Course Syllabus
Learning area
APPLIED
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Learning objectives
- Individual, social and societal factors affecting behaviors and cognitions
- Major socio-cognitive theories explaining the behavior
- Attitudes and beliefs systems affecting behavior
- Multiple intervention techniques and research methods
Applying knowledge and understanding
- Understanding, analysis, and evaluation of research designs to solve societal issues
- Analysis of diverse applied contexts of relevant social interest, e.g.: political, health, environmental, and technologies use domains
- Practical applications of diverse methods and research paradigms
- Critical analysis of applied research examples
Detailed program
- Features of applied social psychology
- Understanding social issues through applied social cognition
- Social thinking, social influence, and social relationships theories
- Beliefs’ system and attitudes
- Focus on models of attitude and behavior prediction
- Interventions and public policies
- Behavioral intervention strategies
- Interventions based on social influence
- Implementation and analysis of researches applied to the different behavioral domains: politics, health, environment, social media, and other new technologies.
- Thematic sessions: conspiracy theories; scientific disinformation; vaccination behavior; climate change
Prerequisites
No previous knowledge is required. Good knowledge of the basis of Social Psychology enables more aware fruition of the course contents. Students lacking such basic knowledge are encouraged to ask for a list of basic references
Teaching methods
Students will be given the opportunity to deepen a topic of the course through an assignment (a written report or alternatively a class presentation) analyzing applied research of public interest.
***Lessons will be held in presence, unless further COVID-19 related restrictions are imposed.***
Assessment methods
The evaluation criteria are: the correctness of the answers, the ability to argue, synthesize, create links, and critically read the reality. Special attention will be also devoted to the acquisition of methods and research design in applied social cognition and the ability to analyze a scientific paper in the field.
Upon student’s request, an oral interview is also provided, on all the topics of the course, which can lead to an increase or decrease of up to 3 points compared to the score of the written exam.
There will be one final examination reserved for attending students at the end of the course. The participation in optional activities (see didactic methods) contributes to the final evaluation.During the Covid-19 emergency, exams will be conducted according to the University’s regulations regarding the COVID-19 emergency situation.
Textbooks and Reading Materials
Further compulsory material (research articles) will be made available by the teacher during the course on the e-learning website.
Detailed information about didactic material will be published on the e-learning page of the course.