Introduction to Social Psychology

1. Define social psychology and its key concepts.
2. Explain the processes of social cognition and perception.
3. Analyze the formation and change of attitudes.
4. Understand the factors influencing interpersonal attraction and relationships.
5. Evaluate the dynamics of social influence, conformity, and obedience.
6. Examine the causes and consequences of aggression.
7. Describe the principles of group dynamics and socialization.

13 weeks, about 46 hours in total. Yours will differ.

1. Week 1Module 1:

   • Unit 1: Social Psychology · 2 hours

     Read the unit introduction to understand the scope of social psychology.. Study the definitions of social psychology by Myers and Spencer, Allport, and Barron and Byrne.. Understand the scientific nature of social psychology and its values: accuracy, objectivity, skepticism, and open-mindedness.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to test your understanding of the basic concepts..

   • Unit 1: Social Psychology · 2 hours

     Explore the history of social psychology, tracing its roots back to 1895.. Examine the impact of World War II on the development of social psychology.. Study the current trends in social psychology, including cognition and behavior, social neuroscience, and cross-cultural research.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 2 to reinforce your knowledge of the unit's content..

2. Week 2Module 1:

   • Unit 2: Definitions of Intelligence · 3 hours

     Discuss the layman's perspective on intelligence and how it differs from psychologists' definitions.. Define the concept of intelligence and explain the concept of intelligence quotient (IQ).. Understand the early days of intelligence research and the contributions of Spencer, Galton, and Burt.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to assess your understanding of intelligence..

3. Week 3Module 1:

   • Unit 3: Social Cognition · 3 hours

     Explain the meaning of social cognition and its application to social situations.. Understand what schemas are and how they influence our interpretation of social information.. Learn about the concept of priming and its effects on memory and consciousness.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to test your understanding of social cognition..

4. Week 4Module 1:

   • Unit 3: Social Cognition · 3 hours

     Acquire knowledge about heuristics, its types (representativeness, availability, anchoring), and ways in which they influence us.. Understand the concept of information overload and how heuristics help us manage it.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 2 to reinforce your knowledge of schemas and heuristics..

5. Week 5Module 1:

   • Unit 4: Social Perception · 3 hours

     Define social perception and its role in understanding individuals and groups.. Identify the different channels of nonverbal communication, including facial expressions, eye contact, and body movements.. Explain Darwin's theory of universal facial expressions of emotion and its implications.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to assess your understanding of social perception..

6. Week 6Module 1:

   • Unit 5: Impression Formation and Impression Management · 3 hours

     Understand the process of impression formation and its importance in social interactions.. Comprehend the classic studies of Solomon Asch on central and peripheral traits in impression formation.. Know how quickly our first impressions are formed and the role of schemas in shaping them.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to test your understanding of impression formation..

7. Week 7Module 2:

   • Unit 5: Impression Formation and Impression Management · 3 hours

     Understand the cognitive approach to impression formation, including the influence of exemplars and abstractions.. Know the various tactics of impression management, including self-enhancement and other-enhancement.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 2 to reinforce your knowledge of the cognitive perspective on impression formation..

8. Week 8Module 2:

   • Unit 1: Understanding some Important Factors in Person Perception and Impression Formation · 3 hours

     Describe person perception and its importance in social interactions.. Identify important factors in person perception, including verbal and non-verbal cues.. Explain the most important aspects of impressions: evaluation, positively bias, negativity effect, and emotional information.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to assess your understanding of person perception..

9. Week 9Module 2:

   • Unit 2: Attitude · 3 hours

     Understand how attitudes are formed and the process of development of attitude.. Know when and why attitudes influence behavior.. Learn about the techniques of changing attitudes, such as persuasion and cognitive dissonance.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to test your understanding of attitude formation..

10. Week 10Module 2:

    • Unit 3 Persuasion · 3 hours

      Understand the communicators and the audience in persuasion. Explain the place of message in persuasion. Identify the factors that affect persuasion. Describe how we can resist persuasion. Discuss the theories of persuasion.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to test your understanding of persuasion..

11. Week 11Module 2:

    • Unit 4 Stereotype · 3 hours

      Define stereotypes and their functions in social cognition.. Explain reasons for stereotypes, including social categorization and cognitive efficiency.. Evaluate the relationship between stereotypes and gender, including common traits associated with women and men.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to assess your understanding of stereotypes..

12. Week 12Module 2:

    • Unit 4 Stereotype · 3 hours

      Describe the strategies of reducing stereotypes, including learning to 'just-say-no' and social influences.. Define prejudice and discrimination and their relationship to stereotypes.. Examine the causes of prejudice, including social identity theory, cognitive theories, and learning theories.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 2 to reinforce your knowledge of stereotypes and prejudice..

    • Unit 5 Prejudice and Discrimination · 3 hours

      Explain the influence of gender on prejudice and the concept of discrimination.. Understand the theories of prejudice, including authoritarian personality theory and realistic conflict theory.. Complete Self-Assessment Exercise 1 to assess your understanding of prejudice and discrimination..

13. Week 13Final Revision

    • Final Revision · 6 hours

      Review all modules and units covered in the course.. Focus on key concepts and theories related to social psychology.. Prepare for assignments and tutor-marked assessments (TMAs).. Practice applying social psychology principles to real-world scenarios..