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Psychology 405 – B3 (92968) Special Topics in Psychology II:
The Psychology of Religion Winter 2018
Instructor: Michael Sharp
Office: Biological Sciences Building P-347
E-mail: [email protected] (PREFERRED; Please put PSYCO 405 in subject line of all emails – also see email etiquette policy below)
Phone: 780-492-0136
Office Hours: Thursday from 2:00pm-3:00pm (or by appointment; See below for more information regarding office hours)
Class Location: Class Times:
T B 60 TR 9:30am- 10:50am
Required Textbook:
Hood, R., W. Jr., Hill, P. C., & Spilka, B. (2009). The psychology of religion: An empirical approach, 4th ed. New York: Guilford. Academic Press. ISBN: 1606233033 Additional readings will be identified at our weekly class meetings or via eClass.
TA: Andy Scott
Office: Biological Sciences Building P-347 E-mail: [email protected]
Course Information Course Prerequisites:
Prerequisites: PSYCO 104 or SCI 100, and PSYCO 105, and STAT 141 or 151. It is important to prepare yourself for this course through a review of the prerequisite material. Students who do not have the required prerequisites at the time of taking this course should not expect supplementary professorial tutoring from the instructor.
Course Description and Objectives:
This course is designed to expose students to the study of religion through a
Page | 2 psychological perspective and to encourage students to think critically about what is religion, the origins and development of religion and religious-type beliefs, why some people are (or are not) religious, and the role religion plays in everyday life. In this course, students will be introduced to a multifaceted understanding of religion through considering the multiple definitions, orientations, functions, and origin accounts of religion and religious belief and how these elements relate to the beliefs, emotions, motivations, and behaviors of individuals and groups. This course is not, however, a course on theology nor is it intended to prove/disprove or encourage/discourage any religious approach. Although other disciplines (e.g., anthropology, sociology,
philosophy, and theology) may be brought up during lecture or within the assigned readings, it will be done within the context of the psychology of religion.
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
1. List the different ways researchers define religion and explain how these different understandings of religion relate to other psychological processes.
2. Describe the common methodologies used in the psychology of religion.
3. Explain the different perspectives regarding the origins of religion and discuss how they are relevant to everyday psychological processes.
4. Recall major psychological theories, concepts, and findings in the psychology of religion and link them to everyday psychological processes and their implications to the “real world”.
5. Interpret current and everyday events related to (or perceived to be related to) religion through a psychological perspective and make educated predictions based on empirically supported theories.
Please note: This course will cover material and have discussions that, although are not intended to do so, may be uncomfortable or anxiety provoking for some students. In this class, we will talk about a wide range of topics, some of which are unpleasant (e.g., prejudice, aggression, abuse, and violence). Additionally, discussions of the theories and empirical research may challenge pre-existing beliefs, which may also be uncomfortable or anxiety provoking for some students. Nevertheless, all students will be responsible for all required topics, lectures, readings, assignments, and activities and to maintain proper classroom/email etiquette.
Lecture Schedule & Assigned Readings:
Two 1 hour and 20-minute lectures are scheduled for each week (unless noted in the calendar below). The purpose of the lectures is not to repeat the material covered in the text. In my lectures, I will be variously introducing, clarifying, and elaborating on material about the psychology of religion, some of it in may be in the text but not all. I will also be using class activities, demonstrations, video clips, as well as examples from published research and real life applications to supplement the text material. All of this material, in addition to the material in the text, assigned readings, and lecture notes is eligible to be covered on the exams.
Students will also have been expected to read the assigned materials before each class. Assigned readings will be posted on eClass. Most of the assigned readings will be
Page | 3 selected from the textbook, however other readings will include empirical and non-
empirical articles or other pieces of writing. One set of readings may be a whole chapter, part of a chapter, parts of different chapters, and/or a(n) (non-)empirical article(s). Page ranges for textbook readings and the citations for non-textbook readings will be provided on eClass. If students do not know how to locate the readings with the provided
information, they should contact the instructor as soon as they can.
