COURSE SCHEDULE AVAILABLE HERE

Dr. Ryan A. Wilke 304 Stone Building (EPLS Suite) 850-645-7346 850-644-4592 (EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY &  LEARNING SYSTEMS) raw7447@fsu.edu

Fall 2009 Wednesday 5:00-7:30 P.M.   G157 Stone Building  CLICK HERE for Campus Map Location

Course Reference Number = 04442

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IMMEDIATELY IF YOU REQUIRE ANY ASSISTANCE WITH DISABILITIES.
 
 

Social Psychology studies social interaction, social processes, and the interplay among the person, culture and society in attitudes, beliefs and socialization. This course introduces you to the many perspectives social psychologists use in our work. Social Psychology is a separate discipline which allows us the flexibility to explore substantive areas as different as pressures toward conformity, ethnic prejudice, or child and adult development. It can be applied to virtually any organization: schools; the family. the military; businesses; churches, synagogues or mosques; sports teams; and many others. The field's diversity of mid-range theories can create conceptual ambiguity, yet simultaneously Social Psychology offers us considerable insight into the individual and society, and into the human condition.

Please be patient as you encounter six separate terms for the same concept such as social learning, or you puzzle out "chicken and egg problems" in attitude and action.

Social psychology provides the "conceptual glue" between organizations and individuals, the nuts and bolts to explain the reciprocity between social structure and the individual. More than anything else, social psychology addresses processes and sequencing: the routines of daily life such as conversations, forming impressions of people, collectivities or events, and creating and maintaining life in groups.

This semester, we'll examine basic theoretical perspectives in Social Psychology. Unfortunately we cannot swallow the entire discipline in one gulp. For example, I have somewhat less coverage of topics such as the social psychology of emotions (Dr. Turner has a seminar on Motivation and Emotion this semester and will pick up some of the slack here.) I will focus more on constructs such as "the self" or "self-efficacy" where research allows us to draw more consistent conclusions than on popular, yet conceptually murky, concepts such as "personality." I will also discuss basic methodological issues pertinent to Social Psychology, such as experimental demand and reactivity, format construction issues in questionnaires, or drawing causal inferences using more "qualitative" methods such as ethnographies.

My roles as Instructor are to facilitate and to coordinate the "big picture." For each major course section, I will discuss basic perspectives, postulated major processes, and particularly noteworthy empirical findings.
 

• To become familiar with major conceptual perspectives in the discipline of Social Psychology, including:

• Major concepts in social perception, attitudes and attitude change and group influence
• Major concepts in socialization and social learning theories (our Lifespan Development course DEP 5068 is now offered both Spring and Fall)
• Basic research on social aggression and prosocial behavior
• Very basic research in group dynamics (our Group Dynamics seminar EDP 5285 is offered in the Spring)

WE’RE ONLINE!

Our course is WEB assisted through the CourseInfo/Blackboard and (the old) WEB-MC  systems at FSU. You must be registered for SYP5105-01 to access our site through Blackboard. To access our course, here is what to do. Go online to:

Enter your FSU ID username (USERNAME ONLY!) and password to log in. For example, I would enter "raw7447" ONLY and omit the the rest. Then click on “Theories of Soc Psy” to enter our site.

If you DON'T have an FSU ID account, you will need one immediately. Go to the FSU Guide to Computing Resources website (address below). Follow the links to register online for your garnet account at FSU.

I will use WEB-assist for several course features:

• All lectures will be available online in Blackboard and on the FSU mailer server, and linked with course topics.  Objectives will be posted for each section of the course as the semester progresses.
• The Blackboard site will include links to Social Psychology resources.
• Class presentations will be posted to our Blackboard site. Examples from prior years are online for your perusal.
• Web sites that you have found pertinent to YOUR discipline will be posted in Blackboard.
• Announcements on the Blackboard main page will alert you to any changes in the syllabus, course deadlines, or class meetings.
• More detail will be posted on each course assignment. Information will be updated throughout the semester.

FALL 2009: Here's how I can be reached:
 

2010 Levy Avenue Suite 217 Innovation Park (near the Mag Lab) 850-645-7346 Voice mail available 850-644-4592 Educational Psychology & Learning Systems     raw7447@fsu.edu

FSU Stone Building CLICK HERE for Campus Map Location of STONE BUILDING Office Hours: Tuesday 3-5 or by appointment  NOTE: If I have an office hours conflict, I will announce that in class and on our Blackboard website.

You have two assignments:

See the links for more information.  The links will be updated during the semester to provide more detail and format specifications. Please complete readings according to the timetable in this syllabus and be prepared with assignments by their due date.
 

IMPORTANT NOTE I ONLY ACCEPT HARD COPY FOR ASSIGNMENTS IN CLASS ON THE DUE DATE. EMAIL ATTACHMENTS (e.g., WORD documents) ARE NOT ACCEPTED. PLEASE DO NOT SLIDE PAPERS UNDER THE EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY & LEARNING SYSTEMS SUITE DOOR! There have been too many problems with viruses. In a typical week, I receive well over two dozen viruses, worms, spyware and hacking attempts--often from fsu email addresses. This is especially true for University computers, which have proven to be hotbeds of infection.  If you absolutely cannot hand your progressive paper milestone deadlines in to me in person, here are some alternatives: My office mailbox in 3210 Stone Building FAX to the EPLS Office (850) 644-8776. Be sure to put my name and SYP 5105 on the Cover Sheet and include the total number of pages Mail (USE FIVE DAYS ADVANCE NOTICE!)  to Dr. Ryan A. Wilke, Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, FSU, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4453 In all these alternatives, I must receive your assignment by the stated due  dates.

