Instructor: Ilyse Dobrow
Office: Rm. 515, Tillett Hall, Livingston
E-mail: ilyse@rci.rutgers.edu
Office Hours: Thursday 2:30-4:00
Prerequisites: General Psychology (830:101) or equivalent.

Description: This highly interactive course will cover the social aspects of human behavior. This includes how we think about others, how we influence others and others influence us and how individuals and groups interact.

Course Text: Required. David G. Myers, Exploring Social Psychology, 3rd Edition.

Required. Supplemental readings, on electronic reserve. For access, go to the Rutgers Libraries website, click on IRIS, then on RESERVE DESK in the upper left-hand corner. Enter “Dobrow” as the instructor and print out the article you want.

Attendance. Attendance will not be graded but is important. Lectures will cover material not contained in the text. Information regarding assignments and exams will be communicated during lecture. If you must miss a class, get notes and any class announcements from a classmate. Lecture notes will not be posted online.

Participation:Participation is important. This class will incorporate discussions on a regular basis. Students who participate in these activities will gain a more thorough understanding of the material, which will be advantageous when taking exams.

Grading Policy: Grades will be based on three assignments: a midterm, a final exam (which is not cumulative) and a paper. Any questions concerning grades are to be discussed during office hours. Total grade will be out of 150 points:

50 points: Midterm Exam

50 points: Social norm paper

50 points: Final Exam (will cover only the second half of the course)

Social norm paper. Each student will be required to “break a social norm” and write a 3-5 page paper about his/her experiences. Details about the assignment will be provided in class.

Midterm and Final Exam. The midterm will cover material from the first half of the course, and the final exam will cover material from the second half of the course (material presented after the midterm exam is given). Both tests will be composed of 50 multiple-choice questions that will include material from the text, in-class lecture and class discussion. Throughout the session the instructor will provide guidance regarding general areas of importance for the exam.

• Please bring #2 pencils and erasers to the exams.
• Please bring a picture ID to the exams.

Extra credit. Students will be given the opportunity to participate in a research study for extra credit. Details will be provided in class.

Make-up Policy: Students who miss an exam because they are physically unable to take it as scheduled may request a make-up, which will consist of essay questions. There must be documentation of severe illness or emergency in the form of a letter from the student’s Dean. The letter must be received within one week of the missed exam.

Class Schedule (Subject to change)

Date	Topic	Reading
5/31	Introduction, Research Methods	None
6/1	The Self	Modules 3 and 4 (p. 21-41)
6/2	Attributions and Article Study	Module 6 (p. 51-60) Ross, Amabile, & Steinmetz (1977)
6/6	Intuition, Biases, Heuristics	Modules 7, 8 (p. 61-80) Tversky & Kahneman (1973)
6/7	Behavior and Attitudes *Stanford Prison video	Module 9 (p. 81-90) Festinger & Carlsmith (1959)
6/8	Conformity and Obedience	Module 14 (p. 135-148)
6/9	Conformity and Obedience *Milgram video	None
6/13	Persuasion I	Modules, 15, 16 (p.149-171)
6/14	Persuasion II	Cialdini (2000) chapter
6/15	Group Influence	Modules 17, 18, 19 (p. 173-192)
6/16	Group Polarization, Minority Influence	Modules 20, 21 (p. 193-216)
6/20	MIDTERM
6/21	Prejudice I	Modules 22, 23 (p. 219-246)
6/22	Prejudice II	Greenberg et al. (2003)
6/23	Conflict and Peacemaking	Modules 28, 29 (p. 307-334)
6/27	Aggression	Modules 24, 25 (p. 247-271) Social norm paper due
6/28	Attraction	Modules 26, 27 (p. 273-306) Dutton & Aron (1974)
6/29	Altruism	Module 30 (p. 335-342) Darley & Batson (1973)
6/30	Social Psychology in Clinical Work	Modules 5, 10, 11 Rosenhan (1971)
7/5	Social Psychology and the Law	Bradley (1995)
7/6	Catch-up/Final exam review
7/7	Final Exam