If a student misses lecture for any reason, they are strongly encouraged to not only print and review the lecture slides, but also to a) meet with another student to go through the notes and catch up on any supplemental material not included in the notes, and b) to attend office hours (see office hours policy) with the instructor to go over any questions or to clarify anything regarding the missed lecture (see office hours policy below) but not to receive the lecture they have missed. Lecture time is limited, so you will be
responsible for a great deal of the information in the readings on your own. Just because it hasn’t been explicitly covered in lecture doesn't mean that it won’t be on the exam. Many students will find it helpful to complete the readings from the text before attending lecture. The outline for the course, including the midterm dates, assignment due dates, and readings for each week is as follows:
Dates Dates Topic Important Items
Week 1 Jan. 9
Jan. 11
Introduction: Syllabus Why Do People Believe?
What Is (or Is Not) Religion?
Research Methods in the Psychology of Religion
Syllabus
Mini-Assignment #1 Week 2 Jan. 16
Jan. 18
Psychological Perspectives of Religion
& Spirituality
Foundational Elements of Religion &
Spirituality
Mini-Assignment #2 Week 3 Jan. 23
Jan. 25
Foundational Elements of Religion &
Spirituality (cont.)
Terror Management Theory Mini-Assignment #3 Week 4 Jan. 30
Feb. 1
Religion Throughout the Lifespan Religion & Childhood
Religion & Childhood (cont.)/
Adolescents
Article Summary Due
Mini-Assignment #4 Week 5 Feb. 6
Feb. 8
Religion & Adulthood
MIDTERM #1 EXAM
Week 6 Feb. 13
Feb. 15
Experiencing Religion
Relationship Between the Individual &
Religious Groups
New Religious Movements, Cults, &
Charismatic Religions
Mini-Assignment #5
Page | 4 Week 7 Feb. 20-
22
READING WEEK!!!
Week 8 Feb. 27
Mar. 1
Religion as Culture
Exceptional Experiences
Religious Observation Paper Due
Mini-Assignment #6 Week 9 Mar. 6
Mar. 8
Mysticism/Spirituality
Religious & Spiritual Transformation/
Doubt, Apostasy, Atheism, & Cognitive Dissonance
Mini-Assignment #7
Week 10
Mar. 13
Mar. 15
Doubt, Apostasy, Atheism, & Cognitive Dissonance (Cont.)
MIDTERM #2
Mini-Assignment #8
EXAM Week
11
Mar. 20
Mar. 22,
Does Religion Make Good Neighbors?
Morality
Religion & Prosocial Behavior Mini-Assignment #9 Week
12
Mar. 27 Mar. 29
Religion & Anti-Social Behavior Is Religion the Cause for Pro- and/or Anti-Social Behavior?
Mini-Assignment #10 Week
13
Apr. 3
Apr. 5
Religion and the Body Religion & Biology/Health
Religion & Health/Mental Health Mini-Assignment #11 Week
14 Apr. 10 Apr. 12
Religion & Mental Health
Understudied Topic(s)/TBD Film Paper Due Final Apr. 24
9:00 am
Final Exam Mini-Assignment
#12/EXAM
*NOTE: Topics/dates are subject to change.
Grading Grade Evaluation:
Final grades will be reported using letter grades. This is NOT a curved course.
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:
Letter Approximate % Pts Descriptor
A+ 95 – 100.0% 4.0
Excellent
A 90 – 94.99% 4.0
A- 85 – 89.99% 3.7
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B+ 80 – 84.99% 3.3
Good
B 75 – 79.99% 3.0
B- 71 – 74.99% 2.7
C+ 67 – 70.99% 2.3
Satisfactory
C 63 – 66.99% 2.0
C- 60 – 62.99% 1.7
D+ 55 - 59.99% 1.3 Poor
D 50 – 54.99% 1.0 Minimal Pass
F or F4 00 – 49.99% 0 Failure
*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 exams, assignments, and final exam grades will be posted under “My Grades” on e-class. Neither the midterms nor final exams will be passed back to the students. Should students wish to see their exam, they may view it with the TA during the exam viewings (to be scheduled at a later date) or during office hours.
WARNING: Grades are unofficial until approved by the Department and/or Faculty offering the course.
