Psychology 4690F 001
Special Topics in Industrial and Organizational Psychology: The Psychology of Status and Power
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
WESTERN UNIVERSITY
LONDON CANADA
Department of Psychology
2022-2023
Psychology 4690F Section 001
Special topics in Industrial and Organizational Psychology: The Psychology of Status and Power
- CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
This course offers an overview of research on the nature of social hierarchy within groups and organizations from a psychological perspective. In this course, we will review and discuss contemporary theory on the emergence, maintenance, and implications of social hierarchy. We will cover a range of topics, including the bases of social hierarchy (i.e., power and status), why and how people compete for status and power, and the consequences of social rank in groups and organizations. We will address these topics at multiple levels of analysis to understand the personal, interpersonal, and group implications of social hierarchy.
Antirequisite: Not Applicable.
Prerequisite: Psychology 2820E, or both of Psychology 2800E and Psychology 2810, plus registration in third or fourth year Honours Specialization in Psychology or Honours Specialization in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. Other Psychology students and Psychology Special Students who receive 75% in the prerequisite courses may enrol in this course.
Extra information: 3 seminar hours
Course Weight: 0.5
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.
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Alex Benson
Office and Phone Number: SSC 8408
Office Hours: Tuesday 3:00pm-4:00pm (or by appointment)
Email: abenson3@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes: Thursday, 1:30pm-4:30pm, Location UCC 60
Delivery Method: In-Person
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 contact Accessible Education at aew@uwo.ca or 519-661-2147.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
There is no textbook for this class. Instead, a list of required readings will be available through OWL. Each reading will be available through the library either as a physical copy or digitally accessible through OWL. Weekly assigned readings, specified below, are to be completed before each class meeting.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES
This seminar course on social hierarchy within groups and organizations will cover a range of topics, including the bases of social hierarchy, why and how people compete for status and power, the dynamic nature of power and status within groups, and the consequences of social rank in groups and organizations. We will address these topics at multiple levels of analysis to understand the personal, interpersonal, and group implications of social hierarchy. Students will also learn about the methods used to study social hierarchy within group contexts and the challenges of research in this area. Students will learn contemporary theory, concepts, and methods relevant to the nature and consequences of social hierarchy in organizations. This course is organized around student-driven discussions, weekly assigned readings, content-focused lectures, and in-class activities. Students will also prepare and deliver a research presentation for their final paper.
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
|
Depth and Breadth of Knowledge.
|
Weekly reading Reflection questions Class discussion Research proposal |
In-class examination Reflection questions Class participation grades Research proposal |
|
Knowledge of Methodologies.
|
Weekly reading Reflection questions Class discussion
|
In-class examination Reflection questions Class participation grades Seminar presentation Research proposal |
|
Application of Knowledge.
|
Class discussion Reflection questions Research proposal |
In-class examination Research proposal Class participation grades Seminar presentation |
|
Communication Skills.
|
Research proposal Class discussion Seminar presentation |
Reflection questions Class participation grades Seminar presentation Research proposal |
|
Awareness of Limits of Knowledge.
|
Weekly reading Reflection questions Class discussion Research proposal |
Reflection questions Class participation grades Seminar presentation Research proposal |
|
Autonomy and Professional Capacity.
|
Reflection questions Class discussion Research proposal |
Class participation grades Seminar presentation Research proposal |
5.0 EVALUATION
The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4.0 and are considered necessary for meeting these learning objectives.
Class participation (20%) - This is a seminar style course that relies on students to actively participate in class discussions. To facilitate these discussions, students are expected to come to class prepared with comments and questions about the readings that caught their interest and be prepared to respond to other students’ comments and questions. Student participation should reflect deep and critical engagement with the weekly readings. Class participation will be evaluated on the basis of the quality of contributions to the discussions.
Weekly submitted reflection questions (10%) - Every week, students will be asked to submit one discussion question to the discussion board located under “Forum” on OWL by Tuesday before 10pm, for that week’s corresponding lecture. All students in the class will have access to the weekly submitted discussion questions. In addition, all students are responsible for reviewing the questions posted to OWL prior to Thursday’s class to ensure that there is a collective understanding of the viewpoints and questions elicited by the reading. Excellent questions will demonstrate critical thought in relation to the assigned reading and should serve to stimulate a thoughtful and productive exchange of ideas.
In-class examination (35%) - A cumulative in-class examination will take place on November 10th. The examination will be 2 hours in length and will primarily consist of short answer questions.
