Psychological Sciences and Techniques

Content of the course The course consists of 55 lessons of about 20 minutes each in which the following topics/modules will be presented: Module I: Definitions and theoretical - Historical evolution of Social Psychology - Main theoretical orientations - Epistemology of the discipline and basic concepts In particular, the course will give a detailed definition of social cognition, a comparison between controlled and automatic cognitive, and a description of the processes of elaboration of social information. Module II: Research methodology in Social Psychology: Preliminary Concepts and Measurements In this section, the course will explore the main topics related to the psychosocial research methodology. First, more general themes will be examined, such as validity and reliability, and sampling. Module III: Methodology: Experiments, Surveys and Questionnaires The course will describe principal methods used in the Social Psychology such as questionnaires and experiments. - Experiments: introduction - Experiments: designs - Experiments: moderation and mediation - Survey and questionnaire Module IV: Social perception of individuals and groups In this section we will examine the cognitive processes involved in the formation of impressions on individuals and groups and the importance of the first impressions. Moreover, it will be analyzed how people are perceived in relation to their behavior and illustrated the mechanisms of causal attribution. In the final part of the module, it will be illustrated the different theoretical approaches in the study of stereotypes, a crucial topic in the field of Social Psychology. Specifically, it will be examined the automatic activation of stereotypes and the consequences of stereotypes for the members of stereotyped groups. - Personology: naive personality theories - Impression formation - Accuracy and errors in impressions - Causal attributions - Stereotypes - Not verbal communication Module V: The Perception of the Self - The Self and identity The argument of these lessons is the Self-concept. In particular, they will be investigated: the Self-awareness, the multiplicity of the selves; and the main motivations in the Self-management. Module VI: Attitudes: structure, formation, measure and function In this section we would talk about the structure of attitudes and their functions. Furthermore, we will describe the affective, motivational and cognitive processes that influence the formation and change of attitudes, and the main models of the persuasion. Finally, we will illustrate the processes that impede the change of attitudes, as well as and some of the theories about the relationship between attitudes and behavior, such as the theory of reasoned action and the theory of planned behavior. - Structure - Functions - Formation and change of attitudes - The stability of attitudes - The relationship between attitudes and behavior Module VI: Social Influence In this section the main theoretical contributions on the processes of social influence on different social groups will be illustrated. - Conformism to the majority - The influence of the minority - Obedience to authority Module VII: Groups This module will deepen the main scientific contributions related to the psycho-social processes within groups. - Characteristics and functions of groups - Structure and evolution - Performance and decision making in groups - Leadership Module VIII: The relationship between social groups In this module will be examined the relations between social groups: formation and reduction of prejudice, and the topic of immigration.

Requirements The course of Social Psychology: Theories and Methods is based on a basic theoretical and methodological knowledge. Consequently it presupposes the knowledge of the Italian language and the ability to understand and study texts at the university level. The course also makes use of knowledge of the basic notions of General Psychology, and the ability to use bibliography search tools.

1. Crisp, R. J. & Turner, R. N. (2017). Social Psychology. UTET. 2. Mannetti, L. (2002). Psicologia sociale. Roma, Carocci. 3. Giacomantonio, M., Mannetti, L., (2016). Metodi di ricerca in psicologia sociale. Roma, Carocci.

Methods of teaching The course is divided into 55 video lectures (duration from 18 to 30 min) available together with the power point slides within the Moodle platform. During the course there are interactive and collaborative activities: 1) Mythbusters, which consists in viewing videos taken from the TV program Mythbusters and answering some questions via forum regarding the methodology used. The Prof. Giacomantonio will give feedback on the activity. The students will gain 1 credit. 2) Experiment, which consists in designing a research project and collecting data on a small sample. The Prof. Giacomantonio will give a feedback on the activity via webinar. The students will gain 2 credits. 3) Research project, which consists of writing a small research project related to a topic of the program. The project can be written individually or together with another student, and it should be uploaded to the forum and sent by email to Prof. Kosic within five days before the exam. Prof. Kosic will give a feedback on the activity via webinar. The projects will be evaluated and those of excellent quality will get 1 credit.

