Understanding the Social Being
HUL 364
2nd Semester 2016-17
Yashpal Jogdand
3rd January 2017
Course Description
This course will introduce you to the major orientations and discoveries in social psychology that
attempt to explain how people's thoughts, feelings, and behavior are influenced by actual, imagined,
or implied presence of others. You will learn to make sense of individual behaviour and both
behaviour within groups (e.g. social influence, self-categorisation, social identity, conformity,
leadership, and group performance) and behaviour between groups (e.g. intergroup conflict and
cooperation, social categorisation, prejudice and its reduction, stereotypes, stigma). There will be a
strong emphasis on social psychological theory being examined by systematic empirical research.
The course will include both individual and group assignments to facilitate awareness, understanding
and application of social psychological principles and concepts.
Expectations and pre-requisites
There are no prerequisites as such but it is expected that students will read the material before
coming to the class and participate in class activities and discussions.
Administrative details
Lectures: Monday and Thursday, 8-9.30 am (A slot),
Classroom - II 336
Readings will be available from MOODLE.
Contact: [email protected]
Office hours: Wednesdays 4-5 and by appointment
Audit/Pass criteria
The pass criterion for the course would be 40%.
The audit criterion for the course would be 40% AND at least 75% attendance
Attendance Policy
Failure to attend 80% of class lectures will result in the loss of one grade level.
Evaluation components:
Minor I 20%
Minor II 20%
Major 30%
In-class quizzes/reaction papers/group presentations 25%
Class participation 5%
Core readings:
Smith, J. and Haslam, S.A. (2012). Social Psychology: Revisiting the Classic Studies. London:
Sage
Baron, Robert A. and Branscombe, Nyla. R. (2012). Social Psychology 13th Edition. Upper
saddle river : Pearson education
(PDF copies will be available on MOODLE)
Course Content
MODULE 1: The social being- introducing the social psychological approach, Historical roots,
theories and Methods.
Readings Baron, Robert A. and Branscombe, Nyla. R. (2012). Social Psychology 13th Edition. Upper saddle river:
Pearson education (Chapter 1)
Misra, G. and Dalal, A.K. (2001). Social Psychology in India: Evolution and Emerging trends. Edited by
Ajit. K. Dalal and Girishwar Misra. New Directions in Indian Psychology, Volume I: Social
Psychology. New Delhi: Sage Publications India Pvt. Ltd.
MODULE 2: Person and social perception and social judgements – Attribution, impression
formation
Reading Baron, Robert A. and Branscombe, Nyla. R. (2012). Social Psychology 13th Edition. Upper saddle river:
Pearson education (Chapter 3)
MODULE 3: Social cognition and social thinking – schemas, heuristics, biases and potential
sources of error
Reading Baron, Robert A. and Branscombe, Nyla. R. (2012). Social Psychology 13th Edition. Upper saddle river:
Pearson education (Chapter 2)
MODULE 4: The social self- What is the self? Who makes the self? Sources of Self-knowledge:
Looking glass self, introspection, social comparison. Understanding nature of the self-process: Social
identity theory, Self-categorization theory. Self-concept and Self-esteem, Self-Presentation:
hypocrisy or claiming identity? self-presentation tactics – self-promotion, self-verification,
ingratiation, self-deprecation.
Readings Baron, Robert A. and Branscombe, Nyla. R. (2012). Social Psychology 13th Edition. Upper saddle river:
Pearson education (Chapter 4)
Reicher, S., Spears, R., & Haslam, S. A. (2010). The social identity approach in social psychology. In M.
S. Wetherell & C. T. Mohanty (Eds.), Sage identities handbook (pp. 45–62). London, UK: Sage.
MODULE 5: Positive social behaviours- Motives of Prosocial behavior: Empathy-altruism,
Negative-state relief, Empathic joy, Defensive helping, guilt and shame, The Role of Social Norms,
Emergency Responses: Understanding the Bystander Effect, Influences on Helping – Positive
Emotions, Group membership, Social Exclusion, Darkness, Putting an economic value on one’s time
and effort. The effects of being helped.
Readings Baron, Robert A. and Branscombe, Nyla. R. (2012). Social Psychology 13th Edition. Upper saddle river:
Pearson education (Chapter 9)
Levine, M., Prosser, A., Evans, D., & Reicher, S. (2005). Identity and emergency intervention: How
social group membership and inclusiveness of group boundaries shape helping behavior.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31(4), 443-453.
Levine, M. (2012). Helping in Emergencies: Revisiting Latane and Darley’s Bystander Studies. In
Joanne R. Smith and S. Alexander Haslam (Eds.). Social Psychology: Revisiting the Classic
Studies. (pp. 192-208). London: Sage
MODULE 6: Individuals in groups – ingroup bias, conformity
Readings Baron, Robert A. and Branscombe, Nyla. R. (2012). Social Psychology 13th Edition. Upper saddle river:
Pearson education (Chapter 11)
Spears, R. & Otten, S. (2012). Discrimination: Revisiting Tajfel’s Minimal Group Studies. In Joanne R.
Smith and S. Alexander Haslam (Eds.). Social Psychology: Revisiting the Classic Studies. (pp.
160-177). London: Sage
Platow, M. & Hunter, J. (2012). Intergroup Relations and Conflict: Revisiting Sheriff’s Boys’ Camp
Studies. In Joanne R. Smith and S. Alexander Haslam (Eds.). Social Psychology: Revisiting the
Classic Studies. (pp. 126-141). London: Sage
Jetten, J. & Hornsey, M. (2012). Conformity: Revisiting Asch’s Line-Judgement Studies. In Joanne R.
