Applied Social Psychology

Central to the course will be application and deepening of social psychological theory and knowledge relevant to psychological work. This may include establishing and evaluating preventive and behaviour-modifying measures. Examples are how to understand and work to improve people's physical and mental health, reduce aggression and crime, improve students' school performance, work for a better environment, and promote the integration of people from other cultures. The course has two applied moments a) survey exercises, how to prepare a mapping study from the development of questionnaires to how to design a study to map psychological phenomena, and b) how to prepare, conduct and use focus group interviews for data collection and evaluations.

Knowledge:

• The student has knowledge of how social psychology theory is applied in practice, how to work to reduce health risks, aggression and crime, and improve the environment, integration and pupils' school performance.
• The student has knowledge of how to conduct focus group interviews and survey with a view to implementing and evaluating preventive and behaviour-modifying measures.

Skills:

• The student has practiced the use of social psychology knowledge to analyze concrete social situations and problems a psychologist may face in society.
• The student has completed exercises in focus group interviews and survey methods and knows how a survey is prepared, and how data is collected.

General competence:

• The student has further developed his ability to reflect on how to use social psychological knowledge in work as a psychologist.
• The student has developed the methodological skills necessary to conduct and report data collections, as well as evaluate preventive measures.

Lectures, seminar, practical training and independent written work. Some lectures can be given in English. Evaluation is a semester assignment