Office Hours: 9am on Tuesday                                                            Place: Science and Tech I 206

email: pzorbas@gmu.edu

Mailbox located along wall in David King Hall, 2^nd floor (main floor) hallway

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Course Description

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the field of social psychology. Broadly, social psychology is the study of how people think, act, and feel within a social context. You will be introduced to classic and contemporary theoretical perspectives and be asked to evaluate them in terms of how adequately they account for various social psychological phenomena. We will also discuss a variety of applied topics, such as prejudice, violence, obedience, group dynamics, and intimate relationships. Emphasis will be placed on the ways in which scientists generate hypotheses about these phenomena, the methods by which these ideas are tested, and the implications of research findings. You will also be encouraged to approach every topic in this class as scientists, with an open-minded skepticism. To get the most out of this class, you will have to balance 1) the personal beliefs you have already acquired about social psychology and phenomena you believe are “common-sense” and 2) the willingness to be open, explore, and experiment with new approaches, ideas, and experiences.     

Required Readings

Baumeister, R. F., & Bushman, B. (2008). Social Psychology and Human Nature (1^st Edition). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Supplementary readings assigned throughout the semester will be posted on Blackboard.

Lectures and Attendance

To get the most out of the lectures and succeed in this course, it is imperative that you attend lectures and complete the assigned readings. Assigned readings should be completed before class on the dates listed in the schedule. Social psychology is a dynamic and interactive topic. I think you will find most of the topics interesting to read and learn about. In class, you are encouraged to ask questions and make comments when appropriate. I look forward to having some interesting exchanges of ideas and thoughts with you. However in order for these exchanges to work, it is important to respect each others ideas and opinions.

Attending class is your responsibility. I will not keep track of individual attendance. However, much of the material that you will be responsible for will come from class lectures. In addition, not all of the information covered in class and on the exams can be found in the textbook. Should you miss a class, it is your responsibility to attain the missed information from a classmate. I will not go over a lecture with you and fill in the missing blanks to the lecture outlines. 

Exams

There will be four in-class exams and one optional final exam. The in-class exams are non-cumulative and each will cover approximately ¼ of the course material. You also have the option of taking the cumulative final exam if you would like to try and increase your grade. If your score on the final exam is better than your score on one of the previous exams, then your final exam score will be substituted for your lowest previous score (i.e., lowest score is dropped). Taking the final exam cannot hurt your grade, but it may help your grade. The final exam will take place during finals week at the regularly scheduled final exam time slot. Each exam will cover material from both lecture and the assigned readings. This means that anything—whether it is from lecture, the text, videos, or supplementary readings—is fair game for exams. However, emphasis is typically placed on lecture material. NO MAKE-UP EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN. If you miss an in-class exam for any reason, you must take the final exam. If there are prominent extenuating circumstances for missing a second exam, please discuss this with me during my office hours. Exams will consist of multiple choice problems. Each exam is worth 13.5% of your final grade (for a total of 54%).

Scantrons: You must use a scantron form (No. 882E) and #2 pencil for each exam. Scantron forms and pencils may be purchased at the GMU bookstore.

Projects

There are four projects you will complete throughout the semester, each worth 10% of your final grade. These projects are meant to be a fun and interesting way to increase your comprehension of the course material and to help you apply social psychological principles to everyday life. Every project is related to the cluster of chapters assigned during a given exam period. For each of the four projects, you will be given a list of several potential projects to select from. The details of these projects will be discussed in class and posted on Blackboard.

Required Research Participation & Extra Credit

You are required to participate in 3 credits of research conducted in the GMU psychology department, making up 6% of your final grade. In addition, you can earn up to 6 extra credit points through participating in additional research projects. Each hour of research participation credit is equivalent to 1 extra credit point. Half points are awarded for studies lasting only 30 minutes. To search and sign up for research studies, visit the GMU Sona Systems website (http://gmu.sona-systems.com/) and register for an account. To receive credit for your participation, you must assign your earned credits to PSYC 231-003 when signing up for studies on Sona Systems. Note that only successful completion of a research study and NOT a research lecture is an acceptable source of required research credits and extra credit. Lectures are required to be denoted as ‘Lectures’ in the Sona Systems database to ensure you do not get them confused with research studies.

Grades

Your grade will be determined by your performance on exams, projects, and completion of the required research participation. Any extra credit received will be added into your grade at the end of the semester. Here is the grade breakdown:

Final grades will be computed on the following scale (I reserve the right to make it less stringent if necessary):

            A          =  93-100

            A-         =  90-92

            B+        =  87-89

            B          =  83-86

            B-         =  80-82

C+        =  77-79

            C          =  73-76

            C-         =  70-72

            D+        =  67-69

            D          =  60-66

                     F          =  less than 60

Technology

Lectures are in PowerPoint format. An outline of the lecture slides will be posted on Blackboard sometime during the day prior to lecture. Feel free to print the outline and fill it in during lecture. Grades, announcements, and supplemental readings will be available on Blackboard as well. Please make sure your browser is compatible (see http://gmu.blackboard.com). You can login to Blackboard using your GMU email account login and password. I will also send any announcements to your GMU email account so make sure this account is also active.

Students with Special Concerns
If you are a student with a disability and you need academic accommodations please see me and contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at 703-993-2474. All academic accommodations must be arranged through that office.

Statement of Academic Integrity
You are expected to complete all course assignments, including exams and projects, without assistance from any source. In accordance with University-z guidelines, I will take vigorous action against students who engage in cheating, misrepresentation, or other dishonest practices. Penalties for students found guilty of academic dishonesty will be determined on a case by case basis, in accordance with university guidelines. If you have any concerns about matters of academic dishonesty please see me immediately.

Important Dates

Last Day to Add (Full Semester Course)                          September 9, 2008

Last Day to Drop (Full Semester Course)                         September 26, 2008

Class Schedule

NOTE: The above schedule and procedures are subject to change in the event of extenuating circumstances. Any changes will be announced in class or via email.