Psychology 2720A 001

Introduction to 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

2022-2023

 

Psychology 2720A Section 001

Introduction to Social Psychology

 

 

  • CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

 

An introduction to the theories, findings, methods, and problems encountered in the study of people as social beings. Emphasis will be placed on experimental research, conducted both in the laboratory and in the field. Content areas include: attitudes and social cognition, social interaction and influence, group processes and applications of social psychology.

 

Antirequisite: Psychology 2070A/B, Psychology 2780E, the former Psychology 2712F/G.

 

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.

 

Prerequisite: A mark of at least 60% in 1.0 credits of Psychology at the 1000 level.

 

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.

 

Lecture Hours: 2

Tutorial Hours: 1

Course Weight: 0.5

 

 

2.0  COURSE INFORMATION

 

Instructor: Elizabeth Kelly                                                          

       Office: SSC 7440

       Office Hours: Tuesday 1:30-2:30 and by appointment                      

       Email: ekelly6@uwo.ca (include course #PSY2720A in email subject line)                           

 

Teaching Assistants: TBA

                       

Time and Location of Classes:

      

       Lecture 001 – Tuesday 11:30-1:30 (SH 3345)

      

       Tutorial 002 – Wednesday 2:30-3:30 (SSC 2020)

       Tutorial 003 – Wednesday 3:30-4:30 (SSC 2020)

       Tutorial 004 – Thursday 11:30-12:30 (SSC 3026)

       Tutorial 005 – Thursday 12:30-1:30 (UCC 2110)

                                                                         

Delivery Method: In-Person

 

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.


 

3.0  TEXTBOOK

 

Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., Fehr, B., & Sommers, S. R. (2022). Social psychology (7th Canadian ed.). Toronto, ON: Pearson.

- The textbook is REQUIRED.

- The textbook can be purchased directly from the publisher’s website or from the university bookstore.

- The most economical option for this textbook is the eText.

- An accompanying Revel software package is available but is NOT required for course completion.

 

Other course information and materials, such as grades, announcements, and lecture slides, as well as tutorial instructions for participation, assignments, and group projects, are posted on OWL.

 

 

4.0  COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

By the end of the course, students should have gained knowledge of the basic theories, methods, and findings in key areas of social psychology, developed the skills necessary to evaluate social psychology research, and acquired experience working with others to apply their understanding to everyday current social problems.

 

 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge.

  • Describe key concepts and empirical findings in social psychology

Lectures

Textbook readings

Tutorial assignments

Exams

Tutorial assignments

Knowledge of Methodologies.

  • Understand various research methods used by social psychologists

Lectures

Textbook readings

Tutorial assignments

Exams

Tutorial assignments

Application of Knowledge.

  • Apply knowledge of social psychological phenomena to real-world issues

Tutorial assignments

Tutorial discussions

Tutorial project  

Tutorial assignments

Tutorial participation

Tutorial project

Communication Skills.

  • Explain ideas, insights, and implications of social psychological research to various audiences

Tutorial discussions

Tutorial project

 

 

 

Tutorial participation

Tutorial project

 

Awareness of Limits of Knowledge.

  • Evaluate the strengths and limitations of social psychological theories, research methods, and empirical findings

Tutorial assignments

Tutorial discussions

 

 

 

Tutorial assignments

Tutorial participation

 

Autonomy and Professional Capacity.

  • Practice the skills required when managing one’s own learning and collaborating with others

Tutorial discussions

Tutorial project

Tutorial participation

Tutorial project

 

 

 

 


 

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.

 

Evaluation in this course is based on two exams and a tutorial.

 

Exams

 

The course is divided into two sections and there is an exam after each section. Exam questions are multiple-choice format. Exam content is non-cumulative. The exams test material from textbook chapter readings and lectures. Note that lecture slides are outlines only and that lectures incorporate material not covered in textbook chapter readings, thus regular attendance at lectures is highly recommended. The midterm exam is 35% of the final course grade and the final exam is 40% of the final course grade.

