OVERVIEW

Social psychology explores the complex human interactions, examining how individuals and groups mutually influence, understand others, and relate within the context of their daily lives.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

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 social psychological 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 social groups.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

Through this teaching students will improve their analysis skills on today's phenomena, such as stereotypes, conformism, hyperconnection and the link 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. 

Students with DSA, disability or other special educational needs are invited to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and exam methods which, in compliance with the teaching objectives, take into account the methods of individual learning and provide suitable compensatory tools.

Erasmus students are invited to contact the teacher at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and exam methods which, in compliance with the teaching objectives, take into account their specific path.

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 – Doing research in Social Psychology – Social Cognition – Social influence – Attitudes and persuasion – The self in a social world – Social behavior: Aggressiveness and prosocial behaviors - Social psychology and digital technologies

• 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 – Dehumanization – Overcoming prejudice

• Part 3: Social Psychology Research Methods

Epistemology of research in sociap psychology - Research methods and sampling – Explicit and Implicit Measures - Questionnaire and self-report measures

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Andrighetto, L., & Riva, P. (2020, edited by). Psicologia Sociale: Fondamenti teorici ed empirici. Il Mulino: Bologna.
• Brambilla, M., & Sacchi, S. (2022, edited by). Psicologia sociale del pregiudizio. Raffaello Cortina Editore: Milano.
• Giacomantonio, M., & Mannetti, L. (2016). Metodi di ricerca in Psicologia Sociale. Carocci Editore: Roma.
• 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. Upon request, recommended reading and bibliography in English language will be provided to foreign students.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Second semester (February 2026)

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

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.

Learning skills: 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.

For students with disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD):

Students with disabilities or SLD are reminded that, to request exam accommodations, they must first upload their certification on the University’s website at servizionline.unige.it in the "Students" section. The documentation will be verified by the University's Services for Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and SLD (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/struttura/100111).

Subsequently, well in advance (at least 10 days) before the exam date, an email must be sent to the professor with whom the exam will be taken. The email should include the School Representative for the inclusion of students with disabilities and SLD (laura.traverso@unige.it) as well as the aforementioned Services department using one of the following addresses (disabili@unige.it; dsa@unige.it) in CC. The email must specify:

- the name of the course
- the date of the exam
- the student's last name, first name, and student ID number
- the compensatory tools and dispensatory measures deemed functional and requested

The representative (Prof. Laura Traverso) will confirm to the professor that the applicant is entitled to request exam accommodations and that such accommodations should be agreed upon with the professor. The professor will respond, indicating whether the requested accommodations can be used.

Requests must be sent at least 10 days before the exam date to allow the professor to evaluate them. In particular, if you intend to use concept maps for the exam (which must be much more concise than those used for study purposes), failure to respect the deadlines will not allow the necessary time for any modifications that might be requested by the professor.

For further information on requesting services and accommodations, please refer to the document: Guidelines for requesting services, compensatory tools, and/or dispensatory measures and specific aids.

FURTHER INFORMATION

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

To register the evaluation, students are required to online register on one of the following exams by selecting the entry "Registrazione Voto."