Course Syllabus
Course Information
Course number: PSY 3331.001 www.turnitin.com
Course title: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Class ID: 3048580
Term: SPRING 2010 Password: situation
Meeting times: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:30-3:45pm, GR 4.428
Course Description
This course presents an introduction to the field of social psychology. We will examine theory and research
as well as practical applications to social problems. In addition to learning how social psychologists do research, we
will learn about how we think about the social world, how we come to understand other people and ourselves, self-
justification and the need to maintain self-esteem, influencing thoughts and feelings, influencing behavior, influence
in social groups, interpersonal attraction, why people help, why people hurt other people, and causes and cures of
prejudice. Special attention will be paid to what social psychology can offer to the solving of social problems in
these areas and in the areas of health-related behavior and beliefs and the law.
This course is appropriate for students interested in psychology, the health professions, law, political science,
business, advertising, human services, education, communications, gender studies/women's studies, history, public
administration, and sociology—essentially, this course will be interesting to all who are or live among human
beings. Course requirements will include class attendance and participation, exams, and multiple writing
assignments. Satisfies the Core Curriculum Social and Behavioral Science requirement.
IMPORTANT: I want to help you do well in this class! To get the most benefit from your time in this class, read
the material to be discussed before we discuss it in class. You will find classes to be much more interesting and
involving if you come prepared to discuss each day's topic.
Notice that there may be times when you have more than one assignment due on a particular day. You will need to
plan ahead so that you do not fall behind.
"Learning is not the product of teaching. Learning is the product of the activity of the learners."
—John Holt
My job is to guide your learning activity by requiring you to engage in the behaviors that will help
you learn.
JAN 19 JAN 21
Ch. 2: Research methods Ch. 2: Research methods
Journal entry for Ch. 1 due in eLearning 2:30pm Journal entry for Ch. 2 due in eLearning 2:30pm
JAN 26 JAN 28
Ch. 3: Social cognition Ch. 3: Social cognition
CPR-1 DUE at www.turnitin.com 2:30pm Journal entry for Ch. 3 due in eLearning 2:30pm
Class ID: 3048571 CPR-1 Text Entry ends 2:30pm
Password: teaching
FEB 2 FEB 4
Ch. 4: Social perception EXAM 1: Chs. 1-4
Journal entry for Ch. 4 due in eLearning 2:30pm
CPR-1 Calibration & Review BEGINS
2:30pm
FEB 9 FEB 11
Review Exam 1 Ch. 5: Self-knowledge
Ch. 5: Self-knowledge Journal entry for Ch. 5 due in eLearning 2:30pm
CPR-1 Calibration & Review ends 2:30pm
FEB 16 FEB 18
Ch. 6: Self-justification Ch. 6: Self-justification
CPR-1 Results available; CPR-2 Text Entry Journal entry for Ch. 6 due in eLearning 2:30pm
BEGINS 2:30pm Plagiarism tutorial
Certification of Completion due
FEB 23 FEB 25
Ch. 15: Social psych & health Ch 7: Attitudes and attitude change
Journal entry for Ch. 15 due in eLearning 2:30pm Journal entry for Ch. 7 due in eLearning 2:30pm
Plagiarism tutorial LAST CHANCE to turn in your plagiarism
Certification of Completion due tutorial Certification of Completion
MAR 2 MAR 4
EXAM 2: Chs. 5, 6, 15, 7 Review Exam 2
CPR-2 DUE at www.turnitin.com 2:30pm Ch. 8: Conformity and compliance
CPR-2 REVISIONS DUE at www.turnitin.com
2:30pm
MAR 15-20
NO CLASSES
Enjoy your spring break
MAR 23 MAR 25
Ch. 9: Group processes Ch. 16: Social psych and the law
Journal entry for Ch. 9 due in eLearning 2:30pm Journal entry for Ch. 16 due in eLearning 2:30pm
CPR-2 Calibration & Review ends 2:30pm
MAR 30 APR 1
Ch. 13: Prejudice Ch. 13: Prejudice
CPR-2 Results available; CPR-3 Text Entry Journal entry for Ch. 13 due in eLearning 2:30pm
BEGINS 2:30pm
APR 6 APR 8
EXAM 3: Chs. 8, 9, 16, 13 Review Exam 3
Ch. 12: Aggression
APR 13 APR 15
Ch. 12: Aggression Ch. 11: Prosocial behavior
Journal entry for Ch. 12 due in eLearning 2:30pm CPR-3 Text Entry ends 2:30pm
CPR-3 DUE at www.turnitin.com 2:30pm
APR 20 APR 22
Ch. 11: Prosocial behavior Ch. 10: Attraction, friendships, and relationships
Journal entry for Ch. 11 due in eLearning 2:30pm (extra) Journal entry for Ch. 14 due in eLearning
CPR-3 Calibration & Review BEGINS 2:30pm
2:30pm
APR 27 APR 29
Ch. 10: Attraction, friendships, and relationships EXAM 4: Chs. 12, 11, 10 (not 14)
Journal entry for Ch. 10 due in eLearning 2:30pm CPR-3 Calibration & Review ends 2:30pm
I want to help you be successful in this course in every way I can BEFORE the end of the semester. After April 29,
the course is over. At that point, I simply cannot just give you extra points or additional assignments.
Midterm grades will be calculated by dividing the total number of points earned by the total possible
points that could have been earned on Exam 1 and Exam 2 [(Exam 1 raw score + Exam 2 raw
score)/100].
Field Trip Policies the resources (among others) of turnitin.com, which searches the
Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.
Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are
subject to state law and University policies and procedures Email Use
regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information regarding The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and
these rules and regulations may be found at the website address efficiency of communication between faculty/staff and students
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.ht through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues
m. Additional information is available from the office of the school concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email
dean. exchange. The university encourages all official student email
No travel and/or risk-related activity is associated with this course. correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email
address and that faculty and staff consider email from students
Student Conduct & Discipline official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This
The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
Dallas have rules and regulations for the orderly and efficient identity of all individuals corresponding and the security of the
conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student transmitted information. UTD furnishes each student with a free
and each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules email account that is to be used in all communication with
and regulations that govern student conduct and activities. General university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at
information on student conduct and discipline is contained in the U.T. Dallas provides a method for students to have their U.T.
UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.
students each academic year. Please note that privacy regulations prohibit me from emailing
your grades to you. Grades will be returned in class on designated
The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline days. If you miss one, please come to my office.
within the procedures of recognized and established due process.
Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and Regulations, Withdrawal from Class
Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter The administration of this institution has set deadlines for
VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and withdrawal from any college-level courses. These dates and times
Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration
Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to
the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are handle withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations cannot drop or withdraw any student, even though your paperwork
(SU 1.602, 972/883-6391). may require my signature. You must do the proper paperwork to
ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if
A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.
responsibilities of citizenship. He or she is expected to obey
federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules, Student Grievance Procedures
university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on
subject to discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether Student Services and Activities, of the university’s Handbook of
such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or Operating Procedures.
criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.
In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades,
Academic Integrity evaluations, or other fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is
The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to resolve
and academic honesty. Because the value of an academic degree the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or
depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called
student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a “the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain primary
high standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work. responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter
cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be submitted in
Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, writing to the respondent with a copy to the respondent’s School
acts or omissions related to applications for enrollment or the Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response
award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or provided by the respondent, the student may submit a written
material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the
dishonesty involves one of the following acts: cheating, School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to
plagiarism, collusion, and/or falsifying academic records. Students the Dean of Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the dean
suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary will appoint and convene an Academic Appeals Panel. The
proceedings. decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the
academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.
Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers
for other classes, and from any other source (including your Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in
own work for other past or current classes) is unacceptable the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations.
plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use
Because your learning is my principal concern, I may make changes to this syllabus—assignments,
exams, timelines, etc.—if it will facilitate your learning. All changes will be discussed in class.
NOTE: Please be sure to acquire missed lecture notes, assignments, handouts, and
announcements from a classmate—NOT from me. You are responsible for all
information given in class. This includes any changes to the syllabus, content and format
of exams, and details given regarding assignments. But please come see me for extra
help any time!
Application Journals
1. You will have 16 opportunities to earn up to 30 points toward your final grade by submitting, in eLearning, a
personal experience journal entry corresponding to each of the assigned readings. Each entry will
demonstrate how some event from your personal experience can be understood using a specific theory or
concept from the chapter (bold-faced “glossary” terms). BE SURE TO UNDERLINE (or italicize or in
some way clearly emphasize)THE CONCEPT (e.g., informational social influence) IN YOUR PAPER THE
FIRST TIME IT APPEARS. Important Note: Select a concept relevant to a specific MAIN IDEA of the
chapter. If you’re not sure what I mean, ask me (the term “social psychology” is much too broad to be useful
here, for example, as are “aggression” and “conformity,” but you could select the more specific terms
“instrumental aggression” or “minority influence”).
2. The goal of the journal is to provide you with an opportunity to elaborate on and apply ideas presented in the
reading. Give a real-life example of something that you read about, for example. In the process, you might
also share your reactions to the reading material, critically evaluate an issue, or relate a personal concern or
experience to course content. Journals will be graded on thoughtfulness and thoroughness, but not on the
specific views you express. The equivalent of about one-half to one full page, double-spaced, will be
sufficient—please do not write more than one page. You can receive 0-3 points per entry (0=incorrect or
incomplete; 1=complete but lacking depth or organization; 2=adequate; 3=complete, organized, and
demonstrates insight/critical thinking). The quality of your writing DOES COUNT. Please use correct
grammar and punctuation, and a clear, coherent writing style. You will lose points for failing to proof-read
(and correct!) your work. A paper with errors cannot earn more than 1 point.
3. Higher quality entries typically include critical thinking, which could incorporate any combination of the
following elements:
Identifying values, biases, and assumptions;
Analyzing arguments and counterarguments;
Analyzing the kinds and quality of evidence;
Critical thinking about research, critical writing and reading;
Drawing conclusions.
4. Sample observations and descriptions of how they relate to course concepts may be seen at:
http://jonathan.mueller.faculty.noctrl.edu//240/jrnindex.htm.
5. These journal entries will be submitted in eLearning according to the deadlines specified for each
assignment. The deadlines for each journal entry cannot and will not be changed for any reason. No
journals will be accepted past the eLearning deadline regardless of the excellence of the reason why they
were late. This is why you only have to do 10 out of 16—that gives you more than enough opportunities to
take into account any unavoidable delays, system problems, etc.
6. I understand that sometimes, things happen that you cannot possibly predict or control. Because of this
reality, you may skip up to six journal entries before your grade is affected.
CPR is a software program that gives students the means to evaluate one another’s papers in a systematic
and anonymous way. This not only helps you to develop your own writing skills, but also helps you to
develop the reviewing skills that are central to many professions.
You will complete three assignments using the CPR website. For each of these assignments, you will
write a paper according to the guidelines I give you, and copy it into the text entry page of the site. You
will then grade three sample papers, three papers submitted by other students in our class, and your own
paper. Your grade will reflect the accuracy and quality of your reviews and the quality of the paper you
wrote.
Each of the three assignments will become available at different times throughout the semester. The three
steps for completing each assignment are (1) Text entry, (2) Calibration and Review, and (3) View
results. I will open the CPR “window” for each of the assignment stages on the days indicated in the
course calendar. Remember, however, that you can begin writing your papers before the window opens.
Regardless of when you begin your paper, you will want to write your papers in Word (or the word
processor of your choice), SAVE your work, and then copy the text into CPR when you are ready to
submit.
