CARLOS ALBIZU SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

CARLOS ALBIZU UNIVERSITY
SAN JUAN CAMPUS

11MASTER SYLLABUS

PSYF-506 SOCIAL AND TRANSCULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

CREDITS: 3 PRE-REQUISITES: NONE

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The course will review the theoretical bases. The following areas will be
examined; interpersonal communication, attitudes and persuasion, conformity, social
perception, attributions, cognitive processes in social perceptions, interpersonal
attractions, affiliation and aggression. Methodological issues in the social, and
transcultural research will be discussed. Emphasis will be given to the relation between
social psychology and social change. The course will explore the extent to which social
psychology is subject to variation within different cultural contexts. Major
considerations to Puerto Rican issues in the social psychology area will be addressed.

PRE-REQUISITE (S) : NONE

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

The basic objective of this course is the exploration, analysis and understanding
of the basic theories, research studies, and critiques done in the area of social psychology.
The following are the specific objectives of this course: the student will familiarize
himself/herself with classical and up-dated theories in the area of social psychology, the
student will learn about the historical development of social psychology, the student will
be able to understand and explain human behavior from a psycho-social perspective,
students will be able to explain the interrelationship between personality and culture,
students will be able to make critical analysis about the current research in social
psychology. In addition students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to
understand the Puerto Rican socio-psychological reality.

REQUIRED TEXT:

Gilbert, D.T., Fiske, S.T. & Lindsey, G. (2010) The Handbook of Social Psychology 5th
ed. (Vol I & II). Oxford University Press. McGraw Hill Co
ISBN 019521369 Link: http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Social-Psychology-2-
Set/dp/0470137479/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265926419&sr=8-1

Myers, D. G. (2009). Social Psychology (10th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

ISBN-10: 0073310263 Link: http://www.amazon.com/Social-Psychology-David-Myers/
dp/0073370665/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265926856&sr=1-6

Complementary Texts:

Aronson, E. (2008). The Social Animal (10th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.

Franzoi, S.L. (2006). Social Psychology (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Higher
Education
Serrano-García, I. & Rosario Collazo (Eds.) (1992). Contribuciones Puertorriqueñas a
la Psicología Social Comunitaria. Río Piedras: Editorial Universidad de Puerto
Rico.

ITINERARY OF CLASS UNITS:

Unit 1: Introduction to the course (Objectives & Requirements).

Unit 2: Social cognition

Unit 3: The self: Social interaction and self-cognition.

Unit 4: Interpersonal behavior and the self

Unit 5: Forming and changing attitudes. Relating actions and attitudes.

Unit 6: Midterm examination

Unit 7: Attraction and close relationships.

Unit 8: Altruism & affection: Extending the self to others.

Unit 9: Aggression: Theories and social dilemmas.

Unit 10: Conflicts and conflict resolving.

Unit 11: Prejudice, discrimination and stereotypes.

Unit 12: Social influence and social power. Group influence.

Unit 13: The influence of social psychology and transcultural in Puerto
Rican society: Future perspectives.

Unit 14: Final examination

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METHODOLOGY:

The specific methodology will be selected by the professor who offers the course.
These methodologies could include, but would not be limited to: conferences by the
professor, group discussion of assigned readings, class research projects, student
presentations, individual meetings with students and sub-groups in the classroom.

EDUCATIONAL TECHNIQUES:

The specific educational techniques will be selected by the professor who offers
the course. These techniques could include, but are not limited to: debates, practical
demonstrations, films/videos, simulations, slide shows and forums.

EVALUATION:

The specific evaluation criteria will be selected by the professor who offers the
course. These methodologies could include, but will not be limited to: term papers,
projects, literature reviews, exams and class presentations. Specific percentages for each
requirement will also de determined by the professor.

Class attendance is mandatory for all students. After two absences, the student
will be dropped from the class automatically unless the professor recommends otherwise.
All class projects and term papers should be written following the specifications of the
publication manual of the American Psychological Association.

RESEARCH COMPETENCES:

PhD students will be able to perform a pilot research project in social
psychology that include a research design, main hypothesis or research question,
proposed basic statistical analysis and present a scientific report. All student, but
especially masters and PsyD students, are expected do perform critical analyses of
articles and comment about conclusions and research limitations and suggestions.
Finally, students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to understand the Puerto
Rican socio-psychological reality.

Unit 1: Introduction to the course (objectives and requirements)

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Upon successful completion of this unit the student will understand social
psychology as a science, major theories in the area, their historical development and the
basic scientific methods to do research.

Learning objectives:

Upon successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. Describe the major theoretical framework, including the main
epistemological perspective in social psychology.

2. Describe the historical development of the field of social psychology.

3. Explain human behavior from multiple perspectives (i.e. social, psychological,
and ecological).

4. Analyze research methods along with their strengths and weaknesses.

5. Discuss the nature of personality as social phenomena.

6. Analyze the influence of culture in personality development.

7. Discuss the pertinence of studying the culture and its influence on
psychopathology prevalence.

Main topics:

Upon successful completion of this unit, these topics will be discussed:

1. Social psychology
2. Historical perspectives
3. Methodology
4. Culture
5. Social identity
6. Collective phenomena

Assigned chapters:

*Aronson, E., Wilson, T., & Brewer, M. (1998). Experimentation in social psychology.
In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology
(pp. 99-142). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 3)

*Jones, E. (1998). Major developments in five decades of social psychology. In D.

