Psychology 3445G-001 (Online for 2020-21)
Social Development
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
Human survival and reproduction depends on the ability to form and maintain social relationships with others. This course reviews biological, cognitive, social, and contextual processes that enable human children to “get along” with others, and processes associated with social maladaptation. Topics include attachment, emotion regulation, aggression, prosocial behavior, and gender.
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 3781F/G.
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 seminar hours; 0.5 course.
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Lynne Zarbatany
Office and Phone Number: WH 322, 519-661-3664
(Zoom) Office Hours: By appointment
Email: lynnez@uwo.ca
TA: Hana Abbas
Zoom Office Hours: Thursdays 3:30-4:30 pm: 892 222 5285
Email: habbas23@uwo.ca
Delivery Format:Synchronous (students must be present/online at the
same time)
Time and Location: Thursday, 12:30-3:30, Zoom
Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet connection and a device that meets the system requirements for Zoom. Information about the system requirements are available at the following link: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us
Please note that Zoom servers are located outside Canada. If you would prefer to use only your first name or a nickname to login to Zoom, please provide this information to the instructor.
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
Underwood, M. K., & Rosen, L. H. (Eds., 2011), Social development: Relationships in infancy, childhood, and adolescence. NY: Guilford.
You may purchase this book at the university bookstore, or in e-format here: https://lb.ca/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/additem.bbx?/Z109991/I9781609182359
Other required readings are posted on the course website.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
Human survival and reproduction depends on the ability to form and maintain social relationships with others. In this course, we will explore the development of processes that enable human children to “get along” with others. We will examine how the foundational processes (physiological, social cognitive, emotional, behavioral) that underlie relationship skills emerge and are shaped by relationships with family members, peers, and other significant relationship partners, as well as the larger cultural context. We also will examine consequences of adaptive and maladaptive relationships for infants’, children’s, and adolescents’ social and psychological adjustment.
The course will be conducted in a seminar format. Each week, we will read and discuss a set of assigned readings, plan PSAs, and/or listen to presentations.
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, successful students will be able to
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity and Assessment |
|
Breadth and Depth of Knowledge. Memorize, describe, critically evaluate, and apply main concepts and findings of research and theory on social development Locate and critically evaluate scholarly research that pertains to a real world problem in social development |
Complete weekly quizzes on assigned readings. Participate in weekly class discussions of assigned readings. Read theory and research about a specific social problem that will form the foundation of an evidence-based public service announcement (PSA). |
|
Knowledge of Methodologies. Evaluate contributions of original research based on research designs and methods used. Understand implications of method and research design choices for meaning of findings. |
Carefully read the method and results sections of assigned readings. Contribute to weekly class discussions. Base PSA design on highest quality research findings. |
|
Application of Knowledge. Choose a social problem experienced by children, understand contributing factors identified in research, and create an effective evidence-based 30- to 120-sec videotaped public service announcement to raise public awareness and/or encourage action to remedy the problem. |
In small groups, design and create a PSA, and solicit feedback about its effectiveness.
|
|
Communication Skills. Orally present prepared material in a formal academic settings using visual aids, and make in-the-moment contributions to scholarly discourse.
Write papers demonstrating correct use of the English language and adherence to discipline-specific (APA) writing requirements
|
Participate in class discussion; present PSA proposal and completed PSA in teams.
Write a PSA proposal, and a full report empirically justifying the PSA, and describing its creation, and audience reactions to it. |
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Awareness of Limits of Knowledge. Identify limitations on interpretation of findings imposed by research designs and methods. |
Read original research. Participate in class discussions. |
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Autonomy and Professional Capacity. Demonstrate courage to use their scholarly voice in a public setting |
Participate in class discussion. PSA proposal and full PSA presentations. Engage in teamwork to create PSA in an equitable way. |
5.0 EVALUATION
In the event that we return to lockdown, there will be no changes to the course grading scheme.
CLASS PARTICIPATION (20%)
Each week we will meet in seminar format to discuss scholarly readings and other class activities. You will be marked on a scale from 0 to 4 for participation each week (0 = absent, 1 = present but silent, 2 = minimal participation, 3 = moderate participation, 4 = made an important substantive contribution to the scholarly discourse). Your lowest two marks will be dropped, and your remaining participation marks will be averaged to form 20% of your final mark. To facilitate discussion, you must bring at least one discussion topic or question to class each week.