Grade Distribution:
Evaluation Weighting Due Date
Article Summary Assignment 5% January 30
Religious Observation Assignment 5% February 27
Film Paper Assignment 10% April 12
Weekly mini-Assignments 10% Throughout
Midterms (2) 40% (20% each) February 8 & March 15
Final Exam* 30% April 24 @ 9:00am
(Tentative date/time)
Article Summary (5%): Students will be responsible for summarizing an empirical research article related to the psychology of religion from a peer reviewed journal. In this assignment, students will summarize the authors research question, hypothesis(es), design, methods, results, and provide their own scholarly views on the article based on and in relation to course material. Official assignment details/requirements, grading rubric, and an optional list of articles to choose from will be provided on eClass. Papers will be a maximum of 5 pages, double-spaced, 12-pt Times New Roman font, and 1”
margins. Papers must be submitted online via eClass by 11:55pm on the due date noted in the schedule above. No late papers, no exceptions. Plan accordingly!
Religious Observation Assignment (5%): Students will attend or view a religious service or practice and tie their observations to course material. Official assignment details/requirements and grading rubric will be provided on eClass. Papers will be a
Page | 6 maximum of 5 pages, double-spaced, 12-pt Times New Roman font, and 1” margins.
Papers must be submitted online via eClass by 11:55pm on the due date noted in the schedule above. No late papers, no exceptions. Plan accordingly!
Film Paper (10%): Students will select a film/theme from a provided list. For each film, a set of topics/questions will be provided and the student will need to address the
topics/questions with material learned throughout the course. Official assignment details/requirements, film and topic list, and grading rubric will be provided on eClass.
Page limit for this assignment is 10 pages, double-spaced, and must use 12-pt Times New Roman font and 1” margins. Papers must be submitted online via eClass by 11:55pm on the due date noted in the schedule above. No late papers, no exceptions. Plan
accordingly!
Weekly Mini-Assignments (12 total; Highest 10 for a total 10%): Throughout the course, you will be asked to complete a series of mini-assignments. The nature of these assignments will vary but they will be much shorter than the other assignments discussed above. The goal of these mini-assignments is to encourage active engagement with the course material. Some of these mini-assignments will include (but are not limited to) responding to a news story related to religion, short timed quizzes, and answering a few questions about a topic before and/or after we discuss it in class. There will be a mini- assignment nearly every week. The lowest TWO scores for these mini-assignments will be dropped (meaning you can miss TWO without penalty). No late submissions, no exceptions.
Exams (Midterm: 20% each; Final: 30%; Total: 70%): Exams will consist of some combination of multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, and long answer. Students are responsible for all lecture, text, assigned readings, assignment readings, and the course website material. In addition, any content covered in a demonstration/activity completed in class, or in any videos played in class is eligible to be covered on the tests. Thus, attending class is essential to success in this course.
The instructor will not answer questions regarding what content the students should focus on for the tests. All material listed above is eligible for testing. It is up to the students to decide what they should spend more time reviewing. Exams will not be given back to students. Students may view their exam with the TA during the test viewings (to be scheduled at a later date), or during the instructor’s office hours. Previous exams will not be made available to the students, but sample items can be found appended to the end of syllabus.
PLEASE NOTE: Your student photo I.D. is required at exams to verify your identity. Students will not be allowed to begin an examination after it has been in progress for 30 minutes. Students must remain in the exam room until at least 30 minutes has elapsed. Electronic equipment cannot be brought into examination rooms and hats should not be worn.
Page | 7 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 (NOT the TA) whose decision will be. Any requests for reviewing or re-grading any questions on assignments or tests must be received before the end of the last day of classes (i.e., by 5pm on April 12th).
Missed Assignments and Term Exams:
Regular attendance is essential for optimal performance in any course. In cases of potentially excusable absences due to illness or domestic affliction, notify your instructor by e-mail within 2 days. Regarding absences that may be excusable and procedures for addressing course components missed as a result, consult §23.3(1) and §23.5.6 of the University Calendar. Be aware that unexcused absences may result in partial or total loss of the grade for the “attendance and participation” component(s) of a course, as well as for any assignments that are not handed in or completed as a result.
Assignment submissions will be closed at 11:55pm of the due dates noted above.
As students are given efficient time to complete the assignments, no late submissions will be accepted and students will receive a zero for this portion of their grade if they fail to meet the deadline. Although the deadline is set at 11:55pm, students should try to submit assignments earlier than this precise time as they may just miss the 11:55pm mark and the submission portal will be closed, eClass may not be functioning optimally (e.g., slow upload), or other miscellaneous reasons. For this reason, it may be a good idea to try and submit any assignments at least 15 minutes before the final deadline. If for some reason the student is unable to submit the assignment via eClass, they must email the instructor with the final version of the assignment attached and an explanation as to why they were unable to submit via eClass (e.g., blocked) BY THE DEADLINE TIME (i.e., any emails time stamped after 11:55pm of the due date will not be accepted).
