Carleton University
Department of Psychology
Fall, 1996.

Course Outline for Psychology 49.511*
Seminar in Social Psychology

Instructor: Tim Pychyl
Office: A825 LA
Phone:(613) 520-2600 ext 1403
Office hours: Tuesday 1500-1700 and by appointment
email: tpychyl@ccs.carleton.ca fax: (613) 520-3667
Course URL: http://www.carleton.ca/~tpychyl/49511F1.html
(Seminar location: B442 LA, Tuesday 1130-1430)

Brief Description of the course and course objectives

As set out in the university calendar, "this seminar deals with classic and current theoretical issues and research findings in the areas of social psychology, personality, community, social developmental and applied social psychology" (p. 278). This description is deliberately broad in scope in order to accommodate the wide variety of topics which make up Social Psychology. Of course, any one seminar can not possibly cover all of these areas of research.

I expect that this seminar will meet three broad objectives:

  • provide an historical framework for understanding contemporary social psychological research,
  • identify publication trends and recent developments in this research, including international contributions to social psychology, and
  • further develop research background specific to your own area of social-psychological specialization or interest.

    The primary focus of a seminar is research. Unfortunately, unlike the 19th-century German universities from which seminars originated, we do not have the time or the funding to work together as a research group. Instead, we will spend our time reading and discussing social psychological research. It is expected that you will participate actively in class discussion. Evaluation for the course is based primarily on your on-going work in the seminar.

    Structure of the seminar meetings

    As Eble (1988) notes, a seminar is " . . . a small number of intensely interested and knowing individuals letting their minds play on a common topic" (p. 99). In order to provide some structure to our "play," I have divided the three hours for our meetings into three distinct parts. In the first section of approximately 40 minutes, assigned students will present a summary of their readings from current social-psychological research. Following this, we will discuss the common readings (text and assigned, if any) for approximately an hour. After a short break, we will use the remaining third of the session for seminar presentations or further discussion of the day's theme. I expect that many of these discussions will be extended to our CHAT discussion group.

    Required Readings:

    For each seminar meeting, you will be required to read:

  • one chapter from a social psychology textbook (appropriate to the topic for that week)

  • one recently published research article of your choice related to the topic above, and

  • one other article or book chapter assigned by the instructor or seminar presenter (these will be assigned one or two weeks prior to the seminar meeting).

    Evaluation

    As we will review during our first seminar (i.e., Kahn, 1990), graduate social psychology course evaluation ranges from courses requiring multiple in-class exams to courses in which grant proposals form part of the overall student grade. In this seminar, there will be no traditional exams. Instead, you will be required to complete a series of assignments. Each is listed and explained below.

    Mini-assignment

    Journal List(5%)
    For the fourth meeting (i.e., October 1, 1996), you are required to make a list of all of the scholarly journals which publish social psychological research. This should be an exhaustive list. You must then indicate which journals are related most to your area of specialization or interest and briefly explain why. Finally, explain to which journal you would submit (or have submitted) your own research.

    Weekly Assignments

    Weekly summary of textbook chapter (25%)
    Each week we will be reviewing a different aspect of social psychology (e.g., attitudes, social cognition, etc.). In order to provide a common departure point for our discussions, you are required to read an appropriate chapter from an undergraduate social psychology text and to write (and submit) a short summary of the chapter highlighting: the major topics of research, the key researchers in the area and the methodologies commonly used. (Note: I would prefer that these summaries be posted either on the course discussion group or linked to the course web page. This would provide each student access to all seminar participants' summaries.)

    Weekly summary of research article (15%)
    Each week you are required to read and summarize one research article related to the topic reviewed in the chapter above. This research article must be a recent publication (i.e., 1994-1996, preferably 1996). Your own personal interest or curiosity should guide your choice of an article within any topic. (These summaries need not be posted, but they must be submitted in point form weekly attached to a copy of the article summarized.)

