95680 - Essentials of Social Psychology

Learning outcomes

Part 1

- Brief history of social psychology and its underlined epistemological approaches.

- Methods of social psychological research.

Part 2

- Social cognition: knowing the social world, impression formation, social categorization.

- Social influence: conformity, minority influence, obedience.

- Attitudes: formation, transmission.

- Persuasione: main models, message and source of communication.

- Aggressive behaviours: individual and social explanations, influence of media, reduction strategies.

- Pro-social behaviours: motivations, emphaty.

- Inclusion and exclusion: motivation to belong, exclusion from groups and its conseguences.

- Intergruoup discrimination: experiments, realistic conflict, social identity.

Part 3

Emergent issues in social psychology.

- Social psychology in the digital era: consequences of digital technology, social relations and social media.

- Political psychology

Course contents

Andrighetto, L. e Riva, P. (2020). Psicologia Sociale. Fondamenti teorici ed empirici. Il Mulino.

Palmonari, A., Cavazza, N. ( A cura di), (2012). Ricerche e Protagonisti della Psicologia Sociale. Il Mulino.

(not to be studied cap 1 e 2)

Readings/Bibliography

The course will be taught trough frontal lessons. Videoclips/movies will be used to explain how psychological processes and behaviours happen in daily life, and to illustrate the most important experiments of social psychology in both their original form and modern adaptation. Comments and discussion will be strongly encouraged in order to understand how social-psychological process explain real and daily life phenomena, and facilitate the links with other psychological domains.

The frequency to the lessons will not be measured but it is strongly recommended.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Teaching methods

The course will be taught trough frontal lessons. Videoclips/movies will be used to explain how psychological processes and behaviours happen in daily life, and to illustrate the most important experiments of social psychology in both their original form and modern adaptation. Comments and discussion will be strongly encouraged in order to understand how social-psychological process explain real and daily life phenomena, and facilitate the links with other psychological domains.

The frequency to the lessons will not be measured but it is strongly recommended.

 

Assessment methods

The final exam is in written form. It comprises 31 close format questions.

It will be possibile to participate in two partial exams, consisting in 31 close format questions to be completed in 25 minutes. The final mark will be calculated by averaging the two partial marks.

Students who are not Italian mother tongue could ask for more time by sending an e-mail to the professor.

Signing up on AlmaEsami is mandatory. Any problem to sign up should be reported to the office as soon as possible.

Students could present a group-work on a topic previously discussed with the professor. The group-work will be evaluated from 0 to 3 points.

Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible ( [https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students] ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives

Teaching tools

Part of the teaching material will be made available on Virtuale platform (in accordance with copyright norms).

Office hours

See the website of Michela Menegatti

See the website of