Social Psychology Syllabus Psyc 2319
Cisco College - 2016 - Professor emeritus: Robert C. Gates
Use e-mail. - rcgates@rcgates.com
Web Page: www.rcgates.com
Course Description: Study of individual behavior within the social environment. May include topics such
as the social-psychological process, attitude formation and change, interpersonal relations, and group
processes. Three lecture hours per week.
Credit: 3 Semester Hours - Prerequisite: none - Transferability: Yes
Course Structure: This course will meet for 1.5 hours twice a week or for 3 hours once a week for
16 weeks in a standard semester.
Required Textbooks & Materials: Exploring Social Psychology 5th or 6th edition David G. Myers
Recommended Optional Materials & Library Resources: Internet search for current concepts
Purpose & Goal of the course as related to the College Mission: To offer a transferable comprehensive course
in the social sciences which helps the student to form the basis of an understanding of individual human behavior.
Course Objectives: The student should be able to:
1. Identify various research methods and their characteristics used in the scientific study of psychology.
2. Describe the historical influences and early schools of thought that shaped the field of psychology
3. Describe some of the prominent perspectives and approaches used in the study of psychology.
4. Use terminology unique to the study of psychology.
5. Describe accepted approaches and standards in psychological assessment and evaluation.
6. Identify factors in physiological and psychological processes involved in human behavior
Core Objectives:
• Critical Thinking Skills - to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and
synthesis of information
• Communication Skills - to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written,
oral and visual communication
• Empirical and Quantitative Skills - to include the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts
resulting in informed conclusions
• Teamwork - to include the ability to consider different points of view and to work effectively with others to support
a shared purpose or goal
• Personal Responsibility - to include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making
• Social Responsibility - to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage
effectively in regional, national, and global communities
Methods of Assessment / Grading Policy
Major Test 1 (modules 1-11) - 25%
Major Test 2 (modules 12-21) - 25%
Test format: 50 question multiple choice - Time limit: 30 minutes
Student Project - 25%
Final exam (modules 22-31) - 25%
Doing the practice testing on the textbook support web site & the instructor's web site is an integral part of this course!
Always take the practice tests provided for you, it will enhance your chance of doing well on course tests.
There is not, nor will there be made any provision for extra credit work in my classes.
Attendance Policy
• Prompt & regular class attendance is considered necessary for satisfactory work. It is the responsibility of the professor
to keep an accurate & comprehensive record of attendance.
• Cisco College recognizes that absence from class may occur due to illness, death or illness in the immediate family,
observance of a religious holiday, or participation in a college-sponsored activity. (Absences due to participation in a
college-sponsored activity must be authorized by the Vice President of Instruction.) When absences occur due to the
above-stated reasons, the student is allowed to make up work missed; the professor may require the work to be made up
within two weeks from its original due date.
• During a regular Fall or Spring semester, the following requirements apply for face to-face classes. For a class that meets
three times per week, a student is allowed six absences. For a class that meets two times per week, a student is allowed four
absences. For a class that meets one time per week, a student is allowed two absences. If a student misses one more than
the allowed number of absences, he/she may be dropped from the class if the professor deems the student to be failing due to
excessive absences and/or failure to make up work due to absences.
• Any student who ceases to attend class without officially withdrawing through the Admissions Office is subject to a grade of F.
• The student will receive a grade of W for the course if withdrawn before the last day to drop with a W, and an F if withdrawn
after the last day to drop with a W. Three tardies may constitute an absence. Absences immediately before or after a holiday
may be counted as double absences.
Ψ IF you leave class without prior permission while it is in session, you will receive an unexcused absence!
Policy on make-ups, re-tests & extra credit work:
If a student has an absence on a test day, the student will make up the test before the next test is given or receive a zero for
that test grade. No makeups will be allowed during final test week! Make up tests will be taken in the classroom after class,
by appointment only! A Doctor’s written excuse for the class day of the scheduled exam must be presented in order to take
the make-up test.
Note: Makeup tests will always be alternate versions of the test given to the class.
Ψ There is not, nor will there be made any provision for re-tests in this class.
Ψ There is not, nor will there be made any provision for extra credit work in this class.
Major Units of Study:
Social Thinking: The Self in a Social World - Social Beliefs & Judgments - Behavior & Attitudes
Social Influence: Genes, Culture, & Gender - Conformity & Obedience - Persuasion - Group influence
Social Relations; Prejudice - Aggression - Attraction & Intimacy - Helping - Conflict & Peacemaking - Sustainability.
Notices
Course Content: College-level courses may include controversial, sensitive, and/or adult material. Students are
expected to have the readiness for college-level rigor and content.
Academic Integrity: It is the intent of Cisco College to foster a spirit of complete honesty & a high standard of integrity.
The attempt of students to present as their own any work they have not honestly performed is regarded by the faculty &
administration as a serious offense & renders the offender liable to serious consequences, possibly suspension. All student
conduct will support academic honesty. Any student who is cheating on an exam or uses thoughts or words or works of others
without proper citation will receive an F or zero for that work & may fail the course. The instructional goal is that each student
completes his or her own work in order to master the skills needed to compete in the job market. - Don't Cheat! -
Student Conduct: Students are expected to take responsibility in helping to maintain a classroom environment that is conductive
to learning. In order to assure that all students have the opportunity to gain from the time spent in class, students are prohibited
from making offensive remarks, reading material not related to the class, sleeping, or engaging in any kind of distracting behavior.
Inappropriate behavior in the classroom shall result, at a minimum, in a request to leave class. A more detailed list of inappropriate
behaviors is found inthe current student hand book.- Behave! -
Harassment of any nature occurring on the premises of Cisco College will not be tolerated. Should a student be subjected to any
form of harassment, the matter may be reported to the Title IX Director (254-442-5022 or 325-794-4503), Dean of Students (254-442-5173),
Provost (325-794-4401), or any counselor (See Directory).
Students should silence all communication devices, which include but are not limited to phones, pagers, recorders, palm devices,
and laptops. No communications devices should be visible on desks during class unless otherwise directed by the instructor as
part of a class activity or approved by the instructor for note-taking. An exception to this policy may occur due to college-wide
emergency notification. If a pressing situation requires communication during class, notify the instructor before class begins, sit
near the door and quietly exit the classroom before answering any communication. In testing situations, use of any communication,
electronic, or data storage device for a reason other than college emergencies or a use specified by the instructor, may lead to a
charge of academic dishonesty.
Changes to the Syllabus: The schedule and procedures in this syllabus are subject to change if deemed appropriate by the instructor.
Students with Special Needs: Students who qualify for specific accommodations under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)
should notify their instructor the first week of class. It is the student's responsibility to provide the necessary documentation to the Special
Populations Coordinator.