Psychology 3720F-650 (online)

The Psychology of Prosocial and Antisocial Behaviour

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

The course will consider the social, situational and personality factors responsible for the occurrence of antisocial behaviors such as violence and aggression, and of prosocial behaviors such as helping others in disaster or crisis situations.

Prerequisite: Psychology 2820E or both Psychology 2800E and Psychology 2810 (or Psychology 2780E or permission of the Department at Huron 

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.

 

0.5 course

 

2.0    COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor: Dr. Corey Isaacs

Office: SSC 7440

Office Hours: Tuesdays at 5:30 – 6:30 pm (by appointment)

Email: cisaacs3@uwo.ca

 

Teaching Assistant: Paolo Palma

Email: ppalma@uwo.ca                                                                                   

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

Dovidio, J. F., Piliavin, J. A., Schroeder, D. A., & Penner, L. A. (2006). The Social Psychology of Prosocial Behavior. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. (For Part 1 of the course)

 

Krahé, B. (2013). The Social Psychology of Aggression (2nd edition). New York, NY: Psychology Press.
(For Part 2 of the course)

 

NOTE: An ebook version of the Dovidio et al. textbook is available for purchase online. The ebook will HOPEFULLY be available for free via the Western library website very soon. The acquisition is currently awaiting fulfilment, but the possibility exists that a strike by librarians may delay the process. Paper copies will be available for purchase from the Western Bookstore, and used paper copies are readily available for purchase online or elsewhere. 

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the end of the course, students should have an understanding of the basic theories, methods, and findings in the literature on prosocial and antisocial behaviour. Topics include theories prosocial and antisocial behaviour, mechanisms underlying behaviour, and situational influences on behaviour.

   4.1    STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge

 

Identify and describe the biological, psychological, and social factors that influence people’s prosocial and antisocial behaviour

 

Course readings, Online discussions, Research proposal

 

Exams, Participation, Research proposal

Evaluation of Knowledge

 

Critically evaluate theories, research methods, and findings from the study of prosocial and antisocial behaviour

 

Course readings, Online discussions, Research proposal

 

Exams, Participation, Research proposal

Application of Knowledge

 

Apply theoretical principles and research findings to examples of social behaviour

 

Course readings, Online discussions

 

Exams, Participation

Awareness of Limits of Knowledge

 

Describe and explain the limits of research conclusions in the context of methodological practices within the field

 

Course readings, Online discussions, Research proposal

 

Exams, Participation, Research proposal

Communication Skills

 

Communicate ideas clearly and concisely, in language accessible to intelligent non-experts

 

Online discussions, Research proposal

 

Exams, Participation, Research proposal

 

5.0     EVALUATION

Course grades will be based on three online discussions (10%), two exams (30% each), and a research proposal (30%).

 

PLEASE NOTE: Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignment must be at least 50%.

 

       5.1 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. There will be an online discussion during each of the following lessons:

  • Lesson 3 (Sept. 22 – 28)
  • Lesson 5 (Oct. 6 – 12)
  • Lesson 8 (Nov. 10 – 16)
  • Lesson 11 (Dec. 1 – 7)

 

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)

-1 = Penalty for not posting a question prior to the deadline of midnight on Tuesday.

 

Each discussion will be open for seven days, from 12:05 am on Sunday until 11:55 pm the following Saturday*. You will be required to pose at least one question to your group (before midnight on Tuesday) about the previous week's lesson as a starting point for discussion. You will also be required to respond to at least two of your classmates’ posts before 11:55 pm on 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.

 

       5.2 EXAMS

 

The exams are each worth 30% of your course grade. Each two-hour exam will consist of a combination of multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay-style questions that assess your ability to identify, conceptualize, and/or apply the course material. 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.

 

       5.3 MAKE-UP EXAMS

 

Tests must be written on the scheduled dates unless you have a legitimate excuse recognized by the university administration (e.g., medical or compassionate reasons). 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.

 

       5.4 RESEARCH PROPOSAL

 

You are required to write a research proposal in APA format, worth 30% of your course grade. The maximum length of the proposal is 15 typed, double-spaced pages (excluding references and cover page).

 

Your goal is to propose a study (preferably an experiment) that would extend our understanding of any area of research relevant to prosocial or antisocial behaviour. Note that you will not actually conduct the study. More information about the requirements for the research proposal will be provided on the course website.

 

Recommended Schedule for Completing the Research Proposal:

 

  • September: Find a research area that interests you (skim readings, textbooks, etc.).
  • October: Review research in this area (PsycINFO). How can past research be extended? Develop outline of research proposal (Intro, Method, Anticipated R & D). Discuss ideas with me any time.
  • November: Write first draft (November 1 - 15). Write second draft (November 16 - 30): focus on style/organization, submit draft to TurnItIn and check for “matches,” revise as needed and submit final draft well in advance of 11:55 pm on November 30th.
  • Note: No research proposal will be accepted more than one week after the deadline (even with late marks taken off, per the assignment description posted on the course OWL website), except with the approval of your Academic Counselling office.

 

This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty. 

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

The Midterm Exam is scheduled for Saturday, October 19th at 9:00 - 11:00 am, and will cover material from September 8th through October 19th (OWL Lessons 1-5).

 

The Final Exam will be scheduled during the December exam period, and will cover material from October 20th through December 5th (OWL Lessons 6-11).

 

The Research Proposal must be submitted to the OWL Assignments tool by no later than 11:55 pm on Saturday, November 30th. Proposals will be penalized by 10% (i.e., 3/30 points) for every day they are late. 

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

Dates

Reading

Topic

Sept. 8 – 14

Dovidio Chapter 1

Introduction to Prosocial Behavior

Sept. 15 – 21

Dovidio Chapter 2

The Origin of Prosocial Behavior

Sept. 22 – 28

Dovidio Chapter 3

When will people help?

Sept. 29 – Oct. 5

Dovidio Chapter 4

Why do people help?

Oct. 6 – 12

Dovidio Chapter 7

Being the Helper and Being Helped

Oct. 13 – 19

---

Review/Study

Oct. 19, 2019

MIDTERM EXAM (covers all material from Part 1 of the course)

Oct. 20 – 26

Krahé Chapter 1

Defining and Measuring Aggression

Oct. 27 – Nov. 2

Krahé Chapter 2

Theories of Aggression

Nov. 3 – 9

READING WEEK (no classes)

Nov. 10 – 16

Krahé Chapter 3

Development of Aggression

Nov. 17 – 23

Krahé Chapter 4

Situational Elicitation of Aggression

Nov. 24 – 30

Krahé Chapter 5

Media Violence and Aggression

Dec. 1 - 5

Krahé Chapter 6

Aggression as Part of Everyday Life

TBA (Dec. 8 – 19)

FINAL EXAM (covers all material from Part 2 of the course)

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/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.