PSYCO 305: The Psychology of Being Human Section X01 (23144) – Winter 2020
Location: Online Time: TR 6:00 – 9:10 pm Course website: Can be accessed through eClass
Instructor: Michael Sharp, Ph.D. Office: P-358/Virtual
Office hours: By appointment
Email: [email protected] (put PSYCO 305 X01 in subject of email)
Course Materials
Required Readings: In this course, you will be required to read a series of peer-reviewed articles from psychological journals and chapters from edited volumes. References for the required readings will be provided below and on eClass under the appropriate topic.
Prerequisites: PSYCO 104 or SCI 100 and PSYCO 105
Important Dates:
First Day of Classes May 4th
Add/Drop Deadline May 7th
Spring Term Withdrawal Full Refund Deadline (grade of W)
May 19th Final Withdrawal Date (grade of W) June 3rd
Last Day of Classes June 10
Final Exam (tentative) June 9 (6:00 - 8:00 pm) Date of Deferred Final Exam June 23rd (2:00 – 4:00 pm)
Course Overview
Course Description and Objectives: From the course calendar section on special topics:
Review and discussion of special topics or methods in one or more of the areas of contemporary psychology such as developmental, social, personality, cognitive. Prequisties: PSYCO 104 or SCI 100 and PSYCO 105. Note: Consult with the Department for the specific topic offered each year and any additional prerequisites. [Faculty of Arts]
In The Psychology of Being Human, students will be introduced to how people
understand, apply, and are impacted by the human concept. The course will include such topics as how people understand what it means to be human; dehumanization, objectification, and anthropomorphism; how these topics are studied within the psychological literature; the processes underlying these processes; the predictors and outcomes of such processes; and the role these phenomena play in everyday life and, perhaps, the future.
Please note: In this course we will discuss and show through visual media several examples of human behavior that represent the darker side of humanity (e.g., stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, genocide, slavery, sexual assault, and sexual objectification).
Additionally, discussions of the theories and empirical research may challenge your pre-existing
beliefs about human nature. Some students might find these topics or discussions uncomfortable or anxiety provoking. Nevertheless, all students will be responsible for all required topics, lectures, readings, assignments, and activities. I encourage concerned students to review the posted readings and slides in advance, so that they can anticipate the presentation of material they find discomforting.
By the end of the term you should have the skills to:
(1) Describe the various ways researchers and the general public understand the human concept.
(2) Explain how the human concept is studied in psychology, including identifying and explaining various theories that are related to the concept and describing how those theories have been and could be tested.
(3) Explain the processes and outcomes of when the human concept is denied or attributed to a stimulus.
(4) Interpret current and everyday events related to (or perceived to be related to) the human concept through a psychological perspective and make educated predictions based on empirically supported theories.
The Course
Lecture: This course is scheduled to have two three-hour lectures each week. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic and related policies, however, the course will be delivered online. Thus, lectures will be administered through recorded video lectures that will be posted to eClass. In addition to recorded lectures, there may be additional video and audio clips from other sources that will be required; these will also be posted on eClass or a link will be provided in the case they are unable to be embedded. The videos for each scheduled lecture will be posted to eClass by 6:00 pm on the scheduled day (i.e., the time we would have originally met for lecture).
Lectures will also be posted in the order they should be watched.
In addition to lecture videos, students will be expected to complete assigned readings (see eClass for the appropriate references for the readings), which should be read before watching the lecture videos. These readings are meant to introduce topics that will be elaborated on in lecture or as an example of something to be discussed. In some cases, readings may be replaced with a longer video that will need to be watched before watching the video lectures.
The purpose of the lectures will be not to repeat material covered in readings. Although I will provide a review of the required readings (but may not cover everything that may be tested on), I will also clarify and elaborate on the content as well as introduce new material. All of the material in the video lectures, additional required video/audio clips, required readings, and lecture notes are eligible to be covered on the exams.
Lecture notes will be posted on eClass along with the video lectures. However, to ensure students are watching and paying attention to the videos, these slides will contain only some of the information provided in the videos and it is up to the students to take their own, more comprehensive, notes. A video outlining helpful notetaking tips will be posted on eClass under
“Student Resources”. The tentative (i.e., subject to change) outline for the course, including readings and exam dates, is provided on the final page of this syllabus.
Assessments
Exams (70% total; 35% midterm and 35% final): In this course, there will be two exams: a midterm and a final exam (each worth 35% of your final grade). Both exams will be
administered online through eClass and students will have 2-hours to complete each exam (i.e., 6:00 – 8:00 pm). Exams will be administered during the scheduled class time on the scheduled dates (see below). Students are expected to complete the exam during these times.
Questions may contain some combination of multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, and short answer. Students are allowed to use readings, lecture notes, or their own notes during the exam (i.e., an open-note exam). As the exams will be conducted online, as well as being open-notes, students will be expected to manage their own time during the exams as no additional time will be afforded to students for poor use of time.
