OVERVIEW

Social psychology is the branch of psychology that explores social interactions. In particular, social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by others, with a constant focus on social and cultural context.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Providing students with a theoretical and critical knowledge about fundamentals of the discipline. Analyzing main processes concerning social perception and Self and identity. Comprehending  social life processes underlying interpersonal and intergroup relationships. Increasing knowledge about the main methods and paradigms of the discipline by analyzing the most important studies of social psychology.

LEARNING OUTCOMES (FURTHER INFO)

Through this teaching students will improve their analysis skills on today's phenomena, such as stereotypes, social conformism and relations between mass-media and aggressiveness. Further, throughout the course it will be devoted a great deal of attention to the issue of prejudice from a psychosocial perspective. Comprehending origins of prejudice and strategies to overcome it are highly relevant issues in today's societies to promote harmonious relations between group members belonging to different cultures, religions and ethnicities. 

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures in which the main theoretical assumptions are presented and exemplified through lab experiments and real-life examples. A critical and active participation of the students will be encouraged.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The teaching aims to provide students with the theoretical and methodological knowledge on Social Psychology and its research field. This purpose will be achieved through a critical analysis of the core theories and research that characterizes this discipline. 

The teaching will be organized in three parts:

• Part 1: Introduction to Social Psychology

Definition of Social Psychology – Social Cognition – Social influence and conformism – Attitudes and persuasion – Social Identity Theory and intergroup relations – Social behavior: Aggressiveness and prosocial behaviors

• Part 2: Prejudice: Its Social Psychology  

The nature of prejudice – Psychosocial foundations of prejudice – Prejudice and intergroup conflicts – The stigma – New and old forms of prejudice – Overcoming

• Part 3: Social Psychology Research Methods

Experimental design – Questionnaire and self-report measures – Implicit measures 

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Hogg, M., & Vaughan, G. (2012). Social Psychology. Pearson Education.
• Brown, R. (2011). Psicologia sociale del pregiudizio. John Wiley & Sons.
• Roccato, M. (2006). L’inchiesta e il sondaggio nella ricerca psicosociale. Il Mulino: Bologna.
• Palmonari, A., & Cavazza, N. (2003). Ricerche e protagonisti della psicologia sociale. Il Mulino: Bologna.
• For students who will attend the teaching: Ppt slides and other materials that will be uploaded on aulaweb.

More informations about the teaching program can be found in Aulaweb.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

LUCA ANDRIGHETTO (President)

NADIA RANIA

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Second semester, around mid-february 2017

Class schedule

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

Written exam in Italian language for the mothertongue. Upon request, lecture will organize oral exams in English language for foreign students.    

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Written exam in Italian language for the mothertongue. Upon request, lecture will organize oral exams in English language for foreign students.    

The exam will allow lecture to assess the following students' outcomes:

Critical and independent thinking: Students will be able to use the understood knowledge both from a theoeretical and applied level, with an independent and flexible ability.

Coomunication skills: Students will have to demonstrate an appropriate use of terms appropriate for Social Psychology and to communicate in a clear and unambiguous way with experts and non experts of this field.

Capacità di apprendimento: Students will have to develop approriate learning abilities that will allow them to gain further knowledge aboout the main topics of Social Psychology in an independent way, especially within the working settings where they will work in.

Exam schedule

FURTHER INFORMATION

Students are invited to frequently check Aulaweb where materials and information about the present course are constantly updated.