Smith and S. Alexander Haslam (Eds.). Social Psychology: Revisiting the Classic Studies. (pp.
76-90). London: Sage
Supplemental reading Haslam SA, Reicher SD (2012) Contesting the “Nature” Of Conformity: What Milgram and Zimbardo's
Studies Really Show. PLoS Biology 10(11): e1001426. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1001426
Module 7: Social influence, manipulation and power- obedience to authority, tyranny
Readings Baron, Robert A. and Branscombe, Nyla. R. (2012). Social Psychology 13th Edition. Upper saddle river:
Pearson education (Chapter 8)
Reicher, S. & Haslam, S. A. (2012). Obedience: Revisiting Milgram’s Shock Experiments. In Joanne R.
Smith and S. Alexander Haslam (Eds.). Social Psychology: Revisiting the Classic Studies. (pp.
106-125). London: Sage
Haslam, S. A. & Reicher, S. (2012). Tyranny: Revisiting Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment. In
Joanne R. Smith and S. Alexander Haslam (Eds.). Social Psychology: Revisiting the Classic
Studies. (pp. 126-141). London: Sage
Additional Sources Haslam, S. A., & Reicher, S. D. (2005). The psychology of tyranny. Scientific American Mind, 16(3), 4451.
Milgram, S. (1969). Obedience [video]. University Park: Pennsylvania State University.
Haslam, S. A. & Reicher, S. (2009). The BBC Prison Study website. Available at:
www.bbcprisonstudy.org
Zimbardo, P. G. (1991). Quiet Rage [Video]. Stanford, CA: Stanford University
MODULE 8: Intergroup relations- prejudice, stereotyping in intergroup relations
The nature and origins of stereotyping: Stereotyping: Beliefs about social groups, why do people
form and use stereotypes? Cognitive Miser perspective vs. Self-categorization perspective. Positive
and Negative stereotypes. Prejudice: What is the problem? Contrasting perspectives on origins of
prejudice: Prejudiced Personality, Threat to self-esteem, Rationalizations for oppression,
Competition for resources, Social categorization. How members of disadvantaged groups are
affected by prejudices and stereotypes? Social stigma and self-esteem, Effect on academic
performance: Stereotype threat, Effect on body image: Objectification. Effect on health: Rejectionsensitivity, Emotional experience: Humiliation. Recent advances in prejudice research:
Dehumanization, Intergroup emotions. Ways to reduce prejudice: Contact, Re-categorization,
Superordinate goals, Collective action by members of disadvantaged groups.
Readings -
Baron, Robert A. and Branscombe, Nyla. R. (2012). Social Psychology 13th Edition. Upper saddle river:
Pearson education (Chapter 6)
Allport, G.W. (1954). The nature of prejudice. Ch. 1 (“What is the problem?”)
Supplemental readings McGarty, C. (2012). Stereotyping and Prejudice: Revisiting Hamilton and Gifford’s Illusory Correlation
Studies. In Joanne R. Smith and S. Alexander Haslam (Eds.). Social Psychology: Revisiting the
Classic Studies. (pp. 178-191). London: Sage
Mackie, D. M., Smith, E. R., & Ray, D. G. (2008). Intergroup emotions and intergroup relations. Social
and Personality Psychology Compass, 2(5), 1866-1880.
Dixon, J., Tropp, L. R., Durrheim, K., & Tredoux, C. (2010). “Let them eat harmony”: Prejudicereduction strategies and attitudes of historically disadvantaged groups. Current Directions in
Psychological Science, 19, 76-80. doi: 10.1177/0963721410363366
Jogdand, Y. (2013, 7 January). 'Humiliated by caste: Understanding emotional consequences of
identity denial' [Invited Commentary]. Retrieved from
http://www.ispp.org/jsc/blog/humiliated-by-caste-understanding-emotional-consequencesof-identity-denial
MODULE 9: Collective behaviour- crowds and mobs- negative and positive aspects of
collective behaviour.
Readings Reicher, S. (2001). The psychology of crowd dynamics. In M. A. Hogg & R. S. Tindale (Eds.),
Blackwell handbook of social psychology: Group processes (pp. 182-208). Oxford: Blackwell.
(pages 200-202)
Drury, J., & Reicher, S. D. (2010). Crowd control. Scientific American Mind, 21(5), 58-65.
Drury, J., Cocking, C., & Reicher, S. (2009). Everyone for themselves? A comparative study of crowd
solidarity among emergency survivors. British Journal of Social Psychology, 48(3), 487-506.
MODULE 10: Aggression and violence- theories and determinants. Reducing aggression and
violence.
Readings Baron, Robert A. and Branscombe, Nyla. R. (2012). Social Psychology 13th Edition. Upper saddle river:
Pearson education (Chapter 10)
Reicher, S. D., & Haslam, S. A. (2016). Fueling Extremes. Scientific American Mind, 27(3), 34-39.
MODULE 11: Applications of social psychology- health and well-being, law and organizational
contexts.
Readings Baron, Robert A. and Branscombe, Nyla. R. (2012). Social Psychology 13th Edition. Upper saddle
river: Pearson education (Chapter 12)
Jetten, J., Haslam, C., Haslam, S. A., & Branscombe, N. R. (2009). The social cure. Scientific
American Mind, 20(5), 26-33.
Haslam, S. A., Salvatore, J., Kessler, T., & Reicher, S. D. (2008). The social psychology of success.
Scientific American Mind, 19(2), 24-31.