Psychology 2076B-001
The Psychology of Sex
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
Revised Jan 10, 2022
WESTERN UNIVERSITY
LONDON CANADA
Department of Psychology
2021 - 2022
Psychology 2076B Section 001
The Psychology of Sex
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
This course explores human sexual behaviour from a psychological perspective. Topics include historical perspectives on sexual behaviour; theory and methodology in sex research; the physiology and development of sexual function; gender and sexual orientation; attraction, love and sex in relationships; sexual health; coercion; and sex work.
Antirequisite: Psychology 2075
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 hours; Course Weight: 0.5
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Corey Isaacs
Office Hours: by appointment (via Zoom)
Email: cisaacs3@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistant: Malvika D’Costa
Email: mdcosta4@uwo.ca
The best way to contact me is by email. Please send emails only from your Western email account and include “Psych 2076” in the subject line of any email you send. I will always do my best to respond to your email within 48 hours, but during busy times it may take a little longer.
Time of Classes: Tuesdays 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Location of Classes: Arts and Humanities Building room 1R40
Delivery Method: In-Person (online for month January 2022)
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness @Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ 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
Hyde, J. S., DeLamater, J. D., & Byers, E. S. (2018). Understanding Human Sexuality (7th Canadian Edition). Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.
There are a few options for purchasing this textbook. The digital version (i.e., McGraw-Hill Connect) includes additional resources that may be quite useful; however, you are not required to purchase online access or a new textbook if you prefer to buy a used/physical copy of the textbook.
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.
If you choose to purchase the online option, you will be able to register your textbook here: https://connect.mheducation.com/class/psych2076b-001-win2022
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
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 regarding the scientific study of human sexuality. By the end of this course, successful students should have achieved the following outcomes:
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
|
Identify and describe the biological, psychological, and social factors that influence human sexuality |
Readings, Lectures, Online Discussions, Self-Tests, Optional Essay |
Exams, Online Discussions, Self-Tests, Optional Essay |
|
Apply psychological theories and concepts to the study of human sexuality |
Readings, Lectures, Online Discussions, Self-Tests, Optional Essay |
Exams, Online Discussions, Self-Tests, Optional Essay |
|
Critically evaluate theories, research methods, and findings from the study of human sexuality |
Readings, Lectures, Online Discussions, Self-Tests, Optional Essay |
Exams, Online Discussions, Self-Tests, Optional Essay |
|
Understand the limits of research conclusions in the context of methodological practices in the field |
Readings, Lectures, Online Discussions, Self-Tests |
Exams, Online Discussions, Self-Tests, Optional Essay |
|
Communicate ideas clearly and concisely, in language accessible to a non-specialist audience |
Lectures, Online Discussions, Optional Essay |
Online Discussions, Optional Essay |
5.0 EVALUATION
Evaluation for this course consists of three exams worth a total of 75%, and a 25% participation grade based on participation in the weekly online discussion forums.
5.1 EXAMS (75% of final mark)
This class includes two midterm exams (each worth 20%) and a final exam (worth 35%). Exams will cover material from both the textbook and the lectures. The final exam will be cumulative (i.e., it will assess material from the entire course), with an emphasis on material not covered on the midterms.
5.2 ONLINE DISCUSSIONS (25% of final mark)
There will be a discussion forum posted to OWL each week (10 throughout the course), and you will be required to participate in any FIVE of the discussions throughout the term to earn the Online Discussions component of your course grade. You can choose to participate in six discussions, in which case your BEST FIVE OF SIX discussion grades will be used to calculate your Online Discussions grade. If you participate in more than six discussions, your grade will be based only on the FIRST SIX—any additional discussions beyond the first six will not be graded. The ‘Introduce Yourself!’ forum is NOT graded.
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 contributions. Quality posts may 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 Monday.
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 start a new conversation (before midnight on Monday) with at least one question about the previous week's topic as a starting point for discussion. You will also be required to engage in at least two of your classmates’ conversations during the week. Once the discussion closes on Saturday night, 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.
5.3 OPTIONAL ESSAY (5% of final mark, taken from lowest exam grade)
You have the OPTION of submitting a 5-page essay. If you choose to submit an essay, the weight of your lowest (midterm or final) exam grade will be reduced by 5%, and that 5% portion of your course grade will be based on your essay instead. If you choose NOT to submit an essay, this component will have NO impact on your course grade.
See the Assignments page on our OWL course website for more detailed information. The essay is due before midnight on Friday, April 8, 2022. There is a 10% per day late penalty, and the absolute latest that it can be submitted is Wednesday, April 13, 2022.
You may write your essay on any sexuality-related topic, but it MUST include: (i) a description of a real-world example of some topic/behaviour related to the course or textbook material, and (ii) an examination of that real-world example that uses one or more theories or perspectives from our course or textbook. The objective is to give you an opportunity to do some research/reading beyond the textbook, and to apply what you’ve learned in the course to a specific, real-world example.
As an example of an applicable essay topic, you might examine/critique an STI public awareness campaign though the lens of the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills model and/or the theory of planned behaviour. What is the goal of the campaign? Does it seem to be based on any research evidence or relevant scientific theory? How effective do you think the campaign may be, given what you’ve learned about sexual health behaviour? Could it be improved? How?
5.4 POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK
Exams. Students who fail to write an exam at the scheduled time will receive a grade of zero unless they receive approval (via an SRA or academic considerations) from their Academic Dean’s office. There will be no makeup exams for the midterms. If a student is absent from a midterm exam with permission from their Academic Dean’s office, that portion of their course grade will be reassigned to the relevant portion of the final exam (i.e., the portion of the final exam that covers the material tested on the missed midterm). The final exam makeup may be in a different format (e.g., short-answer, essay) from the regular exam.
