PB404     
The Social Psychology of Communication

This information is for the 2018/19 session.

Teacher responsible

Dr Bradley Franks QUE.3.05 and Prof Martin Bauer QUE.3.04

Availability

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Social and Public Communication. This course is available on the MPhil/PhD in Psychological and Behavioural Science and MSc in Media and Communications (Data and Society). This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit.

Course content

The course examines core theories towards a social psychology of communication. Issues raised will refer to verbal and non-verbal, face-to-face, rumours and mass mediated, as well as private and public, communal and strategic forms of communication. The second half of the course will provide an overview of applied communication research in various professional areas of public communication. Theories of communication covered in the course include evolutionary theory, classical rhetoric, diffusion research, pragmatics and relevance theory, semiotics and system theory and the theory of communicative action. Issues will be raised as to the critical analysis and the design of communicative action. Issues will be raised as to the critical analysis and the design of communication efforts in professional fields such as business corporations, NGOs, scientific professional bodies, health promotion, governments and political parties, police campaigns, and international organisations.

Teaching

20 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars in the MT.

Students taking PB404 will also be required to attend PB400 lecture  and discussion groups. (PB400 lecture 10 x 120 mins (MT) and 9 x 60 mins discussion groups).

Formative coursework

Students' will complete one formative assignment in the MT.

Indicative reading

No one book covers the entire syllabus; students will be expected to read widely in appropriate journals, and a list of references will be provided at the start of the course.

J Habermas, Theory of Communicative Action, Vol 1 + 2, Polity Press, 1997; R Heath & B Jennings, Human Communication Theory and Research: Concepts, Contexts, and Challenges (2nd edn), Lawrence Erlbaum, 2000; A Mattelart & Mattelart, Theories of Communication: a Short Introduction, Sage, 1998; D McQuail, McQuail's Mass Communication theory (4th edn), Sage, 2000; R Rice & C Atkin, Public Communication Campaign, Sage, 2000; E Rogers, Diffusion of Innovation, Free Press, 1995; D Sperber & D Wilson, Relevance: Communication and Cognition, Cambridge, 1995.


Hook, D, B Franks, MW Bauer (2011) (eds) The Social Psychology of Communication, London, Palgrave.

Assessment

Essay (100%, 5000 words) in the MT.

Student performance results

(2014/15 - 2016/17 combined)

Classification % of students
Distinction 19.4
Merit 58.3
Pass 19.4
Fail 2.9

Teachers' comment

Students taking PB404 will also be expected to take part in a full day Training Day on practical issues in public communication (MT) and a full day Dissertation Presentation Conference (ST)

Key facts

Department: Psychological and Behavioural Science

Total students 2017/18: Unavailable

Average class size 2017/18: Unavailable

Controlled access 2017/18: No

Value: One Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

  • Self-management
  • Team working
  • Communication
  • Application of numeracy skills
  • Specialist skills