Course scope

The starting point is the relationship between the individual and the social environment. Participants examine the mechanisms of social perception, judgement and the interpretation of other people’s behaviour. Topics include attribution processes, attitudes and stereotypes, as well as the ways in which prior experience, emotion and context shape the understanding of social situations.

A central area of study is social influence. Participants analyse conformity, obedience, persuasion, group pressure and decision-making in the presence of others. These phenomena are presented as mechanisms whose understanding supports more informed participation in relationships and helps identify situations in which personal autonomy may be restricted.

The subject also addresses group processes, including the formation of norms, role allocation, cooperation, conflict, leadership, responsibility and collective decision-making. Participants consider why groups may encourage engagement and solidarity, but may also contribute to passivity, polarisation, groupthink or the diffusion of responsibility.

The teaching approach connects academic knowledge with observations drawn from organisations, teams and civic initiatives. Social psychological theories are therefore treated as tools for careful interpretation of the social world. Particular attention is given to questioning initial judgements, remaining open to alternative perspectives and recognising the constraints created by social situations.

The ethical dimension concerns responsibility for the influence people exercise, the language they use and the conditions under which decisions are made. Participants consider the boundaries of persuasion, the importance of informed consent and the effects of authority or prejudice on social relations. The aim is to develop critical thinking, empathy and responsible communication.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the classes, participants are able to:

explain how social contexts influence individual perception, judgement and behaviour;
analyse attribution processes and the formation of attitudes, stereotypes and prejudice;
identify mechanisms of conformity, obedience, persuasion and group pressure;
interpret group dynamics, leadership styles and collective decision-making;
apply selected social psychological concepts to organisational and public contexts;
evaluate communication and social influence from the perspective of responsibility and ethical principles.

Teaching methods

analysis of classic research and contemporary case studies;
observation and interpretation of social, organisational and media situations;
problem-based exercises concerning perception, influence and decision-making;
collaborative analysis of group dynamics and social behaviour;
facilitated discussion and reflection on judgement, prejudice and responsibility.

These methods connect theoretical concepts with everyday experience while encouraging participants to examine the limitations of their own interpretations.

Target group

The classes are intended primarily for students of communication, marketing, sociology, education, management and HR-related programmes. They are also relevant to those interested in teamwork, organisational behaviour and social communication.

Academic and professional relevance

The subject develops the ability to explain social behaviour through theory and research evidence and to evaluate interpretations critically.

This knowledge is relevant to management, human resources, education, communication, public administration and civic projects. It supports a better understanding of team dynamics, responsible communication and decisions that take account of the social context of behaviour.