Psychology of Communication and Marketing

Educational objectives

2 Obiettivi formativi

2.1 Obiettivi generali


The course aims to let students practice and familiarize with advanced data analysis models. Each data analysis model will be considered with respect to the underlying statistical theory, its assumptions and its basilar principles. Students will learn in which case it will be more appropriate to use a particular model of analysis as well as to interpret and correctly communicate and criticize the results.
Students will also learn to use statistical software for running data analysis and for writing and communi-cate results for scientific or non-scientific contexts.

2.2 Obiettivi specifici

2.2.1 Conoscenza e capacità di comprensione (knowledge and understanding).

The course will extends and generalize the basilar concepts on descriptive statistics and on inferential principles that students have to acquire before the course begins. At the end of the course, students should be able to read and/or write a scientific report and/or conduct the data analysis concerning the ad-vanced statistical models considered in the course.

2.2.2 Capacità di applicare conoscenza e comprensione (applying knowledge and under-standing).

The advanced statistical models considered in the course shares a common background with other scien-tific disciplines other than psychology (like neuroscience, biology, sociology, economics etc.). So the knowledge of these advanced statistical models is also an occasion for cross-breeding and let psychologi-cal research hypothesis to be investigated with methods and analysis that cross scientific disciplines.

2.2.3 Autonomia di giudizio (making judgements).

The laboratory is an hands-on experience that has the aim to let the student practice and familiarize with statistical analysis of simulated datasets of real scientific reports by using a statistical software. In particu-lar students will acquire the ability to run a specific statistical analysis and to read and to critically discuss the output for investigating with respect to a specific research hypothesis. Having the possibility to com-pare their results and their comments with those reported in the scientific report will help students to be more incisive and to acquire independence of judgment in concluding that a specific research hypothesis has been (scientifically) proved.

2.2.4 Abilità comunicative (communication skills).

During the course, the use of different communicative styles are encouraged. In particular during lectures the discussion of formal and academic aspects of statistical models and principles will be considered. While during practice with statistical software, procedural and pragmatic aspects of research investigation are stressed (i.e. how to use different multivariate models for investigating different research hypotheses). Finally, students are encouraged to critically draw conclusions about whether statistical results support or not research questions and their limits (i.e. whether findings are generalizable to other samples, context or not).

2.2.5 5) Capacità di apprendimento (learning skills).
At the end of the course, students will know how to read statistical results of a scientific article, will be able to run the needed statistical multivariate models for investigating specific research hypotheses, and will be able to write down and appropriately comment findings according to the investigated research hypotheses. These skills will give students easy access to scientific literature regular update and the practice with the statistical package will open the possibility to work in the marketing research area.

Educational objectives

2 Educational goals
2.1 General goals
The course enables to master the knowledge of various research trends and traditions operating within political psychology, viewed from the standpoint of social psychology too. More in detail, the lectures will indicate how to compare the mainstream tradition with the critical one relative to the different constructs/themes studied in political psychology. Later, such comparison will be required in the various practical activities (reports on specific topics discussed in the adopted texts for the exam preparation, and implementation and execution of a field investigation with final report). In this way, the student will develop special skills in managing complexity, against any reductionist approach.

2.2 Specific goals

2.2.1 Knowledge and understanding
The course intends to develop knowledge and understanding skills, that will allow to examine in depth the discussed themes by reading and commenting the primary sources; so the student will be able to better know and understand the original thought of the various writers, going beyond the mere superficial study.
2.2.2 Applying knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, the student will be able to read the socio-political phenomena, both contemporary and past, with a psychological and social equipment able to propose innovative points of view for the solution of specific problems.
2.2.3 Making judgements
The historical review, related to the genesis of the main theoretical perspectives, will supply the cultural background for a different perception about the evolution of the scientific knowledge and of its relationship with ethical and social imperatives subjected to important changes over the time.
2.2.4 Communication skills
After an initial stage organised in lectures, it is planned the simulation of a research whose final results must be presented to a hypothetical customer who is not expert in political psychology. In this way, the student can prove to master a language that makes the main obtained results understandable to inexpert persons. Along this activity, PowerPoint presentations about themes discussed in the texts for the exam preparation are planned. Such reports must summarise the chosen theme, being in the same time an in-depth analysis, with at least a contribute in English.
2.2.5 Learning skills
By means of the implementation and the execution of a field investigation and the report related to it, as well as the presentation of an intervention/report on a specific theme, the student will improve his/her skills in autonomously managing the different learning stages of psychological knowledge.

Educational objectives

FORMATIVE AIMS
The general aim of the course is to introduce the students to the psychodynamic models of the mind, with particular reference to theories focused on emotional, cognitive and motivational determinants of action both on a conscious and an unconscious perspective, with a particular reference to consumption behavior.
At the end of the course, students will be able to orientate themselves in the main psychodynamic models, from those of classical psychoanalysis to modern perspectives that integrate infant-research and dynamic psychology in a relational perspective. In particular, they will acquire the knowledge of contemporary relational models, useful for understanding the conscious and unconscious determinants of human interactions. Furthermore, students will acquire important concepts related to dual models of information processing that distinguish implicit and explicit social cognition. In particular, students will learn the role of spontaneous evaluations compared to the deliberative ones in determining consumption behavior.
[Descriptor of Dublin n. 1].

