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Psychology (PSYC) 340
Introduction to Applied Social Psychology

Revision 2 closed September 27, 2001, replaced by current version.

Overview

Applied social psychology combines the science of social psychology with the practical application of solving problems in the real world. The field of applied social psychology has grown immensely, and now includes research application in areas such as the justice system, the education system, the environment, the health care industry, the welfare system, and the mass media.
Method of Delivery: Individualized study or grouped study. Online-enhanced. The PSYC 340 online course materials are available.
Credit Weight/Area of Study: 3 credits - Social Science
Prerequisite: PSYC 290 is strongly recommended but not required.

Objectives

Upon completion of PSYC 340, students should be able to:
  1. Delineate clearly the difference between mainstream social psychology and applied social psychology. In doing so, they should be able to define applied social psychology, recognize the difficulties inherent in the application of applied social psychology, and recognize areas that are applicable to investigation through the paradigm of applied social psychology.
  2. Cite and describe the contributions of Kurt Lewin which led to the development of applied social psychology.
  3. Develop a clear understanding of the social problems noted in Part 2 of the course, including family violence, teen problems, alcoholism, and stress and burnout. Students should be able to comment on the causes of these issues and problems and on the solutions to them.
  4. Demonstrate the skills necessary to prepare a proposal for effecting social change. Students must be able to collect relevant data, analyse it, and then use this data in support of their proposal for social change.

Outline

  • Part 1 Introduction to Applied Social Psychology
  • Part 2 The Application of Applied Social Psychology
  • Part 3 The Achievement of Social Change

Evaluation

To receive credit for PSYC 340, students must successfully complete a telephone quiz, two written assignments, and a course project. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:

Telephone Quiz2 Assignments (15% each)Course ProjectTotal
10%30%60%100%

Course Materials

Textbook

Oskamp, Stuart. (1984). Applied Social Psychology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Other material

The course materials include a student manual, study guide, and a reading file.

Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.
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