Month 1: Foundations of Social Psychology

1. Introduction to Social Psychology

1. Nature and scope of social psychology
2. Experimental versus applied social psychology
3. Methods of studying social behavior

2. Socialisation

1. Agents of socialization (family, peers, media, etc.)
2. Mechanisms of socialization (imitation, reinforcement, internalization)
3. Socialization and its derivations

3. Person Perception and Social Cognition

1. Expression management
2. Social cognition: schemas and schematic processes
3. Attribution:
   • Theory of causal attribution
   • Success–failure theory

 

 

 

Month 2: Attitudes, Relationships, and Prosocial Behavior

4. Attitudes

1. Nature of attitudes
2. Formation and development of attitudes
3. Methods of measuring attitudes

5. Interpersonal Attraction

1. Nature and measurement of interpersonal attraction
2. Antecedent conditions of attraction (proximity, similarity, physical attractiveness)

6. Helping Behavior

1. Nature and characteristics of helping behavior
2. Determinants of helping behavior (situational and individual factors)

7. Aggression

1. Nature and characteristics of aggression
2. Theories of aggression (instinct theory, frustration-aggression hypothesis, social learning theory)
3. Factors provoking aggression and its control

 

Month 3: Social Influence, Groups, and Social Problems

8. Social Influence Processes

1. Characteristics and types of social influence
2. Reactions: conformity, compliance, obedience, and minority influence

9. Group Influence

1. Leadership and its role in group dynamics
2. Social facilitation and polarization
3. Groupthink, de-individuation, and mob behavior

10. Intergroup Relations

1. Prejudice and discrimination
2. Social identity theory
3. Consequences of intergroup relations (cooperation and conflict)

11. Social Psychology and Social Problems

1. Study of poverty: social-psychological perspectives
2. Violence and its underlying causes
3. Gender issues and their impact on society