MASTER SYLLABUS

PSYF-506 SOCIAL AND TRANSCULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

CREDITS: 3 PRE-REQUISITES: NONE

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The course will review the theoretical bases. The following areas will be examined; interpersonal communication, attitudes and persuasion, conformity, social perception, attributions, cognitive processes in social perceptions, interpersonal attractions, affiliation and aggression. Methodological issues in the social, and transcultural research will be discussed. Emphasis will be given to the relation between social psychology and social change. The course will explore the extent to which social psychology is subject to variation within different cultural contexts. Major considerations to Puerto Rican issues in the social psychology area will be addressed.

PRE-REQUISITE (S) : NONE

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

The basic objective of this course is the exploration, analysis and understanding of the basic theories, research studies, and critiques done in the area of social psychology. The following are the specific objectives of this course: the student will familiarize himself/herself with classical and up-dated theories in the area of social psychology, the student will learn about the historical development of social psychology, the student will be able to understand and explain human behavior from a psycho-social perspective, students will be able to explain the interrelationship between personality and culture, students will be able to make critical analysis about the current research in social psychology. In addition students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to understand the Puerto Rican socio-psychological reality.

REQUIRED TEXT:

Gilbert, D.T., Fiske, S.T. & Lindsey, G. (2010) The Handbook of Social Psychology 5th ed. (Vol I & II). Oxford University Press. McGraw Hill CoISBN 019521369 Link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Social-Psychology-2-Set/dp/0470137479/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265926419&sr=8-1

CARLOS ALBIZU UNIVERSITYSAN JUAN CAMPUS

Myers, D. G. (2009). Social Psychology (10th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN-10: 0073310263 Link: http://www.amazon.com/Social-Psychology-David-Myers/dp/0073370665/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265926856&sr=1-6

Complementary Texts:

Aronson, E. (2008). The Social Animal (10th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.

Franzoi, S.L. (2006). Social Psychology (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Serrano-García, I. & Rosario Collazo (Eds.) (1992). Contribuciones Puertorriqueñas a la Psicología Social Comunitaria. Río Piedras: Editorial Universidad de Puerto Rico.

ITINERARY OF CLASS UNITS:

Unit 1: Introduction to the course (Objectives & Requirements).

Unit 2: Social cognition

Unit 3: The self: Social interaction and self-cognition.

Unit 4: Interpersonal behavior and the self

Unit 5: Forming and changing attitudes. Relating actions and attitudes.

Unit 6: Midterm examination

Unit 7: Attraction and close relationships.

Unit 8: Altruism & affection: Extending the self to others.

Unit 9: Aggression: Theories and social dilemmas.

Unit 10: Conflicts and conflict resolving.

Unit 11: Prejudice, discrimination and stereotypes.

Unit 12: Social influence and social power. Group influence.

Unit 13: The influence of social psychology and transcultural in Puerto Rican society: Future perspectives.

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Unit 14: Final examination

METHODOLOGY:

The specific methodology will be selected by the professor who offers the course. These methodologies could include, but would not be limited to: conferences by the professor, group discussion of assigned readings, class research projects, student presentations, individual meetings with students and sub-groups in the classroom.

EDUCATIONAL TECHNIQUES:

The specific educational techniques will be selected by the professor who offers the course. These techniques could include, but are not limited to: debates, practical demonstrations, films/videos, simulations, slide shows and forums.

EVALUATION:

The specific evaluation criteria will be selected by the professor who offers the course. These methodologies could include, but will not be limited to: term papers, projects, literature reviews, exams and class presentations. Specific percentages for each requirement will also de determined by the professor.

Class attendance is mandatory for all students. After two absences, the student will be dropped from the class automatically unless the professor recommends otherwise. All class projects and term papers should be written following the specifications of the publication manual of the American Psychological Association.

RESEARCH COMPETENCES:

PhD students will be able to perform a pilot research project in social psychology that include a research design, main hypothesis or research question, proposed basic statistical analysis and present a scientific report. All student, but especially masters and PsyD students, are expected do perform critical analyses of articles and comment about conclusions and research limitations and suggestions. Finally, students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to understand the Puerto Rican socio-psychological reality.

Unit 1: Introduction to the course (objectives and requirements)

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Upon successful completion of this unit the student will understand social psychology as a science, major theories in the area, their historical development and the basic scientific methods to do research.

Learning objectives:

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Describe the major theoretical framework, including the main epistemological perspective in social psychology.

2. Describe the historical development of the field of social psychology.

3. Explain human behavior from multiple perspectives (i.e. social, psychological, and ecological).

4. Analyze research methods along with their strengths and weaknesses.

5. Discuss the nature of personality as social phenomena.

6. Analyze the influence of culture in personality development.

7. Discuss the pertinence of studying the culture and its influence on psychopathology prevalence.

Main topics:

Upon successful completion of this unit, these topics will be discussed:

1. Social psychology2. Historical perspectives3. Methodology4. Culture5. Social identity 6. Collective phenomena

Assigned chapters:

*Aronson, E., Wilson, T., & Brewer, M. (1998). Experimentation in social psychology. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 99-142). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 3)

*Jones, E. (1998). Major developments in five decades of social psychology. In D.

