Social Psychology (PSYC/SOC 30)

INTERNET COURSE
Saddleback College Ticket # 15825

Instructor Contact Information

Kathryn Damm, Ph.D.

Office: BGS 323
Voicemail: (949) 582-4816
Email: kdamm@saddleback.edu

Instructor Office Hours

Drop in Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 12n-1:30p

Online: Tuesdays 8:30a-10:30a skype: kldamm1
Additional Office Hours: by email and by appointment

Course Description (from College Catalog)

Recommended Preparation: PSYC 1

The purpose of this course is to provide a broad survey of social psychological analysis of human
social behavior. Put in very general terms, we will be concerned with behavior in social settings,
with how a person affects, and is affected by, other people. Our purpose is to review the social
psychological literature, and more generally, to familiarize you with the types of questions social
psychologists ask and the concepts and methods they use in attempting to answer them.
A social psychologist looks at the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of both individuals and groups.
The field also examines interpersonal interaction, analyzing the way in which someone interacts
with other people, whether on a singular basis or in the form of a large group. Social psychology
also examines cultural influences like advertisements, books, films, television, and radio, looking at
the ways in which these influences impact human behavior.

Student Learning Outcomes

In addition to providing a survey of the science of social psychology, the course objectives are as
follows:
1) to demonstrate the scientific nature of the study of social psychology.
2) to enable students to think critically about research in social psychology.
3) to demonstrate the importance of studying human social interaction.
4) to recognize and apply social psychology constructs in your own life experiences.

Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: Identify the interactive effects of
psychology and sociology on behavior
1. Describe the actual, imagined or implied presence of others' effects on behavior
2. Analyze the specific social-psychological phenomena by applying appropriate major
theoretical models
3. Explain both general and specific perceptual characteristics that impact behavior
4. Identify how the processes of social perception influence how we perceive ourselves, other
individuals and other groups in society
5. Discuss the concepts of conformity, obedience, attitude formation, persuasion, and group
processes
6. Evaluate current issues and controversies in the field of social psychology

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Required Textbook

Title: Social Psychology, 7th Edition

Authors: Aronson, Wilson, Akert
Publisher: Pearson
ISBN: 9780205796625
This book can also be purchased as an ebook for $75.99 online using this link (also
includes a free TRIAL version too): http://www.coursesmart.com/0205917070/?a=1773944

Additional Required Readings:

Additional research articles and web site links will be made available to on the course Blackboard
website for students to read as part of the weekly reading. They are found in the Course Materials
folder for that unit.

Communication

Saddleback College provides each student with an email address that can be accessed through
MySite. Please note that your professor will use this email address to contact you and provide you
with feedback on your work; therefore, it is imperative that you check your email address on a
regular basis. If you are not accustomed to or willing to check this address on a regular basis, you
can set up the account so that it forwards email to an email address that you do use on a regular
basis.

When contacting your professor, please identify yourself by placing the ticket number for our
class in the subject line and your full name and class name in the body of the email to
ensure a prompt response; failure to provide this information will delay replies to your email.
Also, it is recommended that you utilize your Saddleback College email account when emailing
your professor as other email services (e.g., Hotmail) may block replies from your professor.

Emails will be returned promptly. Your professor responds to all student emails, so if you do not
receive a response within 36 hours, please resend your email or check your spam folder as it is
likely that your message was not received or that the reply email was blocked by your email
service provider. Please note, however, that email responses may be delayed on weekends
and holidays, but will still be responded to within approximately 36 hours unless otherwise
posted in advance.

Lesson Plan

Course Materials:
Blackboard Website Usage:
This internet-based system will be used for the entire course. It allows for class/faculty interaction
and includes: class email lists, discussion boards, announcements, on-line quizzes and exams,
grade posting, etc. Instructions to login are posted at the end of the syllabus.

Learning Resources:
You are expected to use the textbook and the posted additional readings as your primary sources
of learning. These texts have been selected for its visual aides and ease of reading. Each chapter
will also have supplementary guides, activities, or videos for you to use for learning the material.
You will find these tools in each of the Course Materials folders for that unit.

