COURSE OBJECTIVES:

• To understand how human behavior is influenced by social factors.

• To explore the psychological aspects of various social phenomena.

Unit I: Social Perception and Social Cognition (15 hours)

Nonverbal Communication- Facial Expressions of Emotion - The Covariation Model - The Fundamental Attribution Error - Self-Serving Attributions -The Bias Blind Spot- Confirmation bias. Social Cognition: Low-Effort Thinking - Types of Automatic Thinking- High-Effort Thinking - Errors in Social Cognition

Unit II: Social Influence (15 hours)

Conformity - Informational Social Influence - Normative Social Influence - Conformity and Social Approval - The Asch Line-Judgment Studies - Milgram’s Obedience Studies - Social Facilitation - Social Loafing - Group Polarization

Unit III: Attitudes (15 hours)

Attitude formation: How attitudes develop -Affective and Cognitive Bases of Attitudes - When and why do attitudes influence behavior - attitudes guide behavior - Change in attitudes toward the environment - The fine art of persuasion: Elements of persuasion - Resisting persuasion attempts - Cognitive dissonance - managing cognitive dissonance.

Unit IV: Prosocial Behavior (15 hours)

Positive Social Relations- Prosocial behavior: Basic Motives Underlying Prosocial Behavior: Personal Qualities and Prosocial Behavior Situational Determinants of Prosocial Behavior: – Helping influences – factors that increase and decrease Pro-social behaviour- Crowdfunding

Unit V: Stereotype, Prejudice and Discrimination (15 hours)

Stereotype: How members of different groups perceive inequality - The nature and origins of stereotyping - Prejudice and discrimination - Frustration and Aggression: The Scapegoat Theory - Social Identity Theory- The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy - Feelings and actions toward social groups - Why prejudice is not inevitable: Techniques for countering its effects.

COURSE OUTCOMES:

1. Students will understand and apply theories and findings in social psychology.

2. Students will analyse the different methodologies in social psychology and their importance.

3. Students will evaluate and critique research in social psychology.

4. Students will create knowledge of social psychology with their own life experience.

5. Students will apply the knowledge of the psychological causes and consequences, towards the cure, for prejudice.

6. Students will remember the psychological aspects of various social phenomena.

References:

1. Baron, R. A., & Byrne, D. (2003). Social Psychology, 10th ed. New Delhi: Prentice Hall.

2. Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Akert, R. M. (2013). Social psychology.9th edition. Prentice Hall/Pearson Education.

3. Myers, D. G. (2002). Social Psychology, 7th ed. Int. Education: Mc Graw Hill.

4. Chaube, S. P., &Chaube, A. (2007). Ground Work for Social Psychology. New Delhi: Neelkamal.

5. Lindgren, Henry. C. (1973) An introduction to Social Psychology, John Wiley & Sons.

6. Kloos, B., Hill, j., Thomas, E., Wandersman, Elias, M. J., & Dalton, J.H. (2012). Community psychology: Linking individuals and communities. Wadsworth, Cengage.

7. Schneider, F.W., Gruman, A., Coults, L .M. (Eds.). (2012). Applied social psychology: Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. New Delhi: Sage publications.