The emphasis of the exams will be on identification, conceptual, definitional, and application questions. Students should know the material in three ways: (a) understand the technical language; (b) be able to word it in ordinary language; and (c) be able to recognize it in the real world. Students should also be able familiar with the names of the key researchers, and be able to link these researchers to the topics and theories with which they are associated.
The final exam, though not intended to be cumulative, will require an understanding of concepts from the first half of the course (e.g., different conceptualizations of humanness) in order to succeed. The final exam is scheduled by the University exams office, and is tentatively scheduled on the last day of class, Tuesday, June 9, 2020 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm (note: students must verify the date and time on Bear Tracks when the Final Exam Schedule is posted).
*Missed Midterm Exams: Students are expected to write all exams as scheduled; see the course outline above for the dates. There will be no make-up exams. If a midterm is missed due to a serious medical condition or other serious circumstances outside the student’s control, the weight of the exam will be transferred to the final exam. For this to happen, the instructor must be contacted within 24 hours of the scheduled test. Failure to contact the instructor within 24 hours will result in a grade of zero being applied to the missed test.
For an excused absence where the cause is religious belief, a student must contact the instructor within the first week of the start of classes to request accommodation for the term.
Instructors may request adequate documentation to substantiate the student request. Deferral of term work or tests is a privilege and not a right; there is no guarantee that a deferral will be granted. Misrepresentation of facts to get a deferral is a serious breach of the Code of Student Behavior.
*Deferred Final Examination: In addition, students are expected to take the final exam as scheduled (see above for tentative date). Students have access to their final exam schedule through Bear Tracks and on the Registrar’s website well in advance. Multiple exams and/or closely scheduled final exams are not valid excuses for a deferral of one or more final exams. A student who cannot take the final exam due to incapacitating illness, severe domestic
affliction, or other compelling reasons must apply for a deferral through their Faculty Office since that exam is scheduled during the Final Examination Period. Students who failed at the start of the term to request exam accommodations for religious beliefs are expected to follow the normal deferral process. Such an application must be made to the student’s Faculty Office within 48 hours of the missed examination and must be supported by a Statutory Declaration (in lieu of a medical statement form) or other appropriate documentation
(http://calendar.ualberta.ca/content.php?catoid=20&navoid=4939#Attendance). Deferred
examinations are a privilege and not a right; there is no guarantee that a deferred examination will be granted. Misrepresentation of facts to gain a deferred examination is a serious breach of the Code of Student Behavior.
If a student is granted a deferral for the Final Exam (with a valid reason), the deferred exam will be cumulative, and will consist entirely of short and long answer questions. The deferred examination will be held on Tuesday, June 23rd from 2:00 – 4:00 pm.
Assignments (20%; a total of 4 at 5% each will be counted): Throughout the course, students will be responsible to complete a series of assignments. Each assignment will have the students engage in the material in a different way (e.g., analysing a media depiction and coming up with an idea for a research study) and will be a maximum of one-page (excluding Reference pages) single-spaced. In total, there will be five different assignments, however, only the student’s best four assignments will count towards their final grade (5% each). This means that students can miss one for any reason or do poorly on one and it will not affect their grade. Students must use APA formatting unless otherwise stated. Generally, one assignment will be due every Saturday night by 11:59 pm. As students are able to miss one assignment, no late submissions will be accepted. Submissions, deadlines, and instructions for each assignment will be posted on eClass.
Course Paper (10%): At the end of the term, in addition to the final exam, students will write a paper answering a question or a set of interrelated questions posed by the instructor. This paper is meant to replace a long answer essay for the final exam and (a) allows students to spend a little more time writing their responses than if it was part of the exam, (b) avoids technical issues that may occur with eClass when completing longer, typed responses, and (c) makes the final exam non-cumulative. It also requires the student to consider how all of the course material in the term could be synthesized to address a specific (set of) question(s). The paper will be due immediately before the final exam but can be completed and submitted days before. The paper will be
restricted to a maximum of two-pages, single-spaced. More detailed information, instructions, guidelines, and the question(s) will be posted online one week before the due date. No late submissions will be accepted.
Grading Breakdown:
Component: Weight: Date: Final grades will be reported using letter grades. Final grades will be determined after combining scores for all components of the course into a percentage total for each student.
These percentages will then be converted into letter grades based on the following conversion system.
*Note: There is no possibility of a reexamination in this course.
