PS429     
The Social Psychology of Communication

This information is for the 2013/14 session.

Teacher responsible

Prof Martin Bauer COL.8.04

Availability

This course is compulsory on the MSc in Social and Public Communication. This course is available on the MSc in Media and Communications and MSc in Media and Communications (Research). 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

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

Formative coursework

1) An individual book review and 2) a written assignment.

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

Exam (100%, duration: 3 hours) in the main exam period.

Student performance results

(2009/10 - 2011/12 combined)

Classification % of students
Distinction 15.1
Merit 67.1
Pass 15.1
Fail 2.7

Key facts

Department: Social Psychology

Total students 2012/13: 17

Average class size 2012/13: Unavailable

Value: One Unit

Guidelines for interpreting course guide information

Personal development skills

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

Course survey results

(2011/12 - 2012/13 combined)

1 = "best" score, 5 = "worst" score

The scores below are average responses.

Response rate: 88.6%

Question

Average
response

Reading list (Q2.1)

1.7

Materials (Q2.3)

1.8

Course satisfied (Q2.4)

1.6

Lectures (Q2.5)

1.7

Integration (Q2.6)

1.8

Contact (Q2.7)

2

Feedback (Q2.8)

2

Recommend (Q2.9)

Yes

78.8%

Maybe

21.2%

No

0%