Psychology 3201: Introduction to Social Psychology
Department of Psychology
University of Minnesota

Based on the recognition that we humans are social animals, the fundamental assumption of social psychology is that human behavior is a function of the social environment . In other words, social psychology is concerned with how the social environment both influences and is influenced by individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This includes how we understand and make sense of other people and ourselves.

This course is designed to provide you with an overview of social psychological principles, theories, constructs, and methodologies. Specific topics covered include: close interpersonal relationships; stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination; attitudes and persuasion; person perception; aggression; prosocial behavior; and much more.

Objectives:

1) Understand and describe the social psychological approach to human behavior.

2) Understand basic theoretical and methodological approaches used by social psychologists.

3) Know the fundamental domains of social psychology and some of the major findings in these domains.

4) Understand the way in which social psychology diverges or converges with your own common sense understanding of the world. Furthermore, you want to be in a position to bolster, modify, or replace your previous beliefs about humans as social animals based on what you have learned.

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