Midterm 35% May 21
Final Exam 35% June 9
Assignments 20%
Throughout (see instructions for specific deadlines per
topic)
Course Paper 10% June 9
Total 100%
Grading Distribution**:
Distribution of Grades in Undergraduate Courses Letter
grade
A+ A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D F
% grade range
95- 100
90- 94.99
85- 89.99
80- 84.99
75- 79.99
70- 74.99
67- 69.99
63- 66.99
60- 62.99
55- 59.99
50- 54.99
0- 49.99 Grade
points
4.0 4.0 3.7 3.3 3.0 2.7 2.3 2.0 1.7 1.3 1.0 0
Descriptor Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor Minimal
Pass
Fail
*Note: This grade translation is approximate; the instructor reserves the right to use expert judgment to adjust the grades as necessary.
**Note: This is not a curved course and this is a guideline (i.e., the instructor reserves the right to revise grade cutoffs) for the conversion of percentage grades to the equivalent letter grade.
Cutoffs may be adjusted so that the proportion of students receiving each letter grade
corresponds to the University-suggested ranges, depending on class performance and clustering of scores, and will reflect your performance in relation to the rest of the class. Midterm and final exam grades will be posted under “My Grades” on eClass. Neither the midterm nor final exams will be passed back to the students. Grades are unofficial until approved by the Department and/or Faculty offering the course.
Missing a significant portion of the course work will result in a “1” being applied to your final letter grade on your transcript (e.g., a student may receive a C1, indicating that they
received a C and missed significant course work). This notation will be applied to the grades of any students who have an unexcused absence from any of the exams, failed to complete at least one assignment, failed to complete at least one reading quiz, or failed to complete the course paper.
Re-Marking Policy:
If you believe that there is a grading error, you must complete a Re-marking Request Form (available on the course website) where you will have an opportunity to outline the perceived error and refer to any evidence (e.g., reference to a statement from the readings, or a particular lecture slide). If granted, the instructor may re-mark the requested question or
assignment in full, which may result in one of three outcomes: a) an increased grade, b) no grade change, or c) a decreased grade (the instructor may have noticed an oversight from the initial marking and re-marked the question or assignment accordingly). Students will submit completed forms via email to the instructor, whose decision will be final. Any requests for re-grading must be received before June 9, 2020.
Additional considerations…
Office Hours: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no in-person office hours.
However, students may request a virtual meeting with the instructor. If students are interested in a virtual meeting, they must email the instructor with their request and offer 3 reasonable options (Monday through Friday, between the hours of 9am – 6pm) for an appointment. If you are having trouble understanding the course material, please contact the instructor well in advance of
the exams. Waiting until the last minute is an unwise strategy, as I am unable to help those students that do not take the initiative.
Discussion Board: If you have questions about the course, assignments, or course content, first check the syllabus or your course notes/video lectures. If you are unable to find the answer to your question, please post questions on the discussion board in eClass. Additionally, before you post a question, make sure it has not already been posted as some of your classmates may have the same question and already asked the question. In general, the discussion board serves many purposes. First, it allows the opportunity for cooperative learning amongst students (which increases class performance). If you are able to answer a question on the discussion board, do so!
It may also be good to mention where you found the information as well. I will frequently check the discussion board to also answer questions and to correct any information that may need to be corrected. This way everyone in the class has access to the same information. Second, students may have the same questions and this serves as a way to reduce repetitive emails. Third, some students may be too shy or nervous to ask a question and if they have a question that was already asked, they can review the answer. Lastly, if I feel a topic was not lectured well enough during class, I may post something providing a clearer discussion.
If your question is even somewhat intricate/complex, a virtual appointment may be better and requested. Questions posted to the discussion board should be as specific as possible, so I can give an appropriate response quickly. Students who post vague, nonspecific, complex, or otherwise unclear questions or comments (e.g., “I don’t understand what random assignment is”) will be encouraged to setup an appointment. So, rather than posting something vague (e.g., “I don’t understand what random assignment is”) students should first tell me what you know about the topic and then ask your specific question (e.g., “I know random assignment is important for experiments but I am not sure why. Could you explain?).
Please allow up to one business day for the instructor to respond to any messages.
For questions regarding assignments, anything posted after 5:00 pm on the due date of the assignment may not be responded to in time. Similarly, any questions posted after 5:00 pm the day before an exam may also not be responded to before the exam. Therefore, it is important to (a) not wait until the last second to ask a question, and (b) not study or start the assignment at the last minute.
Any questions emailed to the instructor regarding course content will receive a reply that requests the sender to post the question on the discussion board. Further, the discussion board is intended only as a forum for posting questions and discussing topics related to the PSYCO 105 course material. Messages pertaining to inappropriate topics like mark changes, course
complaints, or subjects unrelated to PSYCO 105 content will be deleted, and if any messages are deemed harassing, abusive, or insulting, disciplinary action will be taken. Of course, students who have questions or concerns related to their grades or their ability to meet the requirements of the course should email these private messages to the instructor.