WEEKLY QUIZZES (20%)
For the first 15 minutes of each class, you will complete a quiz on the assigned readings for the week, consisting of 10 multiple choice questions. The two lowest quiz marks will be dropped, and the remaining scores averaged to form 20% of your final mark.
Note that quizzes will be administered so that once a question is completed, you won’t be able to go back and change it.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS (60%)
The major assignment is an evidence-based 30-120 sec videotaped public service announcement (PSA) geared to children, their relationship partners (parents, teachers, peers), or policy makers on a topic relevant to the course. The purpose of a PSA is to motivate action to remedy a problem; the action required may be ceasing, increasing, or altering a behavior or set of behaviors. The focal audience may be children, adults responsible for them, or social policy makers. Before undertaking this project, we will review research assessing qualities that enhance the effectiveness of PSAs. [See course website for possible PSA topics].
Depending on class size, PSAs will be developed in groups of three or four students. For presentations, each group member must share presentation time equally, and grades will be assigned to groups rather than individuals. All written products must be completed individually.
This project will be undertaken in stages, each of which will be marked separately. Both content and style will be taken into account for marking purposes.
PSA PROPOSAL PRESENTATION (5%) AND WRITTEN PROSPECTUS (10%)
First, your group will generate and present (20 min) a proposal for your PSA that includes a statement of the problem (e.g., aggression occurs in a nontrivial number of adolescent romantic relationships), a brief literature review on the topic, including remediation strategies that have been attempted (including previous PSAs on the topic if available), and a story board for an evidence-based idea for a PSA topic. You will each also prepare a written prospectus of your plan (3-page maximum plus references). The class will provide feedback on the ideas.
COMPLETED PSA PRESENTATION (15%)
Second, you will create a script, film and edit your PSA and present it to the class in a second 20-30 min) presentation. As part of the presentation, you will describe the strategy underlying your approach and why you believe it will be effective for the targeted age group. Note that you must take into account the social and cognitive abilities of the target audience when developing your script; what works for one age group may not work for another. Show your PSA to members of the targeted group, if possible, or other students not in the course, and include their feedback in your presentation.
Note. Although I expect that group members will contribute equally to the group project, this may not happen in some groups. Accordingly, after the final PSA presentation, students will privately rate each group-mate (but not themselves) on their contribution to the group’s PSA project using a 5-point scale (1 = "Did much less than their share;" 2 = “Did less than their share;” 3 = "Did their share;" 4 = “Did more than their share;” 5 = “Did much more than their share”). If a group member gets—by consensus, or near-consensus from the rest of the group—a rating that departs from 3, I will adjust the person’s final presentation grade upward in the case of those who contribute more than their share, and downward in the case of those who contribute less than their share.
FINAL PAPER (30%)
Third, you will individually write a 10-12 page paper that includes a statement of the problem, a literature review, including a description of previous intervention attempts made, an evidence-based rationale for your approach to your PSA, a description of your PSA, and a summary of audience reaction to your PSA.
Note: The final paper is due no later than 5:00 pm on Apr. 12.
General Notes Regarding Paper Submissions
- Check your writing for grammatical and spelling errors as these can lower your paper marks. Always use APA format (7th Ed.) when writing papers for this course.
- When naming documents that you submit to me, your own name should come first, and then the document name (e.g., Sarah McLachlan, PSA Prospectus, Title of Paper.docx; Drake, PSA Paper, Title of Paper.docx). Include your name on the first page of each document, and always number your pages.
- Submit all documents to OWL in Word rather than PDF.
Penalty for Late Papers
Late papers will incur a penalty of 3% per day (out of 100%).
Summary of Course Requirements
|
Course Requirement |
% of Final Mark |
Due Date |
|
Class Participation |
20 |
Weekly |
|
Quizzes |
20 |
Weekly |
|
PSA Proposal Presentation |
5 |
Various |
|
PSA Proposal Prospectus |
10 |
Various |
|
Final PSA Presentation |
15 |
Various |
|
Final PSA Paper |
30 |
Apr. 12, 5 pm |
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 assignments must be at least 50%. 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.
