OVERVIEW

The course aims to study and conceive the group as an artefact, device and instrument for intervening in social reality.
During the course, the main approaches to the study of groups will be presented according to the two theoretical orientations of social psychology and dynamic psychology. Following these approaches, methods and intervention techniques applicable in different social organisations will be analysed.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide an understanding of the theories, methods, and values of group psychology. It also aims to help recognize the processes and aspects that characterize group dynamics and to develop skills for analyzing and managing groups. Finally, the course aims to examine the group as a working tool and present the different application contexts and intervention methodologies.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

In particular, the teaching aims, in the first part, to provide students with basic notions of group psychology applied to different contexts while in the second part the teaching focuses on specific intervention techniques in different contexts.
Individual study, attendance and participation in the proposed training activities will enable the student to:
acquire sufficient theoretical and methodological knowledge and skills related to the application of different methods and techniques of group intervention in different contexts;
apply the acquired knowledge and to understand and solve problems related to the use of group methods and techniques in different application contexts;
to be able to use the acquired knowledge both on a conceptual and operational level with autonomous evaluation ability and with skill in the various application contexts;
acquire the technical language typical of the discipline in order to communicate clearly and unambiguously with specialist and non-specialist interlocutors;
develop adequate learning skills that will enable them to continue to deepen autonomously the main themes of the discipline, especially in the working contexts in which they will be working;
demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively in written and oral form and adapt their communication to the context;
demonstrate the ability to identify their own skills, demonstrate the ability to concentrate and critically reflect on a task, demonstrate management of complexity, autonomy in decision-making and task performance, stress management and resilience;
manage their social interactions in a collaborative manner, with constructive communication in different contexts;
demonstrate awareness of one's own learning strategies, being able to organise and evaluate one's own learning according to what has been learnt.

PREREQUISITES

As this is a course within the Master's Degree Programme (LM-51) in Psychology, students are expected to have acquired, during their Bachelor's studies, foundational knowledge in the main areas of psychology and psychological research methodology, which is necessary for an adequate understanding of the course contents.

In particular, students are expected to have prior knowledge of:

• General Psychology;
• Developmental Psychology;
• Social Psychology;
• Dynamic Psychology;
• Clinical Psychology;
• Work and Organizational Psychology;
• Health and Well-being Psychology;
• Psychobiology and Cognitive Neuroscience;
• Educational Psychology and Learning Processes;
• Personality Psychology and Individual Differences;
• Psychometrics and Research Methodology;
• Quantitative and Qualitative Data Analysis Techniques;
• Fundamentals of Psychopathology and Psychological Assessment;
• Major theoretical and applied models of psychological assessment and intervention.

Students are also expected to possess:

• the ability to read and understand scientific texts in both Italian and English;
• familiarity with the specialized terminology of the discipline;
• basic skills in the critical analysis of scientific literature;
• the ability to connect theoretical models, empirical evidence, and applied contexts;
• familiarity with the ethical and professional principles governing psychological practice.

These competencies provide the essential foundation for understanding the topics covered in the course and for successfully completing the related assessment activities.

TEACHING METHODS

The course consists of lectures and small group activities, for a total of 54 hours (equal to 8 CFU), during which the main theoretical aspects linked to the group dimension and the intervention techniques that use it will be presented, also experimenting these aspects through active methods such as practical exercises, case studies, continuous instant polling, role playing, world café, cooperative learning, reflective diaries. The slides presented in class will be posted on the Aulaweb on a weekly basis, and materials will occasionally be included for discussion and comparison in subsequent lectures. Students will also be able to propose significant materials (literary or filmic) to the class group that will become the subject of reflection on the topics covered in the course.
In addition, professionals who use the group as a working tool may be invited to lecture in order to deepen the themes from a practical-experiential point of view and to enable students to acquire greater awareness of the applicative dimension of the different types of groups.

Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) are reminded that, in order to request examination accommodations, they must first submit the relevant certification to the University’s Student Inclusion Services for Students with Disabilities and SLD.

Subsequently, students with disabilities or SLD who wish to request examination accommodations must complete the form available on the following webpage: Services for Students with Disabilities or SLD | UniGe | University of Genoa.

Students with SEN, on the other hand, must send an email to the course instructor, copying both the School Contact Person for the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities and SLD (laura.traverso@unige.it) and the Student Inclusion Services Office (inclusione.studenti@info.unige.it).

The email must specify:

• the course title;

• the date of the examination session;

• the student's surname, first name, and student ID number;

• the requested compensatory tools and/or dispensatory measures deemed necessary and appropriate.

For all students, requests for accommodations must be submitted well in advance of the examination date (at least 7 working days before the exam). Requests submitted after this deadline may not be accommodated.

Erasmus students are invited to contact the lecturer at the beginning of the course to agree on teaching and examination methods which, while respecting the teaching objectives, take into account their specific trajectory. 

Teaching will be conducted in English. International students will be encouraged to explore the topics covered in the course through articles and books in English.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course will show how the group from an object of investigation present in the various contexts of everyday life can become a professional working tool for the figure of the psychologist. The group will be proposed as a relational instrument that acquires specificities (formative, therapeutic, intervention, research, productive) and meanings.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Attending students

• Speltini G., Palmonari A. (2007) I gruppi sociali. Il Mulino, Bologna.
• Materiali forniti a lezione.

Non-attending students

• Speltini G., Palmonari A. (2007). I gruppi sociali. Il Mulino, Bologna..
• Capranico S.  (1997). Role-playing,  Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 1997.
• Santinello M.,Surian A., Gaboardi M. (2022). Guida pratica al Photovoice. Erikson, Trento.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

LESSONS START

first semester

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

For attending students, the examination includes intermediate assessments on the materials and activities presented in the lecture through the production of individual or small group papers and a final interview on the topics covered in the lecture. In order to take the test, it is necessary to register during the lessons.

For non-attending students, the exam includes an oral assessment on the indicated texts. In order to take the test, it is necessary to register online on the portal.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

Through direct questions to investigate theoretical and methodological knowledge relating to group psychology, and/or through the presentation and critical analysis of cases, the learning outcomes will be assessed.