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Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 3-57). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 1)

Jordan, C. & Zanna, M. (2007). Not all experiments are created equal: On conducting and reporting persuasive experiments. In R. J. Sternberg, D. Halpern, & H. L. Roediger III (Eds.), Critical Thinking in Psychology (pp. 160-176). New York: Cambridge University Press.

*Schwarz, N., Groves, R., & Schuman, H. (1998). Survey methods. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 143-179). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 4)

*Taylor, S. (1998). The social being in social psychology. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 58-95). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 21)

Assigned readings:

Alvarado, C. (1999). Las medidas de magnitud y su importancia para la cuantificación en psicología. Ciencias de la conducta, 14, 17-39.

Bjork, R. (2000). Independence of Scientific publishing. American Psychologist, 55(9), 981-984.

Ekehammar, B. & Biel, A. (2005). Social psychology in Sweden: A brief look. European Bulletin of Social Psychology, 17, 16-30.

Gazzaniga, M.S. (2006). Leon Festinger: Lunch with Leon. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 1, 88-94.

Greenberg, J. (2005). The revealing science of social psychology. Psychological Inquiry, 16(4), 168-171.

Guarnaccia, P., Good, B., & Kleinman, A. (1990). A critical review of epidemiological studies of Puerto Rican mental health. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147(11), 1449-1456.

Haslam, S., O’Brien, A., Jetten, J., Vormedal, K., & Penna, S. (2005). Taking the strain: Social identity, social support, and the experience of stress. British Journal of Social Psychology, 44(3), 355-370.

Lopez, S. & Hernandez, P. (1984). How culture is considered in evaluations of psychopathology. Journal of Nervous Mental Disease, 18, 120-126.

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Rodriguez, J. & Caban, M. (1992). The problem in bilingualism in psychiatry diagnoses of Hispanic patients. Cross Cultural Psychological Bulletin, 26, 2-5.

Rogler, L. (1998). The meaning of culturally sensitive research in mental health. American Psychiatry, 146(3), 296-303.

Smith, M. (2005). Personality and social psychology: Retrospections and aspirations. Personality & Social Psychology Review, 9(4), 334-340.

Wilson, T.D. (2005). The message is the method: Celebrating and exporting the experimental approach. Psychological Inquiry, 16, 185-193.

Unit 2: Social cognition: Attributions

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will understand why and how persons make attributions. The student will also be able to understand the consequences of impression formation.

Learning objectives:

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Describe the processes of perception and attribution formation.

2. Explain how the subtractive rule is used to discount or augment attributions to dispositions implied by behavior.

3. Identify the factors of distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency.

4. Comprehend what it means to say that the causes of behavior vary in their stability, controllability, and specificity.

5. Analyze the influence of schemas on impressions and memory.

6. Discuss the influence of the self-fulfilling prophecy in forming impressions.

7. Analyze the relevance of attribution formation in the Puerto Rican context.

Main topics:

Upon successful completion of this unit, these topics will be discussed:

1. Taxonomy of attributions2. Heider’s theory (1958)3. Jones and Nisbett’s theory (1971)4. Jones and Davis’ theory (1965)

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5. Harold Kelley theory (1967, 1973)6. Jones and McGills’ theory (1976)

Assigned chapters:

*Smith, E. (1998). Mental representation and memory. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 391-445). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 9)

*Wegner, D. & Bargh, J. (1998). Control and automaticity in social life. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 446-496). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 10)

Assigned readings:

Higgins, E. T., Liberman, N., Molden, D. C., & Idson, L. C. (2001). Promotion and prevention focus on alternative hypotheses: Implications for attributional functions. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 80, 5-18.

Mahaffey, K. & Marcus, D. (2006). Interpersonal perception of psychopathy: A social relations analysis. Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, 25(1), 53-74.

Main, K. J., Dahl, D. W., & Darke, P. R. (2007). Deliberative and automatic bases of suspicion: Empirical evidence of the sinister attribution error. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 17, 59-69.

Malle, B., Knobe, J., O’Laughlin, M., Pearce, G., & Nelson, S. (2000). Conceptual structure and social functions of behavior explanations: Beyond person-situation attributions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 309-326.

Marsh, K., Richardson, M., Baron, R., & Schmidt, R. (2006). Contrasting approaches to perceiving and acting with others. Ecological Psychology, 18(1), 1-38.

Olson, P. (2006). The public perception of “cults” and “new religious movements”. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 45(1), 97-106.

Reich, D. & Arkin, R. (2006). Self-doubt, attributions, and the perceived implicit theories of others. Self & Identity, 5(2), 89-109.

Sepúlveda, J. (1981). La percepción conflictiva de los requisitos del puesto, la ansiedad y el nivel de ejecución. Disertación doctoral inédita, Centro Caribeño de Estudios Postgraduados, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Unit 3: The self: Social interaction and self-cognition

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Upon successful completion of this unit the student will understand the influence of social interaction upon the self. The student will know about the interaction of communication and social interaction.

Learning objectives:

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Describe from a social-psychological point of view the concept of “self”.