Even though the first assignment is worth a small percentage of your course grade, it is REQUIRED.
This assignment is important because it will introduce you to the CPR system and help you understand
how to use it for the more elaborate assignments that will come later in the semester.
__You need a browser (Netscape Navigator v. 4/later or Internet Explorer v. 4/later) and an Internet connection
(Bruin Online, EarthLink, etc.).
__You will need to know your CPR Username and your password to access the CPR program. If you have
already accessed the program in a previous term and have forgotten your login information, then you can
retrieve this information by connecting to the CPR login page (see URL above) and selecting “Users:
forgot your login information?” If you are a new user and do not know your CPR ID, then you must
complete the account profile. All New Users MUST complete their account profile.
3. Select UNIVERSITY of TEXAS at DALLAS from the pull down menu and enter your Student ID,
which is your UTD NetID. In CPR your “Student ID” is always your UTD NetID
4. Next you will select a password. You will also need to enter a challenge question and answer. This
challenge question will be used if you forget your login information. You may enter your email
address.
5. Upon completion of your account profile, you will be given your unique CPR username. Make sure
that you save your CPR username. You will need it every time you access CPR.
__After entering your CPR username and password you will be directed to take a 10 minute “Tour.”
__Click on the "CPR Guided Tour" link and then the "Taking an Assignment" link.
All information necessary to complete the PreTest can be found in the CPR Tour: “Taking an Assignment.” You
must take this tour prior to taking the PreTest.
Important Points:
__CPR uses a centralized UCLA time and does NOT use the time on a local computer (i.e. your
home computer). You can check the CPR time by clicking on the "CPR Time" link on the top
of the assignment screens.
__Always save your text entry on another computer or flash drive before submitting it to CPR.
After entering your text, always log out and back in to CHECK and make sure you were
successful.
__Most Internet Service Providers (i.e. Bruin On-Line, Earthlink, MSN) terminate Internet
connections that have not been used for more than 15 - 20 minutes. If a connection is
terminated and you try to submit work, it will be LOST.
__CPR does NOT work with the AOL browser. Make your internet connection with AOL, then
switch to the Internet Explorer (4.x or 5.x) or the Netscape (4.7x) browsers.
HTML Tags/formatting:
<B> text </B> Displays the enclosed text in boldface; <B>HI</B> gives HI.
<I> text </I> Displays the enclosed text in italics; <I>HI</I> gives HI.
<SUB> text </SUB> Displays the enclosed text subscripted; H<SUB>2</SUB> gives H2O.
+1
<SUP> text </SUP> Displays the enclosed text superscripted; Na<SUP>+1</SUP> gives Na .
<BR> text </BR> Inserts a line break.
<P> text </P> Defines a paragraph.
I will give you the contact information for the TAs in class—please write it down and keep it safe! You also can
email the TAs using eLearning.
Remember: You will need to complete two Research Exposure Credits for each core course
in which you are enrolled this semester.
It is your responsibility to keep track of your grades, so that you know where you stand at all times. Feel free to
verify your grades with the TA or with me, at my office (not in class), any time until the last exam. I can help you
more effectively if you check your grades in eLearning first, then come see me for any verification or clarification
(or anything else).
Journal grades:
Ch. 1 ____ Ch. 5 ____ Ch. 8 ____ Ch. 12 ____
Ch. 2 ____ Ch. 6 ____ Ch. 9 ____ Ch. 11 ____
Ch. 3 ____ Ch. 15 ____ Ch. 16 ____ Ch. 14 ____
Ch. 4 ____ Ch. 7 ____ Ch. 13 ____ Ch. 10 ____
Accuracy in assigning and recording grades is of utmost importance. I encourage you to keep
track of your grades and let me know when you would like for me to check over the grading of
any exams or assignments within THREE WEEKS of when the grade was assigned. It
becomes much more difficult to verify your grades as time goes on, so please do not wait until
the semester is over.