Sociology 739
Advanced Social Psychology I
Fall 2003
Last update: November
25, 2003
Instructor: Markus
Kemmelmeier, Ph.D.
Office: 304 Mack Social Sciences
Phone: 784-1287
Email: markusk@unr.edu
Times: Monday 2:15 – 5:00
Location: Reynolds School of Journalism, Room
107
Office
hours: Mondays 11 AM – 1 PM and by appointment
Course description
This course provides an overview of basic concepts and
theories in the field of social psychology. Individual sessions in this course are organized around
a specific theoretical approach or research field.
Goals
This course has two main objectives. The first is to provide an examination of important
concepts and findings pertaining to each topic.
The second goal is to use writing as a writing a s means for critical
reflection and integration. Writing is the central means of communication in the social sciences, and your
success in the field of social psychology critically depends on your ability
to communicate your thoughts and ideas effectively. With the help of continuous feedback, the goal
is for you to develop your skills in writing about social psychological issues.
Format
This is a course that is taught
jointly by the social psychology faculty.
Each session will be taught by a different instructor who is
knowledgeable about the respective topic.
The format of each course is likely to vary according to the preferences
of the individual instructor. However, regardless
of the specific format of the course, your active engagement and participation
is essential to the quality of the course and to your personal learning
experience.
Course materials
Master copies of individual readings
for each session will be made available by the course instructor via a box in the lobby of the sociology department, 300
MSS. However,
it is assumed that you have the two-volume handbook:
Gilbert,
D. T., Fiske, S. T., & Lindzey, G. (1998). Handbook
of social psychology (4th ed.).
Vols. 1 & 2. Boston,
MA: McGraw-Hill.
The following book is recommended, but
unfortunately it is currently out of print and only available used (check
pertinent websites):
Ross, L., & Nisbett, R. E. (1991).
The person and the situation: Perspectives of social psychology.
New York: McGraw-Hill.
Typically,
the amount of assigned readings per session will be around 100 pages. It is expected that you have read all the materials
prior to class and prior to writing the reaction paper.
Requirements
Reaction
papers. Every participant is
required to write weekly reaction papers, starting in the second
week of the semester. The reaction papers provide you with an opportunity
to thoughtful elaborate on your ideas, questions, doubts, or concerns concerning
the readings. Each instructor will
provide you with a set of guiding questions
that are designed to draw your attention to important problems in the
field. You are not necessarily expected
to answer these questions, but they communicate to you (a) what is interesting
to look out for, e.g., in case inspiration does not strike you; and (b) the
nature of the issues that the instructor expects you to think and talk about
in your reaction papers.
The preferred format of the reaction paper is a brief
essay in which you try to expand on aspects that connect various readings, or
in which you critically discuss apparent differences or contradictions between
theoretical approaches or empirical findings.
You may also wish to apply various theoretical approaches to the same
phenomenon and highlight their strengths and weaknesses. The discussion of personal experiences or
preferences is perfectly legitimate, as long as you clearly link them to the
concepts you wish you discuss.
Keep in mind that the instructors have read the papers
as well; hence, there is no need for extant summary of the papers. Also, it is critical that you argue clearly,
support your statements, and present justifications, e.g., for suggested extensions
of the present research.
The reaction papers should be around one to two single-spaced
pages, and should be turned in no later than 3 PM on Sunday as an email
attachment. Send the reaction papers
to the instructor of the day, as well as to me (MK). [Deborah Ballard-Reisch <dballard@unr.nevada.edu>;
Paul Devereux<devereux@unr.edu>; Mary Stewart <mary@unr.nevada.edu>; Gerald Ginsburg<gpg@unr.edu>;
Makoba <makoba@unr.nevada.edu>; Marta Elliott <martaelliott@yahoo.com>;
Ronald Dillehay<dillehay@unr.nevada.edu>; Colleen Murray <cimurray@unr.nevada.edu].
Given that the task of integrating and criticizing the
readings is relatively open-ended, the grading of the reaction papers will
focus on their thoughtfulness and the degree to which you succeed advance an
argument and make a (good) point.
Integration
papers. Over the course
of the semester, every participant is required to write two integrative papers. The main purpose of these papers is for you
to critically reflect on the topics covered, and seek connections between
them. Application of various topics
to a particular social problem or theoretical issues is also encouraged. The first integration papers should focus on
the materials covered in the first half of the course, and the second one
on the materials covered in the second half of the course. You are required to provide a précis (2 to 3
pages) of what you are planning on writing about at
least one week before the final proposal deadline (earlier submissions
are strongly encouraged). Alternatively,
you have the option of submitting a first draft of your proposal, on which
you will receive extensive feedback. In any case, you are encouraged to meet with
me to discuss your ideas and plans for the paper.
