Psychological Sciences and Techniques

The general objective of the course is to know the functioning of groups within daily, educational and organizational contexts, framing them within a socio-cultural and interactional perspective in psychology. The course is divided into three modules. In the first module the main constructs and theoretical frameworks of the cultural psychology of the groups will be presented. This module explores psychological and social phenomena and processes that take place in the interactions of a group such as communication, learning, collaboration, participation and identity. In the second module, qualitative research methodologies for the study of groups in "natural" contexts will be investigated, with particular reference to (individual and group) interviews and ethnographic observations of groups and social interaction in contexts of everyday life. The third module presents possible uses of the group as a device in different areas (clinical, work, education, mutual aid). Specific objectives. After the completion of the course the students will be able to: 1) know the main theories, the interpretative frameworks and the main constructs of the cultural psychology of the groups (I Indicator Knowledge and understanding); 2) to be able to analyze empirically the activities and social, discursive and material interactions in the groups; know how to use qualitative research methods and tools (ethnographic observation, individual and group interviews, interaction analysis) for the analysis of psychological and social phenomena in groups (II Indicator Ability to apply knowledge and understanding); 3) acquiring the skills of judgment and decision through the realization of exercises in which it is necessary to know how to critically evaluate and reinterpret what is studied and in which it is necessary to use in a reflective and responsible way the methodologies learned (III Indicator Critical and judgment capacity); 4) to illustrate effectively what has been learned through small group collaborative activities and through the writing of reports with respect to some exercises carried out; know how to use different communication media in relation to different activities (IV Indicator Communication skills); 5) to know how to pursue autonomously the acquisition of theoretical, methodological and applicative knowledge of the social psychology of the groups, thanks to the critical discussion of the references of the literature, the methods and the group devices illustrated (V Learning Capability Indicator).