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SPSP Connect! Tips: Suggestions for Classroom Activities

Question: “I'm looking to add to my set of classroom activities that demonstrate to students the processes that occur in groups. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.”

Responses:

  • “Some years ago, Hal Kelley and I developed a classroom demonstration--the Pairing Game-- that illustrates how people select romantic partners who approximate their own desirability.  Others have since developed variations of the Pairing Game that demonstrate other group processes in mate selection.  The Pairing Game appears to be a popular demonstration among students and teachers.”
  • “You can find a number of activities for groups at the following page of the Resources for the Teaching of Social Psychology site at http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/crow/group.htm. Thousands of links to activities, videos, examples, and more resources for the teaching of social psychology and related courses can be found at that site. You can also subscribe to a free, monthly e-mail through which I share many new and newly discovered resources.  To subscribe, go to https://lists.noctrl.edu/sympa/info/socialpsy-teach. 
  • “You are also welcome to use all the resources in Noba-- expert written modules and texts in social psych, instructor's manual and power points for a wide range of topics. All open source and free for you to use. www.nobaproject.com”
  • “I used classroom activities/games that focus on human bonding and connection, interpersonal coordination, perspective taking, and empathy when I was teaching "Leading with Empathy" at Brown. You might find some activities useful for energizing students and promoting further investigation on aspects of social interaction. Some games are even suitable for research on social interaction and group dynamics with proper redesigning. You can read about them here.”
  • “I have found the activity "Starpower" to be a very powerful activity on group dynamics in my classes on prejudice. http://www.simulationtrainingsystems.com/schools-and-charities/products/starpower/”