Note: Grades will not be rounded.
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
Other than weekly quizzes, there are no exams in this course.
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
|
Date |
Tentative Topics/Readings |
Assignment |
|
Jan. 14 |
Organizational Meeting
|
|
|
Jan. 21 |
Ch. 1 Underwood & Rosen
Readings on PSAs:
|
Quiz 1
Bring your favorite PSA to class. What’s the message? Why do you like it? |
|
Jan. 28 |
Biological foundations of social behavior
Chs. 2 & 3 Underwood & Rosen |
Quiz 2
Bring at least one idea for a PSA message |
|
Feb. 4 |
Attachment
Ch. 5 Underwood & Rosen
Gunnar, M. R. (2017). Social buffering of stress in development: A career perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12, 355-373. |
Quiz 3 |
|
Feb. 11 |
Families, Parenting, Discipline
Ch. 6 Underwood & Rosen
Bornovalova, M. A. et al. (2014). Understanding the relative contributions of direct environmental effects and passive geno- type environment correlations in the association between familial risk factors and child disruptive behavior disorders. Psychological Medicine, 44, 831-844.
|
Quiz 4
PSA Proposals |
|
Feb. 18 |
Reading Week
|
|
|
Feb. 25 |
Peer Relationships
Ch. 7 Underwood & Rosen
Albert, D., Chein, J., & Steinberg, L. (2013). The teenage brain: Peer influences on adolescent decision making. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 22, 114-120. |
Quiz 5
PSA Proposals |
|
Mar. 4 |
Social Cognition
Ch. 4 Underwood & Rosen
Tomasello, M., & Moll, H. (2013). Why don’t apes understand false beliefs? In M. R. Banaji & S. A. Gelman (Eds.), Navigating the social world: What infants, children, and other species can teach us (pp. 81-87). NY: Oxford University Press.
Hirschfeld, L. A. (2013). The myth of mentalizing and the primacy of folk sociology. In M. R. Banaji & S. A. Gelman (Eds.), Navigating the social world: What infants, children, and other species can teach us (pp. 101-106). NY: Oxford University Press.
|
Quiz 6
PSA Proposals |
|
Mar. 11 |
Aggression
Ch. 9 Underwood & Rosen
Hawley (2014). The duality of human nature: Coercion and prosociality in youths’ hierarchy ascension and social success. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 23, 433-438. |
Quiz 7 |
Page Break
|
Mar. 18 |
Morality and Prosocial Behavior
Ch. 10 Underwood & Rosen
Davidov, M., Vaish, A., Knafo-Noam, A., & Hastings, P. D. (2016). The motivational foundations of prosocial behavior from a developmental perspective—Evolutionary roots and key psychological mechanisms: Introduction to special section. Child Development, 87, 1655-1667. |
Quiz 8
|
|
Mar. 25 |
Gender
Ch. 12 Underwood & Rosen
Udry, J. R. (2000). Biological limits of gender construction. American Sociological Review, 65, 443-457 |
Quiz 9
PSA Presentations |
|
Apr. 1 |
Cultural Influences on Social Development
Ch. 15 Underwood & Rosen
Chang et al. (2019). Environmental harshness and unpredictability, life history, and social and academic behavior of adolescents in nine countries. Developmental Psychology, 55, 890-903. |
Quiz 10
PSA Presentations |
|
Apr. 8 |
PSA Presentations
|
|
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence 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 offences. 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 will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES
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
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:
- Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
- 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 must be submitted before the exam/coursework deadline in order to be valid. It 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 hoursafter 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 Contingency Plan for Return to Lockdown
In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence during the course that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online as determined by the course instructor.
11.0 STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE
In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:
- please “arrive” to class on time
- please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
- please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
- to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
- In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
- In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
- Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting
The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:
- If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
- Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
- Self-identify when speaking.
- Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).
General considerations of “netiquette”:
- Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
- Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
- Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
- Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.
Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.
12.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services: 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
- 2020-2021 Calendar References
Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos 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 any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
