Social Psychology

Decode Human Influence: Are your thoughts, feelings, and actions truly your own, or are they shaped by the people around you? Social psychology explores how the real, imagined, or implied presence of others influences what we think, feel, and do. From understanding why we obey stop signs at intersections when no one is around or why we buy certain products to exploring dramatic phenomena like mass discrimination or extreme group behavior, you will examine the principles that shape human behavior in this course. You’ll explore, investigate, and apply key concepts in social psychology, culminating in a public exhibition of your own self-designed research project on a topic that interests you.

Why Take This Course? Think like a social psychologist as you analyze topics such as prejudice, persuasion, conformity, altruism, relationships, and group dynamics. Perfect for anyone curious about human behavior, this course will help you build critical skills in inquiry, experimentation, and analysis, preparing you to understand and interpret the forces that influence us every day.

Students in GOA courses will need reliable access to a computer with webcam/microphone connections, an email address (preferably school-based), a Web-conferencing app (GOA courses use Zoom), and a Word processing app (GOA courses use Google’s G Suite). When necessary, alternative arrangements may be made. Some courses require additional materials which can be found here.

NCAA-approved course

UC-approved course

View Course Outline