Social Psychology Course Research Articles

How I Got Here

I could not be more pleased to say “hello” as the new Editor of JSCP, but I also find the journey to this point to be just a little odd. My interest in the interface of social and clinical psychology began in the summer of 1977 when I was a first year clinical doctoral student at the University of Alabama. I was working on a paper for Ron Rogers’ social psychology course and ran across Sharon Brehm’s (1976) The Application of Social Psychology to Clinical Practice in the library. It was also in Ron’s course that I read Albert Bandura’s first article on self–efficacy theory in the Psychological Review. I later read the chapters on social psychological approaches to psychotherapy by Goldstein and Simonson (1971) and by Stan Strong (1978) in the first and second editions of Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change. My official association with JSCP began as a coincidence so perfect that it’s almost hard to believe when I look back at it. In September of 1981, I started my first academic job as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Texas Tech University. Soon after I arrived there, I learned that a new department chair had been hired and would be arriving at the beginning of the spring, 1982 semester. That new chair was social psychologist John Harvey. Shortly after he arrived, John mentioned that he was starting a new journal devoted to the interface of social and clinical psychology. I could hardly believe my luck. John invited me to be on the Editorial Board in time for the inaugural issue in 1983 and asked me (along with Cal Stoltenberg) to write a commentary article for the fourth issue (Maddux & Stoltenberg, 1983). Three years later he put even greater trust in me by asking me to become an Associate Editor, just before he stepped down and passed the job along to Rick Snyder. Rick and I did not even know each other at the time, so I was more than a little surprised that he asked me to stay on. Last year he asked me if I was interested in becoming the next Editor. My answer was an enthusiastic “yes.” Rick’s nomination of me as the new Editor is just one of many ways he has been my booster over the years, and I can’t thank him enough for this and other votes of confidence. He’s done a great job with the journal, and I hope I can do at least half as well. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, Vol. 21, No. 3, 2002, pp. 221-225

First-Day Demonstration for Social Psychology Courses

We describe an obedience demonstration that introduces social psychology in a new and interesting way. After students came to believe that a confederate was the course instructor, they complied with his request to provide him with personal information. Subsequent lecture introduced students to several key concepts, including obedience, stereotyping, conformity, mindlessness, deception, and research ethics. Students indicated they found the demonstration enjoyable, interesting, informative, and a worthwhile use of class time. Furthermore, students agreed that because of the demonstration, they looked forward to taking the course. Although the demonstration employed deception, students indicated that it was justified and that they were treated in an ethical manner.

Teaching a Social Psychology Course on the Web

Although use of the Web in teaching psychology courses is becoming increasingly popular, much of the published literature on the topic focuses on using the Web as a supplement to on-campus courses. I describe a completely Web-based social psychology course offered at my college and discuss the students' and instructor's reactions to the course.

Social and Abnormal Psychology Textbooks: An Objective Analysis

Given the increased demand for undergraduate psychology courses beyond the introductory level, research on textbooks for such courses is surprisingly sparse. This study partially rectifies this problem. Because social and abnormal psychology are the two most frequently listed advanced courses in college catalogs (Perlman & McCann, 1999), we provide feature and content analyses of the 14 social psychology and 17 abnormal psychology survey texts published from 1995 to 1998. We also furnish comparisons between these two types of tesxts and introductory psychology texts. These analyses and comparisons should greatly facilitate the text selection process for teachers of social and abnormal psychology courses.

Effects of Learning Styles on Undergraduates’ Attitudes, Navigational Patterns, and Use of Navigational Tools in Hypermedia‐Based Learning

AbstractThis study aimed to identify undergraduates’ learning style, their attitudes towards hypermedia‐based learning (HBL), their navigational pattern and the navigational tools used during HBL sessions, and the differences in the above processes based on their learning styles. A questionnaire was used to collect data on their attitudes towards HBL. Kolb learning style inventory was used to determine the learning styles of the undergraduates. Observations and self‐reports were used to determine navigational pattern and navigational tools utilized in HBL. Subjects consisted of 15 undergraduates taking a social psychology course in the Cognitive Science Program at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. Subjects were required to navigate HBL social psychology web site http://www.trinity.edu/∼mkearl/socpsy.html. Findings indicated that all the subjects have positive attitudes towards HBL regardless of their learning styles. Diverger and assimilator learning styles subjects was “prudent” navigator, while converger and accommodator learning style subjects were “daring” navigator. Two main navigational tools used were the hyperlinks and back buttons and this pattern were the same regardless of the subjects learning style.

