Psychology 258: Social Cognition (Spring, 2008)

Neil Lutsky
Department of Psychology, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057
Olin 111, (507) 646-4379, e-mail: nlutsky@carleton.edu

Psychology 259, Laboratory in Social Cognition, is an optional two-credit course taught this term to accompany Psychology 258. In Psychology 259, we will examine methods used to study social cognition and will design and conduct original research on social cognition. The schedule of research topics and issues in Psychology 259 is designed to match the schedule of topics in Psychology 258. I strongly encourage you to consider taking the Laboratory in Social Cognition. It will both stimulate your thinking about social cognition and provide hands-on training in scientific research in the field. There are two laboratory sections: Tuesday/Thursday 8:30-10:00, and Tuesday/Thursday, 10:30-12:00.

Psychology 258 itself will meet for lectures and discussion on Monday and Wednesday and for discussion of weekly issues and course projects on Friday. We will meet in Olin 02 from 8:30-9:40, Mondays and Wednesdays, and from 8:30-9:30 on Fridays. (The consumption of caffeine, before or during class, is optional but highly recommended!) The schedule that follows lists the topics and readings we will be covering. Please complete readings prior to the class meeting for which they are listed both because every class will depend on your active participation and because the readings themselves are challenging ones and will require careful attention in class.

Two examinations will be given in this course. (One of these, the final exam, will be self-scheduled.) For each, I will give you the question or questions a few days prior to the examination. You will be expected to write your essays in response to those questions without the aid of books or notes during the exam times. I have found that this method of evaluation promotes active and thoughtful consideration of course materials rather than temporary memorization. I hope you will agree. You will also be expected to complete two short project/paper assignments. The written part of these assignments must be submitted in class at the beginning of class on the date it is due (see the schedule below). Grading will be based on the following approximate weights: short project assignments (40%), examinations (50%), and class participation (10%).

The text for this course is Social Cognition: From Brains to Culture by S. T. Fiske and S. E. Taylor (McGraw-Hill, 2008). In addition, we will conclude the course by reading D. Gilbert's popular book Stumbling on Happiness (Vintage, 2005). Additional assigned readings will also be available in the file cabinet in the Psychology Department office area (Olin 115). Finally, I encourage you to visit my office to discuss course-related questions and ideas during the open course office hour on Wednesday, 10:00-11:00. I am often available in my office at other times; please stop by or call the Psychology Department secretary (x4380).

• M 3/31 Introduction and overview; Social cognition in cognitive, interpersonal, cross-cultural, and neural contexts.
  
  Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (2008). Social cognition, pp. 1-22.
  
  
• W 4/2 If thinking is for doing, what thoughts influence action? How conscious is social cognition?

  Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (2008). Social cognition, pp. 25-31.

• F 4/4 Biological influences on social cognition. A conversation with Frans de Waal (11:00AM, Olin 141).

  Malvern, J. (2008). How Moko the dolphin gave humans a masterclass in saving stranded whales, pp. 1-2.
  
  de Waal, F. (2008). Putting the altruism back into altruism: The evolution of empathy, pp. 279-300.

• M 4/7 The self in social cognition: Basic processes and informational goals in self-evaluation.

  Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (2008). Social cognition, pp. 105-121.
  
  Wheeler, L. (1991). A brief history of social comparison theory. In J. Suls & T. A. Wells (Eds.),
  Social comparison: Contemporary theory and research, pp. 3-21.
  

• W 4/9 Motivational goals in self-evaluation and social comparison.

  Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (2008). Social cognition, pp. 41-44, 121-133.
  

• F 4/11 Social identity and the culture of self.
  
  Luhtanen, R., & Crocker, J. (1992). A collective self-esteem scale: Self-evaluation of one's social identity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 18, 302-309.
  
  Kanagawa, C., Cross, S. E., & Markus, H. R. (2001). Who am I? The cultural psychology of the conceptual self. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 18 , 90-103.
  
  Yamaguchi, S., Greenwald, A. G., Banaji, M. R., et al. (2007). Apparent universality of positive implicit self-esteem. Psychological Science, 18 , 498-500.
  
  
• M 4/14 Uniqueness and positive illusion in self-favoring evaluation.

  Thompson, S. C. (1999). Illusions of control: How we overestimate our personal influence.
  Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8, 187-190.
  
  Dunning, D., Johnson, K, Ehrlinger, J., & Kruger, J. (2003). Why people fail to recognize their own incompetence. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12, 83-87.

• W 4/16 False consensus in social judgment.

  Ross, L., et al. (1977). The "false consensus effect": An egocentric bias in social perception and
  attribution processes. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 13, 279-285, 289-301.

• F 4/18 Self-knowledge and self-esteem: Short and long views.

  Sedikides, C., & Gregg, A. P. (2008). Self-enhancement: Food for thought. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 3, 102-116.
  
