Social Psychology, Psy 3307 Dr. Naomi Hall WSSU, Fall 2008

1. Psychology 3307-DV: Social Psychology
Winston Salem State University
Online Course Syllabus—Fall 2008
Instructor: Dr. Naomi Hall
Email: Send messages through the Blackboard system
Physical Office: Modular Unit East #103 Telephone: (336) 750-8800
Face-to-Face Office Hours: T/Th 5-6pm and Wednesdays 11-1p AND 2-6pm.
Online Office Hours: TBD
Prerequisite: Psychology 2301 (General Psychology)
Required Course Text
♦ Myers, D. G. (2008). Social Psychology (9th edition). New York: McGraw-Hill. Even if you use the
8th edition you will be responsible for all that is included in the 9th edition.
Course Description
This 16-week online course provides a study of individual and collective behavior in relation to various social
and cultural influences. Social psychology is “the scientific study of the way in which people’s thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people.” Students may earn
credit for only one of the following: SOC 3307 or PSY 3307.
Rationale
Social psychology covers a broad variety of topics from how people choose relationship partners to why some
people choose brand X over brand Y. That is, social psychology has a wide variety of both practical and
scientific applications. More than any other psychology course, social psychology deals with the “stuff” of real
life. This class is designed to encourage students to think about the ideas, concepts, and theories presented and
how they relate to your own personal experiences. We will cover topics such as beliefs and judgments, attitudes
and persuasion, race and culture, social influence, prejudice and discrimination, and interpersonal attraction. By
the end of this course you should be able to apply what is learned to your specific discipline and/or career path.
Basic Computer Requirements
To successfully complete this course you will need access to a computer and the Internet. To access all of the
features of the course you will need to have Microsoft Word 2000, Microsoft PowerPoint 2000, and Adobe
Acrobat software. If you have Microsoft Word 2007 or Vista, be sure to save in the 2000 or 2003 format, .rtf, or
.doc.
Course Teaching Goals
This course is designed to:
♦ Provide students with an introduction to various theoretical approaches to social psychology
♦ Increase awareness and appreciation of different views concerning intrapersonal, interpersonal, and
group behavior
♦ Discuss social psychology scientifically and critically
Course Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
♦ Describe the different methods used by social psychologists to study social issues
♦ Comprehend and integrate course material into their everyday lives
♦ Understand how social psychological theory can help understand and address social issues
♦ Identify the process in which beliefs and attitudes are developed and interact to influence behavior

2. ♦ Enhance their critical thinking skills by participating in individual and group activities that examine
ways in which sociocultural and psychosocial factors affect social behavior
Course Structure
One of the major advantages to an online course is its flexibility. You have the opportunity to progress through
most of the course according to your schedule, since all course materials, assignments, and tests are available to
you 24-hours a day. The course has been structured into three parts that include a total of 11 chapters. Each
chapter has corresponding assignments, activities, discussion questions, quizzes, and supplemental reading.
Additionally, individual and group activities will be assigned to extend your learning and enhance your
experience in the course. If you have any questions or comments at any time, feel free to send me a message
through Blackboard. I am excited to have your participation in this course and I look forward to your
contributions to it!
Honor Code/Academic Integrity
Winston-Salem State University puts forth every reasonable effort to maintain academic integrity in the
instruction program. To compromise integrity through acts of academic dishonest seriously jeopardizes the
quality of instruction and the caliber of education we purport to provide our students. Such dishonesty includes:
Cheating- Intentionally and knowingly using unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any
academic exercise or matter
Plagiarism-Intentionally and knowingly representing in any academic exercise or matter the words or
ideas of another as one's own.
Fabrication-Intentionally and knowingly falsifying or inventing information or citation in an academic
exercise.
Facilitating Academic Dishonesty-Intentionally and knowingly helping or attempting to help another
to commit and act of cheating, plagiarism, or fabrication.
From: (Winston-Salem State University 2005-2007 Undergraduate & Graduate Admissions Catalog, Policy and
Regulations, p.30)
Disability Statement
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Winston-Salem State University will honor
requests for reasonable accommodations made by individuals with disabilities. Students must self-disclose their
disability to the Office of Disability Services before academic accommodations can be implemented. If you have
a documented disability, please contact the Office of Disability Services in room 205 Anderson Center or by
telephone at 750-8658.
