Course Topics
- Definition of Social Psychology - The Historical and Epistemological Foundations of Social Psychology - Social Cognition - Social Influence - Attitudes and Persuasion - Self, Identity, and Society - The Need to Belong - Intergroup Relations - Social Behavior: Aggression and Prosocial Behavior - Stereotypes and Prejudice - The Nature and Origins of Prejudice - Old and New Forms of Prejudice - Dehumanization - Sexism and Sexual Objectification - Strategies for Reducing Prejudice - Gender Differences and the Distribution of Social Power - Critical and gender theories - Methodology of Psychosocial Research - Epistemological Paradigms in Psychosocial Research - Research Methods - Research Designs - Explicit and Implicit Measures - Scale and Questionnaire Construction

Teaching format
The lesson is held remotely in synchronous mode. The course will primarily consist of lectures where theoretical frameworks are consistently paired with laboratory research and real-life examples. Active and critical participation from students will be encouraged throughout the lessons. Teaching methods will include lectures with active student involvement, group discussions, analysis of videos and texts, and examination of research studies through independent reading and in-class reflections. Students with certified specific learning disorders (SLD), disabilities, or other special educational needs are invited to contact the instructor at the beginning of the course in order to agree on appropriate teaching and examination methods. These arrangements will respect the learning objectives of the course while taking into account individual learning styles and providing suitable compensatory tools.

Educational objectives
Knowledge and Understanding - Understanding of key concepts in social psychology, including the origins and perspectives of various theories and practices, research approaches, and methodological choices Applying Knowledge and Understanding - Ability to analyze individual and group dynamics within specific environments. - Ability to analyze and comprehend the complexity of emerging social issues and processes of exclusion andmarginalization. - Ability to analyze and interpret data. - Ability to assess the potential of psychosocial interventions and their capacity to reduce discriminatory dynamics. Judgment and Autonomy - Ability to think critically. - Ability to work in teams and networks. - Ability to make decisions based on a scientific approach. - Ability to analyze problems and propose innovative and creative solutions. - Ability to make decisions in situations of conflict and/or complexity. - Ability to critically reflect on theoretical frameworks. Communication Skills - Ability to communicate appropriately with different interlocutors. - Ability to apply active listening techniques. - Ability to communicate and report effectively within a working group. - Ability to communicate in order to share proposals and identify solutions. - Ability to support and encourage self-esteem and empower individual and collective resources. - Ability to communicate and build relationships with people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. - Ability to communicate assertively and with respect for all identities involved. Learning Skills - Ability to develop research skills. - Ability to engage in collaborative learning and knowledge sharing. - Ability to independently search for information needed to understand complex problems. - Ability to critically select primary and secondary research sources. - Ability to apply acquired knowledge in broader or different contexts from those addressed during the course. - Ability to cultivate a personal approach to connectingtheory and practice. Transversal Skills / Soft Skills - Ability to use digital media autonomously and responsibly. - Ability to apply effective learning strategies. - Ability to solve problems creatively and innovatively. - Ability to work effectively in groups. - Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing. - Enhanced capacity for critical thinking and openness to diversity and complexity.

Assessment
Written assignment (60% of final grade) Formal requirements: the paper can be written in English or Italian, with a maximum length of 15,000 characters (including spaces; excluding bibliography). Oral examination (40% of final grade) An integrative discussion focused on the re-elaboration of the course content and experiences.

Evaluation criteria
There is a single final assessment of the exam. The assessment of the written paper takes into account clarity of exposition, relevance, argumentative and logical ability, ability to use and rework the knowledge acquired, critical analysis ability, reflective ability. a) Knowledge and understanding of the texts (20% of the total grade) b) Ability to make connections between the texts (10% of the total grade) d) Autonomy of judgment and critical thinking (20% of the total grade) For the oral examination, the ability to make connections and to deepen and extend with personal and critical reflection the knowledge developed during the course is considered and assessed c) Ability to apply acquired knowledge (20% of the total grade) d) Autonomy of judgment and critical thinking (10% of the totalgrade) e) Translation of acquired knowledge into professionally applicable skills (10% of the total grade)

Required readings

English

• DeLamater, J., & Ward, A. (2013). Handbook of Social Psychology. Springer or Gilbert, D. T., Fiske, S. T., Finkel, E. J., & Mendes, W. B. (Eds.). (2025). The handbook of social psychology, (6th ed.). Situational Press
• Brown, R. (1995). Prejudice: Its social psychology. Blackwell Publishing.
• Substitute articles for the text of Palmonari, A., & Cavazza, N. (2003). Ricerche e protagonisti della psicologia sociale. Il Mulino: Bologna.

Supplementary materials

• Volpato, C., Andrighetto, L. (2015). Dehumanization. In International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (pp. 31-37). Oxford : Elsevier Inc.
• Rudman, L.A., Glick P. (2021). The social psychology of gender: How power and intimacy shape gender relations. Second Edition. Guilford Press: New York

Italian

• Andrighetto, L., & Riva, P. (2020). Psicologia Sociale: Fondamenti teorici ed empirici. Il Mulino: Bologna.
• Brambilla, M., & Sacchi, S. (2022). Psicologia Sociale del Pregiudizio. Raffaello Cortina Editore: Milano
• Palmonari, A., & Cavazza, N. (2003). Ricerche e protagonisti della psicologia sociale. Il Mulino: Bologna.

Approfondimenti:

• Volpato, C. (2011). Deumanizzazione. Come si legittima la violenza. Bari: Laterza.
• Volpato, C. (2013). Psicosociologia del maschilismo. Bari: Laterza.

Supplementary readings

• Cottrell, C.A., & Neuberg, S.L. (2005). Different emotional reactions to different groups: A sociofunctional threat-based approach to “prejudice”. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 770-789.
• Crenshaw, K. W. (1989). Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics, 1989 U. Chi. Legal F. 139.
• Frost DM, & Meyer IH. (2023). Minority stress theory: Application, critique, and continued relevance. Current Opinion in Psychology, 51, 101579.
• Glick, P., & Fiske, S. T. (1996). The Ambivalent Sexism Inventory: Differentiating hostile and benevolent sexism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70(3), 491–512.
• Jost, J. T., & Hunyady, O. (2005). Antecedents and Consequences of System-Justifying Ideologies. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 14(5), 260-265.
• Kraus, M. W., Park, J. W., & Tan, J. J. X. (2017). Signs of Social Class: The Experience of Economic Inequality in Everyday Life. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(3), 422-435.
• Wirth, J. H., & Williams, K. D. (2009). “Thet don’t like our kind”: Consequences of being ostracized while possessing a group membership. Group process & intergroup relation, 12, 111-127.

Further information
Teaching materials will be made available through online platforms. Students will have access to the slides provided by the instructor. The instructor will also support students in locating and obtaining the required bibliography, and will provide alternative materials when necessary.