Mar 29, 2024  
Academic Catalog 2017-2018 
    
Academic Catalog 2017-2018 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

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PSY-724B Media and Social Psychology

4 semester credits
Broadly defined, social psychology looks at how people think and influence each other. If we think of mass media as cultural centers that influence public opinion and attitudes, then social psychology is inherently tied to the study of mass media communications. This course will provide students with an overview of social psychological processes as they are related to issues in mass media. We will explore processes of self concept formation, the formation of judgments, explanations, and expectations, along with an exploration of attitudes and behavior, and social identity embedded within the context of mass media influence and new media interactions. We will then turn to the core relationship that exists between media and social psychology: the study of social influence. We will explore conformity and minority influence as paradigms for passive and active resistance to influence and discuss the micro processes behind the creation of norms and standards. How do these processes of influence play out in various forms of media today? Finally we will explore the important relationship between media contents and attitudes, opinions, and behavior. Other topics discussed include: video games, violence-aggression, prejudice and the social psychology of social networks.
Pre-requisites: PSY-525 , PSY-533  
Delivery Method: Distance/Electronically Mediated
Grading Default: Letter
Learning Outcome(s):  

  1. Demonstrates an understanding of theory and research in the social psychology of media through graduate level writing.
  2. Demonstrates the ability to create practical notes from research articles which support academic writing
  3. Student is able to articulate key ideas in the social psychology of media based on empirical evidence.



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