The format of the papers should follow
APA style (5th ed.) or ASA style (4th ed.). The length of each paper should be around 15
pages (20 pages maximum). The papers
will be graded based on the breadth of the literature they are able to
integrate, on the originality and quality of the analysis, and the quality of
writing.
Grading
|
In-class participation
|
10%
|
|
Weekly reaction papers
|
30%
|
|
Integrative paper #1
|
30%
|
|
Integrative paper #2
|
30%
|
|
Total
|
100%
|
Following each session,
the (a) participation and (b) quality of the reaction paper will be evaluated
by the respective instructor of the session.
Course schedule
READING ASSIGNMENTS
Readings
August 25
The two or three social psychologies:
Introduction and history (Markus Kemmelmeier)
House, J. S. (1977).
The three faces of social psychology. Sociometry,
40, 161-177. [available via www.library.unr.edu]
Taylor, S. E. (1998).
The social being in social psychology. In D.
T. Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology
(4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 58-95). New York: McGraw-Hill.
focus on pages 58-63, 70-87
Readings
September 8
The person and the situation
(Markus Kemmelmeier)
Ross, L., & Nisbett, R. E. (1991). The person
and the situation (Chapters 1, 2
& 4, pp. 1-58, pp. 90-118). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Snyder, M., & Cantor, N. (1998). Understanding personality
and social behavior. In D. T.
Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology
(4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 635-679). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Readings
September 15
Attribution (Markus Kemmelmeier)
Gilbert, D. (1998).
Ordinary personology. In D. T. Gilbert, S.
T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology
(4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 89-150). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Ross, L., & Nisbett, R. E.
(1991). The person and the situation (Chapter 3 & 6, pp. 59-89,
145-168). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Readings
September 22
Social
Cognition (Markus Kemmelmeier)
Schwarz, N. (1995). Social cognition:
Information accessibility and use in social judgment. In E. E. Smith &
D. N. Osherson (1995), Thinking: An invitation to cognitive science
(Vol. 3, 2nd ed., pp. 345-376). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press
Wegner, D. M.,
& Bargh, J. A. (1998). Control and automaticity in social life. In D.
T. Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (1998), Handbook
of social psychology (4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 446-496). Boston, MA:
McGraw-Hill.
Hilton, D. J. (1995). The social context of reasoning:
Conversational inference and rational judgment. Psychological Bulletin,
118, 248-271.
Readings
September 29
Social
psychology and communication
(Deborah Ballard-Reisch)
Krauss, R. M.,
& Chiu, C-Y. (1998). Language and social behavior. In D. T. Gilbert, S.
T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (1998), Handbook
of social psychology (4th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 41-88). Boston, MA:
McGraw-Hill.
Readings
October 6
Social
psychophysiology and evolutionary approaches
(Paul Devereux)
Buss, D. M., &
Kenrick, D. T. (1998). Evolutionary social psychology. In D. T. Gilbert, S.
T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of social
psychology (4th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 982-1019). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Cacioppo, J. T.,
Berntson, G. G., & Crites, S. L., Jr. (1996). Social neuroscience: Principles
of psychophysiological arousal and response. In E.
T. Higgins & A. W. Kruglanski (Eds.), Social psychology: Handbook of
basic principles (pp. 72-101). New York: Guildford.
Hazan, C., &
Diamond, L. M. (2000). The place of attachment in human mating. Review
of General Psychology, 4, 186-204.
Readings
October 13
Attitudes
and attitude change (Ronald Dillehay)
Petty, R. E. (1995). Attitude change. In A. Tesser
(Ed.), Advanced social psychology (pp. 195-255). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Eagly, A., &
Chaiken, S. (1998). Attitude structure and fuction. In D. T. Gilbert, S. T.
Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of social
psychology (4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 269-311). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Readings
October 20
Group
prcoesses (Markus Kemmelmeier)
Crandall, C. S.
(1988). Social contagion of binge eating. Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, 55, 588-598.
Levine, J., &
Moreland, R. (1998). Small groups. In D. T. Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, & G.
Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology (4th ed., Vol. 2, pp.
415-469). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Thompson,
L., & Fine, G. A. (1999). Socially shared cognition, affect, and behavior:
A review and integration. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 3,
278-302.
Readings
October 27
Personal Relationships
(Deborah Ballard-Reisch)
Adams, J. M., &
Jones, W. H. (1999). Interpersonal commitment in historical perspective. In
J. M. Adams & W. H. Jones (Eds.), Handbook of interpersonal commitment
and relationship stability (pp. 3-33). New York: Kluwer.
Berscheid, E.,
& Reis, H. T. (1998). Attraction and close relationships. In D. T. Gilbert,
S. T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology
(4th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 193-254). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Ickes, W. (1994).
