Social Psychology

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved

Course Description Version:2.00

Study Course Accepted:02.02.2024 12:25:38

Study Course Information
Course Code:		KF_054		LQF level:		Level 6
Credit Points:		4.00		ECTS:		6.00
Branch of Science:		Psychology		Target Audience:		Psychology
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:		Anna Kašina
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:		Faculty of Social Sciences
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:		Dzirciema street 16, Rīga, szfrsu[pnkts]lv
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		24	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		48
Classes (count)		8	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		16
Total Contact Hours								64
Part-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)		13	Lecture Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Lectures		26
Classes (count)		4	Class Length (academic hours)		2	Total Contact Hours of Classes		8
Total Contact Hours								34
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
General Psychology, Personality Psychology, Sociology.
Objective:
To introduce students to the theoretical and practical principles of social psychology and the possibilities of using them in working with people and groups of people. Analyze the role of the personality in the social context and provide knowledge about the components of the psychological structure of the personality in the social context. Students are taught to recognize socio-psychological phenomena in practice, analyze their causes and possible consequences. To improve students' knowledge of the findings of social psychology on the influence of social conditions on the consciousness and social behavior of individuals, groups and the entire society, personality development in the social context, social psychological phenomena of groups, their psychological mechanisms.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Subject of social psychology. Historical development of social psychology. Links of social psychology with other branches of the science of psychology and sociology. Main theories of social psychology.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
2	Methods of social psychology, research designs and ethical issues. The specific nature of the research to be carried out in organisations.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
3	Personality as an essential phenomenon in social psychology. Psychological structure of the personality, biological and social aspects of mutual communication. Self-esteem and self-respect. Self-conception. Locus of control. Needs and motivation. Socialisation. Deviant behaviour. Pro-social behaviour. Opportunities for behaviour transformation.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
4	Social cognition and social judgements. Theories of social cognition. Cognitive stages of social information processing. Social perception, its mechanisms. Beliefs and attitudes. Interpretation of events. Fundamental attribution error. Stereotypes and prejudices, their social, emotional and cognitive sources. Social cognition and health.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
5	Social influence. Persuasion, social pressure, conformity, power, obedience and disobedience. Mass psychology and the role of mass media in its processes.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
6	Development of mutual relations. Models of relationships. Partnership and intimacy. Theories of intimacy. Cycles of close relationship. Theories of aggression and factors promoting aggression.			Lectures		4.00	auditorium
7	Social behaviour within the groups. Typology of the groups and group structure. Leadership and decision making in groups. Development of the social group. Group internal processes and elements of group dynamics. Conformity. Unity. Psychological climate and unity. Social facilitation, social laziness.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
8	Social cognition and relationship among people within groups.			Lectures		4.00	auditorium
9	Communication psychology. Communication as an exchange of information. Verbal and non-verbal communication. Communication barriers and overcoming them. Concept of communication. Communication styles and successful communication. Destructive communication.			Lectures		4.00	auditorium
10	Socio-psychological phenomena of public behaviour (seminar).			Classes		2.00	auditorium
Topic Layout (Part-Time)
No.	Topic			Type of Implementation		Number	Venue
1	Subject of social psychology. Historical development of social psychology. Links of social psychology with other branches of the science of psychology and sociology. Main theories of social psychology.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
2	Methods of social psychology, research designs and ethical issues. The specific nature of the research to be carried out in organisations.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
3	Personality as an essential phenomenon in social psychology. Psychological structure of the personality, biological and social aspects of mutual communication. Self-esteem and self-respect. Self-conception. Locus of control. Needs and motivation. Socialisation. Deviant behaviour. Pro-social behaviour. Opportunities for behaviour transformation.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
4	Social cognition and social judgements. Theories of social cognition. Cognitive stages of social information processing. Social perception, its mechanisms. Beliefs and attitudes. Interpretation of events. Fundamental attribution error. Stereotypes and prejudices, their social, emotional and cognitive sources. Social cognition and health.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
5	Social influence. Persuasion, social pressure, conformity, power, obedience and disobedience. Mass psychology and the role of mass media in its processes.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
6	Development of mutual relations. Models of relationships. Partnership and intimacy. Theories of intimacy. Cycles of close relationship. Theories of aggression and factors promoting aggression.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
7	Social behaviour within the groups. Typology of the groups and group structure. Leadership and decision making in groups. Development of the social group. Group internal processes and elements of group dynamics. Conformity. Unity. Psychological climate and unity. Social facilitation, social laziness.			Lectures		1.00	auditorium
				Classes		1.00	auditorium
8	Social cognition and relationship among people within groups.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
9	Communication psychology. Communication as an exchange of information. Verbal and non-verbal communication. Communication barriers and overcoming them. Concept of communication. Communication styles and successful communication. Destructive communication.			Lectures		2.00	auditorium
10	Socio-psychological phenomena of public behaviour (seminar).			Classes		2.00	auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:

