Dr. Gregory Neidert
PGS 458
Group Dynamics
Course Syllabus
Fall 2012
Instructor: Dr. Gregory Neidert
Classroom: SCOB 316 (Tempe) [SLN 70543]
Meeting Time: 1:30pm - 4:15pm
Office: PSY B203
Office Hrs: M by appointment only 11:30am - 1:30pm and 7:30pm - 8:30pm, T by appointment only 11:30am - 1:30pm and 4:30pm -5:30pm, W - F none
Office Phone: 965-1868
Main Office Phone: 956-3326
E-mail: atgpn@asu.edu
Website 1: www.public.asu.edu/~gneidert
Website 2: www.asu.edu/courses/pgs458
Teaching Assistant: Joseph O'Donnell
Office: SCOB 132
Office Hrs.: W & Th 11:00am to 1:00pm and by appointment
E-mail: JoePGS458@gmail.com
Textbook: (1) GROUP DYNAMICS (5th ed., 2010)
- Forsyth
Forsyth’s Resource Page: (2) http://www.richmond.edu/~dforsyth/gd/
Small Group Activities: (3) http://psychology.wadsworth.com/forsyth5e
About the 5th Edition: (4)
http://www.newtexts.com/newtexts/book.cfm?book_id=2812
Readings: Any readings will be handed out/assigned 1 week before they are due.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will address the issues of Group Dynamics in-depth (see the topics listed below). We will examine how individuals, in situations characterized by interdependence, affect and are affected by in-group and out-group members. The topics will be addressed in approximately their order of presentation below.
I. INTRODUCTION TO GROUP DYNAMICS
Chapter 1
II. RESEARCH METHODS IN GROUP DYNAMICS (review)
Chapter 2.
III. GROUP FORMATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND SOCIALIZATION
Chapters 3, 4, & 5
IV. GROUP STRUCTURE
Chapter 6
The following topics for discussion may be reorganized.
V. CONFORMITY, INTERPERSONAL INFLUENCE, AND POWER
Chapters 7 & 8
VI. CONFLICT, LEADERSHIP, GROUP PERFORMANCE, AND DECISION MAKING
Chapters 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13
VII. THE EFFECTS OF EXTERNAL PRESSURES ON GROUPS
Chapters 13 & 14
VIII. GROUP INTERVENTION AND CHANGE
Chapter 15 & 16
IX. CROWDS & COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR
Chapter 17
LECTURE STYLE
Before coming to class, I expect students to have read the material assigned in the text. By so doing, it allows a higher and more informed level of discussion to take place. I feel that by waiting until the week before the exam to read the material, students are cheating themselves out of their education and are also unable to effectively participate in the class.
I encourage your participation in class, because I view you as consumers who pay to have me relate information on this topic to you: And I want you to get as much from this course as you can. Consequently, by providing input during lectures and office hours, I feel you will be able to get the type and level of information from this class that you seek.
My lectures are oriented toward the practical application of Group Dynamics in a wide variety of fields and settings. I generally provide lecture outlines to the class that act as guides for the topics under discussion and also as study guides for the exams. During lecture, I focus on having you UNDERSTAND CONCEPTS, as opposed to merely memorizing sterile, lifeless definitions. Consequently, I stress my in-class examples as vehicles for allowing students to generate their own intuitive definitions of the concepts. The standardized definitions are available in the textbook chapters (which, as I said, should have been read in advance).
TESTS
Four (4) tests will be given. They will be multiple choice tests, with the number of questions per test varying according to the schedule presented below. The final test is weighted just as heavily as all of the other tests. No test will be eligible to be dropped and NO MAKE-UP TESTS will be given.
The following represents the tentative test schedule for this semester. I reserve the right to alter the dates as I see fit.
Test # DATE MATERIAL
COVERED
Test I 25 Sep. 2012 1, 2, 3, 4 + Lecture to Date
Test II 23 Oct. 2012 5, 6, 7, 8 + Lecture to Date
Test
III 20
Nov. 2012 9, 10, 11, 12 [+ Lecture to Date]
Test
IV 11
Dec. 2012 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 + Cumulative Lecture + Presentations
CLASS PAPERS/PROJECTS/EXERCISES
Written assignments will be due at the beginning of the period on the dates assigned in class. In other words, all papers and projects are due by 1:30pm on the assigned due dates. Assignments handed in after the beginning of class will receive a grade of F [Fail] (HINT ... there is no penalty for getting your papers or projects in early).
All written assignments/exercises will be laser printed, double-spaced, with 1" margins about the papers. They will be written in American Standard English, written in clear typeface, in accordance with the style recommendations advanced by the American Psychological Association, etc. Excessive (more than about 5 - 7) grammatical or typographical errors will result in a grade of F [Fail].
