Psychology 2070A 650 FW23

Social Psychology

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

 

WESTERN UNIVERSITY 

LONDON               CANADA 

Department of Psychology 

2023 - 2024 

Psychology 2070A Section 650 

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 

 

  1. CALENDAR DESCRIPTION 

 

An introduction to the theories, methods, findings and problems encountered in the study of people as social beings. 

 

Antirequisite: Psychology 2720A/B, 2780E. 

 

Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. If you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course. 

 

Course Weight: 0.5 

 

2.0 COURSE INFORMATION 

 

Instructor: Dr. James Kim (Pronouns: He/Him/His)  

Office Hours: (e.g., Wednesdays 10:00AM – 11:30AM)  

Email: jkim2828@uwo.ca  

 

Teaching Assistant: Cassidy Trahair (ctrahair@uwo.ca) 

 

Time and Location of Classes: Course content will be offered online asynchronously—you will not be required to attend any weekly class sessions.  

Delivery Method: Online 

 

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness @Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help. 

 

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also contact Accessible Education at aew@uwo.ca  or 519-661-2147. 

 

2.1 Online Learning Notice: 
Please note: For courses delivered in an online format, include an online component, or are required to pivot online, students must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online learning system requirements. Some courses may also require the use of a remote proctoring platform to ensure assessments are taken fairly in accordance with Western’s policy on Scholastic Discipline for Undergraduate Students and Scholastic Discipline for Graduate Students. Please refer to the course syllabus for further information. 

 

 

3.0 TEXTBOOK  

 

Gilovich, T., Keltner, D., Chen, S., & Nisbett, R. E. (2018). Social Psychology (5th edition). New York, NY: W. W. Norton. 

 

The textbook can be purchased as a physical copy via the Western Book Store website or online. It can also be purchased as an etextbook directly from https://digital.wwnorton.com/socialpsych5. 

Both options include access to online tools and study aids.  

Note: The 6th edition of this textbook was recently released this year and may be used instead. 

 

4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES 

 

Students will learn about psychological research, theories, and key concepts within the field of social psychology. The learning objectives for this course follow the American Psychological Association’s guidelines to develop students’ abilities in the following areas:  

 

Knowledge Base in Psychology  

  1. Compare and contrast social psychology with other areas of psychological research. 
  2. Recognize how the social world affects one's thoughts, feelings, and actions. 
  3. Understand basic psychological theories and concepts related to foundational topics in social psychology, including but not limited to social cognition, attitudes, group processes, prosocial behavior, stereotyping/prejudice.

 

Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking  

  1. Use scientific reasoning to interpret social psychological phenomena
  2. Relate major concepts to the appropriate research methods and findings.

 

Ethical and Social Responsibility in a Diverse World 

  1. Understand ethical issues in the context of social psychological research
  2. Consider how social psychological findings could be used to benefit individuals and society

 

Learning Outcome  

Learning Activity  

Assessment 

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge.  

  • Evaluate and think critically about key concepts and theory outlined in the course material. 

Readings & Lectures 

Online Discussions 

 

 

Exams, Writing  

Online Discussions 

 

Knowledge of Methodologies.  

  • Evaluate and think critically about the diverse methodological approaches used in the study  of social psychology. 

Readings & Lectures 

Online Discussions 

 

 

 

Exams, Writing  

Online Discussions 

 

 

Application of Knowledge.  

  • Evaluate and think critically about the real-world implications of the course material. 

Readings & Lectures 

Online Discussions 

 

 

 

Exams, Writing  

Online Discussions 

 

 

 

Communication Skills.  

  • Communicate concepts, findings, ideas clearly and concisely, in language accessible to a non-specialist audience.  

 

Readings & Lectures 

Online Discussions 

 

 

Exams, Writing  

Online Discussions 

 

 

 

Awareness of Limits of Knowledge. 

  • Evaluate the limitations surrounding the generalizability of the findings and the research contexts in which the findings are presented. 
     