Toward a Multicultural Imagination: Infusing Ethnicity into the Teaching of Social Psychology

This paper focuses on the infusion of multicultural materials into an undergraduate social psychology course at Southwestern University. Changes made to infuse the course with multicultural content are outlined. In particular, this paper discusses the ways in which key concepts in social psychology can be applied using a cross-cultural autobiography, and it examines the utility of using such a text. A survey evaluation of this approach reveals that students generally accept a multicultural approach to social psychology and feel that it aids in their understanding of key concepts. In addition, a comparison of exam means and performance on selected test items indicate no negative consequences of implementing such an approach. This paper also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of such a transformation and approach

Gender Differences in the Accuracy of Grade Expectancies and Evaluations

Participants were 131 (69 women, 62 men)students in Introductory Psychology, Social Psychology,and Computer Science courses. Eighty-six percent of thesample was Caucasian. The goals of this study were to assess (a) how accurate students'preexamination expectancies and postexamination gradeevaluations are and whether gender differences in theaccuracy of expectancies and grade evaluations onexaminations exist, (b) whether expected grades predictpostexamination grade evaluations even with actualgrades controlled (self-consistency effect), and (c)whether students' grade expectations and evaluationsbecome more accurate with experience. Throughout thecourse of a semester, students estimated their gradesfor each of their examinations. Students overestimatedtheir grades at all points in the semester, although women in Introductory Psychology overestimatedtheir grades less than men did. Students' expectedgrades were a better predictor of their postexaminationgrade evaluations than were their actual grades. For Introductory Psychology students,expectancies and grade evaluations became more accurateas the semester progressed. The importance of accurateself-perceptions regarding academic performance isdiscussed.

Measuring Psychological “Knowledge” by Means of Instructors' Test Manuals

American social psychology textbooks often provide instructors' manuals that include Multiple Choice Quizzes (MCQ's) used by researchers examining the extent to which “lay people” could predict the outcomes of psychological research and theories. This study examined the extent to which students could choose a correct answer from social psychology instructors' manuals without having attended a related course. Three different manuals were used to look at tests of 57, 46, and 36 items, chosen to avoid technical jargon, real names, and experimental details, as well as to cover the broad range of social psychology. Subjects in Study 1 (n = 98 life sciences students) and Study 3 (n = 100 new students) got over 50% of the answers correct (53% and 52%, respectively), while in Study 2 (n = 139 student applicants) they got 48% correct. Scores were unrelated to gender and age, and there was no clear relationship between knowledge and particular areas of social psychology (i.e., social influone, prosocial behavior, attitude change). In the first study, prior knowledge of psychology did not relate to total score, while in the second sample, students who attended lectures did score higher than those who did not. In the third study, subjects who reported reading books, or who had how on social psychology courses, did score marginally higher. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Using the World Wide Web to Teach Everyday Applications of Social Psychology

The potential benefits of the World Wide Web (Web) in teaching college courses in psychology stem from the wealth of information available to instructors and students, the ease of access to that information, and the hypermedia richness of Web documents. In this article, I describe the introduction of the Web into an advanced course in social psychology using activities that entailed collaboration and knowledge sharing, direct experience with information in various formats, and manipulation of information into new forms. The activities included Web Assignments associated with assigned readings, a Social Psychology and Humor project, a Social Psychology in the News project, and the development of a Web Tutorial on a social psychological topic. I discuss both the strengths and weaknesses of using the Web in this context.

The Effect of Intra‐ and Intergroup Leadership on Group Goal Attainment in a North‐South Gaming Simulation

This research investigated the role of leadership functions in a context of intergroup negotiation by using a simulation game of inter‐regional conflict and cooperation (SIRC2). As a part of their social psychology course, 151 undergraduate students participated. It was hypothesized that there are four leadership factors in an intergroup context: in‐group performance, in‐group maintenance, out‐group negotiation performance, and out‐group relation maintenance. According to a factor analysis, however, the functions of in‐group performance and out‐group performance merged into the same category and could not be differentiated independently. Moreover, this research provided evidence that opportunities for intergroup communication and the amount of resources available to each group can facilitate these leadership functions. This study also found links between leadership functions and group outcomes. In a group with members who were homogeneous and facing common survival problems, the in‐group/out‐group performance function facilitated the achievement of the group goal. On the other hand, in a group with members with different roles, and who were self‐sufficient for survival, the in‐group maintenance function facilitated the achievement of the group goal. Moreover, in the intergroup context, the out‐group relationship maintenance function was also important for group goal attainment. These results were interpreted using the path–goal theory and Fiedler's contingency theory.

