Day 1: Introduction to Organizational Behavior

We will start with a quick overview of the field of Social Psychology.

There are two viewpoints that Social Psychologists use as lenses for examining the world. We can study the way individuals perceive and understand their social environment. Or we can study people in groups and seek to understand behaviors in the context of the social setting. In our OB class,we'll take both perspectives.

Topics to cover on this day include:

  • Kurt Lewin and field theory
  • Solomon Asch and conformity
  • Stanley Milgram and obedience to authority
  • Henry Murray and the TAT
  • David McClelland’s nAch, nAff and nPow
  • Irving Janis and groupthink
  • Robert F. Bales and SYMLOG
  • The Story of Kitty Genovese

On Day 1, we'll also discuss therules of engagement for the class, how we'll use technology, and what the group project will be about.

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The Milgram Study

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Poem about the Dutton and Aron study, called Rope Bridge, by Nan Cohen.

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The famous Solomon Asch Study on Conformity.