The skills acquired will concern the ability to assess psychodynamically both individuals’ internal processes and human relationships, with particular attention to the representations, motivations and emotions at different levels of awareness. These skills will be particularly important to refine the reading of implicit and explicit processes that are the basis of consumption behavior [Dublin Descriptor no. 2].

The practice of psychodynamic interpretation of advertising messages will allow students to enhance their ability to read both internal dynamics and social processes involved in consumption behavior. Furthermore, the development of projects under the supervision of the teacher will allow them to acquire the rudiments of investigation in this research area.
[Descriptor of Dublin n. 3].

The use of a participative discussions with the formation of learning groups (Both for psychodynamic evaluation of advertising messages and for the development of research projects) will facilitate the acquisition of a correct use of psychodynamic categories as well as of the main research instruments in this field [Dublin descriptor no. 4].

Participation in group’s practical activities with the supervision of the teacher will facilitate the autonomy of the students in different manners: in terms of their ability to orientate themselves in the scientific literature, in terms of their ability to evaluate the advertising messages, and in the use of the main research instruments used in this research area [Dublin descriptor no. 5].

Educational objectives

The Course aims at providing fundamentals about Cognitive Neuroscience and the application of this knowledge to the field of Neuroeconomy (decision-making processes associated with the evaluation of risks and benefits) and Neuromarketing (decision-making processes associated with the evaluation of good to be bought).

Upon completion of the course, the student must know the main brain circuits and neurophysiological mechanisms and the regulation of the autonomic nervous system at the base of attention processes, perception, learning-memorization, and evaluation of visual stimuli with emotional content. Furthermore, they will have to be able to describe the main experimental designs and the use of current brain imaging methods (in particular magnetic resonance imaging and quantitative electroencephalography) to evaluate the impact of advertising information and political communications on brain activity and the experience of the people involved in the experimentation.

Educational objectives

The course aims to provide a systematic presentation of the main and most recent theoretical approaches to the study of persuasive communication and interpersonal influence, with specific reference to the state of the art within social psychology. Particular attention will also be paid to the various applicative areas of persuasive communication and interpersonal influence strategies.
Specifically, class lectures will allow students to develop knowledge about the basic components involved in the persuasive processes and the theoretical approaches to the study of persuasive communication and interpersonal influence.
Subsequently, group work, organized for attending students and for laboratory activities, will aim to pro-mote a deeper understanding of each theoretical model and / or specific phenomenon linked to persuasion and interpersonal influence, with reference to the various application areas.

The course aims to develop knowledge and skills that will enable students to read and interpret the results of empirical research, and to incorporate them within the relevant theoretical and application areas. Stu-dents who attend lectures will also acquire a specific competence of the approaches of public service campaigns and on compliance gaining techniques.

At the end of the course students will be able to understand the phenomena related to persuasion and in-terpersonal influence, to interpret and explain them according to the different theoretical reference models. In addition, they will be able to propose solutions to specific problems in the various areas of application (public communication, political communication, health promotion campaigns, etc.) of psychosocial theo-ries on attitudinal and behavioral change.

The systematic review of the main theoretical perspectives will provide the basis for a greater awareness of the processes underlying persuasive communication and interpersonal influence. Through group work, students will have the opportunity to develop and formulate independent judgments about the phenomena involved in persuasive communication, as well as to reflect on the social and ethical responsibilities related to the application of the acquired knowledge.

After an initial phase of class lectures, group work is planned to deepen and connect with specific themes related to persuasion and interpersonal influence. Such group work consists in the study of relevant mate-rials, primarily provided by the instructor. The students, from one side have to integrate materials studied individually with the other members of their working group and from the other, have to clearly and coher-ently present this material in the classroom in a way that is useful for their classmates. In this way, we will try to stimulate not only critical thinking about the topics and the ability to work in a group, but also the communication skills and abilities necessary to manage a presentation in front of an audience.

Through the group activity (illustrated in point 2.2.4), students will be able to improve their ability to manage, autonomously and in a group, the different stages of knowledge about the topics under study. In addition to the mere study of the material provided by the instructor to carry out the group work, students will be stimulated to integrate this material with additional material (movies, videos, commercials, etc), auton-omously found and deemed useful to stimulate debate and reflection on the phenomena.

