PS415 Half Unit Not available in 2011/12
The Social Psychology of Economic Life
This information is for the 2011/12 session.
Teacher responsible
Professor George Gaskell, COL. B101 Availability
MSc Media and Communications, MSc Media and Communications (Research), MSc Media and Communications (Media and Communication Governance), MSc Organisational and Social Psychology, MSc Social and Cultural Psychology, MSc Social Research Methods and MSc Social and Public Communication. Students on degrees without a psychology or media component may only attend subject to numbers, their own degree regulations and at the discretion of the teacher responsible. Course content
The course reviews the contribution of social psychological theories and perspectives, broadly interpreted to include micro-sociology, to the understanding of people's representations, attitudes, choices and behaviours in the economic sphere.
Rationality in individual and collective decision taking. The scientific and lay representations of risk. Trust in contemporary society. Consumer behaviour, fashion and the symbolic aspects of consumption. Equity and justice. Behavioural economics. Teaching
Lecture (PS415) (one hour) x 10 LT; Seminar x 10 LT. Formative coursework
An essay plan of not more than 500 words is required. Indicative reading
Reading lists will be provided for each topic, the following are of general use; S E G Lea, R M Tarpy & P Webley, The Individual in the Economy, Cambridge University Press, 1987; A Lewis, P Webley & A Furnham, The New Economic Mind: The social psychology of economic behaviour, Harvester, 1995. Assessment
A written assignment of not more than 3,000 words (100%). ^
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