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Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp.
3-57). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 1)

Jordan, C. & Zanna, M. (2007). Not all experiments are created equal: On conducting and
reporting persuasive experiments. In R. J. Sternberg, D. Halpern, & H. L.
Roediger III (Eds.), Critical Thinking in Psychology (pp. 160-176). New York:
Cambridge University Press.

*Schwarz, N., Groves, R., & Schuman, H. (1998). Survey methods. In D. Gilbert, S.
Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 143-179).
New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 4)

*Taylor, S. (1998). The social being in social psychology. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G.
Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 58-95). New York:
McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 21)

Assigned readings:

Alvarado, C. (1999). Las medidas de magnitud y su importancia para la cuantificación
en psicología. Ciencias de la conducta, 14, 17-39.

Bjork, R. (2000). Independence of Scientific publishing. American Psychologist, 55(9),
981-984.

Ekehammar, B. & Biel, A. (2005). Social psychology in Sweden: A brief look. European
Bulletin of Social Psychology, 17, 16-30.

Gazzaniga, M.S. (2006). Leon Festinger: Lunch with Leon. Perspectives on
Psychological Science, 1, 88-94.

Greenberg, J. (2005). The revealing science of social psychology. Psychological Inquiry,
16(4), 168-171.

Guarnaccia, P., Good, B., & Kleinman, A. (1990). A critical review of epidemiological
studies of Puerto Rican mental health. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147(11),
1449-1456.

Haslam, S., O’Brien, A., Jetten, J., Vormedal, K., & Penna, S. (2005). Taking the strain:
Social identity, social support, and the experience of stress. British Journal of
Social Psychology, 44(3), 355-370.

Lopez, S. & Hernandez, P. (1984). How culture is considered in evaluations of
psychopathology. Journal of Nervous Mental Disease, 18, 120-126.

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Rodriguez, J. & Caban, M. (1992). The problem in bilingualism in psychiatry diagnoses
of Hispanic patients. Cross Cultural Psychological Bulletin, 26, 2-5.

Rogler, L. (1998). The meaning of culturally sensitive research in mental health.
American Psychiatry, 146(3), 296-303.

Smith, M. (2005). Personality and social psychology: Retrospections and aspirations.
Personality & Social Psychology Review, 9(4), 334-340.

Wilson, T.D. (2005). The message is the method: Celebrating and exporting the experimental approach.
Psychological Inquiry, 16, 185-193.

Unit 2: Social cognition: Attributions

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will understand why and how
persons make attributions. The student will also be able to understand the consequences
of impression formation.



1. Describe the processes of perception and attribution formation.

2. Explain how the subtractive rule is used to discount or augment attributions to
dispositions implied by behavior.

3. Identify the factors of distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency.

4. Comprehend what it means to say that the causes of behavior vary in their
stability, controllability, and specificity.

5. Analyze the influence of schemas on impressions and memory.

6. Discuss the influence of the self-fulfilling prophecy in forming impressions.

7. Analyze the relevance of attribution formation in the Puerto Rican context.

Main topics:


1. Taxonomy of attributions
2. Heider’s theory (1958)
3. Jones and Nisbett’s theory (1971)
4. Jones and Davis’ theory (1965)

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5. Harold Kelley theory (1967, 1973)
6. Jones and McGills’ theory (1976)

Assigned chapters:

*Smith, E. (1998). Mental representation and memory. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G.

*Wegner, D. & Bargh, J. (1998). Control and automaticity in social life. In D. Gilbert,
S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp.
446-496). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 10)

Assigned readings:

Higgins, E. T., Liberman, N., Molden, D. C., & Idson, L. C. (2001). Promotion and
prevention focus on alternative hypotheses: Implications for attributional
functions. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 80, 5-18.

Mahaffey, K. & Marcus, D. (2006). Interpersonal perception of psychopathy: A social
relations analysis. Journal of Social & Clinical Psychology, 25(1), 53-74.

Main, K. J., Dahl, D. W., & Darke, P. R. (2007). Deliberative and automatic bases of
suspicion: Empirical evidence of the sinister attribution error. Journal of
Consumer Psychology, 17, 59-69.

Malle, B., Knobe, J., O’Laughlin, M., Pearce, G., & Nelson, S. (2000). Conceptual
structure and social functions of behavior explanations: Beyond person-situation
attributions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79, 309-326.

Marsh, K., Richardson, M., Baron, R., & Schmidt, R. (2006). Contrasting approaches to
perceiving and acting with others. Ecological Psychology, 18(1), 1-38.

Olson, P. (2006). The public perception of “cults” and “new religious movements”.
Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 45(1), 97-106.

Reich, D. & Arkin, R. (2006). Self-doubt, attributions, and the perceived implicit theories
of others. Self & Identity, 5(2), 89-109.

Sepúlveda, J. (1981). La percepción conflictiva de los requisitos del puesto, la ansiedad
y
el nivel de ejecución. Disertación doctoral inédita, Centro Caribeño de Estudios
Postgraduados, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Unit 3: The self: Social interaction and self-cognition

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Upon successful completion of this unit the student will understand the influence
of social interaction upon the self. The student will know about the interaction of
communication and social interaction.