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Course Evaluation & Requirements

Discussion Board Activities and Assignments: Students will be required to complete research or
an activity and to submit thoughtful and clear answers to the questions posted each week. You
are also required to respond other students’ discussion postings to fulfill this requirement.
Posts will be due on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Course material and links to discussion
posts will be grouped by deadlines in the course website.
 All posts are due by 7:00pm. (I am not a fan of midnight deadlines as I guarantee I’m not
awake if you hit a technical glitch. All of my deadlines are 7:00pm). Each posting will be
graded based on a) how well it addressed the specific question and b) quality of thoughts
expressed. Directions and a rubric for discussion boards are posted in the
Syllabus/Orientation folder in Blackboard. Each Discussion Topic is worth 5 points total, 3
for the original post and 2 for the reply post. There are a total of 11 Discussion Topics this
term. You will be required to complete 2 discussion topics per week except on the weeks
when you have an exam. Only 10 discussion topics will count towards your grade.
Dropping the lowest discussion grade will allow you to overcome an instance where you
missed the deadline or did not understand the assignment.

 Exams: There will be a total of three exams in this course, worth 75% of your grade. Each
exam will cover the chapters and course lecture material described on the Course Schedule
and will not be cumulative in nature. The three exams are worth 100 points each. Exams can
only be taken once and will be administered entirely on the internet, with a time limit to
complete the exam once it has been. The exams will be available from 7:00a Friday to 7:00p
Saturday of the week they are assigned (see schedule). Be sure to prepare by reading and
reviewing chapters, as well as all additional course materials before taking the exams.
Students will submit their answers through the Blackboard website.

 Recycle Persuasion Project: A presentation will be worth 16% of your

grade. You will work a group of classmates to generate a persuasion
project using a Social Psychological Theory of Persuasion. Details about
group membership and theories to choose from will be posted online. Each
group will attempt to persuade other Saddleback students to recycle using
Social Psychology. More details about the accompanying paper and
persuasion project will be described online.

 Presentation: Your group will choose one of two ways to present

your persuasion project; podcast of vodcast. Details about submitting both techniques
are provided online. Groups will present on one persuasion methodology as it can be
applied to recycling. Deadlines and grading rubrics for the presentation will be posted
on the Assignments link. Presentations will be limited to 3 minutes in length.
 Paper: Each student is required to write a separate APA style research paper to
accompany the group presentation. The paper should follow APA style with double
space, 12 pt Times New Roman font, and should be at least 3 pages. The paper grade
will be scored based on how well the paper (a) clearly describes the persuasion
technique/ theory, (b) describes how the persuasion method was applied to recycle
message, and (c) is written in terms of quality and clarity. Deadlines and grading
rubrics for the paper will be posted on the Assignments link

Information about assignments is posted in Blackboard. All assignments will be turned in on the
Blackboard website (do not send assignments via email to the instructor). All assignments will
be due by 7:00p on the Fridays they are assigned. Please see our course schedule.

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 Note that the plagiarism policy in this class (below) is that students receive a zero for plagiarized
assignments with no chance to make up the work. If you have concerns about your ability to
write in your own words or simply need help writing or proofreading, contact the Saddleback
College Writing Center on campus 949-582-4784 or sbwritinglab@saddleback.edu.

Grading

There are a total of 500 points available to be earned in this class.

Discussion Board Contributions = 50 points
Exams (100, 100, 100 points) = 300 points
Recycle Project Presentation = 80 points
Recycle Project Paper = 70 points

Final letter grades will be based on the percentage of total points earned in the class. The
following scale will be used in assigning final letter grades:
90% - 100% = A
80% - 89% = B
70% - 79% = C
60% - 69% = D
≤ 59% =F

Class policies

Class Conduct:
Most of the material for this course was written or produced by ethnic minority individuals who
come from a very different worldview and background than mainstream American or White culture,
and thus may hold a very different perspective that is seeped in their history. Some of you may
find some of the material offensive and overly critical on Western culture, or you may find the
material hard to believe. Therefore, our dialogs may be difficult and uncomfortable at times when
we talk about history, race, culture, religion, and worldview. We may disagree with each other at
times, but we must maintain respect for each other at all times. So, I ask you as another
human being to allow yourself to be uncomfortable at times and open to new/different ways of
thinking and seeing.

