) – Describe a helping situation you encountered by

applying social psychological theory. Follow the instructions on Blackboard.
[Due M 11.1.10 11am via Blackboard]

To be sure that you have access to Blackboard and have read this syllabus, you will be required
to submit a Practice Assignment on Blackboard. To do this, first download the blank assignment
sheet from Blackboard. Next fill it out with your name and panther ID# and save the file with
this format—LastnamePractice.docx. Then upload this file (substituting your last name in the
filename. If you do this by September 3, 2010 you will receive 1 extra credit point.

Extra Credit
You may earn a maximum of 6 additional extra credit points by using one of the following
methods:

A. Participate in Psychology Department Sponsored Research Studies – You will need

to set up an account at http://fiu.sona-systems.com to see a listing of the available
studies. You must also specify that you want the credits earned to apply to this
course. You will receive 1 research credit for every credit hour in which you
participate. I will double this so that you will get 2 extra credit points added to your
grade for every hour of participation up to a maximum of 6 points (3 hours of
participation). To obtain this credit, I also require that at least one of the studies that
you participate in NOT be conducted online. Therefore, if choosing this option, you
must participate in at least one study in-person. Do not wait until the end of the
semester! Research credits for extra credit must be completed by December 3,
2010.

B. Write an Experimental Paper –You may receive 6 extra credit points by writing an
article summary/critique on one of the articles required for class. This assignment
will be due before the start of class on the day in which we will discuss the
article. Late papers will not be accepted. All assignments must be uploaded through
Blackboard in a valid Microsoft Word document (with the file extension .doc or
.docx). The filename should be in this format—LastnameArticle#.docx—substituting
your last name and the number of the article you reviewed. (For example, if I
submitted a review of the second article my paper would have the filename

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 StrublerArticle2.docx.) Explicit instructions on the format and content of this
assignment can be found on Blackboard. Partial credit may be given at my discretion.

Grading Procedure

Your final grade will include the 4 exams (200 pts), the 2 assignments (25 pts), your attendance
points (10 pts), and any extra credit earned (max 7 pts). The following scale will be used to
assign a final grade:

Grade Percent Points Grade Percent Points

A 93.0 – 100% 219 - 235 C 73.0 – 76.9% 172 - 180

A- 90.0 – 92.9% 212 - 218 C- 70.0 – 72.9% 165 - 171
B+ 87.0 – 89.9% 205 - 211 D+ 67.0 – 69.9% 158 - 164
B 83.0 – 86.9% 195 - 204 D 63.0 – 66.9% 148 - 157
B- 80.0 – 82.9% 188 - 194 D- 60.0 – 62.9% 141 - 147
C+ 77.0 – 79.9% 181 - 187 F below 60.0% below 141

Classroom Conduct

Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Please arrive to class on time. If you must leave early,
please do so as quietly as possible. Cell phones and other potential distractions (like those on
computers) should be turned off or in silent mode. In the event that a personal emergency
necessitates access to your cell phone, you must notify me before class begins and set your
phone to vibrate mode. Anyone engaging in a private conversation during class will be asked to
leave. This includes instant messaging as this can also be distracting to other students.

Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct in any form is a very serious matter, and will not be tolerated in this class.
The term academic misconduct includes (but is not limited to) the following acts: cheating on
examinations, turning in another person’s work as your own, including another person’s words
or ideas in your writing without crediting the source, or engaging in behaviors that prevent other
students in the class from succeeding. Students who engage in academic misconduct will be
sanctioned. Please refer to the Student Handbook for more information.

Disabled Student Policy

The university provides individualized accommodations to students who have disabilities that
may affect their ability to participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. Students
with disabilities are encouraged to contact both me and the Disability Resource Center (GC 190:
305-348-3532) to discuss their individual needs, and the appropriate accommodations will be
made. Be sure to contact me during the first week of classes; these conversations will be
held in strict confidence.

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 SOP 3004-U01: Social Psychology
Fall 2010
**Course Schedule**

DATE TOPIC READING ASSIGNMENT

Week 1 Introduction Chapter 1

*none (content in Practice Assignment

Week 2 Research Methods
class notes only) Due F 9.3.10 (online)

M 9.6.10 Labor Day: No Class

^Extra Credit:
Week 3 Person & Situation Chapter 2 / Article 1 Article 1 Paper Due
W 9.8.10 (online)

Week 4 Social Cognition Chapter 3

F 9.17.10 EXAM 1

Week 5 The Self Chapter 4

Attitudes & Ad Assignment Due

Week 6 Chapter 5
Persuasion M 10.4.10 (in class)

Week 7 Social Influence Chapter 6

M 10.11.10 EXAM 2

Affiliation &
Week 8 Chapter 7
Friendship
Love & Romantic
Week 9 Chapter 8
Relationships
Helping Assignment
Week 10 Prosocial Behavior Chapter 9 Due M 11.1.10
(online)

W 11.3.10 EXAM 3

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 DATE TOPIC READING ASSIGNMENT

Week 11 Aggression Chapter 10

Prejudice,
Week 12 Stereotyping, & Chapter 11
Discrimination

Week 13/14 Groups Chapter 12

F 11.26.10 Thanksgiving Holiday: No Class

*none (content in ^Extra Credit:

Social Psychology &
Week 15 class notes only) / Article 2 Paper Due
Law
Article 2 M 11.29.10 (online)

Week 16 Finals Week: No Classes

W 12.8.10
EXAM 4
9:45-11:45am
^While everyone is responsible for reading each article for class and the exams, you may submit
an Experimental Paper on one for Extra Credit.

**This schedule is tentative and subject to change**