1. Describe from a social-psychological point of view the concept of “self”.

2. Comprehend the influence of social interaction in human behavior.

3. Distinguish between “the emic” versus “the etic” vision and how they affect
social interaction.

4. Discriminate between self-complexity and self-discrepancies.

5. Analyze how the communication process could affect social relations.

6. Discuss the importance of language on transmission and reception of
information.

Main topics:

1. The self
2. Social interaction
3. Emic versus etic
4. self-complexity and self-discrepancies
5. Language (Vygotsky)
6. Communication and social relations

Assigned chapters:

*Baumeister, R. (1998). The self. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The
handbook of social psychology (pp. 680-740). New York: McGraw-Hill.
(Chapter 15)

*DePaulo, B. & Friedman, H. (1998). Nonverbal communication. In D. Gilbert, S.
Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 3-40). New
York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 18)

*Krauss, R. & Chi-Yue, C. (1998). Language and social behavior. In D. Gilbert, S.

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Assigned readings:

Burke, P. J. (2004). Identities and social structure. Social Psychology Quarterly, 67, 5-15.

Chen, S., Chen, K. Y., & Shaw, L. (2004). Self-verification motives at the collective level
of self-definition. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 86,

Chen, S., Ybarra, O., & Kiefer, A. K. (2004). Power and impression formation: The
effects of power on the desire for morality and competence information about others.
Social Cognition, 22, 391-421.

Fernandez, P. & Santamaría, C. (2006). Mental models in social interaction. Journal of
Experimental Education, 74(3), 229-248.

Gailliot, M.T. & Baumeister, R.F. (2007). The physiology of willpower: Linking blood
glucose to self-control. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 11, 303-327.

Jost, J.T., & Hunyady, O. (2005). Antecedents and consequences of system-justifying
ideologies. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14, 260-265.

Kivimaki, M., Vahtera, J., Elovainio, M., Helenius, H., Singh-Manoux, A., & Pentti, J.
(2005). Optimism and pessimism as predictors of change in health after death or
onset of severe illness in family. Health Psychology, 24, 413-421.

Lyubomirsky, S., King, L., Diener, E. (2005). The Benefits of Frequent Positive Affect:
Does Happiness Lead to Success? Psychological Bulletin, 131, 6, 803-855.

Marrero, E. (1978). El lenguaje y la dialéctica psico-social: Una introducción reflexiva a
la teoría de Lev S. Vygotsky. Revista Ciencias de la Conducta, 8(1 & 2), 51-77.

Morice, R. (1978). Psychiatry diagnosis in a transcultural setting: The importance of
lexical categories. British Journal of Psychiatry, 132, 87-95.

Muthus, M.S. & Prathibha, K.M. (2008) Management of a child with autism and severe
bruxism: A case report. J Indian Soc Pedod. Prev. Dent. 26 (2), 82-84.

Nelson, L. D., & Simmons, J. P. (2007). Moniker maladies: when names sabotage
success Psychological Science, 18, 1106-1112.

Overbeck, J., Jost, J.T., Mosso, C., & Flizik, A. (2004). Resistant vs. acquiescent
responses to group inferiority as a function of social dominance orientation in the
USA and Italy. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 7, 35-54.

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Richeson, J.A., & Trawalter, S. (2005). Why do interracial interactions impair executive
function? A resource depletion account. Journal of Personality and Social
Psychology, 88, 934-947.

Sheldon, K. M. & Kreiger, L. S. (2007). Understanding the negative effects of legal
education on law students: A longitudinal test of Self-determination Theory.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 883-897.

Silvia, P. J., & O'Brien, M. E. (2004). Self-awareness and constructive functioning:
Revisiting "the human dilemma." Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23,
475-489.

Updegraff, J. A. & Marshall, G. N. (2005). Predictors of perceived growth following
direct exposure to community violence. Journal of Social and Clinical

Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., Dewitte, S., De Witte, H., & Deci, E. L. (2004). The 'why'
and 'why not' of job search behaviour: Their relation to searching, unemployment
experience, and well-being. European Journal of Social Psychology, 34, 345-363.

Williams, G. C. McGregor, H. A., Zeldman, A., Freedman, Z. R., & Deci, E. L. (2004).
Testing a self-determination theory process model for promoting glycemic control
through diabetes self-management. Health Psychology, 23, 58-66.

Wilson, T.D., Centerbar, D.B., Kermer, D.A., & Gilbert, D.T. (2005). The pleasures of
uncertainty: Prolonging positive moods in ways people do not anticipate. Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 5-21.

Wilson, T.D., & Gilbert, D.T. (2005). Affective forecasting: Knowing what to want.
Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14, 131-134.

Unit 4: Interpersonal phenomena

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will know which factors affect
interpersonal behavior and how it is related to the self.



1. Describe the formation and transmission of norms.

2. Explain Goffman’s concept of face, idealized performance, and face work.

3. Comprehend the various ways people feel and behave when they are self-
aware.

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4. Discuss the determinants of self-disclosure in interpersonal relationships.

5. Analyze the theoretical concept of optimism.

6. Discuss the influence of social norms, conformity, and compliance in human
behavior.

7. Analyze the importance of goals in the development and maintenance of
social relationships.

Main topics:


1. Goffman’s concept
2. Self-disclosure
3. Optimism
4. Social norms
5. Conformity
6. Compliance

Assigned chapter:

*Cialdini, R. & Trost, M. (1998). Social influence: Social norms, conformity, and
compliance. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of
social psychology (pp. 151-192). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 21)

Assigned Readings:

Bushman, B. (1988). The effects of apparel on compliance. Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin, 14, 459-467.

Fitzsimons, G. M. & Kay, A. C. (2004). Language and interpersonal cognition: Causal
effects of variations in pronoun usage on perceptions of closeness. Personality
and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 547-557.

Howard, D. (1990). The influence of verbal responses to common greetings on
compliance behavior: The foot-in-the-mouth effect. Journal of Applied Social
Psychology, 20, 1185-1196.