As such, our class will be a safe learning environment for everyone. Ground rules for class
conduct involve:
- Confidentiality. This rule mandates that anything said in class is automatically confidential
unless students have obtained permission from the speaker to share what was said (e.g., “I
liked what you said and was wondering if I could share that with my roommate”).
- Respect. Students do not have to agree with what other people say, but they should accord
others a basic degree of respect. Inappropriate or unkind comments will not be tolerated. A
good general rule of thumb is to ask yourself: “is this something I would say to my
grandmother?” If not, then maybe it is not the best thing to say.

Online “conversations” are different from in-person conversations, and we cannot use tone of
voice or body language to help us determine intentions behind the words. It is imperative that you
are careful in your discussion board posts (and emails) to use appropriate language that cannot
be mistaken for something else. For example, even with the addition of smiles, it can still be
difficult to know whether you were joking.

Especially in the discussion boards, I cannot keep up with all posts when they happen. If you
notice an inappropriate comment, please send me an email immediately. You should do so even if

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you think the author of the post had good intentions but that the post could be taken the wrong way
by accident.

If a student is found to be disrespectful and/or providing a negative learning environment

for others he or she will receive a warning or immediately dropped from the course
according to the instructor’s discretion.
Please go to the following websites for information on “Netiquette”:
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/
http://www.chirpingbird.com/netpets/html/computer/emoticon.html

Missed Assignment/Exam Policy:

Late assignments/exams will not be accepted. If you must contact the instructor to inquire about
documented valid excuses (medical emergencies with a medical note, etc.), you are required to
contact the instructor before the due date of the assignment. With an accepted excuse,
students will lose 10% of the total points for the assignment for each day it is past the due date, so
it is in your best interest to contact me ASAP. To request a late assignment or late exam,
please use the appropriate form found in the Syllabus/Orientation folder in Blackboard.

Technical Difficulties:
If you experience difficulties with Blackboard that last beyond a few hours, you must immediately
contact your professor. General questions or problems with navigating Blackboard can often be
resolved by reading the general instructions for Blackboard available at
http://www.saddleback.edu/itc/user/blackboardfaq.html

If you do have a technical difficulty, it is your responsibility to contact your instructor (by
sending an email or leaving a voicemail) as soon as possible after experiencing the
problem with a detailed account of the technical issue (e.g., a screen shot of the error
message or problem you encounter would be helpful). This serves as a time stamp for
when our problem occurred. A true technical difficulty may be accepted as a one-time
excuse for not turning in an exam on time if these directions are followed and the time
stamp on the email is more than 1 hour before the due date. After a one-time exception is
given, it is expected that the student work with technical support staff on campus and the
instructor to learn how to avoid future technical difficulties. This policy is to assure that
technical difficulties are not encountered during online exams by preventing the possibility
of recurrent technical issues. Please note that exam dates will not be extended for
technical difficulties related to personal computer equipment, only for system-wide
Blackboard errors. You have at least 7 hours to complete each exam; therefore, it is
suggested that you do not wait until the last minute to complete them, as all assignments
completed within 1 hour of the due date are done so at your own risk.

Preventing Technical Difficulties:

To ensure that there are no technical difficulties while taking the online quizzes and exams
you will need to close all OTHER BROWSERS, allow POP-UPS, and DO NOT click on
“Refresh” as this can cause the website and the exam to freeze up and kick you out of the
system. In this instance it will show that you have completed the exam and any questions
you have not answered will be marked incorrect. Please make sure you click on “submit”
once you have completed the exam (if you only chose “save” the exam is not submitted to
me). Please use “Firefox” (go to firefox.com to download; do not use “Vista” as your
browser) as your internet browser as it seems to work best when taking online exams.
Students must also make sure they are on a WIRED CONNECTION (do not use a wireless
router) when completing exams. Make-ups will not be allowed for such avoidable technical
difficulties. Also, make sure your internet connection is not moving slower than usual

