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Interdisciplinary Courses | ||||||||
Psychology and Leadership
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Dr. Scott Allison Professor of Psychology University of Richmond |
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Dr. Crystal Hoyt Associate Professor of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond |
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Leadership is a critical element of any group and is often conceptualized as a relationship between leaders and followers involving influence processes, social perceptions, and social interactions. This course examined these three aspects of leadership. First it examined the influence processes of leadership wherein individuals persuade others to adopt new values, attitudes and goals. Influence processes range from conforming to group standards to obeying the requests of legitimate authority and involve central concepts such as social power, compliance with orders, and internalization of attitudes. Next the course analyzed how individuals form impressions of and make inferences about others. Followers’ perceptions of leaders are not completely rational and are often influenced by various perceptual biases and stereotyped expectations. Finally, the course examined the intricate and multifaceted social interactions between leaders and followers that range from mutually beneficial interactions in which both leaders and followers exchange benefits to transforming interactions in which followers’ views of themselves and their work are changed.
Students gained an understanding of the social and
psychological processes that shape relationships between
leaders and followers in order to understand the overall
phenomenon of leadership. At the
completion of the course, students were familiar with a
number of social and psychological factors that enhance and
deteriorate leadership effectiveness ranging from routes to
persuasion to the impact of stereotypes in the leadership
process. Because students had been involved as both leaders
and followers in leadership relationships throughout their
lives, a scholarly understanding of the processes involved
in the relationship helped them to achieve the applied goal of improving leadership
relationships.
Psychology and Leadership
Syllabus
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