PSYC3004 Advanced Social Psychology

Humans are social beings, whose cognitions, feelings and motivations are affected by, and affect, their interrelations with other individuals and groups. Our very sense of who we are, our effective agency and well-being are reflective of our relationships with other people. This topic investigates social psychological theory and research that helps us to understand ourselves and our social world, with implications for individual-level interventions as well as community programs or social policy. The topic will focus on selected issues of social psychology (e.g. justice, forgiveness, guilt), discuss cutting-edge research and examples in various cultural contexts, and implications for real-world problems.

This topic aims to:

• Provide students with an opportunity to learn about diverse issues of social psychology as well as theoretical and empirical approaches to their understanding
• Elicit fascination for social psychological research and enable an advanced understanding of its intellectual and practical relevance
• Engage students in discussions of cutting-edge research in social psychology and train their critical reception of the research
• Give students the opportunity to train their analytical abilities, team work and public speaking

1. Identify issues and questions relevant to social psychology
2. Contrast different theoretical contributions and research traditions in social psychology
3. Critically discuss and scholarly evaluate research in social psychology
4. Reflect on the significance of the insights social psychology has generated