Methods of studying close relationships. In A. L. Weber & J. H. Harvey
(Eds.), Perspectives on close relationships (pp. 18-44). Boston: Allyn
& Bacon.
Canary,
D. J., & Emmers-Sommer, T. M., with Faulkner S. (1997). Sex and gender
differences in personal relationships. New York: Guilford..
Readings
November 3
Culture
(Markus Kemmelmeier)
Fiske, A. P., Kitayama,
S., Markus, H. R., & Nisbett, R. E. (1998). The cultural matrix of social
psychology. In D. T. Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook
of social psychology (4th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 915-981). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Hong,
Y.-y., Morris, M. W., Chiu, C.-y., Benet-Martinez, V. (2000). Multicultural
minds: A dynamic constructivist approach to culture and cognition. American
Psychologist, 55, 709-720.
Swidler,
A. (1986). Culture in action: Symbols and strategies. American Sociological
Review, 51, 273-286.
Readings
November 10
Symbolic
interactionism (Mary Stewart)
Fine, G. A. (1993).
The sad demise, mysterious disappearance, and glorious triumph of symbolic
interactionism. Annual Review of Sociology, 19, 61-87.
Charon,
J. M. Symbolic interactionism: An introduction, an interpretation, an integration
(8th ed.). Chapter 10 "Social interaction" & Chapter 11 "Society".
From Herman,
N. J., & Reynolds, L. T. (Eds.) Symbolic interaction: An introduction
to social psychology:
Meltzer, B. N.
Mead's social psychology.
Petras, J. W.,
& Meltzer, B. N. Theoretical and ideologicla variations in contemporary
interactionism.
Spitzer, S., Couch,
C., & Stratton, J. Kuhn's formulation of the self.
Martindale, D.
Erving Goffman.
Blumer, H. Sociological
analysis and "the variable".
Couch, C., Katovich,
M. A., & Buban, S. Beyond Blumer and Kuhn: Researching and studying across-time
data through the use of point-in-space laboratory procedures.
Snow, D. A., &
Anderson, L. The problem of idenitty construction among the homeless.
Reynolds,
L. Contemporary interactionism: Summary characteristics.
Readings
November 17
Emotion
(Gerald Ginsburg) [Questions][Add.doc
#1][Add.doc #2]
It is recommended
that you read the following papers/chapters in order:
Zajonc,
R. B. (1998). Emotions. In D. T. Gilbert, S. T. Fiske, & G. Lindzey (Eds.),
Handbook of social psychology (4th ed., Vol. 1, pp. 591-623). New York:
McGraw-Hill.
Smith-Lovin, L.
(1995). The sociology of affect and emotion. In K.S.Cook, G. A. Fine, &
J. S. House (Eds.), Sociological perspectives on social psychology
(pp. 118-148). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Ginsburg, G. P.,
& Harrington, M. E. (1996). Bodily states and context in situated lines
of action. In R. Harré & W. G. Parrott (Eds.), The emotions:
Social, cultural and biological dimensions (pp. 229-254). London: Sage.
[Provides a review of theory and findings, criticism of the current constructs
of emotion, and recommendation of a different perspective on the topic.]
Sarbin,
T .R. (1995). Emotional life, rhetoric, and roles. Journal of Narrative and
Personal History, 5, xx-xx.
Ginsburg, G. P.,
& Sarbin, T. R. (2003, August). The rhetorical nature of embodiment in
emotional life. Paper presented at the 111th Annual Convention of the American
Psychological Assocation, Toronto, Canda.
de Waal, F. (2000).
Primates - A natural history of conflict resoultion. Science,
289, 586-590.
Readings
November 24
Social
Exchange Theory (Makoba)
Ekeh, P. P. (1974).
Social exchange theory: Two traditions (pp. 3-126). Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press.
Makoba, J. W. (1993).
Toward a general theory of social exchange. Social Behavior and Personality,
21, 227-239.
Readings
December 1
Self
& Identity (Marta Elliott)
Ellemers,
N., Spears, R., & Doosje, B. (2002). Self and social identity. Annual
Review of Psychology, 53, 161-186.
Howard, J. A. (2000).
Social Psychology of Identities. Annual Review of Sociology, 26, 367-93
Readings
December 8
Social development (Colleen
Murray)
Fine, G. A., &
Elsbach, K. D. (2000). Ethnography and experiment in social psychological
theory building: Tactics for integrating qualitative field data and quantitative
lab data. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 36, 51-76.
Ruble, D. N., &
Goodnow, J.J. (1998). Social development in childhood and adulthood. In D.T.
Gilbert, S.T. Fiske & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of Social Psychology
(4th ed., vol. 1).
S.E. Taylor (Chapter
2 pages 72-74) On social cognition in that same
volume.