Social Psychology Network

Instructor: Scott Plous Semester: Fall, 2019 Time: 1:20-2:40 PM, Tuesday and Thursday Classroom: Kerr Lecture Hall (107 Shanklin) Enrollment Limit: 150 students Credit: 1.0 A/F (graded only) Teaching Apprentices: Esha Bhandari, Jess Chen, Zoey Goldberg, Katie Lord, Veronica Ross, Sophie Townsend Course Assistants: Zoe Cassels-Brown, Brionna Colson-Fearon, Julia Nacario, Shahid Shabab For Fall, 2020: TA Application Form and CA Application Form

Quick Links Sites of the Week Moodle Course Page Student Assignments Test-Taking Tips Grading Policy Wesleyan Psychology Department

		Our office hours: Please stop by and say hello...

Name Time and Place Top-Secret Hotline Esha Bhandari Wed, 7:00–8:00 pm PAC 411, x2312 (267) 272-3710 Jess Chen Sun, 9:00-10:00 pm PAC 411, x2312 (929) 990-6166 Zoey Goldberg Mon, 7:00–8:00 pm PAC 411, x2312 (301) 266-7468 Katie Lord Thu, 6:00–7:00 pm PAC 411, x2312 (310) 801-2498 Scott Plous Tue/Thu, 3:00–4:00 pm Judd 219, x2368 (860) 685-2368 Veronica Ross Mon, 1:30–2:30 pm PAC 411, x2312 (323) 246-1126 Sophie Townsend Tue, 7:30–8:30 pm PAC 411, x2312 (206) 660-3136

Welcome! The general goal of this course is to provide an overview of classic and contemporary research in social psychology. A wide range of topics will be covered, including:

1. Improve individual and group decision making
   
2. Reduce interpersonal and intergroup conflict
   
3. Enhance human health and well-being
   
4. Address social, societal, and global challenges
   
5. Cultivate empathy in oneself and others

Prerequisites:

No prerequisites are needed. This course is open to anyone who hasn't already taken an introductory social psychology course at Wesleyan (e.g., Psyc263).

Attendance:

Because the lectures will cover material that goes beyond the readings, class attendance is absolutely essential. Students who repeatedly arrive late to class, or who talk while the instructor or other students are speaking, risk being flown to an iceberg and sent out to sea. Please be punctual and refrain from talking in class when others are speaking.

Mobile Phones and Other Devices:

Before each class, kindly turn off all mobile phones, recording devices, video games, portable hair dryers, chainsaws, and nuclear reactors. Research by End et al. (2010) found that the ring of a mobile phone can disrupt the notetaking and test performance of students who hear it, so be considerate of others sitting near you.

Readings:

The required readings include:

• Myers, D. G., & Twenge, J. M. (2018). Social Psychology (13th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. [ISBN #: 978-1260397116]

• Psychology 260 online readings (available through Moodle)

I strongly recommend buying the textbook in e-book format, which is better for the environment and easier on your wallet, but if you'd rather not, you can buy a loose-leaf paper version (McGraw-Hill doesn't offer a bound option). I've also placed loose-leaf copies of Social Psychology on reserve in Science Library.

Please don't use earlier editions of the textbook; too much material is different from the current edition. Also, I would advise against using international editions that differ from the recommended text in pagination or other respects.

The campus bookstore is offering a 180-day e-book rental of the Social Psychology textbook for $44.00, which has the convenience of being accessible directly through Moodle and doesn't require a credit card purchase. All students enrolled in the course are automatically signed up for this rental, which will be billed to their student account after the course add/drop period ends unless they choose to opt-out before 11:59 pm EST on September 13. If you wish to cancel your textbook rental in Moodle, simply follow these steps:

1. Click on the textbook link near the top of our Moodle page.
2. On the VitalSource e-book page, click on "Want to opt out?"
3. Confirm that you'd like to cancel the e-book rental.

