BERGAMO
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
At the end of the course the student will have a basic knowledge of the psychosocial processes that regulate the interaction between the individual and the social environment as well as of the theoretical foundations and the main empirical evidence that guide the scientific study of these processes. He/she will also have a relatively in-depth knowledge of the most widespread forms of prejudice and of the strategies to hinder them.
Thanks to this knowledge, the student will be able to recognize, analyze and critically understand the psychosocial dynamics that regulate daily interactions between people, even belonging to different social and cultural groups, and to identify intervention strategies aimed at reducing prejudices and discriminations.
Course Prerequisites
None
Teaching Methods
Teaching activities will consist in lectures (conducted with the aid of PowerPoint slides that will be uploaded to the e-learning course website), analyses of audio-video materials, and ongoing assignment of exercises aimed at verifying the understanding of the topics presented. Students will be asked to actively participate in these activities through discussion and debate.
Assessment Methods
The exam takes place in written form and lasts 2 hours. It is aimed to test, on the one hand, the knowledge of the topics covered in the course and of the specialized language of the discipline, and, on the other hand, the critical and reflective skills (making connections, integrating knowledge).
The test includes 10 forced-choice questions on Text 1 and 5 open-ended questions on Texts 1 and 2. The exam scoring follows these criteria:
- Forced-choice questions: 0 points are awarded if the answer is wrong and 1 point is awarded if the answer is correct;
- Open-ended questions: up to a maximum of 4 points are awarded for each question, depending on a) the relevance, accuracy and comprehensiveness of the answer, b) the use of the specialized language of the discipline, and c) the ability to apply the knowledge learned in a critical way.
For attending students there will be specific questions on the topics discussed during classes.
The evaluation is in 30/30.
The exam results are communicated directly to the student (at his/her institutional e-mail) through the information platform of the University.
In mid-course, attending students may take an intermediate test on the topics presented during the first 36class hours. To enroll in the intermediate test special lists will be made available to attending students during class hours. This intermediate test is articulated in 5 forced-choice questions and 3 open-ended questions which will be evaluated through the same procedure previously described. Intermediate test results will be published on the e-learning course website. The intermediate test (and the subsequent grade achieved) is valid only for the current academic year (last exam session useful: March/April 2027).
Contents
The course provides:
a) a theoretical and epistemological background to the discipline (the nature of social psychology as ascience, its theoretical orientations, and methods of investigation);
b) an analysis of how individuals and groups perceive and think themselves and others, influence and relate to one another. In particular, the following topics will be addressed: Self and social identity; perception of others and explanation of their behavior; attitudes and persuasion; conformity and obedience; structural and dynamic aspects of groups; close relationships; prosocial behavior; conflict and reconciliation;
c) an in-depth analysis of different forms of prejudice, by examining their causes, their consequences and the different strategies implementable at individual and social level to hinder them.
Online Resources
More information
ATTENDING STUDENTS. Alternatively to Third and Fourth part of Text 2 (pp. 145-274), attending students can study slides, notes taken during classes, and do ongoing assignments. Non-attending students must prepare the listed texts.
ERASMUS STUDENTS. Erasmus students can take the written test in English, provided they agree in advance to do so with the professor. Please note that there is also an English edition of Text 1 (Myers, D.G.,& Twenge, (2022). Social Psychology, 14th Edition. McGraw-Hill Education) and it is therefore possible to prepare the exam on this edition. With regard to Text 2, students who wish to prepare and take the exam in English are requested to contact the professor.