Course LogisticsHelp

Welcome! This course offers an introduction to classic and contemporary research in social psychologythe scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another. The goal is to provide you with psychological insights and information that you can use to improve your life, relationships, and work. Instead of presenting a comprehensive overview of social psychology, the course will focus on surprising, entertaining, and intriguing research findings that are easy to apply in daily life.

The best way to take the course is to visit the Lectures and Readings page and simply go through each week following the suggested order of items. As you'll see, the course rests on three main legs: lectures, readings, and assignments. A typical week begins with some lectures, continues with one or more readings, and concludes with an assignment related to recently covered material. During the course, you'll also have the chance to interact with classmates from around the world, thereby becoming part of a global learning community. One easy way to do this is by posting comments and questions in the course discussion forums that will open on the first day of class (right now, the only forums open are to report "Course Material Errors" and "Technical Issues"). Another is through providing and receiving comments in peer assessments of the assignments. And perhaps most exciting of all, Coursera has developed a way for members of our class to divide into small groups and hold discussions with each othera feat never done before with a MOOC of this sizeso you'll be making "MOOC history" during that part of the course (in Week 5). For more information about the course, please see the FAQ below and watch the first three lectures of Week 1. Then, if you still have questions, feel free to post them in the discussion forum for our teaching staff to answer. Again, welcome to Social Psychologywe're thrilled and honored to have you in the course!

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the readings in this course required or optional?

As with most introductory social psychology courses, this course includes required readings that will be covered in a final exam. What makes this course different from many online courses is that it includes free access to some of the best textbooks and articles ever published in the field. Each week will include a reading assignment, and in several cases, the course will also offer optional "bonus readings" for anyone interested in learning more about a particular topic. If you want to fully experience this course, the readings are just as important as the lectures.

How will students be graded?

Students will be graded on five assignments (worth a total of 50 course points) and a final exam comprised of 50 true-false and multiple choice questions (worth another 50 course points). The first assignment and the final exam will be machine scored, and Assignments #2-5 will be peer assessed. Anyone earning at least 70 course points will receive a signed Statement of Accomplishment from Professor Plous, and anyone earning at least 90 points will receive a Statement of Accomplishment with Distinction.

Can I repeat any of the assignments or the final exam to receive a better grade?
Unfortunately, no. Please check your work carefully and make sure you've done your best before submitting any assignments or completing the final exam.

What time zone does the course use?

The course uses Eastern Standard Timethe same time zone as New York Cityfor all deadlines (e.g., assignments, peer assignments, final exam) and events (e.g., Google Hangouts).

Is it possible to submit an assignment, peer assessment, or exam after the submission deadline?
No, but because the course offers five different assignments, you can still do well enough to earn a Statement of Accomplishment even if you miss the deadline for one or two assignments. One tip is to always submit your work at least one day ahead of schedule so that you don't lose points if your computer or Internet connection fail on the day that work is due.

Will there be any quizzes, and if so, will they be part of my grade?
The course will use two different types of quiz questions, neither of which will be graded:

Video pop-up questions. Most lecture videos will contain at least one pop-up question for you to answer. These questions are designed to make the lectures interactive. Snapshot Quiz. The Snapshot Quiz is intended to take a picture of your thinking before you're exposed to the lectures and assigned readings. That way, you'll be able to compare your answers with research results discussed later in the course (Coursera has developed a feature for our class that will allow students to view their own quiz

answers right inside the video window). When the course ends, the Snapshot Quiz will also help you see how much your psychology expertise has changed.

Can I copy or print the readings?

Yes, you're welcome to copy or print the readings for your own private use in the course, but any further duplication or distribution of the readings beyond that is not permitted.

Can I download copies of the videos?

In order to include various copyrighted material shown in the videos, Professor Plous often had to pledge to the rightsholders that the videos would only be posted for registered students to view in the course's password protected area. Any unauthorized duplication or distribution of the videos would violate this pledge and could lead the copyright holders to remove their material from the course, so for the good of all, we ask that you not download any course videos.

What if I join the course late?

If you arrive late, the best place to begin is by watching Lectures 1-3 and then taking the Snapshot Quiz (in that order). If you join by the end of ...Week 1: You can still earn credit for Assignment #1 (due by August 18) and be eligible to participate in a Google Hangout with Professor Philip Zimbardo in Week 4 or Professor Mahzarin Banaji in Week 5 (details on the hangouts will be given in Week 3). ...Week 2: You can still earn credit for Assignment #2 (due by August 25) and be eligible for the Day of Compassion Award described in Lecture 1.2. ...Week 3: You can still earn credit for Assignment #3 (due by September 1) and receive a Statement of Accomplishment if you score well on the last two assignments and the course exam. ...Week 4: You can still earn credit for Assignment #4 (due by September 8) and Assignment #5 (due by September 15). After Week 4 ends on September 8, you're welcome to watch the lectures, complete the readings, and submit Assignment #5 if the deadline has not passed, but you will not be eligible to receive a Statement of Accomplishment.

Will this course be given again?

The answer depends on how things go the first time around. If you'd like to be notified of a future session of the course, our best advice is to add it to yourWatchlist.