Photo by Ryoji Iwata on Unsplash: https://unsplash.com/photos/n31JPLu8_Pw

Level 7 (Master)

Credits: 10 ECTS

Module leader: Roberto Muelas Lobato

Office hour: Tuesday from 14:00 to 15:00 and Thursday from 14:00 to 15:00. Please send an email roberto@miuc.org to set an appointment.

Schedule: Tuesday from 12:00 to 14:00 and Thursday from 12:00 to 14:00 in DREAMS.

Meet link: https://meet.jit.si/SocialPsychology

Social psychology is the scientific study of the way people think about, feel, and behave in social situations. It involves understanding how people influence, and are influenced by, the others around them. This module will build on the foundational knowledge developed in Level 2 to provide a comprehensive and detailed overview of individual and collective psychosocial processes. The module will familiarise the students with the social conditions, drivers and determinants, and the processes governing the development and functioning of the individuals’ personality as integrated into the broader social context, and the way the individual is affected by and affects these processes.

This module has three main objectives: 1) explore the dynamics of social attitudes, their measurement, and change; 2) identify the dynamics of inter-group relations and their effects on individual relations in the social context; and 3) encourage students to critically engage with the applied and theoretical content of Social Psychology, its perspectives and methods.

The module will also discuss the complementary processes of individuation and socialisation. Focusing on the applied aspect of social psychology, this module will guide students through a consideration of how the understanding socio-psychological awareness can be implemented in the lives of individuals, their personal, social, and professional aspects. The module will further develop the students’ capability to critically evaluate the socio-psychological experiences, and analyse personal experiences and the experiences of others within the traditional and contemporary social models and social structures.

Assessment methods

• A1 - Written Assignment (100%)
  • The final assessment would consist of an essay analyzing the causes of fake news from a psychosocial point of view and making a proposal to prevent its dissemination. The essay is intended to assess students’ understanding of the theories in Social Psychology and the development of cognitive, practical and transferrable skills. To prepare the essay, students will need to support their arguments in theories learned in the module and they will need to create proposals to solve or improve the problem on the basis of these theories. The written analysis should be succinct and well-written. Be sure to include a short introduction to orient the reader, the analysis part (corresponding with the causes and the proposal to solve the problem) as well as a short Discussion to tie things together. It is mandatory to include in-text academic citations and the full list of references using Harvard style.
  • Assessment Guidelines: SP2_A1:MA_information.pdf
    
  • Marking Grid: SP2_A1:MA_marking_grid.pdf
  • Cover Sheet: Cover_Sheet_MIUC.docx

Learning Outcome

At the end of the module you will be able to:

LO1. Understand comprehensively the concepts of social attitudes, their formation, maintenance and change, as well the methods and approaches to social psychology research (Assessment 1)

LO2. Critically investigate and explain the dynamics of inter-group and organisational processes and how they affect and are affected by individuals (Assessment 1)

LO3. Develop skills to critically evaluate the presentation of scientific ideas and research in original scientific papers as well as in the popular media (Assessment 1)

LO4. Apply psychological concepts, theories and research findings to solve problems in everyday life and in society (Assessment 1)

For more detail, please see the attached MSG: MSG_SocialPsy_Attitudes_MA_2021-22.pdf