Readings & Lectures 

Online Discussions 

 

 

 

Exams, Writing  

Online Discussions 

 

 

 

Autonomy and Professional Capacity. 

  • Identify unique questions you have about social psychology and communicate ideas, information, arguments, and perspectives with other individuals through group discussions. 

Online Discussions 

 

Online Discussions 

 

 

5.0 EVALUATION 

 

The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4.0 and are considered necessary for meeting these learning objectives. 

 

Course evaluation will be based on: two non-cumulative tests (20% each), online discussions (25%), and a cumulative final exam (35%).   

 

EXAMS (75% of final mark) 

 

Exams will cover material from both the textbook and the OWL lectures. Exams will be administered synchronously online and will be conducted using a monitoring platform (Proctortrack). The instructor will alert you to the use of this software towards the start of the term. See Section 10.0 below for more information about exam proctoring software. 

 

Test 1 (20%): The first test will consist of multiple choice questions, and cover information from textbook and lectures covered in Units 1-3. 

 

Test 2 (20%): The second test will consist of multiple choice questions, and cover information from textbook and lectures covered in Units 4-6. 

 

Final Exam (35%): The final exam will consist of multiple choice questions, and cover all lectures and all assigned readings. It is cumulative (i.e., it will assess material from the entire course) but with an emphasis on Units 7-9.  

 

ONLINE DISCUSSIONS (25%)  

 

There will be a discussion forum posted to OWL for each Unit (9 throughout the course), and you will be required to participate in any FIVE of the discussions throughout the term to earn the Online Discussions component of your course grade. You can choose to participate in a maximum of six discussions, in which case your BEST FIVE OF SIX discussion grades will be used to calculate your Online Discussions grade. 

If you participate in more than six discussions, your grade will be based only on the FIRST six—any additional discussions beyond the first six will not be graded.  

 

Forum grades will be based on the quantity and quality of your contributions to these discussions. A successful student in online education is one who takes an active role in the learning process. Discussions will be graded for the quality and content of your contributions. A course rubric is provided on the course website for evaluation of discussion posts. Examples of quality posts may include: 

  • providing additional information to the discussion 
  • elaborating on previous comments from others 
  • presenting explanations of concepts or methods to help fellow students 
  • presenting reasons for or against a topic in a persuasive fashion 
  • sharing your own personal experiences  
  • providing links to resources you have researched that relate to the topic 

 

Each discussion will be open for seven days, from 12:05 AM on Monday until 11:55 PM the following Sunday. You will be required to post at least one question to your group (before 11:59pm on Tuesday) about the previous week's topic as a starting point for discussion. You will also be required to respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts before 11:55PM on Sunday. Once the discussion closes, no more posts can be made. 

Please post early in the week to avoid last-minute problems, as “technical difficulties” is not an acceptable excuse for missing a discussion deadline. 

 

 

5.1 POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK 

Tests – Students who are absent for a test will receive a grade of 0 unless they receive appropriate academic accommodations from their Academic Dean’s office. If academic considerations are approved, the value of the test will be redistributed to the final examination (e.g., if you miss one of the tests, your final exam will be worth 55%). 

For students who have a class conflict during the scheduled Test, they must receive appropriate academic accommodations and a makeup test will be scheduled at a later time. 

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT GRADES 

 

The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages: 

 

70% 1000-level to 2099-level courses 

72% 2100-2999-level courses 

75% 3000-level courses 

80% 4000-level courses 

 

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines, which are as follows (see: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf) 

 

A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level 

A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average 

B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory 

C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements 

D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable 

F below 50 Fail 

 

Note that in the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components. 

 

Policy on Grade Rounding: Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assessment within the course. 