Effects of Aerobic Exercise on the Social Physique Anxiety and Body Esteem of Female College Students

The purpose of this research was to explore the effectiveness of exercise in reducing body image concerns of female college students. Women enrolled in an aerobic exercise course or in a social psychology course at a medium sized university reported their social physique anxiety and body esteem at the beginning and end of the semester. For women in the aerobic exercise classes, social physique anxiety decreased and body esteem increased over the course of the semester. Social physique anxiety and body esteem did not change significantly for those in the (nonexercising) social psychology classes. The researchers concluded that participation in aerobic exercise programs may help to improve the body image of female college students. Based upon these results further investigation of the mechanisms by which exercise influences body image is warranted.

An Exit Survey Project for a Social Psychology Laboratory

A Laboratory in Social Psychology course project allowed students to design and conduct an exit survey of graduating psychology majors. During the 6-week project, survey research issues were illustrated by active-learning activities. Nine months later, students indicated that the exercise enhanced their critical-thinking skills, understanding of survey research, and interest in and enthusiasm for research. Another benefit was that the student exit survey assisted the faculty in generating questions for a departmental exit survey.

A Maturation in Experiential Learning: Principles of Simulation and Gaming

Experiential learning was a major part of the author's life from the earliest days with models, pictures, and travel As a college professor, he discovered simulations and games; they changed his teaching style forever Initially the author tried one or two simulations per semester and advanced to an entire social psychology course taught only with simulations. A simulation was the starting point to great knowledge rather than an end in itself Because of the author's multifaceted approach to simulations, a renaissance approach to simulation and gaming was developed through the phases of awareness, emersion, journal writing, politics, and creativity. Seventeen principles evolved in the maturation process. One principle was, After reading all the instructions for a simulation, the playing of the simulation will not be totally understood, and it will take a leap of faith to start Another was, Designing a simulation is not simple, but the simpler ones often work better. Other principles revolved around the author's innovations and refinements, which included written journal debriefing, a social psychology course with only simulations, the six Es of debriefing, no deception in a simulation, and the written concept technique in debriefing.

Linking Dispositions and Social Behavior: Self-Monitoring and Advertising Preferences

To help students appreciate the impact of dispositions on social behavior, I demonstrate to them how a particular disposition (self-monitoring propensity) relates to interesting differences in consumer behavior. Specifically, this exercise illustrates that individuals high in self-monitoring tend to be more responsive to advertisements that appeal to the image of a product, whereas those low in self-monitoring tend to be more responsive to advertisements that make claims about the quality of a product. Students in a social psychology course evaluated the demonstration as interesting, informative, and effective.

University challenge.

Rhiannon James is relishing the university social psychology course she is taking in pursuit of her personal and professional development. But she wishes that the nursing profession could give her more support and advice

Observing the social world.