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 before you take the exam as this could cause your exam to not be processed upon
submitting it. Do not wait until the last minute to take exam as technical difficulties will not
be considered if it is within the last 24 hours allotted to complete the exam.
Please see my youtube video for more tips for avoiding problems during exams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDP_saT1HhI

Academic Dishonesty Policy:

Academic dishonesty in the form of cheating on an exam or plagiarizing the written work of others
is considered a very serious offense & will not be tolerated in this course. Examples of academic
dishonesty are: unacceptable examination behavior (communicating with other students, copying
an exam from another person, allowing another student to copy your own exam, using cheat
sheets or other unauthorized material), plagiarism (using another individual’s words as your own
and/or not citing another individual’s work), fraud, unauthorized collaboration (including allowing
other students to read your completed papers), and document falsification. Academic dishonesty
of any type will not be tolerated. If a student is suspected of or caught cheating on any test or
assignment, he/she will receive a grade of zero on that test or assignment and an Academic
Dishonesty Report will be filed with the Dean’s office to be retained on record. It is very important
to avoid putting yourself in the position of even being suspected of cheating (working with others
on exams or assignments) or plagiarism (i.e., using another’s words as if they were your own
written words), as very serious consequences may result and remain on your student record. See
the Student Handbook for more information on academic dishonesty,
http://www.saddleback.edu/media/pdf/handbook.pdf

Student Services

There are several student support services available to all students through Saddleback College.
General Student Service Information is available at the Saddleback College Website. General,
academic, and service information can be obtained by accessing the Counseling Division and
Financial Aid Websites. Individual and small group counseling information such as academic
planning and review of transcripts is available by appointment. All other student services are
available on campus during normal business hours. You are encouraged to take advantage of
such resources including:

Learning Assistance Program (LAP) Tutoring Center:

The Learning Assistance Program offers free tutoring for Saddleback College students in most
subject areas. The LAP is located in Library 114.

Counseling:
Counselors are available to assist students in the areas of academic advisement, career planning,
and personal counseling. For an appointment or for information regarding the availability of drop-in
counseling, call 582-4572.

Special Services for Students with Disabilities:

This course meets the requirements set forth in the accessibility checklist and universal design grid
provided by Special Services. The Web pages, video presentations, textbooks, and class
materials used in this course are accessible to students with disabilities. The Special Services
Office can be reached by calling 582-4885 and is located in the Student Services Center, room
113. Students should also speak with the Instructor as soon as possible so that we can work
together to make sure that your learning needs are met.

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Getting Started in Blackboard
1. Go to http: //socccd.blackboard.com/ (Note:You do
not need to go through the Saddleback College
website to access Blackboard, although the main
Saddleback website has a link to it under the “Online
Education” tab.)

2. Enter your Username (the first part of your

Saddleback College email address; the part that
comes before the @ sign only) and Password (the
pin number you chose when you first registered for
classes. It may or may not be the same password as
you use to access your MySite and your Saddleback
email accounts).

3. Click on PSYC 30 – SOCIAL PSY under My Courses on the right hand side.

4. Use the menus to the left to navigate the system.

Video instructions for Blackboard are on the Saddleback Library youtube website:
http: //youtu.be/0Z60Y97WHng

Trouble logging in? Additional questions about email, MySite, Blackboard features?
Contact the Saddleback Student Help Desk
(949) 582-4363 (Monday thru Thursday from 8 am to 8 pm and Friday from 8 am to 2 pm)
(866) 940-8991 (24/7 Blackboard Support)
Email: scstudenthelp@saddleback.edu
Website: http://www.saddleback.edu/de/student-technical-support/
2. Click on PSYC 30 - SOCIAL PSY under My Courses on the right hand side.

