I really liked this class! She records her lectures which is very good so you can always go back, and she offers up to 2-3% of extra credit. I got a B because I had missing assignments from my discussion section. Discussion is 20% of your grade so it is a big deal. Other than that she is very funny and has very engaging lectures. I highly recommend it.

The professor is great at teaching the content in an engaging way and constantly checks in on the students during lecture to make sure that we are understanding. She’s also very generous and she provided the opportunity for 2% of extra credit! The one hard part was our grade was 70% tests (midterm and final) but the tests weren’t hard if you made sure to study how to apply the content (not just definitions).

I really liked her as a professor! She would always make me feel heard when I asked a question and would dance with my abstract thoughts with me. A lot of this material is applicable to real life, which has definitely made me think about how I interact with other people. However, do not take that lightly. Her tests are not hard, but they can be tricky if you did not study. I would highly recommend attending lectures and taking notes because it does help your thought process. There are a lot of research studies to remember, but you do not need to know the names. You need to know the concepts.

This was a really interesting class! I definitely learned new things about social life!
However this class was extremely difficult for me. I honestly thought I wasn’t going to pass because I got a low score on my first midterm.
Thankfully she was nice enough to alter the grading scale 35% for lower test score and 45% for higher test score.
20% discussion.
I surprisingly got a B however, I had to study a TON for my final. I’m just happy I passed.
Professor was very friendly & offered 3% extra credit (: without this I probably would have got a C as final grade

This is the best class that I've taken so far at UCLA. Prof. Smurda has changed my thinking about the world.

She presents everything in an interesting, clear way and she's very patient with students. Her tests are fair, but you do need to study. Overall, I would highly recommend taking this class and really any class with Dr. Smurda.

This class was pretty interesting. I did not really enjoy the books assigned however, because I found the connections to lecture somewhat confusing. But overall, the lecture content the professor teaches is very straightforward and useful even in daily life. Like others have said, studying the content on the slides is not enough for the tests, it is helpful to rewatch the lectures or read the transcripts. This class wasn't too bad but the exams were somewhat tricky.

Overall, I enjoyed my experience in this class. Exams were largely fair although the questions could be very specific – it is recommended that you know understand each of the studies she covers, and make sure you do all the readings because questions from there will show up. The material is fascinating, but lectures are based on PPT slides and are very content-heavy (50-60+ slides per lecture, sometimes more) and can be a little dry – although most of the slides consist of pictures and graphs. I would DEFINITELY recommend writing out notes on everything she mentions or using audio to text to transcribe everything because solely studying off her slides may not be enough/they may lack important information for exams.

In replacement of a mandatory textbook, the professor assigns several social psychology readings to do that are relevant to discussion sections. The readings were interesting and I honestly preferred them immensely to your run-of-the-mill dry textbook, which probably would have succeeded in making a subject as interesting as social psychology sound absolutely boring. Sections are also useful and engaging, and help you understand the readings and prepare for exams! I really enjoyed my TA, Ben.

The professor can be accommodating but sometimes can seem to get a little irritated by students' persistent questions, which is honestly understandable.

This was essentially how the class was structured during Winter Quarter of 2021 (online):

SECTIONS: There are 6 sections, you can miss 1 without penalty. Section grade is based on attendance, thought questions, and in class participation; no curve. You have to submit a discussion seed (short, thoughtful response) for every reading, and you have to be engaged during discussions.

LECTURES: Attendance/participation is optional/recorded.

GRADES: Based on 2 exams (40% midterm, 40% final) and section (20%). Exams are MCQ, no make-up exams offered except for with thorough documentation.

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES: Total of up to 2% added to final grade through –
1. Research participation: Earn 1 extra credit % point by participating in experiments through Psychology Dept Subject Pool.
2. Earn 1 extra credit % point by participating in at least 70% of polls during regularly scheduled class time.

What a dope class. I've sat in the back of the class for every course I've taken at UCLA and Dr. Smurda is one of the only ones who has the energy to reach everyone in the class. She's really funny too. My bf isn't in the major but even he often sat in on her class because the material is so interesting and Prof, imo, does a great job of explaining things in a digestible form. She even has a Piazza page where you can ask questions to her and your peers... just in case you didn't catch something.

There's no textbook required, but there's like 1 or 2 reading books (I can only remember 1 but I feel like there were 2, maybe I'm crazy) that are super cheap and actually pretty cool. You def want to read the stuff because it'll without a doubt show up on the tests. The material from the books is all thoroughly hashed out during discussion section so I recommend that you go to those. Her tests aren't super easy but they're not super hard either. She's not trying to trick you but she will get you to think a little bit.

I really enjoyed this class and it opened up a lot of new areas of thought for me. I'm not even a particularly smart person and I still managed to do well bc Prof actually cares to make sure that you're learning and not just mindlessly vomiting info on test day.

I 100% think you should take this class.

This class met all the criteria I look for: material was interesting and easily applicable to my life, tests were fair, Professor Smurda's presentations were clear and easy to study from, discussion sections were informative, and Professor Smurda was very accommodating when covid derailed the final (she allowed us to skip it and make the midterm count for the entire testing category). She also gave us the opportunity to earn extra credit by participating in SONA labs. Overall, a great experience and an instructor who is very knowledgeable about the subject matter.

Taking this course with Professor Smurda was one of the best decisions ever. She truly cares about her students and is very attentive whenever one needs help with topics or is confused about something. Tests are very well-formed, as long as you study your notes and go through the lectures as well as read the chapter books that are assigned it is a very do able class to do. Professor Smurda does a great job of allowing everything to come together and make perfect sense!