COLUMBUS STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Psychology 2325 "Education is not just the filling of a pail, it is the lighting of a fire." B. F. Skinner COURSE DESCRIPTION: (3 credits) This course provides an overview of the origins,

growth, content and interaction of individuals in social settings, including the application of the scientific method and cultural influence to the following topics: attitudes and attitude change, attribution, social identity (self and gender), social perception (understanding others), social cognition (thinking about others and their social environment), prejudice and discrimination, nonverbal communication, obedience to authority, conformity, aggression, pro-social behavior, interpersonal attraction and behavior in groups. Prerequisites: Grade of C or better in PSY 1100

GENERAL COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Describe and assess the basic psychological theories, principles, and concepts explaining social cognition, attitude formation, decision making, group processes, pro-social behavior, aggression, conformity/obedience and stereotyping/prejudice. 2. Relate knowledge of theory as well as current and past research in social psychology to situations in everyday life such as interpersonal and group relations. 3. Explain how human behavior is influenced by such social factors as groups, authority figures, in-group bias, gender roles, cognitive dissonance, etc. 4. Predict the outcomes of various social situations through application of social psychology principles (for example, attributions, cognitive dissonance, ingroup/out-group behavior, etc.). 5. Relate major concepts and methods of the field to understand interpersonal and group relationships. 6. Assess and critically analyze theories, research methods and findings (outcomes), and applications developed by psychologists and made available through textbooks, newspapers, professional and lay periodicals, and the internet. REQUIRED TEXT: Kassin, S.M., Fein, S., & Markus, H.R. (2011). Social Psychology (8th Ed.). Houghton Mifflin.

Don’t just memorize facts! Learn how to integrate and apply what you learn with what you already know. It is my hope that by the end of the quarter you will have gained some understanding of how psychology relates to behavior, and to your daily life. Above all however, I would like for you to develop your ability to think independently, ask meaningful questions, and approach the answers to those questions with scientific skepticism. These attributes are important regardless of you major field of interest and will remain with you

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much longer than any facts that you may acquire about psychology. In order to attain these goals however, you must take an active role in the course.

BLACKBOARD: Students may access additional course information, handouts, and grade spreadsheets via Blackboard. I encourage you to visit the Blackboard site often to check for news and announcements. Information on how to logon to Blackboard is available at: http://courses.cscc.edu. If a student is not on the current course roster, they cannot remain in the class. All students must be officially registered and paid by the 14th day of the quarter.

CLASS FORMAT: The nature of the class will be primarily interactive lecture with computer presentations and additional visual aids. Group participation will be used occasionally to reinforce principles and improve understanding of the material. Students will be asked questions and also asked for comments. Lectures will follow assigned readings. Not all material in the lecture will be found in the book as it is presented to help clarify or enhance the studied concepts. Conversely, I will not lecture on all material found in the assigned readings. If at any time you find you do not understand material in the lecture or text or have suggestions for improving the course please share it in whatever way you are comfortable. I am willing to meet with you anytime to go over notes, quizzes, exams, or to offer suggestions on study habits. Try to keep your syllabus handy—it’s generally a good idea to know what you’re supposed to be doing and when. If you lose your syllabus, remember that you can obtain one from blackboard. SYLLABUS STATEMENT FOR ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT: CSCC is committed to

assessment (measurement) of student achievement of academic outcomes. This process addresses the issues of what you need to learn in your program of study and if you are learning what you need to learn. The assessment program at Columbus State has four specific and interrelated purposes: 1. to improve student academic achievement; 2. to improve teaching strategies; 3. to document successes and identify opportunities for program improvement; 4. to provide evidence for institutional effectiveness. In class you are assessed and graded on your achievements for this course. You may also be required to participate in broader assessment activities.

EXAMINATIONS AND EVALUATIONS: Grades in this course will be based on a 300

point system.

I do not allow make-up exams, quizzes, labs or accept late assignments unless you are seriously ill or have an extreme personal emergency. In those cases, please contact me before the exam, quiz, lab or assignment due date. Otherwise, you will receive a score of zero. Keep all exam results, assignments, applied concepts, and any other information related to your Psychology 100 grade. Just like the real world, if there is a discrepancy, you must provide evidence for your assertions. Never 2013-2014

assume your email or phone message has been received until you receive confirmation from me! Technology has a way of gobbling up assignments and messages. It is your responsibility to make sure an instructor gets the message/assignment, not the responsibility of technology. If it is an important message you want read or heard, you must make sure it has reached its final destination. The breakdown is as follows:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

EVALUATION 1 Midterm 1 Final Exam 4 Living Day 4 Quizzes 1 Situational Total

Midterm Examination 50 Final Examination 70 Living Experiment Days 15 Quizzes 20 Situational Analysis 100

POINT TOTALS = 50 points = 70 points = 60 points = 20 points = 100 points -----------------= 300 points

Points Points Points each Points Points

FINAL GRADING SCALE 90% (269 – 300) = A 80% (239 – 268) = B 70% (209 – 238) = C 60% (179 – 208) = D