AbstractCurrent teaching methods in empirical psychology favour an uncritical learning of the literature over the direct observation of social events. To redress this imbalance a qualitatively oriented project was developed to sensitive students to the description and interpretation of social phenomena. Students were instructed to define a specific problem, select and interpret relevant examples of social episodes, and then compare their own ideas with concepts and findings in the literature. The study reported here examined the students' experiences of success, pleasure, and interest after undertaking this assignment. Regression analysis indicated that the assignment was found more interesting by students whose guiding motive for studying psychology was to gain wisdom. Perceived meaningfulness and personal relevance of the project also played a role. The guiding motive of a search for wisdom also shaped pleasure, as did the student's relative comfort with method. Subjective judgements of success were primarily affected by relative ease at articulating one's thoughts. Grades were accurately predicted by the guiding motive of a search for wisdom, difficulty articulating thoughts, and comfort with method. How can we best train students to understand the social world? By social I mean the - world (Giorgi, 1970), filled with events which can be described in natural everyday language. It is a prior to scientific analysis. Whether we speak of jealousy, sympathy, or divorce, these phenomena do not need scientific psychology in order to exist. Observing the lived - can yield a rich resource of natural data which, when examined in a disciplined manner, affords an understanding of the dynamics of thought, action, feeling, interaction, etc. It is therefore important that students develop skills of observation and interpretation. They should also become aware of their frames of reference and learn to discount personal biases, beliefs, and expectations.While these skills are developed during clinical training, mainstream empirical psychology does not actively encourage their use. Instead, a different kind of discourse is emphasized, one which proposes general principles to explain and predict social phenomena. This discourse, in the form of the psychological literature, sets problems, specifies research procedures, and provides theories to integratethe resulting findings (Kuhn, 1970). The significant effects that result from the use of specific experimental paradigms are highly attractive because they are the main vehicle of publication. Students may simply adopt operations which work (i.e., produce reliable effects), uncritically accepting the underlying assumptions and supporting theory.Much can be learned from the area of ethology which used the careful observation of animal behaviour as a basis for developing theories regarding the animal social world. Descriptive observation should precede the formalization of laws to account for events which occur in the lived - world. I am advocating a balance between direct observation of naturally occurring events and the critical examination of relevant literatures. One approach that united observation with critical evaluation is described in this paper.A Harvest of Social PhenomenaThe observers, undergraduate students in an advanced social psychology course, were instructed to adopt a sequence of steps in examining a social phenomenon of their choice. First, they individually (in a private consultation) identified a specific social phenomenon or problem for in - depth examination. Simply encouraging students to go out and observe the produced a remarkable harvest of problems and social phenomena. Sample topics were: jealousy, vicarious embarrassment, drug abuse, shyness, flirtation, alcoholism in the family, immigrant experiences, aggression in sports, the of the derelict, problems associated with revealing one's homosexuality, and racial discrimination. …

Yes, Elliot, There Is Dissonance

Yes, Elliot, There Is Dissonance

Using a Computer Bulletin Board in a Social Psychology Course

In this article, we first explore the nature of a computer bulletin board within the context of computer mediated communication, and then we describe and evaluate its use during three semesters of an undergraduate course in social psychology. Results suggest that a computer bulletin board can boost student computer literacy, increase class time available for lecture/discussion, save time and money on reproducing and distributing materials, permit more materials to be distributed to students, and allow students easier access to their instructor. However, most students failed to take full advantage of the bulletin board. Reasons for this are discussed.

Teaching an Interdisciplinary Course in Social Psychology

The disciplinary moorings of social psychology are considered as an orienting framework; then goals for teaching a social psychology course are outlined. Emphasis is on an interdisciplinary introductory course that presents social psychology itself as social process. The importance of teaching theoretical perspectives and methods as well as concepts and findings is stressed, with specific suggestionsfor classroom application. Various instructional materials are reviewed, and the importance of the teaching role is noted.

Students' Applications of Social Psychology in Introductory Social Psychology Classes

Applied social psychology is currently popular. Many textbooks include special boxes (e.g., Baron and Byrne 1987) or even full chapters relating to this topic (e.g., Baron and Byrne 1987; Lippa 1990). These approaches by themselves are inadequate, however. In my view, students' application of course material to life should be integral to a social psychology course. One must proceed from readings to lectures, discussions, letters, and examinations that also emphasize student application in an integral approach, not a peripheral approach (to paraphrase an anonymous reviewer). In using a text, one should try to show how material in all chapters can be (e.g., Lippa 1990), not only the material in the applied social psychology chapter. Knowledge that is by students is learned better than knowledge that lies passive in the learner (Goldsmid and Wilson 1980, p. 293; McKeachie 1986, p. 231). Application of knowledge requires one to grasp the knowledge and to use it as a tool. To do so correctly, one must understand the piece of knowledge better than if it were unused. Moreover, use of a concept or generalization provides more reason to remember it. The knowledge becomes a part of one's life rather than merely part of one's classwork. If a learner uses knowledge, he or she is more likely to see it as important (Bem 1970). If use of the knowledge is actually helpful, that is all the more reason to want to remember it. The learner also can see the utility of knowledge as self-rewarding and, hence, as more likely to be learned (Lott and Lott 1985). Application of knowledge about social psychology by students also enhances their interest in the course material (cf. Basirico 1990, p. 61). Applicability of class material from college and university courses is generally rare, though perhaps it is more frequent in the social sciences than in other fields (Basirico 1990; Friedman 1989; Olsen 1987). An