Psychology 3724F-001 (Online for 2020-21)
The Science of Romantic Relationships
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
This course provides an overview of the field of intimate relationships. Current empirical research is emphasized. Topics include theoretical perspectives on intimate relationships (e.g., social psychological theory, evolutionary and life histories theory), interpersonal attraction, love, sexuality, communication within relationships, and various relationship challenges (conflict, violence, power, loss, etc.).
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.
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.
2 lecture hours, 1 tutorial hour; 0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Lorne Campbell
Office: SSC 6328
Group Office Hours: Thursdays 1-2pm online (link to be shared via OWL)
Feel free to join with or without audio and/or video. Ask questions verbally, or type questions in the chat room. I will answer questions, record each session, and provide link to the video via OWL.
Individual Office Hours: If needed, please email me to set up a time to meet via Zoom.
Email: lcampb23@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistants:
Nicolyn Charlot
Email: ncharlot@uwo.ca
Rebecca Koessler
Email: rkoessle@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes and Labs: All classes and labs are online this fall, and my lectures as well as the weekly lab discussions will be presented asynchronously. Therefore video recordings from me as well as the TAs will be posted each week for you to view at your discretion. Links will be provided via OWL.
I will host group office hours each week (see above for details) for anyone that would like to participate. You can ask questions via audio or using the chat function in zoom, and I will do my best to answer them. Feel free to join in even if you do not have a specific question to ask—students usually find listening to the questions of other study and my answers valuable and informative. If you would like to speak with me one-on-one please email me to set up a zoom appointment.
The TAs, Nicolyn and Rebecca, will hold zoom office hours by appointment. Please contact your TA via email to set up a zoom meeting.
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
Fletcher, G.J.O., Simpson, J.A., Campbell, L., & Overall, N. (2019). The science of intimate relationships (2nd ed.). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.
ISBN: 978-1-119-43004-9
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this course is to develop a thorough understanding of the psychology of romantic, intimate relationships. The topics include interpersonal attraction, relationship maintenance, and relationship dissolution. The objectives are to be aware of current theory and research regarding different facets of intimate relationships, and to critically evaluate this literature.
My weekly pre-recorded videos are intended to complement the textbook. Thus, material that is not in the book will be presented each week in my videos. Each week I will provide links to the pre-recorded videos via OWL and send notifications to the class when they are posted. All videos will be available online throughout the course after they are posted. Each pre-recorded video will be about 20 minutes in length, with approximately four (4) videos posted per week. Slides that I use in my videos will be made available via OWL.
The weekly lab will focus on specific aspects of the week’s topic, and each week one (1) pre-recorded video will be posted to OWL. The TAs will take turns presenting the material in the pre-recorded videos each week.
4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
|
Depth and Breadth of Knowledge
Describe , identify and explain the evolutionary, personal, interpersonal, and developmental factors that influence thoughts, feelings and behaviors of partners in romantic relationships |
Lecture; Class discussions; Textbook |
Exams, Tutorial participation |
|
Application of Knowledge
Articulate the above concepts when critically evaluating research and building persuasive arguments in this area |
Lecture; Class discussions; Textbook |
Exams, Tutorial participation |
|
Application of Methodologies
Explain how personal, situational, and relationship factors apply to the thoughts, feelings and behaviors of partners in romantic relationships |
Lecture; Class discussions; Textbook |
Exams, Tutorial participation |
|
Communication Skills
Communicate ideas clearly and concisely, in language accessible to intelligent non-experts (oral and written formats) |
Lecture; Class discussions; Textbook, paper |
Exams, Tutorial participation, paper |
|
Awareness of Limits of Knowledge
Describe and explain the limits of research conclusions in the context of methodological practices within the field |
Lecture; Class discussions; Textbook |
Exams, Tutorial participation |
|
Autonomy and Professional Capacity
Develop the ability to critique others’ writing politely and professionally |
Lecture; Class discussions |
Exams, Tutorial participation |
5.0 EVALUATION
Please note that I do not make grade adjustments (e.g., applying a bell curve to the distribution of marks on a test or paper). Also, I cannot adjust marks on the basis of need (e.g., because a certain mark is necessary to get into a particular academic program).
