This course considers the psychological processes involved in relations within and between groups. The course will cover such topics as Analyses of the Social-Psychology of Groups, Social Identity, and Stereotyping; Group Cohesion and Norms; Cooperation, Helping, Trust and Fairness; Leadership, Power, and Social Influence; Group Decision Making, Motivation, and Collective Action; and Negotiation and Communication. Lecture and reading content will focus on the experimental analysis of behaviour, and the integration of theory and research.

This course is an Honours Pathway Course.

On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will be expected to:

1. Have a broad understanding of the social psychology of group life, including an understanding of interdependence, categorization, and the cognitive, attitudinal and behavioural consequences of them.
2. Have a deep understanding of how social identity and self-categorization processes affect the pattern and progression of group life.
3. Have gained deeper insight into the manner in which a diverse set of social-psychological phenomena can be examined and understood by a single meta-theoretical framework and, in doing so, gain an appreciation for the role and value of theory in social psychology.
4. Have a deeper understanding of nature and practice of social-psychological research in a way that will better prepare them for pursuing Honours in Psychology.
5. Be able to write three key components of a social-psychological research report (Introduction, Method, & Results), and complete a Human Research Ethics Application in a way that will better prepare them for pursuing Honours in Psychology.

Assessment is arranged in consultation with students, but consists of an invigilated component or components accounting for at least 40% of the overall assessment package (which must be passed for an overall pass in the course to be awarded), together with some combination of laboratory reports, essays and other formal assignments.

The anticipated assessment components are:

• Online quizzes on lecture content (2.5% in total)
• Written in-class laboratory exercises (22.5% in total)
• 2000-word research report reviewing a given area of social psychological literature (35%)
• 2.5 hour final exam (40%)

Two hours of lectures per week and 18 hours of laboratories spread across the semester.

PSYC2001