Syllabus

1.

course title, length (hrs, ECTS pts), type (lecture/seminar/lab)

Social Psychology (30 hours), Lecture

2.

intructor name, contact info, office hours

Michal Bilewicz, Ph. D.

Office hours: Room 7, Tuesday 12noon-2pm
Email: bilewicz@psych.uw.edu.pl
3.

aims of the course

This is a course in social psychology meaning the study of individuals cognitions, emotion and
behaviour within the context of society (meaning: other individuals, as well as groups and other
social beings). The course will provide students with a background in classic and modern social
psychology , as well as opportunities to interpret the real-life problems within the theoretical
framework of social psychology. The students who complete this course are expected to be
competent in the field of social psychology and able to integrate the material from different sections
(social cognition, attitudes, intra- and intergroup relations, social influence, helping, etc.).
4.

literature (required, supplementary)

Social Psychology, Michael Hogg & Graham Vaughan, Pearson: Prentice Hall

5.

requirements (grading, as specific as possible)

The final grade in the course will be out of 100% and will be based on: (a) The test part of final exam
(60% total) (b) the essay part of final exam (40% total); and (c) bonus points (2% total). Thus, it is
possible to get a grade of 102% out of 100%.
The test will include questions from the coursebook, as well as questions from the lectures. The
essay part would consist of a 1-page long paper. Students active during the course will be able to
receive bonus points.
6.

list of topics (what will happen during each class meeting?)

1. Introduction
Key questions of social psychology (Who?When?Why?). Social psychology and other related
disciplines (sociology, cognitive science, personality psychology, clinical psychology), applications of
social psychology, scientific method in social psychology, correlational studies vs. experimental
studies, sociological roots of social psychology (Znaniecki, Durkheim, Marx), European roots of social

psychology (Gestalt, Lewin, Frankfurt School, Tajfel, Heider, Moscovici), contribution of classical
thinkers (Lewin, Festinger, Allport) and their students (Bandura, Pettigrew, Greenwald).
2. Social cognition
Social psychology and cognitive psychology. Example: Stroop test in social psychological research.
Priming (superluminal vs. subliminal). Higgins, Bargh. Affect and emotion (Ekman). Goal proming
(Ferguson & Bargh, Kruglanski et al., Rasinski et al.). Subliminal priming (Murphy & Zajonc). Debate
over subliminal persuasion. Neural basis for subliminal affective priming (LeDoux). Impression
formation (Todorov, Zebrowitz). Embodied social cognition.
3. Social cognition (II)
Cognitive closure and nave epistemology (Kruglanski). Heuristics, cognitive schemata. Biases:
confirmation bias (Snyder & Swann), hindsight bias (Fischhoff). Just world beliefs (Lerner). Selffulfilling prophecies in economy, sociology (Thomas, Merton) and psychology. Rosenhan hospital
experiments. Pygmalion effect. Stereotype threat (Steele, Aronson, current studies).
4. Decisions and attitudes
Decision making Tversky and Kahneman. Trust and mistrust. Prisoners dilemma. Iterated dilemmas
(Axelrod), intergroup trust games (Yamagishi & Kiyonari). Attitudes: definition (ABC). Function of
attitudes. Measurement issues (Thurstone, Likert). Bogus pipeline, implicit vs. explicit attitudes.
Physiological methods (EMG, EEG, fMRI), reaction times, IAT. Cognitive dissonance (Festinger). Postdecision dissonance. Dissonance and implicit attitudes (Gawronski & Strack). Different explanations
of dissonance (Bem, Fazio). Affect-behavior link (LaPiere). Theory of planned behavior (Fishbein &
Ajzen).
5. Attributions, influence and helping.
Internal vs. external. Theories of attribution (Jones, Kelley, Hilton). Conversation-based models.
Fundamental attribution error. Conformity (Asch and contemporary experiments). Social influence
(foot in the door, door in the face and other effects). Minority influence (Moscovici). Obedience
(Milgram). Aggression (Dollard & Miller). Bystander effect and helping (Latane, Darley, Nadler).
6. Groups and conflict
Groups and collective. Social facilitation. Deindividuation (Zimbardo). Groupthing. Group tasks
(additive, conjuctive, disjunctive). Brainstorming: facts and myths. Intergroup conflict. Ethnic
conflicts. Types of conflict (Deutsch). Intergroup differentiation (Brewer, Tajfel). Conflict theories
(realistic group conflict, relative deprivation, ethnocentrism). Need-based model of conflict. Cultural
mistrust.
7. Theories of social identity
Social identity theory, optimal discinctiveness theory, social dominance theory, self-uncertainty
reduction theory, terror management theory, group-level control restoration theory, system
justification theory. Social identity vs. social identification. From social categorization to social

identity. How to deal with negative social identities. Depersonalization (Turner). SDO & RWA and
their consequences (Duckitt model). Nationalism vs. patriotism (Mummendey, Hopkins, Brewer).
8. Stereotyping and prejudice
Classical approaches (Lippman, Allport). Cognitive consequences of stereotyping (Hamilton, Snyder,
Rothbart). Measuring stereotype (Katz&Braly, Brigham, Esses&Zanna). Intergroup attributions
(Hewstone, Pettigrew). Language and stereotyping (linguistic intergroup bias, Semin & Fiedler;
Maass). Outgroup homogeneity effect. Stereotype content (Fiske & Glick). Prejudice its sources
and nature. Theories of anti-Semitism.
9. Intergroup emotions and dehumanization
Intergroup appraisals (Smith, Alexander). Bias map (Glick & Fiske) dehumanizing the cold and
incompetent. Intergroup anxiety (Stephan) and social identity threat (Branscombe). Siege mentality
In intergroup relations (Bar-Tal). Hate crimes and xenophobia. Group-focussed enmity.
Dehumanization (Haslam) and infrahumanization (Leyens). Consequences of dehumanization.
10. Tolerance
Contact hypothesis. Early studies (Allport, Sheriff). Cooperative learning and jigsaw classroom.
Mediators and moderators of contact. Computer simulations and real-life examples. Personalization
(Brewer and Miller). Common ingroup identity model vs. ingroup projection model. Salient
categories model (Hewstone).
11. Social psychology: history and future.
Perceived collective continuity and its consequences (Sani). Moral emotions (shame, guilt, regret).
Collective guilt. Attributions of the history. Psychology of reconciliation. Forgiveness. Collective
representations of the past (Liu). History and the environment (Lewicka). Temporal construal (Trope,
Lieberman). Social psychology and current problems: New forms of prejudice: modern and symbolic
racism; aversive racism (Dovidio, Devine), climatic issues, human-animal interactions, Internet and
new identities.
12. Exam