Assignments:

During the semester you'll be given four assignments worth a total of 40 course points. Some assignments will be web-based, and others will be participant-observation activities that invite you to experiment with your life and report on the results. The details of each assignment will be given in class a few days before the due date. If at any point you prefer not to complete this work (or if your attempt to complete it is unsuccessful), you can still receive full credit by turning in a one-page report discussing the psychological factors that prevented you from carrying out the assignment. Note, though, that late assignments will not be accepted except in the event of a serious illness or family emergency, so be sure to back up your work and submit the final copy online by noon on the due date.

On most Tuesdays, I'll begin class by sharing a few illustrations of topics covered in the preceding week. In addition, the TAs and I will compile links to web sites and videos that illustrate course topics, and we'll post these links on a Sites of the Week web page. You're welcome to suggest illustrations -- from the web or elsewhere -- whenever you encounter items that might be of interest to the class. If you contribute an illustration, please try to include the full item or article with complete reference information (date, volume, issue number, and page numbers, or web address in the case of an illustration from the Internet).

To avoid the stress of grades based solely on a midterm and final exam, the course will include three exams and four assignments (the third exam will take place during finals week but will not be longer or count more than the exam before it). Each exam will cover the class sessions and assigned readings using fixed choice items (roughly 35 multiple choice and 25 true-false items). Here are a few examples:

Multiple Choice Examples

1. Julia is about to go on a first date with LaVon, whom she has emailed through a singles web site but has never met in person. If Julia fears rejection, she might exhibit self-handicapping behavior by:

A. Talking about her high salary to impress LaVon
B. Pretending that she has a broken arm to get sympathy
C. Arriving late so that she has an excuse if LaVon doesn't like her
D. Bringing LaVon an expensive box of chocolates

2. Research suggests that the overjustification effect is mainly a function of self-______:

A. presentation
B. perception
C. serving biases
D. monitoring

True-False Examples

1. As used in social psychology, "attitudes" are generally evaluative in nature (positive or negative), whereas "opinions" need not be.

2. In David Rosenhan's article "On Being Sane in Insane Places," the sanity of the pseudopatients was never detected by hospital workers or other patients on the ward.

Before you turn in a completed exam, please check that no items have been accidentally skipped. In the event that a full page of items is skipped, 50% credit will be given for true-false items and 25% for multiple choice items (the average value that would be received by chance responding), and the resulting exam score will be rounded up or down to the nearest whole point.

Note: Make-up exams or extensions will NOT be given, except in the event of a serious illness or family emergency (e.g., death of a relative). If you're not feeling well before an exam, please contact me right away rather than taking the exam, because once an exam is taken, the score you receive cannot generally be erased. Also, please note that mobile phones and computers must be turned off during exams; anyone found using a mobile device during an examination will automatically receive a score of zero for that exam.

To help prepare for the tests, see Tips on Taking Multiple-Choice Tests and Online Social Psychology Quizzes.

Because students often take a while to develop a successful study strategy for the exams, the first exam will count less than the latter two exams. Specifically, the first exam will count for 120 course points (2 points for each of 60 items on the test), and the latter two exams will each count for 180 points (3 points per test item). Final letter grades will be determined by adding together points from two different sources: (1) the three exams (worth a total of 480 points), and (2) the four assignments (worth a total of 40 points). In other words, all course points are counted equally, regardless of whether they come from exams or assignments.

During the semester, you will be able to check your point total by clicking on the Moodle link at the top of this page. Within one week of turning in an assignment or receiving a scored exam, you should check Moodle and email me immediately if you discover an error (after that time, your scores will generally remain fixed). Likewise, if after speaking with the TAs you feel that your answer to an exam item marked wrong should actually be considered correct, you have one week to email me a statement explaining why your answer is correct.

Once the course is over, your cumulative point total will be translated into a final letter grade. Because the exams in this class will be created from scratch, it's difficult to specify in advance how various exam scores will translate into particular letter grades. Nonetheless, you may use the following cutoffs from a previous year as a rough guide in translating course point totals into letter grades (the final cutoffs will be different from these, but not by much). These cutoffs are based on the Wesleyan Registrar's GPA conversion scale.