Kameda, T., Takezawa, M., & Hastie, R. (2005). Where do social norms come from?
Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(6), 331-334.

Latimer, A. & Martin-Ginis, K. (2005). The importance of subjective norms for people
who care what others think of them. Psychology & Health, 20(1), 53-62.

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Peterson, C. (2000). The future of optimism. American Psychology, 55, 44-55.

Poortvliet, P.M., Janssen, O., Van Yperen, N.W., & Van de Vliert, E. (2007).
Achievement goals and interpersonal behavior: How mastery and performance
goals shape information exchange. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
33, 1435-1447.

Rentfrow, P. J., & Gosling, S. D. (2006). Message in a Ballad: The role of music
preferences in interpersonal perception. Psychological Science, 17, 236-242.

Unit 5: Intrapersonal phenomena. Forming and changing attitudes.

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will know the factors that
need to be considered in the definition of an attitude. The student will understand what
are the strengths and weaknesses of physiological and psychological measurement
techniques of attitudes. Major theories of forming and changing attitudes will be
discussed.


Upon successful completion of this unit the student will be able to:

1. Define attitudes.

2. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of physiological and psychological
measurement techniques of attitude.

3. Apply Heider’s theory of psychological balance, Festinger’s cognitive
dissonance theory, McGuire’s inoculation theory, and the social judgment
theory.

4. Compare and contrast the major theories of forming and changing attitudes.

5. Analyze Fishbein and Ajzen’s model.

6. Discuss the importance of attitudes in understanding behavior.

Main topics:


1. Balance theory
2. Dissonance theory
3. Social judgment theory
4. Fishbein and Ajzen’s model

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5. Inoculation theory

Assigned chapters:

*Eagly, A. & Chaiken, S. (1998). Attitude structure and function. In D. Gilbert, S.

*Petty, R. & Wegener, D. (1998). Attitude change: Multiple roles for persuasion
variables. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social
psychology (pp. 323-390). New York: McGraw-Hill. (Chapter 8)

Assigned Readings:

Baron, A.S., Banaji, M.R. (2006). The development of implicit attitudes: Evidence of
race evaluations from ages 6, 10 & adulthood. Psychological Science, vol. 17 (1),
pp. 53-58.

Barrios, L. (1983). La utilización del refuerzo verbal positive en el cambio de actitudes
nacionalistas en adolescentes puertorriqueños. Disertación doctoral inédita,
Centro Caribeño de Estudios Postgraduados, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Carnagey, N. L. & Anderson, C. A. (2007). Changes in attitudes towards war and
violence after September 11, 2001. Aggressive Behavior, 33, 118-129.

Crano, W. & Prislin, R. (2006). Attitudes and persuasion. Annual Review of Psychology,
57(1), 345-374.

Echebarria, A. & Fernandez, E. (2006). Effects of terrorism on attitudes and ideological
orientation. European Journal of Social Psychology, 36(2), 259-265.

Egan, L. C., Santos, L. R., & Bloom, P. (2007). The origins of cognitive dissonance:
Evidence from children and monkeys. Psychological Science, 18, 978-983.

Fazio, R. H., Eiser, J. R., & Shook, N. J. (2004). Attitude formation through exploration:
Valence asymmetries. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87, 293-311

Fong, G. T., Hammond, D., Laux, F. L., Zanna, M. P., Cummings, K. M., Borland, R., &
Ross, H. (2004). The near-universal experience of regret among smokers in four
countries: Findings from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation
Survey. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 6 (Suppl.3), 341-351.

Mann, T. L., Sherman, D. S., & Updegraff, J. A. (2004). Dispositional motivations and
message framing: A test of the congruency hypothesis. Health Psychology, 23,
330-334.

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Olson, M. A., & Fazio, R. H. (2004). Reducing the influence of extra-personal
associations on the Implicit Association Test: Personalizing the IAT. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 653-667.

.

Sherman, J.W. (2005). Automatic and controlled components of implicit stereotyping and
prejudice. Psychological Science Agenda, 19(3).

Sibley, C., Liu, J., & Kirkwood, S. (2006). Toward a social representation theory of
attitude change: The effect of message framing on general and specific attitudes
toward equality and entitlement. New Zealand Journal of Psychology, 35(1),
3-13.

Unit 6: Midterm examination

Unit 7: Attraction and close relationships

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will understand the meaning
of interpersonal attraction and those relevant factors in the development of closeness in
relationships.



1. Describe the influence of different situational variables on the process of
initial attraction to another person.

2. Comprehend the tendency to evaluate physically attractive people more
positively than people who are not physically attractive.

3. Discuss the major differences between liking and loving according to both
Rubin (1973) and Davis (1985).

4. Analyze the taxonomy of love.

5. Analyze Stenberg’s (1986) triangular theory of love.

6. Discuss the implications of relationship cognition and emotion regulation in
social relations.

7. Discuss the implications of relationship satisfaction and stability.

Main topics:

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1. Close relationships
2. Attraction
3. Mate selection
4. Taxonomy of love
5. Sternberg’s triangular theory of love
6. Relationship cognition
7. Relationship satisfaction and stability

Assigned chapter:

*Berscheid, E. & Reis, H. (1998). Attraction and close relationships. In D. Gilbert, S.

Morgan, H. J., & Shaver, P. R. (1999). Attachment processes and commitment to
romantic relationships. In J. M. Adams & W. H. Jones (Eds.), Handbook of
interpersonal commitment and relationship stability (pp. 109-124). New York:
Plenum.