Email Policy: Although questions about course content are reserved for the discussion board, students may have questions about the course that is not about content or assessments (e.g., exams and assignments) and that they may wish their question remains private and/or the question is specifically relevant to them (e.g., grades or interest in furthering their
education/experience in psychology). If so, the students may email the instructor
Note on email etiquette: In writing any email to the instructor, students will be required to include the following information if they desire a response:
1. The student’s first and last name 2. Their student ID number
3. The course name (PSYCO 305)
Failure to include this information may result in the email going unanswered or a responses that will require students to provide that information, extending the length of time students will have to wait for an answer to their question.
Furthermore, any emails (anonymous or otherwise) sent to the instructor that are aggressive, hostile, or harassing in nature will be reported to the Associate Chair of the
Undergraduate Program in Psychology, Dr. Cor Baerveldt, and will be investigated for violations of the Student Code of Conduct. Any students found to be in violation of the code will be
disciplined accordingly. If you have comments or concerns about the class, you are encouraged to contact the instructor, make such comments on the course evaluations at the end of the term, or to see the Associate Chair. Disrespectful behavior (including emails) will not be tolerated.
Student Resources
The best all-purpose website for student services is: https://www.ualberta.ca/current-students.
Accessibility Resources: (1 – 80 SUB): The University of Alberta is committed to creating work and learning communities that inspire and enable all people to reach their full potential.
Accessibility Resources promotes an accessible, inclusive, and universally designed environment.
For general information to register for services visit the Accessibility Resources webpage.
The Academic Success Centre: (1-80 SUB) The Academic Success Centre offers a variety of workshops on effective study and exam strategies. There are in-person and online sessions available for a modest fee.
The Centre for Writers: (1-42 Assiniboia Hall) The Centre for Writers offers free one- on-one writing support to students, faculty, and staff. Students can request consultation for a writing project at any stage of development. Instructors can request class visits and presentations.
Health and Wellness Support: There are many health and community services available to current students. For more information visit the Health and Wellness Support webpage.
Office of the Student Ombuds: The Office of the Student Ombuds offers confidential interviews, advice and support to students facing academic, discipline, interpersonal and financial difficulties.
Learning and working environment: The Faculty of Arts is committed to ensuring that all students, faculty and staff are able to work and study in an environment that is safe and free from discrimination and harassment. It does not tolerate behaviour that undermines
that environment.
The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages, and cultures of the First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.
Policy about course outlines can be found in the Evaluation Procedures and Grading System section of the University Calendar.
Student Responsibilities
Academic Integrity: The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.governance.ualberta.ca) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence.
Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University. All students should consult the Academic Integrity website. If you have any questions, ask your instructor. An instructor or coordinator who is convinced that a student has handed in work that he or she could not possibly reproduce without outside assistance is obliged, out of consideration of fairness to other students, to report the case to the Associate Dean of the Faculty.
See the Academic Discipline Process .
RECORDING AND/OR DISTRIBUTION OF COURSE MATERIALS: Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an
approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
Policy about course outlines can be found in the University Calendar
(http://calendar.ualberta.ca/content.php?catoid=6&navoid=806&hl="syllabus"&returnto=search - Evaluation_Procedures_and_Grading_System).
Disclaimer: Any typographical errors in this Course Outline are subject to change and will be announced in class. The date of the final examination is set by the Registrar and takes
precedence over the final examination date reported in this syllabus.
Final note (disclaimer): Any errors (typographical or otherwise) in this Course Outline are subject to change and will be announced to the class. The date of the final examination is set by the Registrar and takes precedence over the final examination date reported in this syllabus.
Policy about course outlines can be found in the Evaluation Procedures and Grading System section of the University Calendar
COPYRIGHT: © Dr. Michael Sharp, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Alberta, 2020.
* Note: This is a tentative schedule and may be subject to change. The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this schedule as the course progresses. Any changes made to the chapters/topics covered will be announced to the class.
** Additional required readings for some sections will be posted on eClass at least one week before the corresponding lecture.
-What is human? - Haslam 2006?
-Researching the human concept – Bandura et al 1973?
-Why do we value humanness? – Goldenberg
-Three distinct processes: Haslam 2005; Loughnan and Haslam 2007; that article with moral justification; Opotow 1990; Bandura 1999
-Disgust and dehumanization; objectification; Epley anthro paper -Uncanny valley
Date Topics Covered
May 5 Syllabus
Introduction to the Course
May 7 What is “Human”?
May 12 Researching the Human Concept
May 14 Why Do We Value Humanness?
May 19 Bicentennial Man (Assignment)
May 21 Midterm Exam (Content from May 5-19; 6:00 – 8:00 pm)
May 26 Three Distinct Processes???
May 28 Three Distinct Processes??? (cont.)
June 2 Dehumanization, Objectification, and Anthropomorphism June 4 Human-Nature and Human-Technology Relationships June 9 Final Exam (Content from May 26-June 4)