2. Comprehend the influence of social interaction in human behavior.

3. Distinguish between “the emic” versus “the etic” vision and how they affect social interaction.

4. Discriminate between self-complexity and self-discrepancies.

5. Analyze how the communication process could affect social relations.

6. Discuss the importance of language on transmission and reception of information.

Main topics:

Upon successful completion of this unit, these topics will be discussed:1. The self2. Social interaction3. Emic versus etic4. self-complexity and self-discrepancies5. Language (Vygotsky)6. Communication and social relations

Assigned chapters:

*Baumeister, R. (1998). The self. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 680-740). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 15)

*DePaulo, B. & Friedman, H. (1998). Nonverbal communication. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 3-40). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 18)

*Krauss, R. & Chi-Yue, C. (1998). Language and social behavior. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 41-88). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 19)

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Assigned readings:

Burke, P. J. (2004). Identities and social structure. Social Psychology Quarterly, 67, 5-15.

Chen, S., Chen, K. Y., & Shaw, L. (2004). Self-verification motives at the collective level of self-definition. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 86,

Chen, S., Ybarra, O., & Kiefer, A. K. (2004). Power and impression formation: The effects of power on the desire for morality and competence information about others. Social Cognition, 22, 391-421.

Fernandez, P. & Santamaría, C. (2006). Mental models in social interaction. Journal of Experimental Education, 74(3), 229-248.

Gailliot, M.T. & Baumeister, R.F. (2007). The physiology of willpower: Linking blood glucose to self-control. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 11, 303-327.

Jost, J.T., & Hunyady, O. (2005). Antecedents and consequences of system-justifying ideologies. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14, 260-265.

Kivimaki, M., Vahtera, J., Elovainio, M., Helenius, H., Singh-Manoux, A., & Pentti, J. (2005). Optimism and pessimism as predictors of change in health after death or onset of severe illness in family. Health Psychology, 24, 413-421.

Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., Diener, E. (2005). The Benefits of Frequent Positive Affect: Does Happiness Lead to Success? Psychological Bulletin, 131, 6, 803-855.

Marrero, E. (1978). El lenguaje y la dialéctica psico-social: Una introducción reflexiva a la teoría de Lev S. Vygotsky. Revista Ciencias de la Conducta, 8(1 & 2), 51-77.

Morice, R. (1978). Psychiatry diagnosis in a transcultural setting: The importance of lexical categories. British Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 87-95.

Muthus, M.S. & Prathibha, K.M. (2008) Management of a child with autism and severe bruxism: A case report. J Indian Soc Pedod. Prev. Dent. 26 (2), 82-84.

Nelson, L. D., & Simmons, J. P. (2007). Moniker maladies: when names sabotage success Psychological Science, 18, 1106-1112.

Overbeck, J., Jost, J.T., Mosso, C., & Flizik, A. (2004). Resistant vs. acquiescent responses to group inferiority as a function of social dominance orientation in the USA and Italy. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 7, 35-54.

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Richeson, J.A., & Trawalter, S. (2005). Why do interracial interactions impair executive function? A resource depletion account. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 934-947.

Sheldon, K. M. & Kreiger, L. S. (2007). Understanding the negative effects of legal education on law students: A longitudinal test of Self-determination Theory. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 883-897.

Silvia, P. J., & O'Brien, M. E. (2004). Self-awareness and constructive functioning: Revisiting "the human dilemma." Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23, 475-489.

Updegraff, J. A. & Marshall, G. N. (2005). Predictors of perceived growth following direct exposure to community violence. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 24, 538-560.

Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., Dewitte, S., De Witte, H., & Deci, E. L. (2004). The 'why' and 'why not' of job search behaviour: Their relation to searching, unemployment experience, and well-being. European Journal of Social Psychology, 34, 345-363.

Williams, G. C. McGregor, H. A., Zeldman, A., Freedman, Z. R., & Deci, E. L. (2004). Testing a self-determination theory process model for promoting glycemic control through diabetes self-management. Health Psychology, 23, 58-66.

Wilson, T.D., Centerbar, D.B., Kermer, D.A., & Gilbert, D.T. (2005). The pleasures of uncertainty: Prolonging positive moods in ways people do not anticipate. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 5-21.

Wilson, T.D., & Gilbert, D.T. (2005). Affective forecasting: Knowing what to want. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14, 131-134.

Unit 4: Interpersonal phenomena

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will know which factors affect interpersonal behavior and how it is related to the self.

Learning objectives:

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Describe the formation and transmission of norms.

2. Explain Goffman’s concept of face, idealized performance, and face work.

3. Comprehend the various ways people feel and behave when they are self-aware.

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4. Discuss the determinants of self-disclosure in interpersonal relationships.

5. Analyze the theoretical concept of optimism.

6. Discuss the influence of social norms, conformity, and compliance in human behavior.

7. Analyze the importance of goals in the development and maintenance of social relationships.

Main topics:

Upon successful completion of this unit, these topics will be discussed:

1. Goffman’s concept2. Self-disclosure3. Optimism4. Social norms5. Conformity6. Compliance

Assigned chapter:

*Cialdini, R. & Trost, M. (1998). Social influence: Social norms, conformity, and compliance. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 151-192). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 21)

Assigned Readings:

Bushman, B. (1988). The effects of apparel on compliance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 14, 459-467.

Fitzsimons, G. M. & Kay, A. C. (2004). Language and interpersonal cognition: Causal effects of variations in pronoun usage on perceptions of closeness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 547-557.

Howard, D. (1990). The influence of verbal responses to common greetings on compliance behavior: The foot-in-the-mouth effect. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 20, 1185-1196.

Kameda, T., Takezawa, M., & Hastie, R. (2005). Where do social norms come from? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(6), 331-334.