    Seminar Presentations

    Minor Presentations (10%)
    You are required to present two research articles during the term. The first is a brief (10-15 minute) presentation summarizing a research article related to the topic of the week. The second is a brief presentation providing a critique of a research article (this may require reference to similar research in the area and more analysis as opposed to summary).

    Major Presentation (15%)
    Once during the term, you are required to make a presentation and lead a discussion related to your area of interest or specialization in social psychology (approximately 60 minutes). In preparation for this seminar, you will be required to assign one or two research articles related to your topic as background reading for the group.

    Collaborative Work

    International Discussion Group (10%)
    Midway through the term, we will be collaborating with social psychology seminars in the United States and Israel. The focus for our discussion will be "culture-specific" social psychologies such as the social psychology of China, Japan, Russia, etc. In preparation for this discussion, you will be required to read a selection of articles related to cross-cultural social psychology, and you will be required to write a "position paper" that we will link to our course web site. These position papers will then be accessible to our international colleagues as a resource and/or starting point for discussion.

    Research (choose one of the following)

    Research Paper (20%)
    The final assignment for the course is a 15 page paper on a research topic of your choice. The paper will provide a review of the literature related to your topic. Topics must be approved by the instructor by the fourth meeting. The paper is due on the last day of class.

    World Wide Web Net Search (20%)
    As an alternative to the traditional research paper, you may choose to construct a web page that would be linked to our course home page. This web page would provide interested researchers with a research tool to your area of specialization and/or interest in social psychology. For a sample of a page of this type see: http://www.carleton.ca/~tpychyl

    Please note that late assignments will not be accepted unless previously approved by the instructor. Only documented cases of illness or extenuating circumstances will be accepted as reasons for extensions on assignments. All assignments must be completed for course credit. If you fail to hand in an assignment or complete the required seminar presentations, you will be assigned a grade of "F" for the seminar.

    Seminar Schedule

    As we will be determining much of the course content through our examination of social psychology texts during our first seminar meeting, only the first three seminar meetings have been specified. Topics for weeks four (i.e., F-4) though twelve (F-12) will be announced by week three. The specific readings for each of these weeks will be announced the week prior to the seminar.

    Week and Topic

  • F-1 Graduate seminars and social psychology texts. . . defining the discipline. No readings assigned

  • F-2 The standard history of social psychology . . . from Wundt to Gergen First chapter of your chosen text. As discussed in class, you may choose any undergraduate social psychology text used in introductory courses (e.g., Baron & Byrnes, Alcock, Carment & Savada).

    Allport, G.W. (1985). The historical background of social psychology. In G. Lindzey and E. Aronson (Eds.), Handbook of Social Psychology, 3rd edition, pp. 1-46. New York: Random House.

    Jones, E.E. (1985). Major developments in social psychology during the past five decades. In G. Lindzey and E. Aronson (Eds.), Handbook of Social Psychology, 3rd edition, pp. 47-107. New York: Random House.

    Note. These are long chapters. You are not expected to read these for detail, but you must be able to outline the major research themes, changes over time, and contributions made by key researchers in various areas for our discussion.

  • F-3 A critical appraisal of the "standard" history of social psychology

    Farr, R.M. (1991). The long past and the short history of social psychology. European Journal of Social Psychology, 21(5), 371-380. Samelson, F. (1974). History, origin myth and ideology: Comte's discovery of social psychology. Journal of the Theory of Social Behavior, 4, 217-231.

  • F-4 to F-12 To be announced.

    Topics to be covered may include (but are not limited to): attitudes and attitude change, social cognition, attraction, prejudice and discrimination, social development, aggression, prosocial behaviour, applied social psychology, personality, sexuality, environmental influences on behaviour, as well as cross-cultural social psychology.

    References

    Eble, K.E. (1988). The Craft of Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.

    Kahn, A.S. (1990). The graduate social psychology course.Contemporary Social Psychology, 14(2), 63-67.

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