I'm happy to say that honor code violations are rare in this class. To keep it that way, here are a few tips: When submitting assignments, make sure that your work is original (not reprinted, excerpted, or adapted from existing work such as papers for other classes, books, articles, web pages). Similarly, all text, tables, figures, and images reproduced from other sources should include clear reference citations, and all quoted passages should use quotation marks to indicate that they're quotations. If you're not sure how to properly cite a source, just ask me rather than risking an honor code violation.

On exam days, the TAs will serve as proctors who remain in the room and ensure that noise and distractions are kept to a minimum. In addition, toward the end of each exam session I will return to answer questions if any of the test items are unclear, so please don't ask the TAs or nearby students for assistance, and please don't answer questions from other students (remember, it's an honor code violation to help others cheat even if you aren't). For more information on the honor code, please see the Wesleyan Student Handbook.

Laptops are permitted, but studies by Fried (2008), Hembrooke and Gay (2003), and Mueller and Oppenheimer (2014) suggest that they tend to lower student performance (not just from browsing the web, answering email, or multitasking, but because laptop notes tend to involve transcription, whereas written notes often involve conceptual reframing and deeper processing). Also, laptops frequently distract other students. For the greater good, then, please don't bring a laptop unless you truly need it.

If you have a disability or any special needs, please notify me and the Dean's Office during the first week of the semester, and I'll do my best to accommodate them. The TAs and I are committed to creating the most inclusive and supportive learning environment possible.

Here's a statement that Wesleyan asks instructors to include in all course syllabi:

Wesleyan University is committed to ensuring that all qualified students with disabilities are afforded an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from its programs and services. To receive accommodations, a student must have a documented disability as defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, and provide documentation of the disability. Because accommodations may require early planning and generally are not provided retroactively, please contact Dean Laura Patey in Accessibility Services, North College, Room 021, or call 685-5581 for an appointment as soon as possible to discuss your needs and the process for requesting accommodations.

Note: Audio or video recording of lectures without permission is not allowed. If it's difficult for you to take notes in class, I'm happy to discuss other options with you.

When I was a student, I often wished my instructors would offer articles and reading suggestions beyond the textbook, so that's what I've done below. These brief readings -- most of which are strictly optional -- will give you a taste of what research journal articles look like, let you dig deeper into some interesting topics, and provide a way to read about social psychology on your own, ideally with a critical eye as to the strengths and weaknesses of the work. Optional readings will never be covered on the exams.

Assignments should be read in the order below following each class (except for assignments immediately before an exam, which may be read early if you prefer).

Tuesday, Sep. 3: Introduction

• Textbook Chapter 1--Introducing Social Psychology
  
• Optional reading: Open Science Collaboration. (2015, August 28). Estimating the reproducibility of psychological science. Science, 349, 943.

Thursday, Sep. 5: The Social Construction of Reality

• Textbook Chapter 2--The Self in a Social World
  

  Lecture link:
  Peter Wason's Four-Card Task

Tuesday, Sep. 10: Interpreting Behavior ("Interpersonal Perception Task" DVD)

• Milgram, S. (2010). Cyranoids In T. Blass (Ed.), The individual in a social world: Essays and experiments (3rd ed., pp. 402-409). London: Pinter & Martin. [Edited]
  
• Rosenhan, D. L. (1973, January 19). On being sane in insane places. Science, 179, 250-258. [Edited]
  
• Dunning, D., Johnson, K., Ehrlinger, J., & Kruger. J. (2003, June). Why people fail to recognize their own incompetence. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12(3), 83-87.