Assigned readings:

Abel, M. & Watters, H. (2005). Attributions of guilt and punishment as functions of
physical attractiveness and smiling. Journal of Social Psychology, 145(6),
687-702.

Apicella, C. L., Feinberg, D. R., & Marlowe, F. W. (2007). Voice pitch predicts
reproductive success in male hunter-gatherers. Biology Letters, 3, 682-684.

Baumeister, R. F., & Vohs, Kathleen, D.(2004). Sexual Economics: Sex as female
resource for social exchange in heterosexual interactions. Personality and Social
Psychology Review, 8, 339-363.

Bearman, P. S., Moody, J., & Stovel, K. (2004). Chains of affection: The structure of
adolescent romantic and sexual networks. American Journal of Sociology, 110,
44-91.

Finkel, E. J., Eastwick P. W. , & Matthews. (2007). Speed dating as an invaluable tool for
studying romantic attraction: A methodological primer. Personal Relationships,
14, 149-166.

Fitzsimons, G. M. & Kay, A. C. (2004). Language and interpersonal cognition: Causal
effects of variations in pronoun usage on perceptions of closeness. Personality
and Social Psychology Bulletin, 30, 547-557.

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Meston, C.M. & Buss, D.M. (2007). Why humans have sex. Archives of Sexual
Behavior, 36, 477-507.

Riniolo, T., Johnson, K., Sherman, T., & Misso, J. (2006). Hot or not: Do professors
perceived as physically attractive receive higher student evaluations? Journal of
General Psychology, 133(1), 19-35.

Sternberg, R. (1986). A triangular theory of love. Psychological Review, 93, 119-135.

Wilcox, W.B., Nock, S.L. (2006). What's love got to do with it? Equality, equity,
commitment and women's marital quality. Social Forces, Vol.84, No. 2,
1321-1345.

Vannini, P. (2004). Will you marry me? Journal of Popular Culture, 38(1), 169-185.

Zebrowitz, L.A. & Rhodes, G. (2004). Sensitivity to ‘bad genes’ and the anomalous face
overgeneralization effect: Accuracy, cue validity, and cue utilization in judging
intelligence and health. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior. 28, 167-185.

Watts, S. & Stenner, P. (2005). The subjective experience of partnership love: A Q
methodological study. British Journal of Social Psychology, 44(1), 85-107.

Unit 8: Altruism and affection: Extending the self to others

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will understand the reasons
why people help others and why they do not. Also, the student should be able to discuss
the social nature of altruism and affection. The student will understand which social
forces influence obedience and rebellion. In addition, the student will be able to compare
and contrast the exchange and equity theory.



1. Describe the empathy-altruism hypothesis.

2. Explain the egoism hypothesis.

3. Explain the situations that research has shown prompt people to help others.

4. Comprehend the social forces that influence obedient and rebellious behavior.

5. Analyze Lewin’s and Latane’s theories of social forces and impacts.

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6. Compare and contrast the exchange and equity theory.

7. Discuss the relevance of altruism and prosocial behavior in society today.

Main topics:


1. Social learning
2. Lewin’s and Latane’s theories of social forces
3. Altruism and egoism
4. Exchange or equity
5. Amalgamated models
6. Prosocial behavior

Assigned chapter:

*Batson, C.D. (1998). Altruism and prosocial behavior. In D. Gilbert, S.

Van Vugt, M., & Van Lange, P. A. M. (2006). Psychological adaptations for prosocial
behavior: the altruism puzzle. In M. Schaller, D. Kenrick, & J. Simpson,
Evolution and Social Psychology, pp. 237-261. New York: Psychology Press

Assigned readings:

Barlett, M. & DeSteno, D. (2006). Gratitude and prosocial behavior. Psychological
Science, 17(4), 319-325.

Guiter, M. & Halac-de Lifschitz, P. (1997). Altruismo. Revista de Psicoanalisis, 54, 427-
428.

Kristeller, J. & Johnson, T. (2005). Cultivating loving kindness: A two-stage model of the
effects of meditation on empathy, compassion, and altruism. Journal of Religion
& Science, 40(2), 391-407.

Latané, B. & Darley, J. (1968). Group inhibition of bystander intervention. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 10, 215-221.

Latané, B. & Nida, S. (1981). Ten years of research on group size and helping.
Psychological Bulletin, 89, 308-324.

Penner, L., Dovidio, J., Piliavin, J., & Schroeder, D. (2005). Prosocial behavior:

17

Multilevel perspectives. Annual Review of Psychology, 56(1), 365-392.

Persson, G. (2005). Young children’s prosocial and aggressive behaviors and their
experiences of being targeted for similar behaviors by peers. Social
Development, 14(2), 206-228.

Hardy, C., & Van Vugt, M. (2006). Nice guys finish first: The competitive altruism
hypothesis. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 1402-1413.

Manning R., Levine, M. & Collins, A. (2007). The Kitty Genovese murder and the social
psychology of helping: The parable of the 38 witnesses. American Psychologist, 62,
555-562.

Wilson, E. (2005). Kin selection as the key to altruism: Its rise and fall. Social Research,
72(1), 159-166.

Vandello, J. A., Goldschmied, N. P., & Richards, D. A. R. (2007). The appeal of the
underdog. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 1603-1616.

Unit 9: Aggression: Theories and social dilemmas

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will know the definition of
aggression, aggressive behavior, and fundamental social dilemmas that are related to
antisocial behavior.