There will be four components to the marking scheme: a Midterm Exam (worth 25%), a Final Exam (worth 25%), five (5) response papers (worth 8% each, total of 40%), and participation in the Discussion Board (10%). The Discussion Board will be run by the TAs and is part of the weekly Lab requirements.
Note: You must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.
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 two exams (Midterm Exam and Final Exam) will contain approximately 10 short answer questions each. The final exam is NOT cumulative. You will have a maximum of 3 hours to complete each exam. Both text and lecture material, as well as material presented during the tutorials, will be tested. Each exam is worth 25% of the final grade. You will be provided a link to access the exam, and have a maximum of three (3) hours to complete the exam once begun.
MIDTERM TEST: Wednesday, October 21, 2020. You can start the exam anytime between the hours of 10am-4pm Eastern Standard Time, and will have 3 hours to complete the exam once begun.
FINAL EXAM: TBA (during exam schedule)
Make-Up Exams: Tests must be written during the scheduled timeframe 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 the Office of the Dean). A student who misses a regularly scheduled exam for other reasons, or who cannot justify a claim, will be assigned a 0 for the exam.
Response Papers:
Throughout the course you are required to submit a total of 5 response papers focusing on material presented during a given week. You can choose what topic you choose to write about, but each paper needs to be submitted via the assignment link in OWL no later than 1 week after we covered that material (e.g., if you choose to write about a topic presented in week 3, your paper on that topic needs to be submitted no later than 11:59pm of the Sunday of week 4). Each response paper needs to be no longer than a single page, single spaced. Please use Times New Roman font, size 12, with margins of 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all four sides (left, right, top, bottom). During the first week of classes we will discuss what is required from you for these papers. Each paper is worth 8% of the final grade (for a total of 40%). You are required to submit two (2) of the response papers prior to the midterm exam.
Discussion Board
There will be a discussion board set up for you to ask questions or post comments of any course materials, as well to contribute responses to the questions of others (links to be provided via OWL). During the course, you will need to contribute to the discussion board. Specifically, you will need to post a minimum of 5 questions or comments, and provide a minimum of 5 responses to other questions. The nature of these discussions and your contributions will be discussed the first Lab session of the class. This will be worth 10% of your final grade (5% for your 5 questions or comments, and 5% for your 5 responses). You are required to post two (2) questions or comments, and two (2) responses prior to the midterm exam.
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
Week of September 9 (first day of classes)
Lecture 1 Organizational lecture; Introduction to the study of intimate relationships
Readings: Chapter 1
Lab/Tutorial topic:
Week of September 14
Lecture 2 Relationship Science—Key theories and concepts
Readings: Chapter 2
Lab/Tutorial topic: Introduction, discussion of the writing and discussion board assignments; Levels of explanation for human behavior
Week of September 21
Lecture 3 The relationship mind
Readings: Chapter 3
Lab/Tutorial topic: Implicit and explicit processes in relationships
Week of September 28
Lecture 4 The relationship body
Readings: Chapter 4
Lab/Tutorial topic: Distress and eustress in relationships
Week of October 5
Lecture 5 Attachment and life history theory
Readings: Chapter 6
Lab/Tutorial topic: Change in attachment orientations over time
Week of October 12
Lecture 6 Interpersonal attraction
Readings: Chapter 7
Lab/Tutorial topic: Culture and attraction
Week of October 19
Lecture 7 Midterm Test
Lab/Tutorial topic: No lab
Week of October 26
Lecture 8 Love and commitment
Readings: Chapter 9
Lab/Tutorial topic: Same-sex relationships
Week of November 2 No Class—Fall reading week
Week of November 9
Lecture 9 Reading each other’s minds
Readings: Chapter 10
Lab/Tutorial topic: Assessing empathic accuracy
Week of November 16
Lecture 10 Communication and interaction
Readings: Chapter 11
Lab/Tutorial topic: Body language
Week of November 23
Lecture 11 Sex and passion
Readings: Chapter 12
Lab/Tutorial topic: Sexual and relationship satisfaction
Week of November 30
Lecture 12 The Dark side of relationships: Relationship Violence; Relationship Dissolution
Readings: Chapters 13 & 14
Lab/Tutorial topic: Staying in bad relationships
TBA Final Exam (During final exam period)
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