  Lecture link:
  Salience Study by Taylor and Fiske (1978)

Thursday, Sep. 12: Attributional Biases

• Textbook Chapter 3--Social Beliefs and Judgments

  Lecture link:
  Research Randomizer

Tuesday, Sep. 17: The Relationship Between Attitudes and Behavior

Deadline: Random Assignment Assignment Due (print copy collected in class)
• Textbook Chapter 4--Behavior and Attitudes (pp. 89-100)
  
• Optional reading: Larrick, R. P., & Soll, J. B. (2008). The MPG illusion. Science, 320, 1593-1594.

Thursday, Sep. 19: Cognitive Dissonance and Self-Perception

• Textbook Chapter 4--Behavior and Attitudes (pp. 100-110)
  
• Lee, S. W. S., & Schwarz, N. (2011). Wiping the slate clean: Psychological consequences of physical cleansing. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 20, 307-311.
  
• Tips on Taking Multiple-Choice Tests (to help prepare for exam)

Tuesday, Sep. 24: Deindividuation and Dehumanization ("Quiet Rage" Video)

• Textbook Chapter 5--Genes, Culture, and Gender
  
• Hyde, J. S. (2007). New directions in the study of gender similarities and differences. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16, 259-263.
  
• Optional reading: Zell, E., Krizan, Z., & Teeter, S. R. (2015). Evaluating gender similarities and differences using metasynthesis. American Psychologist, 70(1), 10-20.
  
• Optional reading: Arnett, J. J. (2008). The neglected 95%: Why American psychology needs to become less American. American Psychologist, 63, 602-614.

  Lecture link:
  Stanford Prison Experiment

Thursday, Sep. 26: First Examination

Tuesday, Oct. 1: Obedience to Authority ("Obedience" Video)

• Blass, T. (2009). From New Haven to Santa Clara: A historical perspective on the Milgram obedience experiments. American Psychologist, 64, 37-45.
  
• Burger, J. M. (2009). Replicating Milgram: Would people still obey today? American Psychologist, 64, 1-11.
  
• Optional reading: Blass, T. (2002, March/April). The man who shocked the world. Psychology Today, pp. 68-74.
  
• Optional reading: Doliński, D., Grzyb, T., Folwarczny, M., Grzybała, P., Krzyszycha, K., Martynowska, K., & Jakub Trojanowski, J. (2017). Would you deliver an electric shock in 2015? Obedience in the experimental paradigm developed by Stanley Milgram in the 50 years following the original studies. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 1-7.

Thursday, Oct. 3: Conformity ("Candid Camera" DVD Clips)

• Textbook Chapter 6--Conformity and Obedience

  Lecture link:
  Solomon Asch's Line Judgment Task

Tuesday, Oct. 8: Persuasion: An Overview of Tactics

Deadline: Norm Violation Assignment Due (uploaded in PDF format via Moodle by noon)
• Textbook Chapter 7--Persuasion
  

  Lecture links:
  The Non-Conformist's Oath
  William McGuire's Schematic of Attitude Research
  

Thursday, Oct. 10: Compliance Techniques

• Cialdini, R. B. (2003, August). Crafting normative messages to protect the environment. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12(4), 105-109.
  
• Burger, J. M., Messian, N., Patel, S., del Prado, A., & Anderson, C. (2004). What a coincidence! The effects of incidental similarity on compliance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 35-43.
• Optional reading: Cialdini, R. B., & Schroeder, D. A. (1976). Increasing compliance by legitimizing paltry contributions: When even a penny helps. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34, 599-604.

  Lecture link:
  Foot-in-the-Door Experiment

Tuesday, Oct. 15: Negotiation and Group Dynamics ("Abilene Paradox" Video)

• Optional viewing: Ury, W. (2015, January 7). The power of listening (TEDxSanDiego, 15:40 minutes).
  
• Optional reading: Harvey, J. B. (1988). The Abilene Paradox: The management of agreement. Organizational Dynamics, 17(1), 16-43.

Thursday, Oct. 17: Individual Versus Group Performance (Class Experiment)

• Textbook Chapter 8--Group Influence

Tuesday, Oct. 22: Fall Break!