 

6.0 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE 
 

Test 1 (20%) Week 4 (Oct 4) 

Test 2 (20%) Week 9 (Nov 8) 

Online Discussions (25%) Open Monday – Sunday each Unit week 

Final Exam (35%) TBD (Dec 10 – 22) 

 

7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE 

 

Unit 

Date 

Topics  

           Readings  
(5th Ed)             (6th Ed) 

1 

Sept 11 – 17  

Introduction to Social Psychology 

Chs. 1 

Chs. 1 

2 

Sept 18 – 24  

Research Methods / The Social Self 

Chs. 2 & 3 

Chs. 2 & 3 

3 

Sept 25 – Oct 1 

Social Cognition / Social Attribution 

Chs. 4 & 5 

Chs. 4 

 

Oct 4 @ 1pm EST 

Test 1 

4 

Oct 9 – Oct 15 

Attitudes & Persuasion 

Chs. 7 & 8 

Chs. 6 & 7 

5 

Oct 16 – Oct 22 

Social Influence 

Chs. 9 

Chs. 8 

6 

Oct 23 – Oct 29 

Attraction / Close Relationships 

Chs. 10 

Chs. 9 

 

Oct 30 – Nov 5 

READING WEEK 

 

Nov 8 @ 1pm EST 

Test 2 

7 

Nov 13 – Nov 19 

Emotions / Groups 

Chs. 6 & 12 

Chs. 5 & 12 

8 

Nov 20 – Nov 26 

Stereotyping, Prejudice, & Discrimination 

Chs. 11 

Chs. 10 

9 

Nov 27 – Dec 3 

Aggression / Altruism 

Chs.13 & 14 

Chs. 13 & 14 

TBD (Dec 10 – 22) 

FINAL EXAM 

 

 

8.0 LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 

 

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. 

 

With this, we respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers. We acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples (e.g. First Nations, Métis and Inuit) endure in Canada, and we accept responsibility as a public institution to contribute toward revealing and correcting miseducation, as well as renewing respectful relationships with Indigenous communities through our teaching, research and community service. 

 

 

9.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES 

 

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf 

 

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offences. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com). 

 

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating. 

 

In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.  

 

Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University. 

 

10.0 POLICY ON THE USE OF EXAM PROCTORING SOFTWARE 

 

Tests and examinations for online courses will be conducted using a remote proctoring service. By taking this course, you are consenting to the use of this software and acknowledge that you will be required to provide personal information (including some biometric data) and the session will be recorded.  Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet connection and a device that meets the technical requirements for this service. More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available on Western’s Remote Proctoring website at: https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca. 
 

In the event that in-person exams are unexpectedly canceled, you may only be given notice of the use of a proctoring service a short time in advance. 
 

 

11.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES 

 

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:  
https://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12 

 

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:  

  1. For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;  
  1. For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate. 

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation.  

 

https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html 

 

Students seeking academic consideration: 

  • are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;   
  • must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence 

 

Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term. 

 

12.0 CONTINGENCY PLAN FOR RETURN TO LOCKDOWN: IN-PERSON & BLENDED CLASSES 

 

In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence or any other event that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online, as determined by the course instructor. 

 

13.0 STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE 

 

In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette: 

  • please “arrive” to class on time 
  • please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet) 
  • please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material 
  • to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise 
  • In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak 
  • In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable 
  • Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting 

 

The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following: 

  • If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question. 
  • Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking. 
  • Self-identify when speaking. 
  • Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise). 

 

General considerations of “netiquette”: 

  • Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course. 
  • Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing. 
  • Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate. 
  • Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately. 

 

Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct. 

 

14.0 OTHER INFORMATION 

 

Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca  

 

Psychology Undergraduate Program: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/index.html 

 

If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf 

Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca). 

 

Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent. 

 

Policy on the Recording of Synchronous Sessions: Some or all of the remote learning sessions for this course (if scheduled) may be recorded. The data captured during these recordings may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers (name displayed on the screen). The recordings will be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The recordings may be disclosed to other individuals participating in the course for their private or group study purposes. Please contact the instructor if you have any concerns related to session recordings. Participants in this course are not permitted to privately record the sessions, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the student has the prior written permission of the instructor.