Social psychology and its application to Polish society 08-SOFA-SP

The aim of the course is to familiarize students with basic mechanisms recognized by social psychology as those driving human behaviours (in both individual and collective perspectives). Presentation of most recognized theories and most important experiments will be followed by analyzing statistical data and by content analyses of media news specific to Polish reality. Application of theoretical concepts to empirical data will illustrate the validity of theoretical findings. Special attention will be paid to phenomena like: creating and changing attitudes, social stereotypes and prejudices, conformism, wishful thinking and self-fulfilling prophecy, aggression, non-verbal communication, emotional expression and stress management, leadership, social groups and their dynamics, and attribution theories. The processes discussed operate in a very particular manner in the societies which experience radical, rapid changes that evoke social frustration, comparative deprivation and learned helplessness. The aim of the course is to present some methods of strengthening positive aspects of social changes and weakening the negative ones.
After completing the course students are expected to be familiar with basic terminology and theories fundamental to social psychology.

Week 1 Readings will be distributed in advance.

What psychology is about? Main problems and issues in psychology, dominating approaches.
Huffman, K., Vernoy, M.; Williams,B., Vernoy J. (1991). Psychology in Action. Chapter 1.
Week 2 Attitudes: creating, changing and influencing attitudes. Psychological definition of the term of attitude. Components of the attitude.
McGuire, W. “The concepts pf attitudes and their relation to behaviours”. In: H.W.Sinaiko, L.A.Broedling (eds) Perspectives on Attitude Assessment: Surveys and their alternatives. Pendleton Publ. 1976
Week 3 Das Experiment - the movie based on Zimbardo's experiment in the prison.
Week 4 Social stereotypes and prejudices. How to fight stereotypes?
Allport G. (1954) The Nature of Prejudice. Reading, MA: Addison Wesley.
Week 5 Conformism and self-fulfilling expectations. Rosenthal's experiments.
Huffman, K., Vernoy, M.; Williams,B., Vernoy J. (1991). Psychology in Action. Chapter 18
Week 6 Interpersonal attraction.
Huffman, K., Vernoy, M.; Williams,B., Vernoy J. (1991). Psychology in Action. Chapter 11
Week 7 Emotional expression, social aspects of expressing stress.
Huffman, K., Vernoy, M.; Williams,B., Vernoy J. (1991). Psychology in Action. Chapter 12 (pp.394-411) and 13 (pp.423-443) .
Week 8 Social groups and their dynamics.
Huffman, K., Vernoy, M.; Williams,B., Vernoy J. (1991). Psychology in Action. Chapter 18.
Week 9 Pro-social behaviours.
Huffman, K., Vernoy, M.; Williams,B., Vernoy J. (1991). Psychology in Action. Chapter 17.
Week 10 Leadership and power.
Schultz, D.P., Schultz, S.E. (1986). Psychology and Industry. An Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology. New York: Macmillan. Chapter 7
Week 11 Social and individual identity- based on E.H.Erikson approach.
Bower, G.H., Bootzin, R.R., Zajonc, R.B. (1987). Principles of Psychology Today. New York: Random House. Chapter 12
Week 12 Non-verbal communication.
Week 13 Aggression.
Bower, G.H., Bootzin, R.R., Zajonc, R.B. (1987). Principles of Psychology Today. New York: Random House. Chapter 18
Week 14 Personality theories.
Bower, G.H., Bootzin, R.R., Zajonc, R.B. (1987). Principles of Psychology Today. New York: Random House. Chapter 113
Week 15 Summarizing class.