 

Tutorial

 

Tutorials are an integral part of learning in this course. Tutorials are facilitated by the teaching assistants to provide students regular opportunities to discuss weekly lecture material, apply their knowledge via activities, and work collaboratively with classmates. The tutorial is 25% of the final course grade. Performance in tutorials is evaluated by completion of weekly written assignments (submitted individually to OWL), on-going participation (attendance), and assessment of a final project (group presentation). More information about tutorial requirements is provided in a supplementary ‘Tutorial Instructions’ document on OWL.

 

 

5.1  POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK

 

Students who are unable to write an exam must submit documentation ASAP to their Academic Counsellor to be granted approval for academic consideration. See section 11.0 for university policy on academic accommodation for absences. Students who miss an exam should also contact the instructor via email (ekelly6@uwo.ca) immediately to report their absence and register for the make-up exam.

 

Academic accommodation will not normally be considered for tutorial work because individual tutorial components are valued at 1% or less of the final course grade and/or entail routinely scheduled collaboration with classmates. Thus, there is no need to contact your instructor, teaching assistant, nor your Academic Counsellor if you cannot submit a tutorial assignment or attend a tutorial. Weekly tutorial assignments are submitted individually to OWL and can always be completed late for partial marks. Tutorial evaluation is therefore structured such that students can miss the occasional assignment and/or tutorial, and still do very well on the tutorial component of the course. Participation at missed tutorials cannot be made-up however, thus students are encouraged to prioritize attending regularly and advised to touch base with their group members when they are absent. Students who do not contribute to the group project preparation throughout the term and final presentation cannot receive the group grade.

 

Note that exams cannot be re-written, evaluative components cannot be re-weighted, nor can extra bonus work be provided.

 

 

5.2  PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT GRADING POLICIES

 

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: https://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

 

Course Component

Date and Time

Midterm Exam

Oct. 18 (11:30am-1:30pm)

Final Exam

Dec. 10-22 (TBA)

Tutorial

 

     Tutorial Assignments

weekly Tuesday (11:55pm)

     Tutorial Participation

weekly Wednesday or Thursday (during tutorial)

     Tutorial Project

presentations last weeks of November (during tutorial)

 

 

7.0  CLASS SCHEDULE

 

The course structure follows the textbook chapter sequence. Topics are covered in the order listed on the schedule. Any changes will be announced ASAP on OWL. Lecture slides are posted on OWL weekly Tuesday mornings before class. Tutorial assignments are posted on OWL weekly Tuesday evenings after class. Students therefore always have seven days to complete each tutorial assignment from the time of posting until the due date the following Tuesday at 11:55pm.

 

Week

Date

Topic

Textbook

1

Sept. 13

Introduction and Methodology

1 & 2

2

Sept. 20

Social Cognition

3

3

Sept. 24

Social Perception

4

3

Oct. 4

The Self

5

5

Oct. 11

Attitudes and Attitude Change

6

6

Oct. 18

Midterm Exam (Chapters 1-6)

 

7

Oct. 25

Conformity

7

8

Nov. 1

Fall Reading Week (no class)

 

9

Nov. 8

Group Processes

8

10

Nov. 15

Interpersonal Attraction

9

11

Nov. 22

Prosocial Behaviour

10

12

Nov. 29

Aggression

11

13

Dec. 6

Prejudice

12

TBA

Dec. 10-22

Final Exam (Chapters 7-12)

 

 


 

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: https://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

 

If a remote proctoring service is used, the service will require you to provide personal information (including some biometric data). The session will be recorded. 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. More information about remote proctoring is available in the Online Proctoring Guidelines. Please ensure you are familiar with any proctoring service’s technical requirements before the exam. Additional guidance is available at the following link: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/onlineproctorguidelines.pdf

 

* Please note that Zoom servers are located outside Canada. If you would prefer to use only your first name or a nickname to login to Zoom, please provide this information to the instructor in advance of the test or examination. See this link for technical requirements: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us  

 

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;
  2. 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 hoursafter 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

 

Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca 

 

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.