Thursday, Oct. 24: Intergroup Relations

• Textbook Chapter 9--Prejudice
  
• Optional readings on racial biases in criminal justice:
  • Fazzalaro, J., Barone, K., Ross, M. B., & Kalinowski, J. (2018, October). State of Connecticut Traffic Stop Data Analysis and Findings, 2015-16 (Supplemental Report). New Britain, CT: Connecticut Racial Profiling Project.
  • Perez, T. E. (2011, December 19). Investigation of the East Haven Police Department. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Office of the Assistant Attorney General.
    
  • Nellis, A. (2016, June 14). The color of justice: Racial and ethnic disparity in state prisons. Washington, DC: The Sentencing Project.
  • The Sentencing Project. (2016, July 18). Racial disparities in police use of force exceed disparities in arrests. Race & Justice News.
    
  • Hall, A. V., Hall, E. V., & Perry, J. L. (2016). Black and blue: Exploring racial bias and law enforcement in the killings of unarmed Black male civilians. American Psychologist, 71(3), 175-186.
    
  • Hetey, R. C., & Eberhardt, J. L. (2014). Racial disparities in incarceration increase acceptance of punitive policies. Psychological Science, 25(10), 1949-1954.
    
• Optional readings on felony disenfranchisement:
  • Uggen, C., Larson, R., & Shannon, S. (2016, October 6). 6 million lost voters: State-level estimates of felony disenfranchisement, 2016. Washington, DC: The Sentencing Project.
    
  • The Sentencing Project. (2006, February). Felony disenfranchisement in Connecticut (fact sheet).
    
• Optional reading on racial biases in pain management:
  • Hoffman, K. M., Trawaltera, S., Axta, J. R., & Oliver, M. N. (2016). Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(16), 4296-4301.
    
• Optional readings on racial biases in mortgage loans:
  • Chadbourn, M. (2013, September 13). U.S. mortgage lending up 38 percent, racial disparities persist. Reuters.
    
  • Fitzgerald. J. (2015, December 22). Black, Latino mortgage rejection rates still high. Boston Globe.
    
  • Love, D. (2016, January 31). Study: Racial discrimination in mortgage lending continues to impact African Americans, with a “Black” name lowering one’s credit score by 71 points. Atlanta Black Star.
    
• Other optional research of interest:
  • Major, M., Blodorn, A., & Blascovich, G. M. (2016). The threat of increasing diversity: Why many White Americans support Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 1-10.
    
  • Quillian, L., Pager, D., Hexel, O., & Midtbøen, A. H. (2017). Meta-analysis of field experiments shows no change in racial discrimination in hiring over time. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 114, 10870-10875.
    

  Lecture links:
  Information on Capital Punishment
  Connecticut Racial Profiling Prevention Project
  Collision Course: A 2019 Connecticut Public Documentary
  

Tuesday, Oct. 29: The Faces of Prejudice ("A Class Divided" and "Blue Eyed" DVDs)

• Glick, P., & Fiske, S. T. (2003). An ambivalent alliance: Hostile and benevolent sexism as complementary justifications for gender inequality. In S. Plous (Ed.), Understanding prejudice and discrimination (pp. 225-231). New York: McGraw-Hill.
  
• Optional reading: Lesh, E. (2016). Justice out of balance. New York: Lambda Legal.
• Optional reading: Elliott, J. (2016). A collar In my pocket: The blue eyes/brown eyes exercise. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Thursday, Oct. 31: Group Discussion on Discrimination (20/20 DVD Clip on Prejudice)

• Optional reading: Plous, S. (2003). Is there such a thing as prejudice toward animals? In S. Plous (Ed.), Understanding prejudice and discrimination (pp. 509-528). New York: McGraw-Hill.