Assessment Criteria:

Final Examination (Full-Time):		Exam
Final Examination (Part-Time):		Exam
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:		Students understand, compare and critically assess the impact of social conditions on an individual, group, society, their social behaviour, personality development within a social context, socio-psychological phenomena of groups and their psychological mechanisms.
Skills:		Students reasonably discuss the impact of social conditions on the individual, group, society and its social behaviour. They discuss the personality development within the social context, the socio-psychological phenomena of groups and their mechanisms.
Competencies:		Students evaluate and define problems related to the impact of social conditions on an individual, group, society and their social behaviour; they are able to find ways for solving problems according to the specific situation. They evaluate and define problems related to personality development within the social context, the socio-psychological phenomena of groups, their mechanisms and the role of the psychologist in their regulation.
Clinical Skills:
No.	Skill					Level
1	Bronhoprovocation test					C2 - Expert level
2	drug provocation test					C2 - Expert level
3	patch test					C2 - Expert level
4	skin prick test					C2 - Expert level
Bibliography
No.	Reference
Required Reading
1	Myers, D. & Twenge J. (2019) Social Psychology. NY: McGraw-Hill Education.
2	Social Psychology: revisiting the classic studies (2017) Smith, J.R & Haslam, A. (Eds.) LA: SAGE Publications
3	Social Psychology: the study of human interaction (2015) Newcomb, T.S., Turner, R.H., Converse P.E. (Eds.) Hove: psychology Press.
4	Reņģe, V. (2002) Sociālā psiholoģija. Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC
5	Reņģe, V. (2007) Mūsdienu organizāciju psiholoģija. Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC
6	Майерс, Д. (2008) Социальная психология. СПБ: Питер.
Additional Reading
1	Cozolino, L. (2014) The neuroscience of human relationships: Attachment and the developing social brain. WW Norton & Company.
2	An introduction to social psychology (2015) Hewstone, M., Stroebe, W., & Jonas, K. (Eds.). John Wiley & Sons.
3	Burr, V. (2015) Social constructionism. Routledge.
4	Handbook of the Sociology of Emotions (2014) Stets, J. E., & Turner, J. H. (Eds.). Springer.
5	Бодрийар, Ж., Ясперс К. (2014) Призрак толпы. М.: Алгоритм.
6	McDonald, M. (2013) Social Psychology and Theories of Consumer Culture: a political economy perspective. London: Routledge.
7	Social Psychology of Social Problems: the intergroup context. (2013) Golec de Zavala, A., Cichocka A. (Eds.) NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
8	Jussim, L.I. (2012) Social Perception and Social Reality: why accuracy dominates bias and self-fulfilling prophesy. Oxford University Press.
9	Smelser, N.J. (2010) Theory of collective behaviour. London: Routledge
Other Information Sources
1	Basic and Applied Social Psychology
2	European Review of Social Psychology
3	Social Behaviour and Personality: An International Journal
4	Group Dynamics: Theory, Research and Practice (APA Journal)
5	Psychology of Popular Media Culture (APA Journal)
6	Journal of Personality and Social Psychology