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Social Psychology 2: Group Processes and Behaviour

Course leader: Linda Luckhurst
linda.luckhurst@buckingham.ac.uk
One term (15 units)

This course is taken at the start of the second year, and follows on from Social Psychology 1. It introduces students to key approaches and issues in intragroup and intergroup processes.

The aims are to provide students with a scientific understanding of how we behave in groups and towards other groups, and how this is both determined and affected by social categorisation and stereotyping.

On completion of the course students should have acquired a sound understanding of the group social psychological issues covered in this course. In addition, students should be able to organise relevant material effectively and write / present coherently about theoretical and empirical issues in social psychology.

It contains the following topic areas:

• Group structure and process
• Majority and minority influence
• Leadership
• Group performance
• Decision making
• Intergroup conflict and co-operation
• Categorisation and stereotyping
• Social identity and intergroup behaviour

The course is assessed by both course work (40%) and written examination (60%)

Main text:

• Brown, R. Group processes: dynamics within and between groups (2nd ed., Oxford: Blackwell, 2000). ISBN: 978-0-631-18496-1.