see also
Junior/Senior · 3 weeks (June 21 - July 12) · 3 credits
This intensive introduction to psychology has long been a favorite with Summer College students. It explores how we, as individuals, understand and get along in the broader social world.
Humans are a social species and our connection to one another is a core element of our experience. In this program we'll examine how and why people act differently in the same situation—sometimes as a result of the culture in which they were raised, the family in which they grew up, or the genetic make-up they inherited.
We'll also discuss how and why different situations, especially social situations, channel behavior in particular directions, minimizing and overcoming differences between individuals.
In addressing these themes, we'll investigate such questions as:
- Why do we hold stereotypes?
- How do we decide what motivates other people's actions?
- How are beliefs and attitudes formed and changed?
- How do invisible social norms influence our behavior?
- What factors determine whom we like and love?
- What is the nature of emotional experience?
- Why are people capable of great cruelty and inspiring altruism?
Along the way, we'll learn about how these questions can be scientifically studied, so that our knowledge of human behavior can rest on a solid foundation and go beyond the speculations offered for millennia by philosophers, poets, and other astute observers.
In addition, we'll put our theories into action. After exploring careers in the field of psychology, we'll review selected case studies, learn basic counseling skills, and discuss the signs depression and suicidal ideation. We'll focus on how to help a friend and we'll meet with residents of a substance-abuse recovery center and people challenged by mental illness.
To be eligible for this program, you must have completed your junior or senior year of high school by June 2008.
Course
You'll be enrolled in Personality and Social Psychology: The Individual in the Social World (PSYCH 1280). This class meets Mondays through Fridays, 10:00 a.m.-12:45 p.m. and Mondays/Tuesdays or Mondays/Wednesdays 1:45-3:00 p.m. or 3:15-4:30 p.m.
Academic director
"I have always been interested in how people make judgments and decisions in their everyday and professional lives—judgments and decisions about relationships, about politics and government, about money, and even about sports. This interest, which I pursue in my research, dovetails with what I like most about teaching, which is how to foster the critical thinking skills that are necessary for people to make sound judgments, wise decisions, and productive choices."
Thomas Gilovich is a professor in and chairperson of Cornell's Department of Psychology and a member of the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics and Decision Research. He obtained his B.A. from the University of California and his Ph.D. from Stanford University, and has taught at Cornell since 1981.
Professor Gilovich's research examines how people make judgments and decisions in their everyday and professional lives. This has led him to study judgments and decisions in the world of politics, economics, sports, and relationships. Currently, he is focusing on egocentrism, and the difficulty people have in accurately assessing how they are seen by others.
Professor Gilovich is most widely known for his research that debunks the “hot hand” in basketball and for his first two books, How We Know What Isn’t So and Why Smart People Make Big Money Mistakes. He is also the author of Heuristics and Biases (with Dale Griffin and Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman, 2002) and Social Psychology (with Dacher Keltner and Richard Nisbett, 2005).
Professor Gilovich teaches statistics, judgment, and social psychology to undergraduate students at Cornell.
Required textbook
| Title | Author | Cost |
| Social Psychology (1st edition) | Gilovich, Keltner, & Nisbett | To be determined |