Students are expected to write all tests as scheduled; see the course outline above for the dates. There will be no make-up tests. If a test is missed due to a serious medical condition or other serious circumstances outside the student’s control, the weight of the test will be transferred to the final exam. For this to happen, the instructor must be contacted within 48 hours of the scheduled test. Students will not be able to transfer the weight of both midterms to the final. Failure to contact the instructor within 48 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(s) within two weeks of the start of Winter classes to request
accommodation for the term (including the final exam, where relevant). Instructors may request adequate documentation to substantiate the student request.
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 meet any of the following criteria:
Page | 8 1. Have an unexcused absence from any of the exams, and/or
2. Fails to complete at least half of the main assignments (article summary, religious observation, and film)
3. Fails to complete at least half of the mini-assignments Deferred Final Examination:
Students have access to their final exam schedule through Bear Tracks and on the Registrar’s website well in advance. Multiple exams and closely scheduled final exams is not a valid excuse for a deferral of one or more final exams.
A student who cannot write the final examination due to incapacitating illness, severe domestic affliction or other compelling reasons can apply for a deferred final examination. Students who failed at the start of term to request exam accommodations for religious beliefs are expected to follow the normal deferred final examination process.
Such an application must be made to the student’s Faculty office within two working days of the missed examination and must be supported by a Statutory Declaration or other appropriate documentation (Calendar section 23.5.6). 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 Behaviour.
Deferred Final Exam Date: May 24, 2018 at 2:00 pm Additional Information Classroom Etiquette:
Students are expected to behave appropriately during lecture, reflecting respect for the instructor and their classmates. Frequent talking or other disruptions will not be tolerated. Students should feel free to ask questions during class, but those who wish to discuss the lecture material (or other topics) with their classmates should make
arrangements to do so outside of class time. Students who talk loudly or excessively during class with either a) be called on to ask questions regarding the lecture or text material, or b) be asked to leave the lecture. Students are expected to turn off all cell phones, pagers, and music devices during class time so as not to disrupt or annoy the class. Students should not resume the use of these devices until they have left the lecture theatre. Use of laptop computers will be permitted for the purpose of note taking. Note:
Audio or video recording 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. Recorded material 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 instructor.
Email:
The instructor’s preferred method of communication is during class and office hours, so questions are best reserved for this time. If a student wishes to email the
instructor a question about the course material, the instructor may suggest the student ask the question again before/during/after class or during office hours as some questions require a response unfitting for email (e.g., requiring too lengthy of a response). When asking a question about course material via email, please first include what you think the answer is or what you think the concept means (e.g., instead of emailing “I don’t
Page | 9 understand concept X, please explain it to me” please email something like “I’m
confused by concept X. I think it means A, B, and C but I am confused about how A leads to B and C.”). Otherwise, I will ask you to first provide this information before just giving youthe answer. This process shows you have thought about the material before just immediately asking for help. Iam more than happy to help students who put in the effort to understand the material.Before emailing me a question, please check to see if the information you need is in the syllabus (e.g., how do I get the notes if I missed class, what is the format of the final exam, etc.)
When emailing the instructor, please make sure to follow proper email etiquette. It is also advisable to re-read your email before you send it to make sure that it comes across respectful, as some things may be lost or misconstrued through email. Emails that do not meet proper etiquette may not be responded to. In addition, emails inquiring about course material sent after 5pm the day before an exam and questions about assignments sent after 5pm the day before the due date may not be responded to. Also, please do not email the TA (with an exception for exam viewings).
Email Etiquette: In writing any email to either the instructor or TA (or any instructor or TA, for that matter), students should practice proper email etiquette. This includes: a greeting, full and coherent sentences, proper capitalization, a respect tone, and an appropriate sign-off. In addition, the student will be required to include the course number (in the title of the email) and the student’s first and last name. Not including this information makes it very difficult to get back to students in a timely fashion (aside from the fact that not including your name in an email is very rude and disrespectful to the recipient). Failure to practice appropriate etiquette and include the requested information (course number and name) may result in the email going unanswered. Furthermore, any emails (anonymous or otherwise) sent either to the instructor or the TA that are
aggressive, hostile, or harassing in nature will be reported to the Associate Chair of the Undergraduate Program in Psychology, Pete Hurd, 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 see the instructor in person, make such comments on the course evaluations at the end of the term, or to see the Associate Chair.