Assessments
Assigned Readings and Exercises
You are responsible for completing all weekly assigned readings. Quiz and exam questions may be taken from
assigned readings and online discussions. Also, various topic-specific handouts may be uploaded on Blackboard
throughout the semester.
Quizzes and Exams
You will have 10 short multiple-choice quizzes. You may drop your two lowest quiz scores. The purpose of
the quiz is to provide you with an opportunity to assess your learning and to become familiar with the nature of
questions that you will see on each of your four examinations. Each quiz is worth 20 points and you will have 30
minutes to complete each quiz. Quizzes are posted within each unit/module. Once you answer a question, you
cannot revisit that question, so check your answer BEFORE moving on to the next question. You may take each
quiz TWO times and I will take the highest score. Quizzes will open up on Wednesday mornings at 8:00am and
close at 11:59pm on Sunday nights. You have anytime in-between to take the quiz—see specific dates in
schedule.
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3. Four examinations (worth 100 points each) will be given to help determine your progress and success in
the class. Exam dates are in the course outline. Exams/quizzes will consist of a mixed format utilizing multiple-
choice questions, true/false, matching, and fill in the blank. Short essay questions and/or a case study will appear
on most exams. Exams will open up on Wednesday mornings at 8:00am and close at 11:59pm on Sunday nights.
You have anytime in-between to take the quiz—see specific dates in schedule.
Occasionally, there are technological issues that interfere with the performance of the Blackboard system. If this
occurs, you should email me IMMEDIATELY explaining what happened and let me know if the quiz needs to
be cleared. I will check into the problem and take the appropriate measures.
Taking Sides Discussion Board Contributions
Given that this is a web-based course, your only method of interacting with your fellow classmates and your
instructor will be via the Internet. In order to enrich your learning in the course beyond the course readings, you
will be required to participate in one discussion board topic per week, posting at least two contributions in
relation to each topic.
After completing the readings for each chapter, you will be required to post to the relevant discussion board
question. These are contemporary issues in the field of social psychology, focusing on critical conceptual,
empirical, or practical issues that continue to generate significant controversy within the field. Your role will be
to respond to six (out of 11) discussion questions and posts with your own thoughts and reactions, based on your
readings, opinions and experiences. Additionally, to obtain full credit, you must also comment on at least two
other student's response. Please remember to be courteous to your classmates, because there may be topics on
which there are differing opinions, state your opinions without demeaning another's thoughts on the topic. One
discussion question will be posted per week beginning in the third week. Discussion questions may be found on
the ‘Discussion Board.’
Please note that there are NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWERS to these discussion board posts; they are
designed to give you the opportunity to reflect more deeply, and to develop your own opinions and positions
regarding key contemporary issues in the field of social psychology. Your discussion board posts will be
evaluated on the following criteria (See rubric under ‘Discussion Board):
1. Critical analysis of the issue
2. Reflection of your opinion based on your experiences AND the readings. Please make sure to cite the
readings in your posts.
3. The quality of your comments on other student’s postings
Basic requirements include a minimum length of at least 300 words in length PER discussion for each module.
Contributions below this length will receive 0 points automatically---NO EXCEPTIONS. Students should
construct their responses in a word processing program and then cut & paste into the Discussion Board. Step-by-
step instructions on how to do this are located in the Discussion Board section.
Cooperative Activities
Cooperative learning is a teaching strategy in which small teams, each with students of different levels of
ability, use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject. Each member of a team is
responsible not only for learning what is taught but also for helping teammates learn, thus creating an
atmosphere of achievement. Students work through the assignment until all group members successfully
understand and complete it.
In addition to assigned readings, students will be able to improve their thinking and writing skills by completing
cooperative critical thinking assignments. Students will be assigned to teams. Teams will use their assigned
group pages (instructions on Blackboard under ‘Cooperative Activities’) to study material together, ask
questions of each other, and to complete several critical thinking research projects together. Teams will submit
the final products to the instructor using Google Docs (specific instructions to follow). The entire class will use
the Blog Tool in Blackboard to critically evaluate Team products.
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4. Course Policies
Rules of Engagement
The purpose of this course, as with any academic course, is learning. To that end, this must be a safe
environment for learning and interacting with each other. Two important components of learning are asking
questions and making mistakes. To ensure that this will be a safe environment for learning, a safe environment
for asking questions, and a safe environment for making the mistakes that are a natural part of the learning
process, I created the Rules of Engagement that must be followed for all course participation, and for all
communication. The online course environment is to be respectful and you are expected to follow the rules
of netiquette (tips found in Course Documents) at all times.