Online Discussions. If a student does not participate in at least five of the weekly online discussions, they will receive a grade of zero for each of the incomplete discussions. If a student receives academic considerations from their faculty to be excused from an online discussion and they are unable to complete at least five discussions, their participation grade will be based on the discussions in which they did participate. Once a discussion closes on Saturday at 11:55 PM each week, further contributions cannot be made. Submitting an SRA may reduce or eliminate a late penalty, but it will not excuse you from the entire week-long discussion.
Optional Essay. The essay is due before midnight on Friday, April 8, 2022. There is a 10% per day late penalty, and the absolute latest that it can be submitted is Wednesday, April 13, 2022. This deadline can be extended by 48 hours by submitting an SRA, or a further extension may be requested via your academic dean’s office.
5.5 IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT GRADES
The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level to 2099-level courses
72% 2100-2999-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
In the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.
Policy on Grade Rounding: Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered. To maximize your grade, do your best on every assessment.
6.0 ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE
Midterm Exam 1 (Chapters 1 – 3, 9) 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022
Midterm Exam 2 (Chapters 12 – 14) 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM on Tuesday, March 15, 2022
Final Exam (Cumulative) TBA (April exam period)
Online Discussions Open Sunday – Saturday each week
Optional Essay due by 11:59 PM on Friday, April 8, 2022
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
Changes to the class schedule will be announced on the OWL course website. Students are responsible for being aware of announcements made on OWL.
|
Week |
Reading |
Topic |
|
Jan. 9 – 15 |
Chapter 1 |
Sexuality in Perspective |
|
Jan. 16 – 22 |
Chapter 2 |
Theoretical Perspectives on Sexuality |
|
Jan. 23 – 29 |
Chapter 3 |
Sex Research |
|
Jan. 30 – Feb. 5 |
Chapter 9 |
Sexual Response & Techniques |
|
Feb. 6 – 12 |
MIDTERM EXAM (Tuesday, Feb. 8; Chapters 1 - 3, 9) |
|
|
Feb. 13 – 19 |
Chapter 12 |
Attraction, Love, & Communication |
|
Feb. 20 – 26 |
NO CLASS – Reading week |
|
|
Feb. 27 – March 5 |
Chapter 13 |
Gender & Sexuality |
|
March 6 – 12 |
Chapter 14 |
Sexual Orientation & Identity |
|
March 13 – 19 |
MIDTERM EXAM (Tuesday, March 15; Chapters 12 - 14) |
|
|
March 20 – 26 |
Chapter 15 |
Variations in Sexual Behaviour |
|
March 27 – April 2 |
Chapter 17 |
Sex for Sale |
|
April 3 – 8 |
Chapter 18 |
Sexual Disorders & Therapies |
|
TBA (April 10 – 30) |
FINAL EXAM (Cumulative) |
|
8.0 Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.
With this, we respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers. We acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples (e.g., First Nations, Métis and Inuit) endure in Canada, and we accept responsibility as a public institution to contribute toward revealing and correcting miseducation, as well as renewing respectful relationships with Indigenous communities through our teaching, research and community service.
9.0 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.
10.0 POLICY ON THE USE OF EXAM PROCTORING SOFTWARE
When examinations and tests cannot be given in person (e.g., in courses coded as Distance Studies; in the event of a lockdown order), they may be conducted using either a monitoring platform such as Zoom or a remote proctoring service, such as Proctorio. If Zoom is used for exam invigilation, you will be required to keep your camera on for the entire session, hold up your student card for identification purposes, and share your screen with the invigilator if asked to do so at any time during the exam. The exam session using Zoom will not be recorded.*
If a remote proctoring service is used, the service will require you to provide personal information (including some biometric data). The session will be recorded. The instructor will alert you to the use of this software as close as possible to the start of the term, however, in the event that in-person exams are unexpectedly canceled, you may only be given notice of the use of a proctoring service a short time in advance. More information about remote proctoring is available in the Online Proctoring Guidelines. Please ensure you are familiar with any proctoring service’s technical requirements before the exam. Additional guidance is available at the following link: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/onlineproctorguidelines.pdf
* 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 in advance of the test or examination. See this link for technical requirements: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us
11.0 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
Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.
12.0 Contingency Plan for Return to Lockdown
Although the intent is for this course to be delivered in-person, the changing COVID-19 landscape may necessitate some or all of the course to be delivered 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 assessments affected will be conducted online as determined by the course instructor.
At the discretion of the instructor, when deemed necessary, tests and examinations in this course may be conducted using a remote proctoring service. By taking this course, you are consenting to the use of this software and acknowledge that you will be required to provide personal information (including some biometric data) and the session will be recorded. Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet connection and a device that meets the technical requirements for this service. More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available on Western’s Remote Proctoring website at: https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca.
13.0 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.
14.0 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
- 2021-2022 Calendar References
If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf
Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).
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.
Policy on the Recording of Synchronous Sessions: Some or all of the remote learning sessions for this course (if scheduled) may be recorded. The data captured during these recordings may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers (name displayed on the screen). The recordings will be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The recordings may be disclosed to other individuals participating in the course for their private or group study purposes. Please contact the instructor if you have any concerns related to session recordings. Participants in this course are not permitted to privately record the sessions, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the student has the prior written permission of the instructor.