Latimer, A. & Martin-Ginis, K. (2005). The importance of subjective norms for people who care what others think of them. Psychology & Health, 20(1), 53-62.

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Peterson, C. (2000). The future of optimism. American Psychology, 55, 44-55.

Poortvliet, P.M., Janssen, O., Van Yperen, N.W., & Van de Vliert, E. (2007). Achievement goals and interpersonal behavior: How mastery and performance goals shape information exchange. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 1435-1447.

Rentfrow, P. J., & Gosling, S. D. (2006). Message in a Ballad: The role of music preferences in interpersonal perception. Psychological Science, 17, 236-242.

Unit 5: Intrapersonal phenomena. Forming and changing attitudes.

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will know the factors that need to be considered in the definition of an attitude. The student will understand what are the strengths and weaknesses of physiological and psychological measurement techniques of attitudes. Major theories of forming and changing attitudes will be discussed.

Learning objectives:

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will be able to:

1. Define attitudes.

2. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of physiological and psychological measurement techniques of attitude.

3. Apply Heider’s theory of psychological balance, Festinger’s cognitive dissonance theory, McGuire’s inoculation theory, and the social judgment theory.

4. Compare and contrast the major theories of forming and changing attitudes.

5. Analyze Fishbein and Ajzen’s model.

6. Discuss the importance of attitudes in understanding behavior.

Main topics:

Upon successful completion of this unit, these topics will be discussed:

1. Balance theory2. Dissonance theory3. Social judgment theory4. Fishbein and Ajzen’s model5. Inoculation theory

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Assigned chapters:

*Eagly, A. & Chaiken, S. (1998). Attitude structure and function. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 269-322). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 7)

*Petty, R. & Wegener, D. (1998). Attitude change: Multiple roles for persuasion variables. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 323-390). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 8)

Assigned Readings:

Baron, A.S., Banaji, M.R. (2006). The development of implicit attitudes: Evidence of race evaluations from ages 6, 10 & adulthood. Psychological Science, vol. 17 (1), pp. 53-58.

Barrios, L. (1983). La utilización del refuerzo verbal positive en el cambio de actitudes nacionalistas en adolescentes puertorriqueños. Disertación doctoral inédita, Centro Caribeño de Estudios Postgraduados, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Carnagey, N. L. & Anderson, C. A. (2007). Changes in attitudes towards war and violence after September 11, 2001. Aggressive Behavior, 33, 118-129.

Crano, W. & Prislin, R. (2006). Attitudes and persuasion. Annual Review of Psychology, 57(1), 345-374.

Echebarria, A. & Fernandez, E. (2006). Effects of terrorism on attitudes and ideological orientation. European Journal of Social Psychology, 36(2), 259-265.

Egan, L. C., Santos, L. R., & Bloom, P. (2007). The origins of cognitive dissonance: Evidence from children and monkeys. Psychological Science, 18, 978-983.

Fazio, R. H., Eiser, J. R., & Shook, N. J. (2004). Attitude formation through exploration: Valence asymmetries. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 293-311

Fong, G. T., Hammond, D., Laux, F. L., Zanna, M. P., Cummings, K. M., Borland, R., & Ross, H. (2004). The near-universal experience of regret among smokers in four countries: Findings from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Survey. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 6 (Suppl.3), 341-351.

Mann, T. L., Sherman, D. S., & Updegraff, J. A. (2004). Dispositional motivations and message framing: A test of the congruency hypothesis. Health Psychology, 23, 330-334.

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Olson, M. A., & Fazio, R. H. (2004). Reducing the influence of extra-personal associations on the Implicit Association Test: Personalizing the IAT. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 653-667.

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Sherman, J.W. (2005). Automatic and controlled components of implicit stereotyping and prejudice. Psychological Science Agenda, 19(3).

Sibley, C., Liu, J., & Kirkwood, S. (2006). Toward a social representation theory of attitude change: The effect of message framing on general and specific attitudes toward equality and entitlement. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 35(1), 3-13.

Unit 6: Midterm examination

Unit 7: Attraction and close relationships

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will understand the meaning of interpersonal attraction and those relevant factors in the development of closeness in relationships.

Learning objectives:

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will be able to:

1. Describe the influence of different situational variables on the process of initial attraction to another person.

2. Comprehend the tendency to evaluate physically attractive people more positively than people who are not physically attractive.

3. Discuss the major differences between liking and loving according to both Rubin (1973) and Davis (1985).

4. Analyze the taxonomy of love.

5. Analyze Stenberg’s (1986) triangular theory of love.

6. Discuss the implications of relationship cognition and emotion regulation in social relations.

7. Discuss the implications of relationship satisfaction and stability.

Main topics:

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Upon successful completion of this unit, these topics will be discussed:

1. Close relationships2. Attraction3. Mate selection4. Taxonomy of love5. Sternberg’s triangular theory of love6. Relationship cognition7. Relationship satisfaction and stability

Assigned chapter:

*Berscheid, E. & Reis, H. (1998). Attraction and close relationships. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 193-281). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 22)

Morgan, H. J., & Shaver, P. R. (1999). Attachment processes and commitment to romantic relationships. In J. M. Adams & W. H. Jones (Eds.), Handbook of interpersonal commitment and relationship stability (pp. 109-124). New York: Plenum.