1. Define aggression.

2. Describe the different theories related to aggressive behavior.

3. Contrast and compare the social learning theory, biological theories, and
instinct theories.

4. Comprehend how aggression and violence create problems at individual,
family, and societal levels.

5. Analyze the relationship between aggression and social dilemmas such as
drugs, violent pornography, violent television, and video games.

6. Discuss the characteristics of the authoritarian personality.

7. Analyze the importance of understanding antisocial behavior in our society.

18

Main topics:


1. Types of aggression
2. Origins of aggression
3. Social learning theory
4. Social dilemmas
5. Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination
6. Authoritarian personality

Assigned chapter:

*Geen, R. (1998). Aggression and antisocial behavior. In D. Gilbert, S.

Wellford, C. F., Pepper, J. V., & Petrie, C. V. (2004). Firearms and violence: A critical
review. The National Academies Press.

Assigned Readings:

Carnagey, N. L. & Anderson, C. A. (2007). Changes in attitudes towards war and
violence after September 11, 2001. Aggressive Behavior, 33, 118-129.

Carnagey, N. L., Anderson, C. A., & Bushman, B. J. (2007). The effect of video game
violence on physiological desensitization to real-life violence. Journal of
Experimental Social Psychology, 43, 489-496.

Fischer, P., Kubitzki, J., Guter, S., & Frey, D. (2007). Virtual driving and risk taking: Do
racing games increase risk-taking cognitions, affect, and behaviors? Journal of
Experimental Psychology: Applied, 13, 22-31.

García, A. (1991). Indicadores de agresión en una muestra de adolescentes
puertorriqueños. Disertación doctoral inédita, Centro Caribeño de Estudios
Postgraduados (Actual Universidad Carlos Albizu), San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Hickman, L.J., Jaycox, L. & Aronoff, J. (2004). Dating Violence Among Adolescents
Prevalence, Gender Distribution, and Prevention Program Effectiveness. Trauma,
Violence, & Abuse, 5, (2), 123-142.

Jackson, B., Kubzansky, L. B., Cohen, S., Jacobs, D. R., & Wright, R. J. (2007). Does
harboring hostility hurt? Associations between hostility and pulmonary function
in the coronary artery risk development in (young) adults (CARDIA) study.
Health Psychology, 26, 333-340.

19

Martin-Baro, I. (1990). Accion e ideologia. El Salvador: UCA Editores.

Olshen, E., McVeigh, K. H., Wunsch-Hitzig, R. A., & Rickert, V. I. (2007). Dating
violence, sexual assault, and suicide attempts among urban teenagers. Archives of
Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 161, 539-545.

Peterson, J. S. & Ray, K. E. (2006). Bullying and the gifted: Victims, perpetrators,
prevalence, and effects. Gifted Child Quarterly, 50, 148-168.

Santiago-Hernandez, S., Lizardi-Pujals, E. & Rivera Carrasquillo, M. (2008) Perfil Bio-
Psico-Social de los participantes de asistencia a victimas de crimen en Puerto
Rico: 2005-2006 In J. R. Rodriguez (Ed.), Antologías de Investigaciones de los
Programas Académicos de la Universidad Carlos Albizu (pp. 323-344). San Juan,
PR: Publicaciones Puertorriqueñas.

Stucke, T. & Baumeister, R. (2006). Ego depletion and aggressive behavior: Is the
inhibition of aggression a limited resource? European Journal of Social
Psychology, 36(1), 1-13.

Webb, T., Jenkins, L., Browne, N., Afifi, A. A., & Kraus, J. (2007). Violent
entertainment pitched to adolescents: An analysis of PG-13 films. Pediatrics, 119,
1219-1229.

Wirth, M. M., & Schultheiss, O. C. (2007). Basal testosterone moderates responses to
anger faces in humans. Physiology and Behavior, 90, 496-505.

Unit 10: Conflicts and conflict resolution

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will know the definition of
conflict from a psychosocial perspective. The student will be able to differentiate
between intergroup conflict and interpersonal conflict. Also, the student will know the
different methods in reducing intergroup hostility and understand the positive
consequences of conflict.



1. Describe the basis for intergroup conflict.

2. Describe the basis for interpersonal conflict.

3. Comprehend the importance of communication in determining the
development and resolution of conflict.

20

4. Analyze the importance of concepts such as coalition, mediation, and
arbitration in conflict resolution.

5. Discuss the relevance of conflict in the identification of problems and the
motivation of working on those problems.

Main topics:


1. Ecology of small groups
2. Social conflict
3. Coalition, mediation, and arbitration
4. Negotiation
5. Conflict resolution

Assigned chapters:

*Levine, J. & Moreland, R. (1998). Small groups. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G.

Jost, J.T., Burgess, D., & Mosso, C. (2001). Conflicts of legitimation among self, group,
and system: The integrative potential of system justification theory. In J.T. Jost
and B. Major (Eds.), The psychology of legitimacy: Emerging perspectives on
ideology, justice, and intergroup relations (pp. 363-388). New York: Cambridge
University Press.

*Pruitt, D. (1998). Social conflict. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and G. Lindzey (eds.), The
handbook of social psychology (pp. 470-503). New York: McGraw-Hill.
(Chapter 27).

Assigned Readings:

Abrahms, M. (2006). Why terrorism does not work. International Security, 31, 42-78.

Kennelly, A. & Fantino, E. (2007). The sharing game: Fairness in resource allocation as a
function of incentive, gender, and recipient types. Judgment and Decision
Making, 2, 204-216.

Kosfeld, M., Heinrichs, M., Zak, P., Fischbacher, U., & Fehr, E. (2005). Oxytocin
increases trust in humans. Nature, 435, 673-676.