  Lecture links:
  Quotation from Charlotte Brontë
  Christo Brand: Mandela: My Prisoner, My Friend
  Your Spooky Social Psychology Crew

Tuesday, Nov. 5: Aggression ("Bobo Doll" and "Does TV Kill?" DVDs)

• Textbook Chapter 10--Aggression
  
• Optional reading: Calvert, S. L., Appelbaum, M., Dodge, K. A., Graham, S., Hall, G. C. N., Hamby, S., … Hedges, L. V. (2017). The American Psychological Association Task Force Assessment of Violent Video Games: Science in the service of public interest. American Psychologist, 72, 126-143.
  
• Optional reading: Devries, K. M., Mak, J. Y., García-Moreno, C., Petzold, M., Child, J. C., Falder, G., et al. (2013, June 28). The global prevalence of intimate partner violence against women. Science, 340, 1527-1528.
  
• Optional reading: World Health Organization. (2013). Global and regional estimates of violence against women: Prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence. Geneva, Switzerland: Author.
  
• Optional reading: American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media. (2009, November). Policy statement -- media violence. Pediatrics, 124(5), 1495-1503.

  Lecture link:
  Fijare Taking Mobile Calls

Thursday, Nov. 7: Second Examination

Tuesday, Nov. 12: Attraction and Intimacy

• Textbook Chapter 11--Attraction and Intimacy
  
• Optional reading: American Psychological Association. (2011). Resolution on marriage equality for same-sex couples. Washington, DC: Author.
• Optional reading: Bialik, K. (2017, June 12). Key facts about race and marriage, 50 years after Loving v. Virginia. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center.
• Optional reading: Passel, J. S., Wang, W., & Taylor, P. (2010). Marrying out: One-in-seven new U.S. marriages is interracial or interethnic. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center.
• Optional reading: Wang, W. (2015, June 12). Interracial marriage: Who is "marrying out"? Washington, DC: Pew Research Center.

Thursday, Nov. 14: Bystander Intervention ("Brother's Keeper" DVD)

• Textbook Chapter 12--Helping

  An Image to Remember....

Tuesday, Nov. 19: Peace and Conflict Resolution

Deadline: Web Interview Assignment Due (uploaded in PDF format via Moodle by noon)
• Textbook Chapter 13--Conflict and Peacemaking
  
• Optional reading: Vedantam, S. (2006, December 4). Iraq and the danger of psychological entrapment. Washington Post, p. A2.

Thursday, Nov. 21: Clinical Applications of Social Psychology

• Textbook Chapter 14--Social Psychology in the Clinic

Friday, Nov. 22: The 19th Annual Day of Compassion

• Award-Winning Examples from the 2014 Social Psychology MOOC

Tuesday, Nov. 26: Social Psychology Online (No Class Meeting)

Thursday, Nov. 28: Thanksgiving Break!

Tuesday, Dec. 3: Tips on Leading a Happy Life ("This Emotional Life" DVD)

Deadline: Day of Compassion Assignment Due (uploaded in PDF format via Moodle by noon)
• Textbook Chapter 15--Social Psychology in Court
  
• Optional reading: Dunn, E. W., Aknin, L. B., & Norton, M. I. (2014). Prosocial spending and happiness: Using money to benefit others pays off. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23(1) 41-47.
  
• Optional reading: Helliwell, J. F., Layard, R., & Sachs, J. (Eds.). (2019). World Happiness Report 2019. New York: Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
  
• Optional reading: Taylor, P., Funk, C., & Craighill, P. (2006, February 13). Are we happy yet? Washington, DC: Pew Research Center.

  Lecture link (required video):
  How to Buy Happiness

Thursday, Dec. 5: Empathy--A Magic Bullet?

• Textbook Chapter 16--Social Psychology and the Sustainable Future

Wednesday, Dec. 11: Third Examination

10:00 am to 11:20 am in Shanklin 107 (where class normally meets)

[Note: Please don't ask to take the test at a different time. The Registrar sets exam times, and even if the TAs and I were able to prepare the exam before the Registrar's required time, administering the test at multiple times would create extra work for the TAs and CAs when they're taking their own exams. We thank you for your understanding.]

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