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2010/2011  BA-HAP_VTPI  The psychology of influence

English Title
The psychology of influence

Course Information

Language English
Point 7,5 ECTS (225 SAT)
Type Elective
Level Bachelor
Duration One Semester
Course Period Spring
Time Table Please see course schedule at e-Campus
Study Board
Study Board for BSc/MSc in Business Administration and Psychology
Course Coordinator
  • Signe Vikkelsø - Department of Organization
Secretary Ane Lindgren Hassing - alh.ioa@cbs.dk
Main Category of the Course
  • Marketing
  • Business psychology
  • Management

Taught under Open University-Taught under open university.
Last updated on 29 maj 2012
Learning Objectives
The course’s development of personal competences:
Psychological influence, interpersonal relations, communication, sales, and management.
Objectives:
At the end of the course, the student must be able to use the course material, methods, language and theories to:
• Analyze cases, advertises, communiqués, and conversations
• Apply and suggest influence theories or tactics to achieve a specific goal or solve a specific case
• Discuss the details, advantages, problems, and pitfalls of a suggested or analyzed influence strategy
Examination
20 min case based exam with 40 min. preparation.
Exam Period May/June

Examination
Type: Case based exam with 40 minute preparation and 20 minute individual oral presentation of solutions to the case.
Aids: Course material (no internet access)
Assessment: 12-grade scale based on oral presentation
Prerequisites for Attending the Exam
Students must document to have participated in at least one group exercise to be granted access to the exam.
Course Content

This course is a practical psychology course, where we look at how psychological principles within influence can be used in real life cases – and not just discussed in theory. We will combine the psychology of influence, the psychology of persuasion, the psychology of leading communication, the psychology of leadership, and psychology of human attitudes and attitude change. Courses that studies the science and practice of influence has been called many names and covers many disciplines within businesses: Advertising, selling, human development, management, networking and simply understanding some of the dynamics between people within organizations.

Having a point of departure in experimental social psychology, this course in influence examines the relations, dynamics, behavior and development of person-to-person interaction, person to group communication, and how influence takes places in the social room.

Teaching Methods
To some points the psychology of influence is just as much an art as it is a science. And you do not learn to paint just by reading about paintings. As the course is part of an experimental research tradition, experiments and exercises are therefore part of classes and have to be carried out as homework. Lectures will therefore be accompanied by exercises in influence – going from Persuasion Wars (Loroz, 2007) to being exposed to influence from others (Levine, Fast, & Zimbardo, 2004). Students have to participate and have to document their participation in these exercises to pass the course.
External speakers will be invited to give 30-minute talks in the lectures. Among the invited will be:
• Theis Egeberg, Director, GoViral, “Influence in practice”
• Gorm Laursen, Art Director, “The words of persuasion”
• Kåre Førby, Sales Executive, “Sales Psychology”
Literature

The course uses four main sources:

· Aronson, Wilson & Akert (2009). "Social Psychology" 6th edition

· Kassin & Fein (2009). "Social Psychology" 5th edition

· Robert Cialdini (2001): “Influence – Science and Practice”

· Levine, Robert (2003). "The power of persuasion - how we are bought and sold"

Articles and chapters from relevant books are added in several topics.