Aims
This course aims you to:
• gain an understanding of what social psychology is and how it is distinct from other forms
of psychology
• become aware of the many different forms of social context that are examined in social psychology
• appreciate the extent to which individual behaviour and thought are influenced by these social contexts
Content
This course is designed as a general introduction to social psychology and focuses on how differing kinds of social contexts influence human thought and behaviour. The contexts to be considered reflect the wide range of ways in which ‘the social’ can manifest in our daily lives. We begin by exploring how being in a crowd influences the individual before refocussing onto small group interactions. The focus then shifts onto the use of non-verbal communication in, typically, dyadic interactions. The final topic will examine how these different kinds of context actually shape and influence who we are. The specific topics have been chosen to give a broad ‘taste’ of the wide range of issues that social psychologists study. Aside from examining specific topics within the discipline, the course will also explore how social psychology has developed in methodological and historical terms over the last century.
Presentation of the course
The five sessions will involve lecture presentation of material but will involve a high degree of group discussion and debate.
Course sessions
1. What is social psychology?
2. Crowd psychology
3. Small group dynamics
4. Non-verbal communication
5. The social ‘self’
Learning outcomes
You are expected to gain from this series of classroom sessions a greater understanding of the subject and of the core issues and arguments central to the course.
The learning outcomes for this course are:
• to gain an understanding of what social psychology is and how it is distinct from other forms
of psychology
• to become aware of the many different forms of social context that are examined in
social psychology
• to appreciate the extent to which individual behaviour and thought are influenced by these social contexts
