Social Psychology by Wesleyan University

This course, offered by Wesleyan University and taught by Scott Plous, offers a brief introduction to classic and contemporary social psychology, covering topics such as decision making, persuasion, group behavior, personal attraction, and factors that promote health and well-being.

Questions answered concerning human behavior:

• Why do people do what they do?

• What leads us to like one person and dislike another?

• How do conflicts and prejudices develop, and how can they be reduced?

• Can psychological research help protect the environment, and if so, how?

Some topics covered:

• False Uniqueness Effect

• False Consensus Effect

• Bystander Effect

• Spotlight Effect

• Correlational Research

• Experimental Research

• Group-Serving Bias

• Hindsight Bias

• Confirmation Bias

• Abilene Paradox

• Attribution Theory

• Fundamental Attribution Error

• Availability Heuristic

• Self-fulfilling Prophecy

• Cognitive Dissonance

• Self-Handicapping

• Defensive Pessimism

• Conformity

• Obedience

• Empathy

• Deindividuation

• Persuasion

• Stereotype