Assigned readings:

Abel, M. & Watters, H. (2005). Attributions of guilt and punishment as functions of physical attractiveness and smiling. Journal of Social Psychology, 145(6), 687-702.

Apicella, C. L., Feinberg, D. R., & Marlowe, F. W. (2007). Voice pitch predicts reproductive success in male hunter-gatherers. Biology Letters, 3, 682-684.

Baumeister, R. F., & Vohs, Kathleen, D.(2004). Sexual Economics: Sex as female resource for social exchange in heterosexual interactions. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 8, 339-363.

Bearman, P. S., Moody, J., & Stovel, K. (2004). Chains of affection: The structure of adolescent romantic and sexual networks. American Journal of Sociology, 110, 44-91.

Finkel, E. J., Eastwick P. W. , & Matthews. (2007). Speed dating as an invaluable tool for studying romantic attraction: A methodological primer. Personal Relationships, 14, 149-166.

Fitzsimons, G. M. & Kay, A. C. (2004). Language and interpersonal cognition: Causal effects of variations in pronoun usage on perceptions of closeness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 547-557.

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Meston, C.M. & Buss, D.M. (2007). Why humans have sex. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 36, 477-507.

Riniolo, T., Johnson, K., Sherman, T., & Misso, J. (2006). Hot or not: Do professors perceived as physically attractive receive higher student evaluations? Journal of General Psychology, 133(1), 19-35.

Sternberg, R. (1986). A triangular theory of love. Psychological Review, 93, 119-135.

Wilcox, W.B., Nock, S.L. (2006). What's love got to do with it? Equality, equity, commitment and women's marital quality. Social Forces, Vol.84, No. 2, 1321-1345.

Vannini, P. (2004). Will you marry me? Journal of Popular Culture, 38(1), 169-185.

Zebrowitz, L.A. & Rhodes, G. (2004). Sensitivity to ‘bad genes’ and the anomalous face overgeneralization effect: Accuracy, cue validity, and cue utilization in judging intelligence and health. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 28, 167-185.

Watts, S. & Stenner, P. (2005). The subjective experience of partnership love: A Q methodological study. British Journal of Social Psychology, 44(1), 85-107.

Unit 8: Altruism and affection: Extending the self to others

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will understand the reasons why people help others and why they do not. Also, the student should be able to discuss the social nature of altruism and affection. The student will understand which social forces influence obedience and rebellion. In addition, the student will be able to compare and contrast the exchange and equity theory.

Learning objectives:

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will be able to:

1. Describe the empathy-altruism hypothesis.

2. Explain the egoism hypothesis.

3. Explain the situations that research has shown prompt people to help others.

4. Comprehend the social forces that influence obedient and rebellious behavior.

5. Analyze Lewin’s and Latane’s theories of social forces and impacts.

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6. Compare and contrast the exchange and equity theory.

7. Discuss the relevance of altruism and prosocial behavior in society today.

Main topics:

Upon successful completion of this unit, these topics will be discussed:

1. Social learning2. Lewin’s and Latane’s theories of social forces3. Altruism and egoism 4. Exchange or equity5. Amalgamated models6. Prosocial behavior

Assigned chapter:

*Batson, C.D. (1998). Altruism and prosocial behavior. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 282-316). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 23)

Van Vugt, M., & Van Lange, P. A. M. (2006).  Psychological adaptations for prosocial behavior:  the altruism puzzle.  In M. Schaller, D. Kenrick, & J. Simpson, Evolution and Social Psychology, pp. 237-261.  New York:  Psychology Press

Assigned readings:

Barlett, M. & DeSteno, D. (2006). Gratitude and prosocial behavior. Psychological Science, 17(4), 319-325.

Guiter, M. & Halac-de Lifschitz, P. (1997). Altruismo. Revista de Psicoanalisis, 54, 427-428.

Kristeller, J. & Johnson, T. (2005). Cultivating loving kindness: A two-stage model of the effects of meditation on empathy, compassion, and altruism. Journal of Religion & Science, 40(2), 391-407.

Latané, B. & Darley, J. (1968). Group inhibition of bystander intervention. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 10, 215-221.

Latané, B. & Nida, S. (1981). Ten years of research on group size and helping. Psychological Bulletin, 89, 308-324.

Penner, L., Dovidio, J., Piliavin, J., & Schroeder, D. (2005). Prosocial behavior:

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Multilevel perspectives. Annual Review of Psychology, 56(1), 365-392.

Persson, G. (2005). Young children’s prosocial and aggressive behaviors and their experiences of being targeted for similar behaviors by peers. Social Development, 14(2), 206-228.

Hardy, C., & Van Vugt, M. (2006). Nice guys finish first: The competitive altruism hypothesis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 1402-1413.

Manning R., Levine, M. & Collins, A. (2007). The Kitty Genovese murder and the social psychology of helping: The parable of the 38 witnesses. American Psychologist, 62, 555-562.

Wilson, E. (2005). Kin selection as the key to altruism: Its rise and fall. Social Research, 72(1), 159-166.

Vandello, J. A., Goldschmied, N. P., & Richards, D. A. R. (2007). The appeal of the underdog. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 1603-1616.

Unit 9: Aggression: Theories and social dilemmas

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will know the definition of aggression, aggressive behavior, and fundamental social dilemmas that are related to antisocial behavior.