Educational objectives

At the end of the course, the student will be able to master notions regarding corporate communication, in its internal and external aspects, showing awareness of the different theoretical approaches to study them (mainly tanks to lectures and textbooks). The student will also learn some operational paradigms and tools to manage and realize organizational communication (mainly tanks to testimony companies and practical activities).
At the end of the course, the student will have a strengthened both basic and applied psychological prepa-ration, particularly regarding social-psychological aspects within communication and marketing, with spe-cific attention to communication within the organizational context. The student will know main topics of or-ganizational communication psychology, in its classical features of internal and external communication, as well as in its innovative aspects which mix one and the other features.
At the end of the course, the student will be able to identify different organizational communication phe-nomena and to understand their dynamics, by having theoretical and methodological tools to collaborate - with other disciplines within an organizational context - both to diagnose them, and to design organizational communication interventions to improve an existing situation or to solve possible problems.
At the end of the course, the student will reach capability to apply acquired knowledge to formulate a per-sonal idea on scientific ground when facing organizational communication phenomena, by integrating ac-quired knowledge in order to cope with complexity, in case of possibly limited or incomplete information too. Moreover, the student will be fully aware of the importance of ethical, social and environmental re-sponsibility implied by both processes and contents of organizational communication. All this will also be granted by different activities such as: classroom discussions, interactions with companies and professional associations testimonies, participations in practical activities, exercises, or visits.

At the end of the course, the student will be able to communicate in a clear and linear way both conclusions and decisions, with their reasons, to specialized and non-specialized interlocutors; the student will also able to communicate course’s contents within professional practice situations. All this will also be granted by different communication opportunities, with the help of audio-video aids too, within different contexts such as dyadic, small, and large group ones, both informal and formal ones.

At the end of the course, the student will develop the ability to autonomously keep up-to-date, whether for study or professional career; the student moreover will develop the ability to critically learn according to the aim and the test’s modalities and contexts. All this will also be granted by the motivation to one’s own growth and development conveyed by information repeatedly reported in the classroom – by teaching or by interacting with external testimonies – regarding different psychological knowledge complementarity, professional training and job cases, International and intercultural experiences opportunities.

Educational objectives

2 Educational goals

2.1 General goals
The course allows to master the current theories on the processes of technological innovation, with a special reference to their integration into the organisational processes, and to critical study the various theoretical approaches to the theme.

The professionalising workshop, with a compulsory attendance, allows to put into practice techniques very common in the international panorama for the development of technological services and Service Design Thinking, methodically identifying customers' needs and coherently planning the construction of services that can unite them, also in collaboration with professionals coming from public and private institutions.

2.2 Specific goals

2.2.1 Knowledge and understanding
The student will master theoretical constructs (especially the activity theory) and service planning tools congruent with them. Such a knowledge will be useful, by means of a research carried out on a potential target of a technological system, to understand specific needs and desires, and the roles they play in the selection and planning of innovative concepts of technological systems.

2.2.2 Applying knowledge and understanding

The course is aimed at applying the operational tools to a true case of corporate consulting. In this way, students will be helped in the development of technological innovation concepts by means of a group work aimed at the creation of innovative concepts. Such a work will be preceded by an accurate analysis of the User Research's results.

2.2.3 Making judgements

Students will be required to work in small groups to realise innovative concepts for the development of technologies under the guidance of a true corporate mission. For this purpose, they should face the competitors' strategies, the current customers and the potential new targets, taking into account, when planning, customers' availability, the possible limits established by the customer, and the psychologist's code of professional conduct.

2.2.4 Communication skills

Students work in small groups according to a Jigsaw model of the Cooperative Learning. The planning of innovative concepts is concluded when it is handed in a group report that includes, in addition to the illustration of the concept, the representation and the description of all tools used as a methodological application, and the declension of the decisions taken by relating to the data that have led to its conception.
The work also includes a presentation of the concepts developed by the students in the presence of delegates of the company that generated the consulting mission.

2.2.5 Learning skills

The course gives knowledge, but it encourages the student to independently search for information (on customers, the company that generates the mission, competitors) useful to carry out the task assigned during the workshop on the Service Design Thinking (SDT). Students are as well required to be able to organise their individual or group work, so to meet the work deadlines that have been established during the course.

Educational objectives

The course enables to master the main sociological theories of media and communication, with the relative approaches, methods and techniques of social research.
Particularly, it allows to orientate oneself among the established trends and developments of the theory and research on mass media and advertising communication; as well as to frame and to critically evaluate empirical researches on communication and media.
knowledge and understanding
After completing the course, the student will know the main topics of communication sociology and communication research theories, also referring to the specific context of advertising communication, and will be critically aware of the differences between the theoretical models and their application. The student will also know the models of effectiveness of advertising applied to current contexts, and the problems of media education in relation to the contexts in which children are involved.
applying knowledge and under-standing
After completing the course, the student will be able to use acquired knowledge to examine situations in contexts involving the relationship between the individual and the society mediated by traditional and new media, providing the appropriate indications to implement conscious and responsible media consumption strategies aimed at avoiding dysfunctional uses of the mass media.
making judgements
After completing activities of the course, the student will be able to provide advices to productive organiza-tions operating in communication field, by designing and implementing activities required by organization’s needs. He/she will be also able to suggest possible strategies to organization’s management in this area.
communication skills
After completing activities of the course, the student will be able to transfer research results in oral and written format at different level of complexity (power point presentation, written technical report) as a func-tion of different types of audience.

learning skills
In order to promote ability of autonomous learning, students will be required to search independently arti-cles and other study materials in order to elaborate on topics discussed or to find solutions to specific need as part of practical activities proposed in class.