3228A-001

Psychology 3228A-001

Evolution and Psychology: The Science of Human Nature

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

1.0    CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

A survey of evolutionary approaches to the study of human behaviour, including evolutionary psychology.

 

Antirequisite: Psychology 3229A/B

 

Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.

 

Prerequisites: Psychology 1000 or Biology 1001 with a minimum grade of 60%, and registration in third or fourth year.

3 lecture/discussion hours, 0.5 course

 

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.


2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

       Instructor:                                                     Prof. Scott A. MacDougall-Shackleton

       Office and Phone Number:                            SSC 7412;  x84629

       Office Hours:                                               by appointment

       Email:                                                          smacdou2@uwo.ca

 

       Teaching Assistant:                                      TBA

 

       Time and Location of Classes:                      Wednesdays 9:30-12:30

                                                                          SSC 2032


If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you.  Please visit:  http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.

Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.

3.0  TEXTBOOK

Workman and Reader (2014) Evolutionary Psychology (3rd Ed.) Cambridge University Press

ISBN 978-1-107-62273-9

This text is required for the course.  It is available at the Campus Bookstore or from other resellers.

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course will examine how the process of biological evolution has shaped human behaviour.  The primary objective will be to impart a deep understanding of how evolutionary processes have impacted human behaviour.  This will involve distinguishing between ultimate and proximate levels of analyses and avoiding superficial rejection or acceptance of evolutionary explanations of human psychology. 


   4.1    STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Students who successfully complete this course should be able to

  1. identify and describe key concepts in evolutionary theory including natural selection, sexual selection, inclusive fitness theory, life history theory, and parental investment theory
  2. identify major historical milestones in evolutionary thought and its application to understanding human behaviour
  3. detect common fallacies that confuse our understanding of human nature
  4. classify explanations for behaviour by their level of analysis
  5. critique news articles covering evolutionary psychology
  6. interpret evidence used in support of evolutionary explanations of human behaviour

5.0     EVALUATION


Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:

70%     1000-level and 2000-level courses
72%     2190-2990 level courses
75%     3000-level courses
80%     4000-level courses
   
The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf ):

A+  90-100      One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A    80-89        Superior work that is clearly above average
B    70-79        Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C    60-69        Competent work, meeting requirements
D    50-59        Fair work, minimally acceptable
F    below 50    Fail

Evaluation in this course will be based on the following:

 

Weekly Online Quizzes (Best 10 of 12)                          10% total (1% each)

Short Written Assignments (Best 4 of 5)                       20% total (5% each)

Midterm Exam (multiple choice & short answer)          30%

Final Exam (multiple choice)                                        40%

 

Weekly quizzes will consist of 5 to 10 questions (multiple choice, fill in the blank, etc) that are based strictly off the readings in advance of the lecture for that week. Quizzes will be due 5 PM each Wednesday. There is a strict policy that quizzes are not accepted after the due date and missed quizzes will be given a grade of zero. There are no make-ups for missed quizzes. Only the best 10 of 12 will count towards your final grade. Quizzes are open-book and are submitted through OWL. The quizzes are designed to be completed in 10 minutes, but you will be allowed 30 minutes to complete them.

Assignments will include short written responses (usually 500 words maximum) to assigned readings and may also involve peer evaluation of other students’ written work. Information about the assignments will be posted on OWL and you will submit assignments through OWL. There is a strict policy that late assignments will not be accepted and late assignments will be given a grade of zero. There are no make-ups for a missed assignment. Only the best 4 of 5 assignments will count towards your final grade. 

The midterm and final exam will be based on both lecture material and assigned readings from the textbook. The midterm will include multiple choice and short-answer questions.  The final exam will include multiple choice questions only.  The final exam will focus primarily on the second half of the course, but approximately one quarter of the questions will be on broad topics and themes that run throughout the entire course.



6.0  TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE

Weekly assignments                                     due each week, deadlines posted on OWL

Assignments 1-5                                           see class schedule below

Midterm Examination                                    26 October 2016

Final Examination                                         Scheduled during December exam period


7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

N.B. The topics and readings listed below may be subject to slight revision.  Use the OWL site for lecture topics and readings.

 

Day of class

Topic

Text Reading

Assignments

1

14-Sep-16

Introduction, Evolution

ch 1 all

 

2

21-Sep-16

Natural Selection, Human Origins

ch 2 all

ch 3 pp. 90-96

Assignment 1

due 25 Sept

3

28-Sep-16

Sexual Selection

ch. 3 all

ch. 4 pp. 86-102

 

4

5-Oct-16

Human Mate Choice

ch. 4 all

5

12-Oct-16

Development

ch 5 all

ch 6 pp. 158-165

Assignment 2

due 16 Oct

6

19-Oct-16

Family and Social Development

 ch 6 pp. 165-196

ch 7 all

 

26-Oct-16

Midterm Examination

 

7

2-Nov-16

Cooperation and Group Living

ch 8 all

Assignment 3

due 6 Nov

8

9-Nov-16

Cognition

ch 9 all

9

16-Nov-16

Language

ch 10 all

Assignment 4

due 20 Nov

10

23-Nov-16

Emotion

Psychopathology

ch. 11 pp 327-336, 345-355

ch. 12 all

11

30-Nov-16

Individual Differences

ch 13 all

Assignment 5

due 4 Dec

12

7-Dec-16

Culture

ch 14 all

 

 

TBA Dec 10-21

Final Examination

8.0     STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link:  http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com

Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.



9.0    POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2016/pg117.html

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html


10.0        OTHER INFORMATION

Office of the Registrar web site:  http://registrar.uwo.ca

Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca

Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:

    http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html

- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2016 Calendar References

No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.