Psychology 2075-650 (online)
Human Sexuality
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 the psychological study of human sexual behaviour. Topics include history, methodology, theory, anatomy, physiology, attraction, sexual function, sexual orientation, contraception, conception and birth, sexual health and sexual coercion, and pornography.
1.0 course2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Corey Isaacs
Office: SSC 7440
Office Hours: by appointment
Email: cisaacs3@uwo.caIf 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
Hyde, J. S., DeLamater, J. D., & Byers, E. S. (2018). Understanding Human Sexuality (7th Canadian Edition). Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
This is a new edition as of 2018, so used copies are likely very scarce. I always recommend that students use the assigned edition of the course textbook, as there are several changes between editions. While you may be able to use the previous (i.e., 6th Canadian) edition of this textbook without too many problems, you absolutely should not use any earlier edition of this textbook or any other textbook.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course is designed to be an introduction to the study of human sexuality. The primary focus of the course will be on psychological issues related to sexuality but biological, sociological, and cultural topics will be also included. The course will cover a broad range of topics such as theory and research on sexuality, anatomy, gender, attraction, sexual behaviour and disorders, sexual coercion and assault, and sex in the media. Students taking this course can expect to become more comfortable with and more knowledgeable about a wide range of sexual issues. It is also expected that students will learn to think critically about the scientific study of human sexuality and become more informed consumers of sex research. Please note that this course will involve explicit consideration, readings, imagery, and discussion of these topics, behaviours, and experiences.4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
This course provides a broad introduction to theories and findings related to the scientific study of human sexual behaviour. By the end of this course, the successful student will be able to:
- Apply psychological theories and concepts to the study of human sexuality;
- Distinguish between often conflated constructs such as sexual behaviour, sexual orientation, and gender identity;
- Identify the contributions of leading scholars and researchers to the understanding of human sexuality;
- Evaluate psychological, sociological, and biological theories used to explain human sexuality;
Integrate conflicting multidisciplinary perspectives concerning the study of human sexuality.
5.0 EVALUATION
Evaluation will consist of three midterm exams (worth 20% each) and a final exam (worth 30%), plus an online discussion component (worth 10%).
5.1 EXAMS
The exams are multiple-choice and will cover material from the online notes and the textbook. The exams are NOT cumulative. See the Course Schedule below for the list of topics and readings covered on each exam.
All exams will be closed-book—no books, notes, cell phones, or aids of any type will be allowed. Please bring a couple of pencils, a good eraser, a watch, and your student identification to the examinations. It is recommended that you do NOT bring items such as laptops, backpacks, textbooks, notes, etc. with you to examinations. At the beginning of every examination, you will be asked to place all such items in a common area in the exam room and neither the instructor nor Western can be responsible for theft, damage, or loss of such items.
5.2 MAKE-UP EXAMS
Tests must be written on the scheduled dates unless you have a legitimate excuse recognized by the university administration. Valid reasons include medical or compassionate reasons, and must be substantiated by proper documentation (e.g., a medical certificate, which will be verified by an Academic Counselor in your Faculty). A student who misses a regularly scheduled exam for other reasons, or who cannot justify a claim, will be assigned a grade of zero for the exam.
5.3 ONLINE DISCUSSIONS
There will be four online discussions throughout the course, and you will be required to participate in three of the four discussions to earn the Participation component of your course grade.
Your forum grades will be earned based on the quantity and quality of your contributions to these discussions. A successful student in online education is one who takes an active role in the learning process. You are therefore encouraged to participate actively in the discussions to enhance your learning experience throughout the course.
Discussions will be graded for the quality and content of your contribution. Examples of quality posts include:
- providing additional information to the discussion
- elaborating on previous comments from others
- presenting explanations of concepts or methods to help fellow students
- presenting reasons for or against a topic in a persuasive fashion
- sharing your own personal experiences that relate to the topic
- providing a URL and explanation for a topic you researched on the Internet
For each discussion, you will be assigned a grade out of 4 based on your discussion posts. Grades will be assigned as follows:
0 = Incomplete (no posting, question not answered)
1 = Unsatisfactory (minimal contribution, few if any responses to other students)
2 = Satisfactory (discussion topic addressed, minimal contribution to discussion)
3 = Excellent (posting meets all criteria, provides a valuable contribution to discussion)
4 = Outstanding (posting(s) go beyond basic requirements, present additional information from outside the textbook, and interact well with the other students)
Each discussion will be open for seven days, from 12:05 am on Sunday until 11:55 pm the following Saturday. Once the discussion closes, no more posts can be made. Please post early in the week to avoid last-minute problems, and always back up your work (screenshots of your forum posts are ideal), as “technical difficulties” is NOT an acceptable excuse for missing a discussion deadline.
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 Western's 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
6.0 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
Exam 1 (Units 1-3) Saturday, Nov. 3rd at 9:00 – 11:00 am
Exam 2 (Units 4-6) TBA December 10-21 (December exam period)
Exam 3 (Units 7-9) Saturday, March 2nd at 9:00 – 11:00 am
Exam 4 (Units 10-12) TBA April 11-30 (April exam period)7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
UNIT 1 - Introduction to Human Sexuality
Chapter 1 – Sexuality in Perspective
UNIT 2 - Theory and Research in Human Sexuality
Chapter 2 – Theoretical Perspectives on Sexuality
Chapter 3 – Sex Research
UNIT 3 - Sexual Anatomy and Sex Hormones
Chapter 4 – Sexual Anatomy
Chapter 5 – Sex Hormones, Sexual Differentiation, and Menstruation
UNIT 4 - Conception and Contraception
Chapter 6 – Conception, Pregnancy, and Childbirth
Chapter 7 – Contraception and Abortion
UNIT 5 - Sexually Transmitted Infections
Chapter 8 – Sexually Transmitted Infections
UNIT 6 - Sexual Response and Techniques of Arousal
Chapter 9 – Sexual Response
UNIT 7 - Sexuality and the Life Cycle
Chapter 10 – Sexuality and the Life Cycle: Childhood and Adolescence
Chapter 11 – Sexuality and the Life Cycle: Adulthood
UNIT 8 - Attraction, Intimacy, and Love
Chapter 12 – Attraction, Intimacy, and Love
UNIT 9 - Gender and Sexual Orientation
Chapter 13 – Gender and Sexuality
Chapter 14 – Sexual Orientation: Gay, Lesbian, Bi, or Straight?
UNIT 10 - Sexual Variations & Sexual Disorders
Chapter 15 – Variations in Sexual Behaviour
Chapter 18 – Sexual Disorders and Sex Therapy
UNIT 11 - Sexual Coercion & Sex for Sale
Chapter 16 – Sexual Coercion
Chapter 17 – Sex for Sale
UNIT 12 - Sexuality Education
Chapter 19 – Sexuality Education8.0 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://westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?Command=showCategory&PolicyCategoryID=1&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
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
- 2018 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.
