Introduction to Social Psychology

Psychology 135 - Fall 2001

CS50, Tues & Thur 2:00-3:15 pm

Instructor: Matthew Lieberman, Ph.D.

Office: 4461c Franz Hall

Phone: x64050

Email: lieber@psych.ucla.edu

Office Hours: Tues 3:30-4:30; Wed 2:30-3:30

Text: Social Psychology (1st ed.) by Charles G. Lord (for lecture) plus 2 articles.

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (for section)

Course Overview: Welcome! One of the greatest things about social psychology isthat you can talk about it at parties and no one will ever think its weird. Social psychology is about phenomena that most of us care a lot about and have probably already thought about a good deal: how people make sense of other people, how people relate to one another, and how our thoughts and behaviors are influenced by those around us. Lectures will be full of cool and counterintuitive findings. If you can't stay awake in this class, then I'm not doing my job right because this stuff is great.

Boring, But Important Information

Enrollment. Psychology 135 is a core course for the psychology major, and it is also listed as an impacted course by the university. As such, enrollment activities are regulated by strict rules. If you are not enrolled in a discussion section by the end of the second week of the quarter, you will be dropped by the computer. Furthermore, core courses are over-enrolled to compensate for the typical drop rate. For this reason, Permission to Enroll Authorization Numbers (PTEs) will NOT be issued for this course. Enrollment is processed solely through the university's automated computer system. If you have questions about this policy, you should go to the Psychology Advising Office, 1531 Franz Hall.

Dropping. University policy states that you CANNOT drop an impacted course after the second week of the quarter "for other than exceptionally extenuating circumstances which must be approved by the L&S Executive Committee on referral by college counseling units. Exceptionally extenuating circumstances do not include circumstances of short duration where other alternatives exist, including but not limited to a late drop of other (non-impacted) courses or taking an Incomplete in the impacted course."

Sections. Unless you can find someone from another section to switch with you, you are just going to have to tough it out in whichever section you are officially enrolled.

Grades: Midterm (35%), Final (40%), Experiment Write-up (10%); Section (15%)

(NOTE: The final exam is on December 12, at 11:30am)

Week of	Tuesday	Thursday
Week 0: September 25	Themes (pp. 1-38)	Getting in to Grad School (no reading)
Week 1: October 2	Philosophy of the Self (no reading)	Self-Knowledge & Self-Esteem (pp. 56-60, 169-210)
Week 2: October 9	Self-Control (pp. 169-210)	Losing Control (pp. 169-210)
Week 3: October 16	Implicit & Explicit Attitudes (pp. 213-249)	Belief & Rationalization (pp. 276-295)
Week 4: October 23	Attribution I (pp. 126-149)	Attribution II (pp. 126-149)
Week 5: October 30	Midterm Review	Midterm Exam
Week 6: November 6	Judgment & Decision Making (pp. 51-56, 69-76)	Social Cognition (pp. 39-50, 60-69, 77-84, 150-167)
Week 7: November 13	Stereotyping (pp. 296-337, 572-583)	Nonverbal Communication (pp. 86-125, 432-449)
Week 8: November 20	Close Relationships Guest - Prof. Shelly Gable (pp. 379-411)	Thanksgiving -no class-
Week 9: November 27	Emotion (Fridja, 176-201, 221-237)	Affective Forecasting (Gilbert & Wilson,178-197)
Week 10: December 4	Conformity & Social Influence (pp. 530-567)	Helping (pp. 455-489)