I love learning about social psychology and this class is definitely one of the reasons why. The lectures were clear and easy to understand and I enjoyed having discussions during class and office hours since there's SO much you can get into with the material being taught. A big part of it was review from Social Psychology but it definitely goes into the specifics of the material which I really enjoyed. Dr. Smurda also made the experience amazing, she is very clear and the exams aren't difficult at all. I had a rough end to the quarter but even then, I got a decent grade on the final. Would definitely take again if I had the chance!

I loved the textbook. It was easy to read and actually applies to your life. The lectures are always interesting, but you do need to study because the test covers a lot of material. Great class, great professor!

Professor Smurda is a great teacher and is engaging and passionate about the subject. She is very helpful and approachable. Some of the material is a bit dry and repetitive which can lead to a wandering mind when in class or reading. Most of the stuff isn't difficult to understand, but reading is absolutely necessary for this class and there can be quite a bit of it.

The exam questions are application based so memorizing terms isn't very helpful. The paper is not difficult at all and participation requirement is through Tophat which is quite easy to fulfill.

This class was very interesting and I am amazed at how much I learned about myself and others. This was my first psych upperdiv, so all of the concepts were new to me unlike others who were familiar with some of them from Psych 135. Professor Smurda is engaging and does her best to make the lectures fun and informative. I never missed any lectures even though they're bruincasted, which helps for reviewing for the exams. The midterm and final are both multiple choice exams and are heavily based on the lectures, but also include a few questions from the readings which often coincided with the content from the lectures. The tests are tricky though; I didn't do as well as I would've liked despite feeling confident both times so they must be taken seriously. The application paper was relatively simple and involved applying social influence concepts to a situation in our lives. As far as participation, only 70% is required to receive the full 10% for your grade. Overall, this class is fascinating and I would recommend Professor Smurda, but be prepared to put in the effort to do well as it isn't as easy as it may seem.

I had such an amazing experience in this class. Dr. Smurda is a wonderful professor and one of the best I’ve had at UCLA. She is super approachable and helpful. The class itself is extremely doable and if you study well for the midterm and final you are guaranteed a good grade in the class.
Breakdown:
Midterm: 35%
Final: 35%
Paper: 20% (super easy, applying concepts to your personal life)
Tophat participation: 10% (only need a 70% on this to get 100%)
Extra credit: 1% added to your final grade if you complete 3 hours of SONA.
Lectures are bruincasted, but I honestly never skipped because she is such a great lecturer. The material is super interesting and very applicable to every day life. Also, if you’ve taken 135 some of the concepts are review. Dr. Smurda generally cares about her students and will even remember your name if you go to her office hours or participate in class. Take her! You won’t regret it.

Straightforward class. 2 tests (35% each), clicker questions, and a very doable paper. There was only one textbook for this class and it was a GREAT read. I really recommend reading the book because it definitely helps you process the concepts for the test. Lectures are also bruincasted which is super helpful for studying (or for whenever you don’t feel like getting out of bed). A few topics are repeats from 135. Professor Smurda is caring and super helpful. If you’re looking for an easy (but also interesting) upper div elective, take this class.