Year 2: Fourth Semester

A214 Introduction to Social Psychology

Course Description:
This course is designed as a comprehensive survey course of theory and research in social psychology. In this class, we
will learn what science can tell us about feelings, thoughts, and behaviors in social situations. For first-year graduate
students, this course offers a broad survey of Social Psychology. Topics to be studied include the self, social perception,
social cognition and information processing, attitudes and relationship, social influence and group behavior, and applied
social psychology. Throughout the course, you will be encouraged to think about how research in social psychology can
shed light on events going on around the world and in your own lives.
Objectives:
The main objective of this course is to make the students familiar with the disciplines of Social Psychology and thereby
make them able to analyze how our thoughts, feelings, and behavior are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied
presence of other people, and pursue answers to the questions that interest you most, whether in your careers as research
psychologists, in practical settings applying psychology, or in your own introspection about yourselves.
Unit I. General Introduction
Definition of Social Psychology as separate Field of Study
History/Origin of Social Psychology
Nature and Scope of Social Psychology
Subfield of Social Psychology
Similarities and differences between Social Psychology with Other Social Sciences:
Psychology,
Anthropology,
Sociology,
Biology,
personality Psychology
Unit II. The self and Social Perception
Definition of self
Types of self
Functions of self
Influence of others on self (Who I am depends on others)
Influence of situation on self (Who I am depends on situation)
Self Thought and Self Esteem
Social Perception and its Process (Non-verbal communication and Person Perception)

8 Hrs

8 Hrs

Unit III. Social Cognition and Information Process

Definition of social cognition
Schema and its types
Heuristic and its types
Social cognition and behavior

6 Hrs

Unit IV. Attitude

Definition of attitude
Components of attitude
Types of attitude
Nature of attitude
Attitude and behavior

7 Hrs

Unit V. Social Influence and Behaviour

Definition of Social Influence
Conformity
Factors influencing conformity
Compliance

7 Hrs

Factors influencing Compliance

Obedience
Factors influencing Obedience
Unit VI. Aggression and Antisocial Behavior
Definition of aggression and antisocial behavior
Theoretical perspectives on aggression:
Instinct Theories
Learning Theories
Nature and Nurture
: Causes of aggression
Internal causes of aggression:
Frustration
Being in a bad mood
Age and aggression
Interpersonal causes aggression:
Selfishness and influence
Domestic violence
External causes of aggression:
Weapon effect
Unpleasant environment
Mass media
Unit VII. Application of Social Psychology
Use of Social Psychological knowledge in solving problems of individual and society
Social psychologists contribution in the field of business, medicine, health and law.
Contemporary social issues
Gender and Generation Gap
Hunger-Impact on Children and Child Labor
Recent Trend in Divorce
Poverty and Beggary
Girls Trafficking
Recent Trends in Employment and Unemployment

Basic Books:
Baumeister, Roy F. Social Psychology and Human Nature. USA: Wadsworth, 2011.
Sanderson, Catherine A. Social Psychology. USA: John Wiley & Sons, 2010.

7 Hrs

5 Hrs