Latané, B. (1981). The psychology of social impact. American Psychologist, 36, 343-
356.

21

Swann, W., Milton, L., & Polzer, J. (2000). Should we create a niche or fall in line?
Identity negotiation and small group effectiveness. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 79, 238-250.

Van Vugt, M., Jepson, S., Hart, C., & De Cremer, D. (2004) Autocratic leadership in
social dilemmas: A threat to group stability. Journal of Experimental Social

Unit 11: Prejudices, discriminations and stereotypes

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will know the various
traditional approaches to understand prejudice in today’s world. Stereotyped attitudes,
belief, and behavior associated with racism will be discussed.



1. Describe the psychological dynamics of displaced aggression on prejudice.

2. Describe the cognitive processes in stereotyping.

3. Discuss how the role of competition and conflict can be used to understand
discriminative personalities.

4. Understand how the authoritarian personality and the scapegoat theory are
used to displace aggression.

5. Analyze the practical implications of symbolic, ambivalence, regressive, and
aversive racism in today’s society.

6. Analyze sexual discrimination (gender, gay, and lesbian intolerance) and its
social repercussions.

7. Analyze disability discrimination and its social consequences.

Main topics:


1. Prejudice
2. Discrimination
3. Stereotypes
4. Authoritarian personality

22

5. Racism
6. Sexual discrimination
7. Social stigma

Assigned chapters:

*Crocker, J., Major, B., & Steele, C. (1998). Social stigma. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and
G. Lindzey (eds.), The handbook of social psychology (pp. 504-553). New York:

*Fiske, S. (1998). Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. In D. Gilbert, S.

Jost, J.T., & Hamilton, D.L. (2005). Stereotypes in our culture. In J. Dovidio, P. Glick, &
L. Rudman (Eds.), On the Nature of Prejudice: Fifty years after Allport (pp.
208-224). Oxford: Blackwell.

Assigned readings:

Baron, A.S., Banaji, M.R. (2006). The development of implicit attitudes: Evidence of
race evaluations from ages 6, 10 & adulthood. Psychological Science, vol. 17 (1),
pp. 53-58.

Cadinu, M., Maass, A., Lombardo, M., & Frigerio, S. (2006). Stereotype threat: The
moderating role of locus of control beliefs. European Journal of Social
Psychology, 36(2), 183-197.

Chiu, P., Ambady, N., & Deldin, P. (2004). CNB in response to emotional in- and out-
group stimuli differentiates high- and low-prejudiced individuals. Journal of
Cognitive Neuroscience, 16, 1830-1839.

Citrin, J., Lerman, A., Murakami, M., & Pearson, K. (2007). Testing Huntington: Is
Hispanic immigration a threat to American identity? Perspectives on Politics, 5,
31-48.

Condor, S. (2006). Public prejudice as collaborative accomplishment: Towards a dialogic
social psychology of racism. Journal of Community & Applied Social
Psychology, 16(1), 1-18.

Correll, J., Park, B., Judd, C. M., Wittenbrink, B., Sadler, M. S., & Keesee, T. (2007).
Across the thin blue line: Police officers and racial bias in the decision to shoot.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 1006-1023.

23

Jordan, C. H., Spencer, S. J., & Zanna, M. P. (2005). Types of high self-esteem and
prejudice: How implicit self-esteem relates to racial discrimination among high
explicit self-esteem individuals. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31,
693-702.

Jost, J. T. & Kay, A. C. (2005). Exposure to benevolent sexism and complementary
gender stereotypes: Consequences for specific and diffuse forms of system
justification. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 498-509.

Kay, A. C., Jost, J.T., & Young, S. (2005). Victim-derogation and victim-enhancement as
alternate routes to system-justification. Psychological Science, 16, 240-246.

Olson, M. A., & Fazio, R. H. (2004). Trait inferences as a function of automatically-
activated racial attitudes and motivation to control prejudiced reactions. Basic and
Applied Social Psychology, 26, 1-11.

Olatunji, B. & Sawchuk, C. (2005). Disgust: Characteristics features, social
manifestations, and clinical implications. Journal of Social & Clinical
Psychology, 24(7), 932-962.

Platow, M., Byrne, L., & Ryan, M. (2005). Experimentally manipulated high in-group
status can buffer personal self-esteem against discrimination. European Journal
of Social Psychology, 35(5), 599-608.

Richeson, J.A., & Nussbaum, R.J. (2004). The impact of multiculturalism versus color-
blindness on racial bias. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40, 417-423

Richeson, J.A., & Shelton, J.N. (2005). Thin slices of racial bias. Journal of Nonverbal
Behavior, 29, 75-86.

Richeson, J.A., & Trawalter, S. (2005a). On the categorization of admired and disliked
exemplars of admired and disliked racial groups. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 89, 517-530.

Richeson, J.A., & Trawalter, S. (2005b). Why do interracial interactions impair executive
function? A resource depletion account. Journal of Personality and Social

Sanchez, J., Nisbett, R., & Barra, O. (2000). Cultural styles, relational schemas, and
prejudice against out-groups. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79,
174-189.

Shelton, J.N., & Richeson, J.A. (2005). Pluralistic ignorance and intergroup contact.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 91-107.

24

Shelton, J.N., Richeson, J.A., & Salvatore, J. (2005). Expecting to be the target of
prejudice: Implications for interethnic interactions. Personality and Social
Psychology Bulletin, 31, 1189-1202.

