UPDATE: 9/27 - Due to hurricane(s), exam is postponed until next week (no sooner than 10/4).

Prof. Lanning
Fall 2004

Syllabus for SOP 3004: Principles of social psychology

SOP 3004 provides an introduction to and overview of social psychology.  

Social psychology is typically taught as a survey course, using a standard text and, optionally, selected readings from the literature.  While I expect that we will adhere largely to this format, I hope that we will go beyond it.  The class is small, and you are a talented group of students.  I hope that your collective enthusiasm will lead us to depart from this syllabus somewhat, and to consider one or more areas of social psychology in a little more depth. Consequently, the dates and content given here are subject to change.

Instructor

Dr. Kevin Lanning (lanning@fau.edu). My office is MHC 145; office hours are MW 2-5.

Readings. There are two required texts (you will typically buy these as a package):

Brehm, Sharon S., Kassin, Saul M., & Fein, Steven (2005). Social psychology, 6/e. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin. (Website)

Fein, Steven & Kassin, S. M. (2002). Readings in social psychology: The art and science of research, 2/e. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin.  

There is also a recommended text, which you may find useful in writing your term paper.  This book is used in many Honors College courses

Harris, M.  (2004). The writer's FAQ: A pocket handbook. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.  

Additional readings are available online, as noted on the syllabus.

Grading

From exams, 60% (15% for each midterm, 30% for the final).  Exams are likely to include multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay questions.  Exams will cover both readings and lecture/discussion materials.  The final exam will be cumulative.

From a term paper 20% and presentation 5%.  This paper will be less than twelve pages in length (double-spaced), and will be due at the beginning of class on November 27.  Your topic for the paper must be approved two weeks prior to this, i.e., by November 13.  A one-point penalty will be assessed for papers submitted on December 2.  You will give a 10-20 min presentation on your paper during one of the last two meetings of the class.  Additional details will be provided at a later date.

From quizzes and class participation, 15%.  Quizzes will be administered on an intermittent schedule, averaging once every two or three weeks.  These will consist primarily of fairly straightforward questions on the readings.  The purpose of these quizzes is to reward students who attend class and keep up with the readings.   Only students present in class or submitting medical excuses will be eligible to earn points from quizzes.

Other

A current version of the syllabus can be found online at http://wise.fau.edu/~lanning/sop3004. Please consult these pages frequently, as dates are subject to change.  

Continue to Class schedule.

Up to Dr. Kevin Lanning, Honors College, Florida Atlantic University

   Revised 09/27/04