Office Hours:
Students are welcome (and encouraged!) to attend office hours. Appointments may be requested if the student is unable to attend the posted office hours (e.g., he/she works or has another class during these sessions), but not for more trivial reasons (e.g., doesn’t want to stay on campus). If your class schedule prevents you from attending the
scheduled office hours, you may be requested to provide a class schedule by: a) log on to Bear Tracks and go to your schedule, b) hit ALT and Prt Scr, and paste the page into a Word document, and then c) attach that document to the email requesting a meeting.
Students should feel free to ask questions before/during/after class. If students are having trouble understanding the lecture material, please see the instructor well in advance of the exams. The instructor and T.A. want all students to do well and learn the material in this course, but they can do little to help people who do not take the initiative, and waiting until the last minute will not be a wise strategy.
Web Content:
Page | 10 Additional information for the course will be available on the web through the course website at https://eclass.srv.ualberta.ca/portal/. The web content will consist of lecture notes and an electronic discussion area for course questions. The lecture notes will be posted by 11:00 pm the night before each lecture at the latest. Students should keep in mind that the posted lecture notes will be incomplete on purpose to encourage class attendance. That is, some of the definitions, descriptions, and examples discussed during class will not appear in the posted notes. In addition, descriptions of the class activities, demonstrations, and video clips (and how they are relevant to the course material) will also not be posted. Therefore, although students are encouraged to print and read the lecture notes before attending class if they wish, these activities will not be a sufficient alternative for attending class.
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 forms of dishonesty are unacceptable at the University. Any offence will be reported to the Associate Dean of Science who will determine the disciplinary action to be taken. Cheating, plagiarism and misrepresentation of facts are serious offences.
Anyone who engages in these practices will receive at minimum a grade of zero for the exam or paper in question and no opportunity will be given to replace the grade or redistribute the weights. As well, in the Faculty of Arts the sanction for cheating on any examination will include a disciplinary failing grade (NO EXCEPTIONS) and senior students should expect a period of suspension or expulsion from the University of Alberta.
All students should consult the information provided by the Office of Judicial Affairs regarding avoiding cheating and plagiarism in particular and academic dishonesty in general (see the Academic Integrity Undergraduate Handbook and Information for Students). If in doubt about what is permitted in this class, ask the instructor.
An instructor or coordinator who is convinced that a student that 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.
Learning and Work Environment:
The Department of Psychology 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 behavior that undermines that environment. The Department urges anyone who feels that this policy is being violated to:
• Discuss the matter with the person whose behavior is causing concern, or
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• If that discussion is unsatisfactory, or there is a concern that direct discussion is inappropriate or threatening, discuss it with the instructor, or in cases of dispute with the instructor, with the Chair of the Department.
For additional advice or assistance regarding this policy you may contact the student ombudservice: (http://www.ombudservice.ualberta.ca/). Information about the University of Alberta Discrimination and Harassment Policy and Procedures is described in UAPPOL at https://policiesonline.ualberta.ca/PoliciesProcedures/Pages/Human- Resources.aspx.
Students Eligible for Accessibility-Related Accommodations (students registered with Student Accessibility Services - SAS):
Eligible students have both rights and responsibilities with regard to accessibility- related accommodations. Consequently, scheduling exam accommodations in accordance with SAS deadlines and procedures is essential. Please note adherence to procedures and deadlines is required for U of A to provide accommodations. Contact SAS
(www.ssds.ualberta.ca) for further information.
Student Success Centre:
Students who require additional help in developing strategies for better time
management, study skills or examination skills should contact the Student Success Centre (2-300 Students’ Union Building).
Writing Assistance:
Any student experiencing difficulties, or requiring extra assistance for written assignments of any kind, is encouraged to make use of the resources available through the University of Alberta’s Centre for Writers in Assiniboia Hall (for a complete list of available services and tutors please see http://www.c4w.arts.ualberta.ca/Default.aspx).
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).
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.
COPYRIGHT: Michael Sharp, M.A., Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science , University of Alberta (2018).
