Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

Social Psychology

Social Psychology
6
12748
2
First semester
FB
PSYCHOLOGY AREAS
SOCIAL AND OCCUPATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
Main language of instruction: Spanish

Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English

Teaching staff


Mrs. VAZQUEZ RIOS, Alejandra - avazquezr@uic.es

Appointments should be requested by email.

Introduction

Social Psychology is a scientific discipline that studies the behaviour, cognitions and feelings of individuals in environments that involve other real or symbolic people, that is, it tries to understand the nature and causes of individual behaviour and thinking in social situations. In the subject of Social Psychology, basic theories and processes are presented to understand the most frequent psychosocial phenomena in different cultural contexts of human interaction.

Pre-course requirements

There are no prerequisites.

Objectives

The main objective of the course is to offer students the basic contents of Social Psychology through knowledge of theory, concepts, methods and empirical research.  It aims for students to be able to understand that psychological phenomena not only come from inside people, but also come from the relationship between people and their environment. In this way the psychosocial bases of behavior are studied from the intrapersonal and interpersonal approaches, taking into account also the influence of cultures and the differences between them, bearing in mind that the human is essentially cultural and hence the structures that make up the cultural influences in the perception of reality, behavior and thoughts.

Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme

  • CB02 - Students must know how to apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and have competences that are usually demonstrated through the creation and defence of arguments and the solving of problems within their field of study.
  • CB03 - Students must have the ability to bring together and interpret relevant data (normally within their area of study) in order to issue judgements that include a reflection on relevant issues of a social, scientific and ethical nature.
  • CE05 - Design and apply a psychological intervention strategy depending on the context or service requested.
  • CE09 - The ability to identify the biological basis of the functions of Psychology and human behaviour, with an understanding of how they work and their influence on other aspects of a person.
  • CG05 - Understanding of the limitations of the psychological analysis of human behaviour and the ability to incorporate concepts and analytical techniques from other disciplines.
  • CG11 - Recognition, understanding and respect for the complexity of multicultural diversity.
  • CT11 - Respect the fundamental rights of equality between men and women, the promotion of human rights and the values ​​of a culture of peace and democratic values.

Learning outcomes of the subject

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:

  • Know and differentiate between the contributions of theoretical models in Social Psychology
  • Identify the importance of psychosocial processes in individual behavior
  • Understand how cognitive processes work in social interaction
  • Understand the processes in the formation of attitudes and the techniques of persuasion in order to bring about a change in attitude
  • Detect what are the processes that determine the perception of other people
  • Recognize the main elements that characterize the processes of social interaction
  • Understand the influence of culture on the creation of the psyche, on human thought and behavior
  • Detect the contextual differences of the same event and how these influences intrapersonal and interpersonal social dynamics

Syllabus

1. Introduction to Social Psychology

1.1. Definition, object and objective

1.2. History of Social Psychology

1.3. Intervention in Social Psychology

1.4. Perception of reality according to cultures

2. Cognitive and rationality processes

2.1. Self-concept and social identity

2.2. Influence of education on self-concept

2.3. Cognitive biases and dissonances

2.4. Relationship between affect and cognition

3. Contributions of social psychology in the formation of attitudes and attribution processes

3.1. Attitude formation: how and why they are formed

3.2. Attribution processes

3.3. Influence, persuasion and change of attitudes

3.4. Rumor psychology

4. Contributions of social psychology in personal relationships

4.1. Intimate interpersonal relationships: close relationships

4.2. Helping behavior

4.3. Cultural factors influencing the psyche and behavior: perception of space and time

5. Processes of healthy and violent social interaction: cultural influences

5.1. Stereotypes

5.2. Psychosocial contributions to the study of aggression

5.3. Suicide: social and cultural influence

5.4. Psychosocial theories of aggression

Teaching and learning activities

In person



The methodology used in this subject will focus on the student, who will be the protagonist in the learning process and skills development. It is a methodology that combines master classes and practical teaching (group dynamics, seminars, analysis of audiovisual resources), group project preparation and individualized tutoring.

Hence students will be required to carry out both individual and group work. In addition to the continuous work that the preparation and use of the different theoretical and practical classes require the student will have to carry out a group project of 5/6 people with   an empirical basis. The project will be on a subject previously agreed in class with the teacher. For this the student will have tutorials and monitoring available during the semester. Finally, the project will be explained and discussed in class.

TRAINING ACTIVITY
Lectures will be the setting in which students will learn and use the terminology and linguistic structures related to the sphere of study, for the purpose of practising and developing oral and written communication skills and becoming familiar with the literature and instruction materials provided to better integrate the curricular content.
The guided reading of texts aims to develop the students’ critical thinking skills, which play a fundamental role in creating citizens who are both aware and responsible.
Case studies are a learning technique in which the subject is given the description of a specific situation that poses a problem, which must be understood, assessed and resolved by a group of people through discussion. Case studies are generally resolved in groups to promote student participation and develop their critical thinking skills. They also prepare students to make decisions, teaching them how to back up their arguments and contrast them with the opinions of the other group members.
The exercises provided and problems posed by the lecturer help students make headway in their academic career, and, guided by the lecturer, the students succeed in achieving short-term goals which facilitate the integration of theoretical knowledge.
A non-classroom activity that helps students consolidate their knowledge, something that is always necessary before starting a new task.

Evaluation systems and criteria

In person



The evaluation of the subject is calculated according to the following percentages:

  • Final exam (40%)
  • group project (30%): both written work and oral presentation will be evaluated
  • Practical activities (20%), both individual and collective
  • Attendance and participation: 50% of classes will have to be attended to be eligible for this grade

Important considerations:

  1. It will be necessary to obtain a minimum grade of 5.0 in the final exam and in group work to be able to do average with the rest of the grades.
  2. The realization of the practical activities is understood as continuous evaluation, and therefore its NO delivery according to the established dates will imply the impossibility of having that part of the note.
  3. Plagiarism, copying or any other action that can be considered cheating will suppose a zero in that evaluation section. Doing it in the exams will suppose the immediate suspension of the subject.
  4. On second call, the "Honor Registration" qualification cannot be obtained, so the maximum qualification will be "Excellent".

Bibliography and resources

Bibliography

  • Alvaro, J.L y Garrido, A. (2003). Psicología Social: perspectivas psicológicas y sociológica. Madrid: McGraw-Hill
  • Baron, R. A. y Byrne, D. (2005). Psicología Social. Madrid: Pearson.

Further reading

  • Fernández Villanueva, C. (2003). Psicologías Sociales en el umbral del siglo XXI. Madrid: Editorial Fundamentos.
  • Hewstone. M., Miles (2007). Introducción a la Psicología Social: Una perspectiva europea. Barcelona : Ariel
  • Moya, M. Y Rodríguez-Bailón, R. (2011). Fundamentos de Psicología Social. Madrid: Pirámide
  • Paterna Bleda, C., Martínez Martínez, M. C., Vera Martínez, J. J. (2003). Psicología social: De la teoría a la práctica cotidiana. Madrid: Ediciones Pirámide.
  • Rodríguez, A., Morales, J. F., Delgado, N., y Betancor V. (Coords.) (2016). 50 Experimentos Imprescindibles para entender la Psicología Social. Madrid: Alianza Editorial.
  • Smith, E.R. y Mackie, D.M. (1997). Psicología Social. Madrid: Ed. Médica Panamericana

Others resources

Evaluation period

E: exam date | R: revision date | 1: first session | 2: second session:
  • E1 17/01/2022 I3 11:00h
  • E2 17/06/2022 I3 12:00h
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