Syllabus for PSY-379-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Social Psychology explores how humans think and behave in social situations. The course examines concepts such as perception, cognition, and attitudes as they relate to understanding, thinking, and evaluating the social world. The course also discusses the application of social psychology to legal and health environments and to the world of work. A primary objective of the course is to analyze interpersonal communication and examine current events in the social world.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

Through studying Social Psychology, you should be able to:

• Identify major historical developments in social psychology.



• Discuss the role of personality, particularly perception, cognition, and attitudes, in social functioning.



• Explain the dynamics of social influence and persuasion.



• Analyze theories about understanding of the self and self-esteem, and identify how trait theory can shed light on culturally defined gender differences.



• Discuss experimental studies of prejudice and discrimination and their impact on what is known about identity.



• Evaluate the determinants of interpersonal attraction such as attitudes, beliefs, values, and interests.



• Analyze the factors involved in the formation and maintenance of close relationships including friendships, romantic relationships, and marriage.



• Discuss laboratory experiments studying conformity, obedience, and aggression and their contributions to the field.



• Explain the dynamics of helping behavior.



• Discuss the nature, causes, and control of aggression.

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REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS

You will need the following textbooks to complete the work of the course. These texts are available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

• Social Psychology, 12th ed., by Robert A. Baron, Nyla R. Branscombe, and Donn Bryne (Boston: Pearson Allyn & Bacon, 2008)



• Insights: Readings in Social Psychology, ed. Marianne Miserandino, comp. W. Renée Walker for Thomas Edison State College (Boston: Pearson Custom Publishing, 2003)



• Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View, by Stanley Milgram (New York: HarperPerennial, 2009).

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Social Psychology is a six-credit online course consisting of six assignment modules, five graded online discussion forums, six written assignments, and two examinations. Learning activities include reading from the textbooks, participating in online discussions, and preparing written assignments. You are also required to take a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination.

For details about assignment activities (reading assignments, online participation, and written assignments), go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. (See also the course Calendar.)

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ONLINE DISCUSSIONS

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a discussion question and at least two subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

The six (6) written assignments in the course are built around associated readings in the textbooks. Be sure to complete all relevant readings before answering the written assignment questions.

Your answers to the assignment questions should be well developed and convey your understanding of the course materials. Before you begin to write, you may wish to outline your answers, listing the points you wish to make and the examples you will use to support your ideas. Formulate responses in your own words (do not merely copy answers from your reading materials), and cite text materials where appropriate. Creative thinking and your own wording are important aspects of an effective answer.

Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Proofread your answers for correct grammar, spelling, etc., and be certain you have answered the question completely. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled.

Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the

>>View/Complete Assignment

link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and attach your assignment file. Click to turn in the assignment.

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EXAMINATIONS

You are required to take two examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination. Consult the course Calendar for the scheduling of these exams.

Midterm Examination
The proctored midterm exam covers all material assigned in modules 1, 2, and 3 and is two hours long. The exam is closed-book and consists of four (4) essay questions relating to the objectives of this course. Please note that the exam questions will be comprehensive and thorough. Be sure you read all of the text assignments as well as the readings in preparation for the examination.

You may take the examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation no later than the end of the first week of the semester (see Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site).

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.

For more information on scheduling a proctored examination, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook.

Final Examination
The unproctored, online final exam covers all material assigned in modules 4, 5, and 6 of the course and is two hours long. Like the midterm, the final exam is closed-book and consists of four (4) essay questions relating to objectives in this course. Please note that the exam questions will be comprehensive and thorough. Be sure you read all of the text assignments as well as the readings in preparation for the examination.

The final exam is taken online in Blackboard. An exam link will be activated and made available to you in the Tests & Quizzes area of the course site at the start of the last week of the semester. You may take the exam at any time during that week, but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). If you are on a course extension, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the final exam.

Statement about Cheating
The final examination in this course is an unproctored exam. That means you will not be supervised while taking the test. You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:

• Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find the answer.
• Copying and pasting or in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your online test. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
• Plagiarizing answers.
• Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the exam.
• Copying any part of the exam to share with other students.
• Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Please also note that the exam is time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time in which to complete the exam. If you exceed the time limit on the exam, you will be penalized by having two points deducted for every minute that you exceed the time limit. This may also result in your failing the course.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and examinations are based on the following numerical grades:

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STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success
To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.



2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams and arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.



3. Arrange to take your midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)



4. Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.



5. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips
Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking your examinations. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.



2. As often as possible, provide examples from your own experience to elaborate on topics in the written assignments and on the examination. Doing this helps you to internalize the material and demonstrate mastery of the content. However, be sure to connect your examples from everyday life to specific material you have read in the course.



3. Generally there is no right or wrong answer to the written assignment questions. Let your responses to the questions reflect your understanding of how course content relates to the topic being considered.



4. Don't be afraid to tackle difficult or controversial material. This is a significant challenge in this course. However, be sure to build on what is known about these topics by giving credit to past accomplishments in the field.



5. Have fun! Social Psychology is a fabulous way to breathe life into subjects that have relevance in your everyday life. This course will be a challenging and rewarding experience as long as you invest enough time and energy to make it worthwhile.



6. Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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