Fall 2025 - PSYC 391 D300
Selected Topics in Psychology (3)
Class Number: 7532
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Thu, 4:30–7:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Sally Xie
sally_xie@sfu.ca
Office: RCB 7319
Office Hours: TBD
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Prerequisites:
PSYC 201. Other prerequisites vary by topic offering.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Course can be repeated for credit. Students may not take this course for further credit if similar topics are covered. See Psychology department website for course description.
COURSE DETAILS:
The objective of this course is to provide advanced students with an in-depth understanding of social cognition—the study of how individuals perceive, interpret, and respond to social information.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
1. Understand and explain core concepts in social cognition
2. Describe historical foundations and methodological advances in the study of social cognition
3. Examine how cognitive mechanisms shape social thought and behavior
4. Apply social-cognitive theories and frameworks to interpret everyday social interactions, relationships, and real-world issues
5. Evaluate how social cognition contributes to societal phenomena such as prejudice and collective action
6. Critically evaluate empirical research in social cognition, identifying strengths, limitations, and theoretical implications
7. Compare different methodological approaches used to study social cognition and discuss their respective advantages and challenges
8. Develop scientific communication and research skills by synthesizing and communicating findings from research articles in written formats
9. Propose research questions to investigate social-cognitive phenomena
10. Reflect on the broader impact of research on social cognition for ethics and society
Grading
- In-class participation* 11 x 2%: 18%
- In-class peer evaluation**: 2%
- In-class projects 4 x 10%: 40%
- Final project and paper: 40%
- The evaluation breakdown is tentative and will be confirmed in the first week of class.
NOTES:
*Students are allowed to miss 2 classes without having it affect their grade.
**If you miss class on a day that peer evaluation is taking place, it is important to let the professor and TAs know ahead of time, so that we can give you another option to complete the peer evaluations.
REQUIREMENTS:
The prerequisites for this course, PSYC 201 and PSYC 210.
Materials
REQUIRED READING:
Donal E. Carlston, Kurt Hugenberg, & Kerri Johnson (2024). The Oxford Handbook of Social Cognition, 2nd Ed. Oxford University Press.
See Canvas for complete list.
RECOMMENDED READING:
The following text is optional but strongly recommended.
Moskowitz, G. (2024). Introduction to Social Cognition: The Essential Questions and Ideas. Guilford Press.
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.
To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit:
- SFU’s Academic Integrity Policy: S10-01 Policy
- SFU’s Academic Integrity website, which includes helpful videos and tips in plain language: Academic Integrity at SFU
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.