Learning objectives:

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will be able to:

1. Define aggression.

2. Describe the different theories related to aggressive behavior.

3. Contrast and compare the social learning theory, biological theories, and instinct theories.

4. Comprehend how aggression and violence create problems at individual, family, and societal levels.

5. Analyze the relationship between aggression and social dilemmas such as drugs, violent pornography, violent television, and video games.

6. Discuss the characteristics of the authoritarian personality.

7. Analyze the importance of understanding antisocial behavior in our society.

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Main topics:

Upon successful completion of this unit, these topics will be discussed:

1. Types of aggression2. Origins of aggression3. Social learning theory4. Social dilemmas5. Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination6. Authoritarian personality

Assigned chapter:

*Geen, R. (1998). Aggression and antisocial behavior. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 317-356). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 24)

Wellford, C. F., Pepper, J. V., & Petrie, C. V. (2004). Firearms and violence: A critical review. The National Academies Press.

Assigned Readings:

Carnagey, N. L. & Anderson, C. A. (2007). Changes in attitudes towards war and violence after September 11, 2001. Aggressive Behavior, 33, 118-129.

Carnagey, N. L., Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2007). The effect of video game violence on physiological desensitization to real-life violence. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 43, 489-496.

Fischer, P., Kubitzki, J., Guter, S., & Frey, D. (2007). Virtual driving and risk taking: Do racing games increase risk-taking cognitions, affect, and behaviors? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 13, 22-31.

García, A. (1991). Indicadores de agresión en una muestra de adolescentes puertorriqueños. Disertación doctoral inédita, Centro Caribeño de Estudios Postgraduados (Actual Universidad Carlos Albizu), San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Hickman, L.J., Jaycox, L. & Aronoff, J. (2004). Dating Violence Among Adolescents Prevalence, Gender Distribution, and Prevention Program Effectiveness. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 5, (2), 123-142.

Jackson, B., Kubzansky, L. B., Cohen, S., Jacobs, D. R., & Wright, R. J. (2007). Does harboring hostility hurt? Associations between hostility and pulmonary function in the coronary artery risk development in (young) adults (CARDIA) study. Health Psychology, 26, 333-340.

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Martin-Baro, I. (1990). Accion e ideologia. El Salvador: UCA Editores.

Olshen, E., McVeigh, K. H., Wunsch-Hitzig, R. A., & Rickert, V. I. (2007). Dating violence, sexual assault, and suicide attempts among urban teenagers. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 161, 539-545.

Peterson, J. S. & Ray, K. E. (2006). Bullying and the gifted: Victims, perpetrators, prevalence, and effects. Gifted Child Quarterly, 50, 148-168.

Santiago-Hernandez, S., Lizardi-Pujals, E. & Rivera Carrasquillo, M. (2008) Perfil Bio- Psico-Social de los participantes de asistencia a victimas de crimen en Puerto Rico: 2005-2006 In J. R. Rodriguez (Ed.), Antologías de Investigaciones de los Programas Académicos de la Universidad Carlos Albizu (pp. 323-344). San Juan, PR: Publicaciones Puertorriqueñas.

Stucke, T. & Baumeister, R. (2006). Ego depletion and aggressive behavior: Is the inhibition of aggression a limited resource? European Journal of Social Psychology, 36(1), 1-13.

Webb, T., Jenkins, L., Browne, N., Afifi, A. A., & Kraus, J. (2007). Violent entertainment pitched to adolescents: An analysis of PG-13 films. Pediatrics, 119, 1219-1229.

Wirth, M. M., & Schultheiss, O. C. (2007). Basal testosterone moderates responses to anger faces in humans. Physiology and Behavior, 90, 496-505.

Unit 10: Conflicts and conflict resolution

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will know the definition of conflict from a psychosocial perspective. The student will be able to differentiate between intergroup conflict and interpersonal conflict. Also, the student will know the different methods in reducing intergroup hostility and understand the positive consequences of conflict.

Learning objectives:

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will be able to:

1. Describe the basis for intergroup conflict.

2. Describe the basis for interpersonal conflict.

3. Comprehend the importance of communication in determining the development and resolution of conflict.

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4. Analyze the importance of concepts such as coalition, mediation, and arbitration in conflict resolution.

5. Discuss the relevance of conflict in the identification of problems and the motivation of working on those problems.

Main topics:

Upon successful completion of this unit, these topics will be discussed:

1. Ecology of small groups2. Social conflict3. Coalition, mediation, and arbitration4. Negotiation5. Conflict resolution

Assigned chapters:

*Levine, J. & Moreland, R. (1998). Small groups. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 415-470). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 26)

Jost, J.T., Burgess, D., & Mosso, C. (2001). Conflicts of legitimation among self, group, and system: The integrative potential of system justification theory. In J.T. Jost and B. Major (Eds.), The psychology of legitimacy: Emerging perspectives on ideology, justice, and intergroup relations (pp. 363-388). New York: Cambridge University Press.

*Pruitt, D. (1998). Social conflict. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 470-503). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 27).

Assigned Readings:

Abrahms, M. (2006). Why terrorism does not work. International Security, 31, 42-78.

Kennelly, A. & Fantino, E. (2007). The sharing game: Fairness in resource allocation as a function of incentive, gender, and recipient types. Judgment and Decision Making, 2, 204-216.