It is highly recommended to follow the lessons systematically online in a pre-arranged order. Furthermore, active participation in laboratories is recommended and encouraged.

Evaluation The exam will be written with 31 questions (open and closed), based on the recommended textbooks and lessons. In addition, the fruitful participation in the activities proposed during the course will contribute about 1/8 of the overall grade (4 points). The written test aims to evaluate the knowledge of the theories and the most relevant topics of Social Psychology and to understand the psychological processes involved in interpersonal and intergroup interactions. The test has a duration of 60 minutes. The exercises, if carried out, have instead the purpose to develop the critical sense, the ability to navigate the scientific reading of social psychology, to design and conduct basic research, to consolidate the ability to communicate the results of research and, more in general, public communication. The exercises with the respective evaluations are distributed throughout the second half of the course, ie after the students have acquired the necessary knowledge for a successful participation. In order for the participation in the exercises to be considered for the final evaluation, the students will have to demonstrate that they have actively participated, that they have performed the task with dedication and critical sense.

Additional literature will be given during the classes.

Methods of teaching The course is divided into 55 video lectures (duration from 18 to 30 min) available together with the power point slides within the Moodle platform. During the course there are interactive and collaborative activities: 1) Mythbusters, which consists in viewing videos taken from the TV program Mythbusters and answering some questions via forum regarding the methodology used. The Prof. Giacomantonio will give feedback on the activity. The students will gain 1 credit. 2) Experiment, which consists in designing a research project and collecting data on a small sample. The Prof. Giacomantonio will give a feedback on the activity via webinar. The students will gain 2 credits. 3) Research project, which consists of writing a small research project related to a topic of the program. The project can be written individually or together with another student, and it should be uploaded to the forum and sent by email to Prof. Kosic within five days before the exam. Prof. Kosic will give a feedback on the activity via webinar. The projects will be evaluated and those of excellent quality will get 1 credit.

The course focuses on the following themes / modules: Module I: Definitions and theoretical orientations (approx. 2 lessons) - Historical evolution of Social Psychology - Main theoretical orientations - Epistemology of the discipline and basic concepts In particular, the course will give a detailed definition of social cognition, a comparison between controlled and automatic cognitive, and a description of the processes of elaboration of social information. Module II: Research methodology in Social Psychology (approx. 3 lessons) - Preliminary concepts and validity and reliability of the measures - Sampling and data collection - Methods for measuring attitudes - Survey and questionnaire - Experiments In this section, the course will explore the main topics related to the psychosocial research methodology. First of all, more general themes will be examined, such as validity and reliability, followed by the discourse on sampling and data collection. After that, the course will describe principal methods used in Social Psychology such as questionnaires and experiments. Module III: The perception of individuals and groups (approx. 5 lessons) - Interpersonal perception processes: naive personology and causal attribution - Stereotypes - Not verbal communication In this section we will examine the cognitive processes involved in the formation of impressions on individuals and groups and the importance of the first impressions. Moreover, it will be analyzed how people are perceived in relation to their behavior and illustrated the mechanisms of causal attribution. In the final part of the module, it will be illustrated the different theoretical approaches in the study of stereotypes, a crucial topic in the field of Social Psychology. Specifically, it will be examined the automatic activation of stereotypes and the consequences of stereotypes for the members of stereotyped groups. Module IV: Perception of the Self (approx. 2 lessons) - The Self and identity The argument of these lessons is the Self-concept. In particular, they will be investigated: the Self-awareness, the multiplicity of the selves; and the main motivations in the Self-management. Module V: Attitudes (approx. 4 lessons) - Structure - Functions - Formation and change of attitudes - The stability of attitudes - The relationship between attitudes and behavior In this section we would talk about the structure of attitudes and their functions. Furthermore, we will describe the affective, motivational and cognitive processes that influence the formation and change of attitudes, and the main models of the persuasion. Finally, we will illustrate the processes that impede the change of attitudes, as well as and some of the theories about the relationship between attitudes and behavior, such as the theory of reasoned action and the theory of planned behavior. Module VI: Social Influence (approx. 3 lessons) In this section the main theoretical contributions on the processes of social influence on different social groups will be illustrated. - Conformism to the majority - The influence of the minority - Obedience to authority Module VII: Groups (approx. 5 lessons) This module will deepen the main scientific contributions related to the psycho-social processes within groups. - Characteristics and functions of groups - Structure and evolution - Leadership - Performance and decision making in groups Module VIII: The relationship between social groups (approx. 2 lessons) In this module will be examined the relations between social groups: formation and reduction of prejudice, and the topic of immigration. Module IX: Laboratory and practical exercises (approx. 7 lessons) The theoretical and methodological topics carried out in the classroom will have a natural application in the High Specialization Laboratory: Applications of the Inquisit Software for the measurement of the implicit attitudes in Social Psychology. Attendance at this laboratory is compulsory and is binding for the possibility of taking the exam. The activity carried out in the High Specialization Laboratory falls within the category of topics subject to final evaluation. Students will be monitored during the laboratory activities, after which they will receive a suitability assessment. Furthermore, the topics dealt with in the Laboratories can also be evaluated in the final exam. The theoretical and methodological topics carried out in the classroom will have their practical implementation in the High Specialization Didactic Laboratory, entitled: Applications of the Inquisit Software for the measurement of the implicit attitudes in the Social Psychology. The activities will take place in small groups in the laboratory with individualized workstations where each student can individually learn the basic principles of the Inquisit software. In addition to the High Specialization Laboratory, various other practical activities are planned to be carried out individually and in the small groups: - the development of research projects in which students will have to find/ create tools, collect data on a small sample, perform simple statistical analyzes and present the results in the classroom. These projects are not expected to lead to the choice of topic for a final thesis, although this possibility is not precluded. - participation in studies conducted by the teacher.