All students will actively engage in this course. Since we are unable to have face-to-face dialogue,
much of your learning, retention, and evaluation will depend upon your ability to 1) make your presence
known; and 2) interact with your fellow students.
Correction is not the same as criticism. We all make mistakes and they are a natural part of the
learning process. Before you post any materials or any response to the discussion board and before you
send an email or reply to anything, you should carefully consider your words and/or your posting/reply.
Consider how you would feel if someone were to address you in such a manner or if you were to receive
such a posting/reply. If you are bothered by the words that you use or by your in-progress posting/reply
then you should not make your statement/posting or send your reply: if you offend yourself then you
will surely offend others.
Be respectful of each other's time constraints. We all have different schedules. Some of you have
full-time or part-time jobs, others may be taking a heavy course load, and still others may do both of
these in addition to having a family (having a family is a job by itself). You need to be respectful of
each other's time constraints when you work together in groups or in pairs. Don’t wait until the last
minute to complete assignments!
Be careful what you put in writing. Even if you are writing an e-mail message to one person, assume
that anyone could read it. Though you may send an e-mail to a single person, it is very easy to forward
your message to hundreds or thousands of people.
Grammar and spelling matter. Online courses demand the same standard of academic communication
and use of grammar as face-to-face courses.
Attendance Policy
Since this class takes place totally online, your attendance will be assessed through your participation in class
activities, assignments, and assessments. If I do not see any participation for one week I will contact you via
message and/or telephone. Makeups or extensions on deadlines will ONLY be considered in cases of serious
personal or family illness, death or emergency in your family, or official business for Winston-Salem State
University. In such cases, you must follow these procedures: 1) Contact the instructor and discuss the situation
as soon as possible; 2) Make plans for a make-up exam or assignment extension; and 3) Provide written
documentation (i.e., doctor's note, obituary, letter from University Counseling Center and/or Vice Chancellor for
Academic Affairs).
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5. Evaluation/Grading Scheme
This course uses a point system to evaluate student progress. The following scheme applies to this class. Please
note that I reserve the right to modify this scheme during the course as necessary:
Discussion Board Responses (6) 60 points (6% of final grade)
Collaborative Online Activities 100 points (10% of final grade)
Individual Online Activities 130 points (13% of final grade)
Quizzes (8) 160 points (18 % of final grade)
Exams (4) 400 points (40% of final grade)
Final Exam 150 points (15% of final grade)
1000 points total (subject to change)
Final Grades:
Your final grade will be determined by adding the total number of points you earned and dividing by the total
number of points available. You should have a percentage that corresponds with the following:
Grade Criteria
A= 100% - 90% Demonstrated a deep understanding and mastery of the subject, presented
work with exceptional clarity and poise.
B= 89% - 80% Demonstrated a better than average understanding of material. Projects or
papers were presented neatly and thoroughly but did not have the depth for
an 'A'.
C= 79% - 70% Average. The student grasped the essential information; material is complete
and presented on time.
D= 69% - 60% Below average. Student missed significant aspects of assignments. Material
was not turned in on time; student was unprepared.
F = below 60 % Student was unable to complete assignments on time with at least a 60%
understanding and presentation.
It is the student’s responsibility to drop or withdraw from the course by the due date. If you do not, you
will receive an ‘F.’