During the semester, I may ask for a copy of your work on disk. For example, I receive copies of all presentations on disk.
 
 

COURSE PAPER

Course Paper (about 15 pages). Wide latitude exists for your paper. You may review existing literature in an area of interest to you. You may use existing research to design a future study. Or, you can conduct a small original study or analyze data that were previously collected. A short preliminary prospectus of your paper is due September 18, an updated prospectus is due October 7. The paper is due November 4   to allow revisions.  The final edition of your paper is due WEDNESDAY  DECEMBER 2.

Prior topics can be seen from the presentations posted to our Blackboard site as well as several prior course papers. Some students have written library research papers with topics such as academic motivation, cartoon violence, emotional intelligence, coach-player interaction, bullying, and cross-cultural differences in social cognition. Others have executed a short survey, small experiment or observational design. Examples include observing parent-child interaction at supermarket checkouts or during games, observing conformity in the "upward gaze" experiment replication, seeing how social factors influence the return of a "lost wallet," conformity in aerobics classes, or how watching cartoons or children's comedies affects preschoolers.

Students often produce especially good work when they work in teams. This is particularly true for the Course Paper . It is far easier for teams to plan and execute a small experiment, survey, or observation in a semester's time than it is for an individual to do so. Team presentations can also be more complex. You may choose to work in teams for the Course Paper, and we may coordinate teams on the Presentations.  I will need to know the names of all team members on the Course Paper by October 7. Using the course paper prospectus, I also will alert you to possible teammates (but the choice is yours).
 
 

DISCUSSION/PRESENTATION

Discussion/presentation (about 20 minutes): You will lead class discussion on your project topic. We will have facilities for Power Point but you will also need to distribute a handout summary (some students print the Power Point slides). Examples will also be posted to our WEB site in Blackboard. Discussion/presentations begin on November 4 (through December 2).
 

I use plus and minus grading, throughout and for final grades.

Participation in class discussion and class attendance are a definite consideration, especially when a student is "between grades."

Adherence to principles of essay organization, and the conventions of spelling and grammar is expected and understood.

The course paper MUST relate to Social Psychology. It can neither be totally intrapersonal nor totally organizational. One reason for the project "milestone" deadlines is to ensure that your topic is "on track" for this course.

MORE PRELIMINARY INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRESENTATION
 

APPROXIMATE DATE	TOPIC	OBJECTIVES
August 26- September 9	Orientation Introduction Methods	WEB site navigation and course outline What is the field of Social Psychology? What are some major theoretical Orientations? Which Methods are most commonly used in Social Psychology? What are general methodological advantages and disadvantages?
September 7	Labor Day Holiday	University closed
September 16-30	Social Perception (Includes Attitudes and Attitude Measurement)	What is Social Perception? How does Social Perception relate to Self-Presentation and Self-Concept? Self-Esteem versus Self-Efficacy Defining Attitudes Issues in Attitude Measurement
October 7-21	The Self Social Learning and Socialization	What are some differences between "the self" and "personality?" What are some basics of symbolic interactionism? Issues in nature versus nurture Comparing basic ideas of developmentalists versus reinforcement theorists Types of learning theories and  applications to roles and socialization
October 28- November 18	Groups Group Influences and Interaction Processes	What is social facilitation? What are cohorts and aggregates? How are these entities useful? Basic group definition and properties. What are the effects of group size? What are major sources of group influence? What are "good" and "bad" effects of group cohesion?
November 11	VETERAN'S DAY HOLIDAY	NO CLASS
November 25	THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY	NO CLASS
December 2	Applications of Social Psychology	Last day of our class
December 4		Last class day of the Fall semester

At this point, used copies of all texts should be available. Please be sure to purchase or share the stated edition of each.

DM: John D. DeLamater  & Daniel J. Myers (2007). Social  Psychology, SIXTH EDITION. Thomson-Wadsworth. HARDCOVER. ISBN = 0-495-09336-X.

• CAHILL: Spencer E. Cahill (editor) (2007). Inside Social Life, FIFTH EDITION. Oxford University Press.  PAPER. ISBN = 970-0-19533241-4.

DUFFY: Karen Duffy and Gary Krolikowski (editors) Social Psychology  (7th edition). Dubuque, IA: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill.  PAPER. ISBN = 0-07-339739-3.

 Web site support for DUFFY is available including generic search engines: 

All books shouold be available at Bill's Bookstore and at the FSU Bookstore.
 

JOURNAL WISH LIST	WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY JOURNAL?
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology	PLEASE GIVE THE JOURNAL TITLE AND BRIEFLY
Social Psychology Quarterly	DESCRIBE THE JOURNAL.  IF A WEB SITE IS
Public Opinion Quarterly	AVAILABLE FOR THE JOURNAL, PLEASE INCLUDE THAT
Small Group Research (use this title under Search)	TOO. JUST DROP A NOTE IN THE EMAIL HERE:
Group Dynamics	raw7447@fsu.edu

 

COURSE SCHEDULE AVAILABLE HERE

Under construction as the semester progresses.