The course of Social Psychology: Theories and Methods is based on a basic theoretical and methodological knowledge. Consequently it presupposes the knowledge of the Italian language and the ability to understand and study texts at the university level. The course also makes use of knowledge of the basic notions of General Psychology, and the ability to use bibliography search tools.

5. Textbooks 1. Crisp, R. J. & Turner, R. N. (2014). Social psychology. SAGE. 2. Mannetti, L. (2002). Social Psychology. Rome, Carocci, 2002. 3. Giacomantonio, M., Mannetti, L., (2016). Research Methods in Social Psychology. Rome, Carocci.

Course attendance is not mandatory but is highly recommended because the topics dealt with, although interesting, are not easy.

The exams will be written and oral and will be based on the recommended textbooks and on the teaching material placed on the e-learning Moodle platform. The written exam consists of a test containingf 46 questions (open-ended). The test has a maximum duration of 90 minutes. The threshold of sufficiency is reached when a minimum score of 18/30 can be attributed. Only those students who obtain at least 18/30 at written exam will be allowed to attend an oral exam. Registering for exam sessions is mandatory and must be checked by the student by consulting the 'student list'. Students who are NOT registered CAN NOT take the exam. Only students who have attended at least two thirds (66%) of the activities of the High Specialization Teaching Laboratory dedicated to the Inquisit software can participate in the exam. Students will be monitored during the laboratory activities. In addition, the activities carried out in the High Specialization Laboratory could be included among the questions of the final evaluation. Participation in other activities such as the planning and realization of a research project, and/or participation in the research activities of the teacher, will give the right to the acquisition of additional credits for the exam. The group work on the research project will entitle each student to get max 2 points for the exam. Participation in the research activities of the teacher will be rewarded with half a point. The written and oral exams aim to evaluate the knowledge of the theories and the most relevant topics of Social Psychology and to understand the psychological processes involved in interpersonal and intergroup interactions.

The realisation of the course comprehends a combination of different teaching methods. The frontal lectures will be used in reference to the theoretical part of the course that deals with the principal themes of Social Psychology and the topics of the methodology. The lectures will be carried out with the support of power-point slides that will be made available on the Moodle elearning platform. During the lessons will be encouraged students’ active and interactive participation, the reflection on the proposed themes, and the connection of the psycho-social notions with the examples of real life. Theoretical-practical activities, to be carried out both individually and in groups, will characterize the part related to the laboratory. These will be proposed to promote independent judgment and communication skills.