Social Behavior
Objectives
Upon completion of the course, students should have an in depth knowledge of the most comprehensive and relevant studies in the field, and specifically should be able to: a) understand fundamental concepts and principles involved in human behaviour; b) critically discuss fundamental assumptions and concepts underlying various theories about social phenomena; c) comprehend how these social phenomena were transported to modern days and take place in different settings and cultures, such as work and other relevant contexts; and d) apply those concepts to the research stream they are developing in their PhD project. More broadly, the course should also enable students to develop their critical thinking, analytical, communication, and writing skills.
General characterization
Code
6207
Credits
3,5
Responsible teacher
TBA
Hours
Weekly - Available soon
Total - Available soon
Teaching language
English
Prerequisites
n/a
Bibliography
Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
LaPiere, R. T. (1934). Attitudes vs. actions. Social Forces, 13, 230-237.
Mi/gram, S. (1963). Behavioral study of obedience. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 67, 371-378.
Moscovici, S. Lage, E., & Naffrechoux, M. (1969). Influence of a consistent minority on the response of a majority in a color perception task. Sociometry, 32, 365-280.
Sherif, M. (1935). A study of some social factors in perception. Archives of Psychology, 27(187), 1-60.
Sherif, M., Harvey, 0. J., White, B. J., Hood, W. R., & Sherif, C. W. (1961).lntergroup conflict and cooperation: The Robbers Cave experiment (Vol. 10).Norman, OK: University Book Exchange.
Smith, J.R., & Haslam, S.A. (2012). Social psychology: Revisiting the classic studies. London: Sage.
Tajfel, H., Billig, M. G., Bundy, R. P., & Flament, C. (1971). Social categorization and intergroup behaviour. European Journal of Social Psychology, 1, 149-178.
Teaching method
The course will use a variety of teaching methodologies, including: a) lectures by the instructor on the state-of-the-art knowledge in each field of research; b) individual presentations by students on each classic study and current studies that extend/apply its basic principles; c) videos, clips and other methods that help understand the underlying principles of a given study; c) class discussion moderated by the instructor on the relevance of each study and potential applications to the different areas of study in management science.
Evaluation method
Student evaluation will be through the completion of a written assignment in which students apply one of the theories discussed in class to their own PhD in Management research project.
Subject matter
The course will focus on classic studies of social psychology and discuss their relevance and application to contemporary times. These studies have addressed important questions about human nature, presented unexpected and counterintuitive findings, used ingenious and innovative research methods, and thus should serve as a benchmark for how to conduct state-of-the-art research. We will also examine how the respective fields have developed since the publication of these studies, particularly their potential applications to management research.
Several classic studies will serve as the backbone of the course, such as the studies on attitudes and behaviour (LaPiere), cognitive dissonance (Festinger), norm formation (Sherif), minority influence (Moscovici), obedience (Mi/gram), intergroup relations and conflict (Sherif), and discrimination (Tajfel).