Sherman, J.W. (2005). Automatic and controlled components of implicit stereotyping and
prejudice. Psychological Science Agenda, 19(3).

Urrieta Jr., L. (2005). The social studies of domination: Cultural hegemony and ignorant
activism. Social Studies, 96(5), 189-192.

Unit 12: Social influence and social power: Group influence

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will understand the scope of
social influence, the importance of social power in society, and gender differences in the
use of power. In addition, deviation and resistance as major social processes will be
discussed.



1. Describe the scope of social influence.

2. Define social power.

3. Describe types of power and their use (coercive, reward, legitimate, expect,
referent, and information power).

4. Explain leadership behavior and its theories.

5. Compare men and women in their use of power.

6. Explain the Asch paradigm (1951).

7. Comprehend how the social impact theory influences human behavior.

8. Comprehend how situational variables affect conformity.

9. Discuss how strength, immediacy, and number affect both the magnitude and
the diffusion of social impact.

10. Analyze the relevance of why people deviate despite the cost of doing so.

Main topics:


25

1. Social influence
2. Social power
3. Leadership behavior
4. Asch’s paradigm (1951)
5. Social impact theory

Assigned chapter:

*Brewer, M. & Brown, R. (1998). Intergroup relations. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and

Jost, J.T., & Elsbach, K. (2001). How status and power differences erode personal and
social identities at work: A system justification critique of organizational
applications of social identity theory. In M.A. Hogg & D.J. Terry (Eds.), Social
identity processes in organizational contexts (pp. 181-196). Philadelphia, PA:
Psychology Press/Taylor & Francis.

Assigned readings:

Bruins, J. (1999). Social power and influence tactics: A theoretical introduction. Journal
of Social Issues, 55(1), 7-14.

Cialdini, R. (2005). Basic social influence is underestimated. Psychological Inquiry,
16(4), 158-161.

Fletcher, J. (2004). The paradox of postheoric leadership: An essay on gender, power,
and transformational change. Leadership Quarterly, 15(4), 647-661.

Koslowski, S. W. J. & Ilgen, D. R. (2006). Enhancing the effectiveness of work groups
and teams. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 7, 77-124.

Poortvliet, P.M., Janssen, O., Van Yperen, N.W., & Van de Vliert, E. (2007).
Achievement goals and interpersonal behavior: How mastery and performance goals
shape information exchange. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33,
1435-1447

Van Vugt, M., & Hart, C. M. (2004). Social identity as social glue: The origins of group
loyalty. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 585-598.

Weaver, K., Garcia, S. M., Schwarz, N., & Miller, D. T. (2007). Inferring the popularity
of an opinion from its familiarity: A repetitive voice can sound like a chorus. Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, 92, 821-833.

Powers, R. & Reiser, C. (2005). Gender and self-perceptions of social power. Social

26

Behavior & Personality: An International Journal, 33(6), 553-567.

Reicher, S., Haslam, S., & Hopkins, N. (2005). Social identity and the dynamics of
leadership: Leaders and followers as collaborative agents in the transformation of
social reality. Leadership Quarterly, 16(4), 547-568.

Unit 13: The influence of social and transcultural psychology in Puerto Rican
Society

Upon successful completion of this unit the student will be able to discuss how
the field of social and transcultural psychology can be used to understand Puerto Rican
society. In addition, the student will be able to explain how social problems in Puerto
Rico affect the future development of social psychology.



1. Describe some of the major social problems in Puerto Rico and how
knowledge in social and transcultural psychology aid in their understanding.

2. Analyze the different theoretical frameworks already studied in the course to
improve the quality of life in the Puerto Rican society.

3. Discuss the importance of future trends in the area of social and transcultural
psychology.

Main topics:


1. Social problems in Puerto Rico
2. Emerging perspectives
3. Intergenerational problems; Generational Differences

Assigned chapters:

*Buss, D. & Kenrick, D. (1998). Evolutionary social psychology. In D. Gilbert, S.

*Tetlock, P. (1998). Social psychology and world politics. In D. Gilbert, S. Fiske, and

27

Assigned readings:

Goodman, C.C. & Silverstein, M. (2005) Latina grandmothers raising grandchildren:
acculturation and psychological well-being. Int J Aging Hum Dev.60(4), 305-16.

Rodriguez, J & Lopez-Osorio, M.. (2008) Factores de riesgo de abuso religioso. In J. R.
Rodriguez (Ed.), Antologías de Investigaciones de los Programas Académicos de la
Universidad Carlos Albizu (pp. 385-404). San Juan, PR: Publicaciones
Puertorriqueñas.

Fornés, P., Ramos, F., Ramos, S., Rivera, H. (2004). Introducción a las ciencias sociales
Aspectos sociales y culturales. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Plaza Mayor

López, M. (1988) Hacia una reorientación de la psicología social: después de la crisis. In
M. López. & R. Zúñiga, Perspectivas críticas en psicología social (pp.383-426).
San Juan, Puerto Rico: Editorial de la Universidad de Puerto Rico,

Serrano, I. & Álvarez, S. (1992). Análisis comparativo de marcos conceptuales de la
psicología de comunidad en Estados Unidos y América Latina (1960-1985). En I.
Serrano y W. Rosario (Eds.), Contribuciones Puertorriqueñas a la Psicología
Social Comunitaria (pp. 19-73). Río Piedras, PR: Editorial Universidad de Puerto
Rico.

Unit 14: Final examination

Revisado por : José Rodríguez Gómez, PhD & Pablo Martínez López, PhD
Fecha : July /8/2008

28

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