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6. PSY 3307-DV
Dr. Hall
Fall 2008
COURSE SCHEDULE (SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
WEEK DATE TOPICS/READINGS INDIVIDUAL COOPERATIVE ASSESSMENTS DISCUSSSION
RANGE ACTIVITIES ACTIVITIES BOARDS
1 Aug. 25th Explore the Syllabus quiz Introduce yourself
– Aug. 31st Blackboard site (required, but not (see worksheet for
scored) details)
2 Sept. 1st – Chapter 1: Introducing Unit 1 Quiz 1
Sept. 7th Social Psychology Modules 1 & 2 Opens 9/3 at 8am,
closes 9/7 at 11:59pm
Part I: Social Thinking
3 Sept. 8th – Chapter 2: The Self in the Unit 2 TBD Quiz 2 Discussion Board
Sept. 14th Social World Modules 3 & 4 Opens 9/10 at 8am, Issue #1
closes 9/14 at 11:59pm Opens 9/8 at 8am,
closes 9/14 at 11:59pm
4 Sept. 15th Review Modules TBD Exam 1 Discussion Board
– Sept. 1-4 Opens 9/17 at 8am, Issue #2
21st closes 9/21 at 11:59pm Opens 9/15 at 8am,
closes 9/21 at 11:59pm
5 Sept. 22nd Chapter 3: Social Beliefs and Unit 3 TBD Quiz 3 Discussion Board
– Sept. Judgments Modules 5 & 6 Opens 9/24 at 8am, Issue #3
28th closes 9/28 at 11:59pm Opens 9/22 at 8am,
closes 9/28 at 11:59pm
6 Sept. 29th Chapter 4: Behavior and Unit 4 TBD Quiz 4 Discussion Board
– Oct. 5th Attitudes Modules 7 & 8 Opens 10/1 at 8am, Issue #4
closes 10/5 at 11:59pm Opens 9/29 at 8am,
closes 10/5 at 11:59pm
7 Oct. 6th – Review Modules Begin working with Exam 2 Discussion Board
Oct. 12th 5-8 assigned group on team Opens 10/8 at 8am, Issue #5
project & closes 10/12 at Opens 10/6 at 8am,
11:59pm
Group blog reflection closes 10/12 at
11:59pm
Part II: Social Influence
th
8 Oct. 13 – Chapter 5: Genes, Culture, Unit 5 Groups continue to Quiz 5 Discussion Board
Oct. 19th and Gender Modules 9 & 10 work on team project & Opens 10/15 at 8am, Issue #6
Group blog reflection closes 10/19 at Opens 10/13 at 8am,
11:59pm closes 10/19 at

7. PSY 3307-DV
Dr. Hall
11:59pm
9 Oct. 20th – Chapter 6: Conformity and Unit 6 Groups continue to Quiz 6 Discussion Board
Oct. 26th Obedience Modules 11 & 12 work on team project & Opens 10/22 at 8am, Issue #7
Group blog reflection closes 10/29 at Opens 10/20 at 8am,
11:59pm closes 10/29 at
11:59pm
10 Oct. 27th – Review Modules Groups continue to Exam 3 Discussion Board
Nov. 2nd 9-12 work on team project & Opens 10/29 at 8am, Issue #8
Group blog reflection closes 11/2 at 11:59pm Opens 10/27 at 8am,
closes 11/2 at 11:59pm
11 Nov. 3rd – Chapter 7: Persuasion Unit 7 Groups continue to Quiz 7 Discussion Board
Nov. 9th Modules 13 & 14 work on team project & Opens 11/5 at 8am, Issue #9
Group blog reflection closes 11/9 at 11:59pm Opens 11/3 at 8am,
closes 11/9 at 11:59pm
12 Nov. 10th Chapter 8: Group Influence Unit 8 Groups continue to Quiz 8 Discussion Board
– Nov. Modules 15 & 16 work on team project & Opens 11/12 at 8am, Issue #10
16th Group blog reflection closes 11/16 at Opens 11/10 at 8am,
11:59pm closes 11/16 at
11:59pm
13 Nov. 17th Chapter 9: Prejudice: Unit 9 Groups continue to Exam 4 Discussion Board
– Nov. Disliking Others Modules 17 & 18 work on team project & Opens 11/19 at 8am, Issue #11
23rd Group blog reflection closes 11/23 at Opens 11/17 at 8am,
11:59pm closes 11/23 at
11:59pm
Part III: Social Relations
14 Nov. 24th Chapter 10: Aggression: Unit 10 Groups present team Quiz 9
– Nov. Hurting Others Modules 19 & 20 project online in a Opens 11/26 at 8am,
30th Discussion Board closes 11/30 at
11:59pm
Forum
15 Dec. 1st – Chapter 11: Attraction and Unit 11 Students comment on Quiz 10
Dec. 7th Intimacy: Liking & Loving Modules 21 & 22 team projects via the Opens 12/3 at 8am,
Others Discussion Board closes 12/7 at 11:59pm
Forum
FINAL EXAM (Cumulative): Opens December 8th at 8:00a.m. and closes on December 12th at 11:59p.m.
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