Psychology 3228B-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 behavior, including evolutionary psychology.

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

Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol 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.

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.

3 lecture/discussion hours; 0.5 course 

2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor: Krista Macpherson                    

       Office Hours: By Appointment

       Email: kmacphe6@uwo.ca                  

       Teaching Assistant: Justin Hopper                 

       Office Hours:   By Appointment                                    

        Email: jhopper7@uwo.ca          

       Time and Location of Classes: Fridays 11:30am-2:30pm, SSC 2036                                                                                   

Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western

http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.

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 Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.

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, but students may also use the second edition of the textbook. 

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course will examine how the biological processes of evolution have 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 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activities

 

Assessment

Knowledge and Understanding

Describe the theory of evolution and its relationship to human behaviour (assessed by midterm and final exams) 

Interpret human behaviour in the context of evolutionary history (assessed by exams and assignments) 

Critically read a scientific text and extract important and relevant information (assessed with weekly quizzes on textbook material) 

Course Readings 

Attending lectures

Weekly Quiz

Term Test

 

Final Exam 

 

Weekly Quiz

 

Critical Thinking

Organize and synthesize research results. 

Critically evaluate concepts and theories. 

Formulate testable hypotheses about behaviour. 

Course Readings 

Attending Lectures

Thought Papers

 

Assignments

 

Communication

Communicate ideas and research-based evidence orally and in writing in a professional manner. 

Thought Papers

 

Assignments

 

 

5.0     EVALUATION

Your final mark will be based on a combination of the following: 

Weekly Quizzes (Best 10 of 12): 10% (1% each) 

Assignments (Best 4 of 5): 20% (5% each)

Midterm: 30% 

Final Exam: 40% 

Weekly quizzes will consist of 5 multiple-choice questions that are based strictly off the readings for the lecture for that week. Quizzes will open on Monday at 9am and will be due at the end of each week (Sunday 11:59pm). There is a strict policy that quizzes are not accepted after the due date and 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, 20 minutes in duration, and are submitted through OWL. You can still complete the quizzes with the second edition of the textbook. 

Assignments will typically revolve around an assigned reading and may be in either a ‘quiz’ format (multiple choice, matching and short answer), or a ‘thought paper’ format (1-2 pages). 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 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. 

Discussion of quiz and/or assignment material on OWL forums, Facebook or other social media prior to the submission deadline is strictly prohibited. 

The midterm and final exam will be based on both lecture material and assigned readings from the textbook. Both exams will be approximately 50% multiple choice and 50% short-answer. The final will focus primarily on material covered in the second half of the course. Although the final is not cumulative, foundational concepts from the first half of the course do carry over to the second half of the course. 

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  ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE

Midterm Exam: Feb 28 – In Class
Final Exam: Final Exam Period (April 6-26) 

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

The assigned readings below are a general outline. Check the OWL for the updates and more specific information about that week’s readings that are required for the weekly quiz. 

Week

Date

Topic

Readings & Assignments

1

Jan 10

Introduction to Evolution

Chapter 1

2

Jan 17

Natural Selection


Human Origins

Chapter 2

Assignment 1 (Due Jan 26th  @ Midnight)

3

Jan 24

Sexual Selection

 

 

Chapter 3

4

Jan 31             

Human Mate Choice

Chapter 4

Assignment 2 (Due Feb 9th @ Midnight)

5

Feb 7

Development

Chapter 5 & 6

Assignment 3 (Due Feb 16th @ Midnight)

6

Feb 14

Kin Selection and families; 

Cooperation and Reciprocity

Chapter 7 & 8

 

 

Feb 20

*Reading Week*

 

7

Feb 28

Midterm

8

March 06

Evolution, Cognition and 

Memory

Chapter 9

Assignment 4 (Due March 15th @ Midnight)

 

9

 

March 13

 

Language

 

Chapter 10

Assignment 5 (Due March 22nd @ Midnight)

10

March 20

Emotion

Chapter 11

 

11

March 27

Psychopathology/Darwinian

 medicine

Chapter 12

12

April 03

Individual differences/culture

Chapter 13/14

 

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

Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

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/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12

 

The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf


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

 

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:

  1. Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
  2. For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;

For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html

Students seeking academic consideration:

  • are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;  
  • are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;

must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence



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
- 2019-2020 Calendar References

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

Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute lecture notes, wiki material, and other course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.