Kosfeld, M., Heinrichs, M., Zak, P., Fischbacher, U., & Fehr, E. (2005). Oxytocin increases trust in humans. Nature, 435, 673-676.

Latané, B. (1981). The psychology of social impact. American Psychologist, 36, 343-356.

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Swann, W., Milton, L., & Polzer, J. (2000). Should we create a niche or fall in line? Identity negotiation and small group effectiveness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 238-250.

Van Vugt, M., Jepson, S., Hart, C., & De Cremer, D. (2004) Autocratic leadership in social dilemmas: A threat to group stability. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40, 1-13.

Unit 11: Prejudices, discriminations and stereotypes

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will know the various traditional approaches to understand prejudice in today’s world. Stereotyped attitudes, belief, and behavior associated with racism will be discussed.

Learning objectives:

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Describe the psychological dynamics of displaced aggression on prejudice.

2. Describe the cognitive processes in stereotyping.

3. Discuss how the role of competition and conflict can be used to understand discriminative personalities.

4. Understand how the authoritarian personality and the scapegoat theory are used to displace aggression.

5. Analyze the practical implications of symbolic, ambivalence, regressive, and aversive racism in today’s society.

6. Analyze sexual discrimination (gender, gay, and lesbian intolerance) and its social repercussions.

7. Analyze disability discrimination and its social consequences.

Main topics:

Upon successful completion of this unit, these topics will be discussed:

1. Prejudice2. Discrimination3. Stereotypes4. Authoritarian personality

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5. Racism6. Sexual discrimination7. Social stigma

Assigned chapters:

*Crocker, J., Major, B., & Steele, C. (1998). Social stigma. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 504-553). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 28)

*Fiske, S. (1998). Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 318-411). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 25)

Jost, J.T., & Hamilton, D.L. (2005). Stereotypes in our culture. In J. Dovidio, P. Glick, & L. Rudman (Eds.), On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty years after Allport (pp. 208-224). Oxford: Blackwell.

Assigned readings:

Baron, A.S., Banaji, M.R. (2006). The development of implicit attitudes: Evidence of race evaluations from ages 6, 10 & adulthood. Psychological Science, vol. 17 (1), pp. 53-58.

Cadinu, M., Maass, A., Lombardo, M., & Frigerio, S. (2006). Stereotype threat: The moderating role of locus of control beliefs. European Journal of Social Psychology, 36(2), 183-197.

Chiu, P., Ambady, N., & Deldin, P. (2004). CNB in response to emotional in- and out-group stimuli differentiates high- and low-prejudiced individuals. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 16, 1830-1839.

Citrin, J., Lerman, A., Murakami, M., & Pearson, K. (2007). Testing Huntington: Is Hispanic immigration a threat to American identity? Perspectives on Politics, 5, 31-48.

Condor, S. (2006). Public prejudice as collaborative accomplishment: Towards a dialogic social psychology of racism. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 16(1), 1-18.

Correll, J., Park, B., Judd, C. M., Wittenbrink, B., Sadler, M. S., & Keesee, T. (2007). Across the thin blue line: Police officers and racial bias in the decision to shoot. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 1006-1023.

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Jordan, C. H., Spencer, S. J., & Zanna, M. P. (2005). Types of high self-esteem and prejudice: How implicit self-esteem relates to racial discrimination among high explicit self-esteem individuals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 693-702.

Jost, J. T. & Kay, A. C. (2005). Exposure to benevolent sexism and complementary gender stereotypes: Consequences for specific and diffuse forms of system justification. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 498-509.

Kay, A. C., Jost, J.T., & Young, S. (2005). Victim-derogation and victim-enhancement as alternate routes to system-justification. Psychological Science, 16, 240-246.

Olson, M. A., & Fazio, R. H. (2004). Trait inferences as a function of automatically-activated racial attitudes and motivation to control prejudiced reactions. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 26, 1-11.

Olatunji, B. & Sawchuk, C. (2005). Disgust: Characteristics features, social manifestations, and clinical implications. Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, 24(7), 932-962.

Platow, M., Byrne, L., & Ryan, M. (2005). Experimentally manipulated high in-group status can buffer personal self-esteem against discrimination. European Journal of Social Psychology, 35(5), 599-608.

Richeson, J.A., & Nussbaum, R.J. (2004). The impact of multiculturalism versus color-blindness on racial bias. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40, 417-423

Richeson, J.A., & Shelton, J.N. (2005). Thin slices of racial bias. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 29, 75-86.

Richeson, J.A., & Trawalter, S. (2005a). On the categorization of admired and disliked exemplars of admired and disliked racial groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 89, 517-530.

Richeson, J.A., & Trawalter, S. (2005b). Why do interracial interactions impair executive function? A resource depletion account. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 934-947.

Sanchez, J., Nisbett, R., & Barra, O. (2000). Cultural styles, relational schemas, and prejudice against out-groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 174-189.

Shelton, J.N., & Richeson, J.A. (2005). Pluralistic ignorance and intergroup contact. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 91-107.

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Shelton, J.N., Richeson, J.A., & Salvatore, J. (2005). Expecting to be the target of prejudice: Implications for interethnic interactions. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 1189-1202.

Sherman, J.W. (2005). Automatic and controlled components of implicit stereotyping and prejudice. Psychological Science Agenda, 19(3).

