SYLLABUS
PRINCIPLES OF SOCIAL
PSYCHOLOGY
830:321:06
SPRING, 2005
Last updated, 1/19/05
Professor Lee Jussim
Office: 619
Tillett
Phone: 445-2070
Office Hours: After class and by
appointment
I will also hold regular office hours (TBA) around test times.
Location: ARC 103 (Busch Campus)
When: M/W 1:10-2:30 (4th period)
WEB PAGE: http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~jussim/
(click on teaching)
TA: Jarret Crawford
Office: Tillett 537. Office Hours: Mondays 3-5pm.
Phone: x5-4036 (this is a Psychology Dept. number at which you could
leave a message
for Jarret.
Email: jarretc@rci.rutgers.edu
REQUIRED TEXT: Myers, D. G. (2005). Social Psychology
(8th
edition). N.Y.: McGraw-Hill.
NOTE: You MUST USE the 8th edition.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Study Guide to Accompany Myer's Social
Psychology.
The books will be at the Livingston Book Store
TOPICS (the chapters in parentheses
should be read by
the date on the same line)
1/19 FIRST CLASS
1/24 INTRODUCING SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (CHAPTER 1)
1/26 THE SELF IN A SOCIAL WORLD (CHAPTER 2)
1/31 SOCIAL BELIEFS AND JUDGMENTS (CHAPTER 3)
2/9 BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDES (CHAPTER 4)
2/21 PERSUASION (CHAPTER 7)
2/28 EXAM I (MONDAY)
3/7 HELPING (CHAPTER 12)
3/12-3/20 SPRING BREAK
3/21 CONFORMITY (CHAPTER 6)
3/30 GENOCIDE & AGGRESSION (CHAPTER 10)
4/6 PREJUDICE (CHAPTER 9)
4/18 EXAM II (MONDAY)
4/25 CONFLICT AND PEACEMAKING (CHAPTER 13)
5/2 LAST REGULAR CLASS
5/10 FINAL EXAM, *TUESDAY*, 12-2, ARC 103
GRADING: Two in-class exams (30% each) and cumulative final
(40%). The in-class exams will have 60 multiple choice questions
each; the final will have 80 multiple choice questions.
Regular Classes
Lectures overlap with the textbook only about 30-40%. I do not
put my
lecture notes on the web.
Although I will occasionally lecture for the full 80 minutes, there
often will be in-class
demonstrations, movies, or guest speakers. I encourage
spontaneous
questions, complaints,
arguments and insights, and, as part of my "lecture" style, I will
regularly attempt to involve the
class in discussion.
Tests
The tests
cover all material presented in the text and in class. 60-80% of
the test
questions are from
the book; the remainder are
from class.
Exam 1: Introduction through Persuasion. 60 multiple choice
questions.
Exam 2: Helping through Prejudice (NOT cumulative). 60 multiple
choice questions
Exam 3: CUMULATIVE -- whole semester. 80 multiple choice
questions.
Grading
Combination
of absolute and curve.
The absolute portion works as follows:
Guarantee your grade will be no lower than:
A = 180 or above (out of
200 questions, total, across the three tests).
B/B+ = 160 to 179
C/C+ = 140 to 159
D = 120 to 139
F = Less than 120 (i.e., less than 60% correct. Random
guessing will
get you 25% correct).
The curve will work as follows:
If too few people score highly, the cutoffs will be lowered.
In the past, the cutoffs for an A have ranged from 170-180;
and the cutoffs for an F have ranged from 110-120. The cutoff for
the
plusses are usually about halfway between the range for that letter.
Attendance
I do not take attendance. In that sense, it is not required.
However, please consider this before skipping many classes.
Let's say you are very smart, and can answer 90% of the
questions from the book correctly. About 70% of the questions
are from the book. This, so far, gives you a grade of about
63%.
And let's further say that you skip most classes. Therefore, you
cannot
possibly answer most of the lecture questions correctly,
except for guessing. So, let's say you get 30% of the lecture
questions correct. 30% of 30%=9%. So, your total
score will be somewhere around 70% correct,
(63% + 9%=72%). Rounding to make it easy,
70% of 200 questions = 140.
Even if you are really smart, you
are headed
for a grade right on the border of C and D, if you
skip many classes.
ZERO TOLERANCE CHEATING POLICY
Cheating will not be tolerated. Anyone caught cheating will be
reported to the dean of their college,
with a recommendation to expel.
Make up policy.
If you know you are going to miss an exam, let us know, and we will
arrange
for you to take a similar multiple choice test *early*.
If you unexpectedly miss an exam, you will be allowed to take the brutal essay makeup
late. It is not really all that hard, but it is harder than the
regular test, which is only fair because
students missing the regular test have had more time to prepare.
Nonetheless, the grades are routinely quite low on the brutal essay makeup,
perhaps because students who miss a test may differ in important ways
from those
who show up for tests. The mean grade on the brutal essay makeup is about a
D.
Click here
to learn more about the social benefits of the brutal essay
makeup.
EXTRA
CREDIT
This is a scientific research oriented class. One or more real
studies may
be conducted during class, and integrated into the class material.
You will be responsible for understanding them (and may be
tested on them), even if you do not participate.
Participation is entirely voluntary. However, those who
do participate will receive extra credit toward your final
grade.
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