Social Psychology: How Social Influences Shape Identity

Course Overview

Social identity formation refers to identity development within community and social settings. Explore patterns that influence people’s choices within key areas of life, such as community and social settings. 

The Social Psychology: How Social Influences Shape Identity micro-credential course explores the power of social influence and looks at key factors that influence the formation of an individual’s social identity. This identity in turn influences an individual’s decision-making and social behaviour.

During this 6-week course, you will identify patterns that influence people’s choices within community and social settings. These key factors involve issues of obedience, conformity, roles, and behaviour within a social context.

In this micro-credential prosocial behaviour is investigated with a focus on how it can assist with helping others. Learn about antisocial behaviours and how they can lead to aggression and violence.

This course explores different types of relationships, maintaining relationships, types of attachment, and the personal and social effects of relationships.

Lastly, gain an understanding of how social context influences sexual attitudes and behaviours as well as how social influences impact health and well-being.

What You’ll Learn

Over the course of six (6) weeks, through videos, readings and discussions, you will explore the following topics:

Week 1: The foundational concepts of human behaviour within a social context, more popularly known as social psychology.

Week 2: The concept of the self, becoming self-aware, the origin of self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-presentation within a social context.

Week 3: Social cognition and other related concepts, emotions and mood (both of which can be referred to as affect).

Week 4: Introduction to the ways in which you make initial and often intuitive impressions of others and then later possibly make more considered judgments.

Week 5: Attitudes, beliefs, consistency, stereotypes, prejudice and intergroup relations.

Week 6: Undertake a summative assessment that captures all the key learning outcomes for this course.

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain the history of human behaviour within a social context.
• Describe the formation of the self in a social context.
• Define the concepts of social cognition, emotion, affect and their influence in shaping one’s attitude and behaviour, inclusive of the self, social identity, and social comparisons.
• Analyse the distinctiveness of social perceptions and their influence in shaping social behaviour.

Certification

Upon completion, you will receive a digital certificate of competence and badge. Your certificate and badge can be shared on 100+ social media platforms, allowing you to share your achievement with a single click.  

Stackable Credentials

Stack specified combinations of micro-credentials and they can be recognised as equivalent to a module within the Bachelor of Applied Social Science Degree at SACAP. Social Psychology: How Social Influences Shape Identity can be stacked with Social Psychology: How Social Influences Impact Behaviour and if you meet the minimum entrance criteria, you can enrol for the Bachelor of Applied Social Science Degree or the Bachelor of Psychology Degree and apply for module exemption.

Dates

• Class of 2026 August: 10 August – 20 September
• Class of 2026 September: 7 September – 18 October
• Class of 2026 October: 12 October – 22 November

There are no online classes. Course content is released on a weekly basis allowing you to work through the course material, and meet weekly targets, at a time that is most convenient to you.

FAQs

The Team

The SACAP Global team brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience across various disciplines. Our expert short course developers and dedicated support team are passionate about sharing their insights to help you get the most out of your online learning journey.