Urrieta Jr., L. (2005). The social studies of domination: Cultural hegemony and ignorant activism. Social Studies, 96(5), 189-192.

Unit 12: Social influence and social power: Group influence

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will understand the scope of social influence, the importance of social power in society, and gender differences in the use of power. In addition, deviation and resistance as major social processes will be discussed.

Learning objectives:

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Describe the scope of social influence.

2. Define social power.

3. Describe types of power and their use (coercive, reward, legitimate, expect, referent, and information power).

4. Explain leadership behavior and its theories.

5. Compare men and women in their use of power.

6. Explain the Asch paradigm (1951).

7. Comprehend how the social impact theory influences human behavior.

8. Comprehend how situational variables affect conformity.

9. Discuss how strength, immediacy, and number affect both the magnitude and the diffusion of social impact.

10. Analyze the relevance of why people deviate despite the cost of doing so.

Main topics:

Upon successful completion of this unit, these topics will be discussed:

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1. Social influence2. Social power3. Leadership behavior4. Asch’s paradigm (1951)5. Social impact theory

Assigned chapter:

*Brewer, M. & Brown, R. (1998). Intergroup relations. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 554-594). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 29)

Jost, J.T., & Elsbach, K. (2001). How status and power differences erode personal and social identities at work: A system justification critique of organizational applications of social identity theory. In M.A. Hogg & D.J. Terry (Eds.), Social identity processes in organizational contexts (pp. 181-196). Philadelphia, PA: Psychology Press/Taylor & Francis.

Assigned readings:

Bruins, J. (1999). Social power and influence tactics: A theoretical introduction. Journal of Social Issues, 55(1), 7-14.

Cialdini, R. (2005). Basic social influence is underestimated. Psychological Inquiry, 16(4), 158-161.

Fletcher, J. (2004). The paradox of postheoric leadership: An essay on gender, power, and transformational change. Leadership Quarterly, 15(4), 647-661.

Koslowski, S. W. J. & Ilgen, D. R. (2006). Enhancing the effectiveness of work groups and teams. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 7, 77-124.

Poortvliet, P.M., Janssen, O., Van Yperen, N.W., & Van de Vliert, E. (2007). Achievement goals and interpersonal behavior: How mastery and performance goals shape information exchange. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 1435-1447

Van Vugt, M., & Hart, C. M. (2004). Social identity as social glue: The origins of group loyalty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 585-598.

Weaver, K., Garcia, S. M., Schwarz, N., & Miller, D. T. (2007). Inferring the popularity of an opinion from its familiarity: A repetitive voice can sound like a chorus. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 821-833.

Powers, R. & Reiser, C. (2005). Gender and self-perceptions of social power. Social

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Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 33(6), 553-567.

Reicher, S., Haslam, S., & Hopkins, N. (2005). Social identity and the dynamics of leadership: Leaders and followers as collaborative agents in the transformation of social reality. Leadership Quarterly, 16(4), 547-568.

Unit 13: The influence of social and transcultural psychology in Puerto Rican Society

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will be able to discuss how the field of social and transcultural psychology can be used to understand Puerto Rican society. In addition, the student will be able to explain how social problems in Puerto Rico affect the future development of social psychology.

Learning objectives:

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Describe some of the major social problems in Puerto Rico and how knowledge in social and transcultural psychology aid in their understanding.

2. Analyze the different theoretical frameworks already studied in the course to improve the quality of life in the Puerto Rican society.

3. Discuss the importance of future trends in the area of social and transcultural psychology.

Main topics:

Upon successful completion of this unit, these topics will be discussed:

1. Social problems in Puerto Rico2. Emerging perspectives3. Intergenerational problems; Generational Differences

Assigned chapters:

*Buss, D. & Kenrick, D. (1998). Evolutionary social psychology. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 982-1026). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 37)

*Tetlock, P. (1998). Social psychology and world politics. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 868-914). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 35)

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Assigned readings:

Goodman, C.C. & Silverstein, M. (2005) Latina grandmothers raising grandchildren: acculturation and psychological well-being. Int J Aging Hum Dev.60(4), 305-16.

Rodriguez, J & Lopez-Osorio, M.. (2008) Factores de riesgo de abuso religioso. In J. R. Rodriguez (Ed.), Antologías de Investigaciones de los Programas Académicos de la Universidad Carlos Albizu (pp. 385-404). San Juan, PR: Publicaciones Puertorriqueñas.

Fornés, P., Ramos, F., Ramos, S., Rivera, H. (2004). Introducción a las ciencias sociales Aspectos sociales y culturales. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Plaza Mayor

López, M. (1988) Hacia una reorientación de la psicología social: después de la crisis. In M. López. & R. Zúñiga, Perspectivas críticas en psicología social (pp.383-426). San Juan, Puerto Rico: Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico,

Serrano, I. & Álvarez, S. (1992). Análisis comparativo de marcos conceptuales de la psicología de comunidad en Estados Unidos y América Latina (1960-1985). En I. Serrano y W. Rosario (Eds.), Contribuciones Puertorriqueñas a la Psicología Social Comunitaria (pp. 19-73). Río Piedras, PR: Editorial Universidad de Puerto Rico.

Unit 14: Final examination

Revisado por : José Rodríguez Gómez, PhD & Pablo Martínez López, PhDFecha : July /8/2008

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