Important Dates
First Week of Class Begins: Monday, 2/9/2015
Add without Instructor Permission by: Sunday, 2/8/2015
Last Day to Add with APC*: Thursday, 2/26/2015
Drop with Refund by: Tuesday, 2/17/2015
Elect Pass/No Pass by: Tuesday, 3/10/2015
Drop without 'W' Grade by: Thursday, 2/26/2015
Drop with 'W' Grade by: Monday, 4/20/2015
Last Week of Class Ends: Thursday, 5/21/2015

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 PSYC 30 COURSE CALENDAR
Module Week Topic Readings 7pm Deadlines
1 1 Introduction Chapter 1
to the Field
Methodology Chapter 2 Discussion (Wed 2/11)
Wilson, T. D., Aronson, E., & Carlsmith, K. (2010). The art of laboratory Reply Post (Sat 2/14)
experimentation. In S. T. Fiske, D. T. Gilbert, & G. Lindzey (Eds.),
Handbook of social psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 49-79). Boston, MA:
McGraw-Hill.
2 Social Chapter 3 Discussion (Wed 2/18)
Cognition Platek, S. M., Critton, S. R., Myers, T. E., & Gallup, G. G., Jr. (2003). Reply Post (Sat 2/21)
Contagious yawning: The role of self-awareness and mental state
attribution. Cognitive Brain Research, 17, 223-227.
3 Social Chapter 4 Discussion (Wed 2/25)
Perception Chandler, J., & Schwartz, N. (2009). How extending your middle finger Reply Post (Sat 2/28)
affects your perception of others: Learned movements influence
concept accessibility. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45,
123-128.
Pelham, B. W., Mirenberg, M. C., & Jones, J. T. (2002). Susie sells
seashells by the seashore: Implicit egotism and major life decisions.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82, 469-487.
4 Exam 1 (open Fri 3/6 7am to Sat 3/7 7pm)
2 5 Self- Chapter 5 Discussion (Wed 3/11)
knowledge Schachter, S., & Singer, J. E. (1962). Cognitive, social, and Reply Post (Sat 3/14)
physiological determinants of emotional state. Psychological Review,
69, 379-399.
6 Self-Esteem Chapter 6 Discussion (Wed 3/18)
& Persuasion Zhong, C., Bohns, V. K., & Gino, F. (2010). Good lamps are the best Reply Post (Sat 3/21)
police: Darkness increases dishonesty and self-interested behavior.
Psychological Science, 21, 311-314.
SPRING BREAK

7 Attitudes Chapter 7 Discussion (Wed 4/1)

Dar-Nimrod, I., & Heine, S. J. (2007). Exposure to scientific theories Reply Post (Sat 4/4)
affects women’s math performance. Science, 314, 435.
8 Attitude Festinger, L., & Carlsmith, J. M. (1959). Cognitive consequences of Discussion (Wed 4/8)
Change forced compliance. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 58, Reply Post (Sat 4/11)
203-210.
Steele, C. M. & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the
intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 797-811.
9 Conformity Chapter 8 Discussion (Wed 4/15)
Burger, J. M. (2009). Replicating Milgram: Would people still obey Reply Post (Sat 4/18)
today? American Psychologist, 64, 1-11.
10 Exam 2 (open Fri 4/24 7am to Sat 4/25 7pm)
3 11 Group Chapter 9 Discussion (Wed 4/29)
Processes Gersick, C. J. G., & Hackman, J. R. (1990). Habitual routines in task Reply Post (Sat 5/2)
performing groups. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision
Processes, 47, 65-97.
12 Aggression Chapter 11 Discussion (Wed 5/6)
Campbell, A. (1999). Staying alive: Evolution, culture, and women's Reply Post (Sat 5/9)
intra-sexual aggression. Behavioral & Brain Sciences, 22, 203-252.
13 Prosocial Chapter 12 Discussion (Wed 5/13)
Behavior Darley, J. M., & Latane, B. (1968). Bystander intervention in Reply Post (Sat 5/16)
emergencies: Diffusion of responsibility. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 8, 377-383.
14 Presentation Due Wed 5/20 7pm
Paper Due Fri 5/22 7pm
15 Exam 3 (open Fri 5/22 7am to Sat 5/23 7pm)