The following represent a partial listing of papers, projects, and exercises:
Papers, Projects, and Exercises
• Group (Presentations) Papers (10 pages minimum, 20 pages maximum)
• Individual Papers (2 pages minimum, 5 pages maximum)
• Mini papers, projects and exercises (1 page minimum, 2 pages maximum)
This category of coursework has the capacity to reduce your minimum number of total points for your Final Grade by 5% (15 points), except in the case of D or E level performance on the tests [see the page 5 for details]. All Papers/Projects/Exercises are graded on a Pass/Fail basis only. All must be completed and receive a grade of Pass to be counted toward your Final Grade. If any is not completed with a grade of Pass, then none of the Papers/Projects/Exercises points count toward your Final Grade. After grading, papers will not be returned to you. Rather, the grades will be posted on the attendance sheet and the papers will be available in Dr. Neidert’s office for review. You may come by during office hours or set an appointment to review and discuss your work.
OUTLINE OF THE MAJOR CLASS PROJECT
Group Formation and Composition:
Students will be divided into groups consisting of about 5 individuals. The composition of each team will in large part be determined by students, using guidelines provided by me. I, generally, will play an "advise and consent" role in the process.
Group Project Description:
Each team will be responsible for designing a project to be done as a group. The project must include actual observations of the ongoing interactions of an outside group. The interactions of these outside group members must be observed in their actual/natural settings. ALL GROUP PROJECTS MUST BE OUTLINED IN DETAIL AND PRESENTED TO ME FOR APPROVAL PRIOR TO BEGINNING ANY OBSERVATIONS.
The outside groups eligible for observation include any active, ongoing, cohesive group. You will have to generate your own ideas for which groups you wish to observe. In some instances, depending on your choices, I will recommend the observation of 2 or 3 groups in order to enhance your analysis (through comparison and contrast). Please note that I reserve the right to veto any proposed group which I deem inconsistent with the nature and intent of this project (e.g., observing shoppers at a mall or grocery store, or other such non-groups, etc.).
Group Papers and Oral Presentation:
Group papers will be between 10 and 20 (max.) pages in length, written according to the guidelines mentioned above in the syllabus. The papers will be approximately 25% descriptive and 75% analytical in their content, explaining the entirety of your group dynamics project. Papers will each include an Abstract, Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion section. The first page of all journal articles (and other sources) cited will be required to accompany the papers.
In addition, at the end of the semester, each team will present its findings to the class in a 20 minute oral PowerPoint presentation. It should be organized in a fashion similar to the written report. The presentation will be followed by 10 minutes of Q & A/debriefing/feedback.
Individual Papers:
Individual Papers will be between 2 and 5 (max.) pages in length following the guidelines mentioned above in the syllabus. The papers will be approximately 25% descriptive and 75% analytical in their content. Instead of analyzing the outside group under study, these papers will analyze the project team, from formation to dissolution. In addition, the first page of all journal articles (and other sources) cited will be required to accompany the papers.
Additional Criteria Used for Grading All Papers:
Writing Style - your ability to clearly communicate your thoughts to the reader.
Argumentation/Analysis - your ability to clearly and persuasively argue and support the assertions you make in your paper.
Proofreading - your attention to detail in the production of your paper. More that 5 - 7 typographical or grammatical errors will result in a significant diminution of your grade.
Citations - your capacity to select appropriate citations to support your arguments, as well as having a sufficient number of citations (about 1 unique citation per page of text).
Group Project Activities:
Please refer to the Papers
and Projects link for due dates/deadlines for each activity.
Phase I - Getting Started
Initial Group Selection & Project Outlines
Final Group Selection & Project Outlines Approved
Final Approval for Measures
Phase II - Data Collection and Drafts
Begin Group Observations & Data Collection
Final Draft of Intro & Methods Due for Peer Review
End Group Observations & Data Collection
Final Draft of Abstract, Results, & Discussion Due for Peer Review
Phase III - Final Papers and Oral Presentations
Final Group Papers Due
Oral Presentations
Individual Papers
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Attendance throughout each entire class period is required & will be taken by Dr. Neidert every class period via a sign-in sheet. Individuals who arrive late or leave early, without prior permission of the instructor (for a verifiable and unavoidable reason), will be counted as absent, even if they signed-in on the sheet.
If a you are not present when attendance is taken for two (2) class periods, your final grade will be reduced by one full grade level. If a you are not present when attendance is taken for three (3) or more class periods, you will receive a final grade of E for the course.
Only absences preapproved by the instructor, or those for which there is a verifiable and unavoidable reason, will be excused. Individuals missing four (4) or more classes for verifiable and unavoidable reasons may submit appropriate documentation to receive a grade of I or W for the course. If the appropriate documentation is not submitted, the student will receive an E for the course.