  Pillermer, D. B., Ivcevic, Z., Gooze, R. A., & Collins, K. A. (2007). Self-esteem memories: Felling good about achievement success, feeling bad about relationship distress. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 33, 1292-1305.
  

• M 4/21 The controversy over self-esteem and self-enhancement.

  Taylor, S. E., & Brown, J. D. (1988). Illusion and well-being: A social psychological perspective on mental health. Psychological Bulletin, 103, 193-210.
  
  Krueger, J. I., Vohs, K. D., & Baumeister, R. F. (2008). Is the allure of self-esteem a mirage after all? American Psychologist, 63, 64-65.

• W 4/23 Processes of person perception.

  Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (2008). Social cognition, pp. 52-59, 70-74.
  
  Rule, N. O., & Ambady, N. (20087). The face of success. Psychological Science, 19 , 109-111.
  
  Gilovich, T., & Savitsky, K. (1999). The spotlight effect and the illusion of transparency.
  Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8, 165-168.

• F 4/25 Self perception projects due.
  
  
• M 4/28 Introduction to attribution theory: Why did they do that?

  Gilbert, D. T. (1995). Attribution and interpersonal perception. In A. Tesser (Ed.),
  Advanced social psychology, pp. 99-126.

  Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (2008). Social cognition, pp. 134-163.
  

• W 4/30 Attribution norms and variation.

  Choi, I., Nisbett, R. E., & Norenzayan, A. (1999). Causal attribution across cultures.
  Psychological Bulletin, 125, 47-63.

• F 5/2 In-class examination.
  
  
• M 5/5 Midterm break.
  
  
• W 5/7 The nature, sources, and processing of belief.

  Bem, D. J. (1970). The social foundations of beliefs and attitudes.
  Beliefs, attitudes, and human affairs, pp. 70-99.

  Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (2008). Social cognition, pp. 213-235.
  
  Gilbert, D. (1991). How mental systems believe. American Psychologist, 46, 107-119.

• F 5/9 Belief systems, ideologies, and extreme belief.

  Roccas, S. (2005). Religion and value systems. Journal of Social Issues, 61, 747-759.
  
  Jost, J. T., & Hunyady, O. (2005). Antecedents and consequences of system-justifying ideologies. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14, 260-265.
  
  Lelyveld, J. (2001). All suicide bombers are not alike. The New York Times Magazine,
  October 28, 2001, 49-53, 62, 78-79.
  
  Anderson, S. (2001). The hunger warriors. The New York Times Magazine,
  October 21, 2001, 43-47, 74, 124-125.
  

• M 5/12 Persuasion and attitude change: "Engaging the mind."

  Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (2008). Social cognition, pp. 236-256.

• W 5/14 Cognitive consistency.

  Festinger, L., Riecken, H. W., & Schachter, S. (1956). When prophecy fails. pp. 43-47.

  Cooper, J., & Fazio, R. H. (1984). A new look at dissonance theory.
  Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 17, 229-253.
  
  Egan, L. C., Santos, L. R., & Bloom, P. (2007). The origins of cognitive dissonance: Evidence from children and monkeys. Psychological Science, 18 , 978-983.

• F 5/16 Implicit cognition revisited.

  Rudman, L. A. (2004). Sources of implicit attitudes. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13 , 79-82.
  
  Gawronski, B., LeBel, E. P., & Peters, K. R. (2007). What do implicit measures tell us? Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2, 181-193.
  

• M 5/19 Stereotypes and group perception.

  Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (2008). Social cognition, pp. 257-283.

  Ottati, V. & Lee, Y.-T. (1995). Accuracy: A neglected component of stereotype research.
  In Y-T. Lee, L. J. Jussim, & C. R. McCauley (Eds.), Stereotype accuracy: Toward appreciating
  group differences, pp. 29-59.

• W 5/21 Stereotyping and prejudice.

  Fiske, S. T., & Taylor, S. E. (2008). Social cognition, pp. 284-309.

  Herek, G. M. (2000). The psychology of sexual prejudice. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9, 19-22.
  

• F 5/23 Thinking about the future.
  
  Gilbert, D. T. (2005). Stumbling on happiness , pp. 1-22.
  
  
• M 5/26 Stereotyping, perception, and social identity.

  Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual performance of African Americans.
  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 797-811.

• W 5/28 Reducing prejudice.

  Dovidio, J. F., & Gaertner, S. L. (1999). Reducing prejudice: Combating intergroup biases.
  Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8, 101-105.

  Devine, P. G. (1995). Prejudice and out-group perception. In A. Tesser (Ed.),
  Advanced social psychology, pp. 499-512.

• F 5/30 Reducing prejudice and discrimination.

  Rosenblatt, R. (1994). Their finest moment. The New York Times Magazine, July 3, 1994, 23-27, 30-32, 44-45.
  

• M 6/2 Thinking about the future.
  
  Gilbert, D. T. (2005). Stumbling on happiness , pp. 1-22.
  
  
• W 6/4 Review and closing.