Finally, only students registered for the course are allowed in the class. Visitors are allowed to attend only with prior permission from Dr. Neidert. Individuals not enrolled in the course will be referred to the Dean of Students for appropriate University disciplinary action.
GRADING
The exact numerical value/point scheme for tests is listed below. Your grades will be based on your performance on the assignments & exercises and tests. I grade strictly on a 90% (A), 80% (B), 70% (C), 60% (D), 50% and below (E) scale. Contributions to class will be duly noted and will help you if you are on the (exact) borderline of a grade at the end of the semester. You can examine the GRADING SCHEDULE for the exact point requirements for each grade level. If the number of Total Test Points/Total Possible Course Points varies from 300, then the cut-off scores for each grade level will be proportionately adjusted to compensate for that variation.
GRADING SCHEDULE
TESTS 300 - 400
POINTS
Test I 75 - 100 pts.
Test II 75 - 100
pts.
Test III 75 - 100
pts.
Test IV 75- 100 pts.
PAPERS/PROJECTS/EXERCISES Pass/Fail
(All must be completed with a grade of Pass, or none count toward your Final Grade)
Group Paper/Project P/F
Presentation P/F
Individual Paper P/F
Mini-Projects/Papers/Exercises P/F
TOTAL POSSIBLE COURSE POINTS: 300 POINTS [for example]
Cut-off scores for each grade level:
A = 270 pts. or 255 pts. with grades of Pass on all Papers/Projects/Exercises
B = 240 pts. or 225 pts. with grades of Pass on all Papers/Projects/Exercises
C = 210 pts. or 195 pts. with grades of Pass on all Papers/Projects/Exercises
D = 180 pts. or 165 pts. with grades of Pass on all Papers/Projects/Exercises
E < 180 pts. or <165pts. with grades of Pass on all Papers/Projects/Exercises
POLICY ON FINAL GRADES
If, in fact, you missed a grade level by one point, then you missed that grade level. Please do not call or visit after the last Test to try and extract one point from one of your previous tests or papers. If you want to do that, do it after each Test or paper is handed back. Attempts after the last Test will be in vain.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
All rights reserved. No part of my lectures, lecture outlines, syllabus or any other course materials may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transcribed, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author, Gregory P.M. Neidert, Ph.D.
Infringement of this copyright, in any form, by any party, will result in, but will not be limited to, legal remedies as provided under the Copyright Act of 1976 (Title 17 of the United States Code).
[cf. U.S.C.A. 102(a)(1)].
________________________________________________________
* DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY POLICY STATEMENT OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Preamble: Academic dishonesty is both detrimental to the goals of education and scholarship and demoralizing to the spirit of learning and teaching. Students, together with faculty, assume as part of their obligation to themselves, other students, and the University the responsibility to encourage qualities of honesty and integrity. The following statement represents the official policy on academic dishonesty of the Department of Psychology.
Definition of Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, acts of fraud or deception on an examination, laboratory work, or class assignments; acts of forgery or unauthorized alteration of any academic record or document; and attempts to gain credit for work which the student has either not actually performed or has plagiarized from another person's work.
Plagiarism is characterized as the act of taking ideas and writings from another person and passing them off as his/her own work. Quotation marks, page number, and author reference are required for adequate acknowledgement of word-for-word copying of another's work. An author reference is sufficient acknowledgement for the rephrasing in your own words of the work of another person. Other forms of plagiarism include reproducing a friend's paper and obtaining a paper from a paper preparation service. Furthermore, submitting the same paper for academic credit in two or more courses is considered an act of academic dishonesty, except in those rare instances in which the instructor is informed and gives prior approval.
Reporting and Investigation of Academic Dishonesty: The reporting of suspect incidents of academic dishonesty is the responsibility of all members of the University community. Academic dishonesty is of special concern to honest students since they may be deprived of receiving higher earned grades because of artificially elevated grade distributions and inflated grade levels. Apparent instances of academic dishonesty are to be reported to the course instructor who will conduct an investigation in a manner than protects the individual rights of the persons involved.
Sanctions for Academic Dishonesty: When concluding that an incident of academic dishonesty has occurred, the course instructor may apply sanctions ranging from discussion and/or verbal reprimand of the student to more concrete actions. These actions include but are not limited to lowering credit for the assignment, giving a failing grade for either the assignment or the entire course, recommendation to the chairperson of suspension and/or dismissal of the student from the Psychology Program, and/or a recommendation to the Dean of Students to deal with the incident of academic dishonesty.
Student Appeal of Sanction: A student may appeal sanctions imposed for alleged dishonesty by preparing a written report which both disclaims the charge of academic dishonesty and presents alternative information and/or arguments defending against this charge. Appeal shall be made first to the instructor of the course in which the incident occurred, second to the Chairperson of the Department of Psychology, and third to the office of the Dean.
The policy for this course will be discussed in class.