Research proposal (25% written component + 10% verbal component) - Students will have the opportunity to apply the course materials by formulating a research question and proposing a study to answer it. The final paper should [1] provide a brief literature review, [2] outline a hypothesis (or hypotheses) you are interested in testing, [3] specify a method for examining the proposed question, [4] describe your expected results, and [5] discuss implications and plausible alternative accounts of what the research may yield. The final paper must be at least 2500 words, not including references (double-spaced, formatted with 12-point Times New Roman; 1 inch margins on all sides; written in accordance with APA 7th guidelines) and is due on Dec. 8th before 11:55pm. Please submit via OWL using the “Assignments” tab. There will be a 10% per day penalty for late submissions of research proposal papers. As a general guide, the literature review and the description of the hypothesis/hypotheses should be 4-6 pages in length, the method should be 1-3 pages in length, the expected results should be 1-3 pages in length, and the implications/alternative accounts should be 2-4 pages.
During the classes of November 17th, November 24th, December 1st, you will present your proposal to the class and receive feedback to help you with the final version of your proposal. Your presentation is expected to be 15 minutes long and should provide the class with a detailed understanding of your proposed study. There will be 5-10 minutes allotted for discussion following each presentation.
5.1 POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK
Weekly submitted reflection questions – If you have academic counselling-approved documentation or have received permission from Dr. Benson, you may submit your discussion questions later in the week. Otherwise, you will receive a grade of 0 on weeks that you do not submit your reflection question by Tuesday before 10pm.
In-class examination - If you have an excused absence and are unable to write the in-class examination (i.e., academic counselling-approved documentation), then you will write an alternative version with the time and date to be determined. The makeup exam may be in a different format from the regular exam. If you have a non-excused absence and you do not write the final exam, you will receive a grade of 0.
Research proposal - The final paper is due on Dec. 8th before 11:55pm. There will be a 10% per day penalty for late submission of research proposal papers. For your in-class research presentation, if you have an excused absence and are unable to present on the originally scheduled date (i.e., academic counselling-approved documentation), then you will present your proposal at an alternative time, which may fall outside of class hours due to scheduling. If you have a non-excused absence and you do not present your research proposal on the scheduled date, you will receive a grade of 0.
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.
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: https://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
Note that 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 each and every assessment within the course.
6.0 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
|
Exam/Assessment |
Date and Time |
Location |
|
In-Class Examination |
Thursday, November 10, 1:30pm-3:30pm ET |
STVH-3101 |
|
Reflection Questions |
Weekly. Due every Tuesday before 10:00pm ET |
OWL via the “Forum” tab |
|
Research Proposal Paper |
Due before 11:55pm on December 8th |
OWL via the “Assignment” tab |
|
Research Proposal Presentation |
Presentations will occur in-class on November 17th, November 24th, and December 1st. Presenter schedule will be determined during the first class. |
TBA (same location as seminars) |
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
WEEK DATES TOPIC & REQUIRED READING (reading list is subject to change before September 2021)
1 Sept. 8 Introduction, overview, and scheduling of presentations (no assigned readings). Attendance is mandatory.
- Sep. 15 The nature of social hierarchy
Weekly reading(s):
Magee, J. C., & Galinsky, A. D. (2008). Social Hierarchy: The self‐reinforcing nature of power and status. Academy of Management Annals, 2, 351-398. doi: 10.5465/19416520802211628
- Sep. 22 The psychological implications of social rank
Weekly reading(s):
Anderson, C., Hildreth, J. A. D., & Howland, L. (2015). Is the desire for status a fundamental human motive? A review of the empirical literature. Psychological Bulletin, 141(3), 574.
Guinote, A. (2017). How power affects people: activating, wanting, and goal seeking. Annual Review of Psychology, 68, 353-381. doi: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010416-044153
- Sep. 29 How do people climb social hierarchies and improve their rank?
Weekly reading(s):
Cheng, J. T., Tracy, J. L., Foulsham, T., Kingstone, A., & Henrich, J. (2013). Two ways to the top: Evidence that dominance and prestige are distinct yet viable avenues to social rank and influence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 104, 103-125. doi: 10.1037/a0030398
- Oct. 6 Individual differences in social rank attainment
Weekly reading(s):
Anderson, C., Hildreth, J. A. D., & Sharps, D. L. (2020). The possession of high status strengthens the status motive. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(12), 1712-1723.
Grosz, M. P., Leckelt, M., & Back, M. D. (2019). Personality predictors of social status attainment. Current Opinion in Psychology, 32, 52-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.07.023
- Oct. 13 The distinct effects of status and power
Weekly reading(s):
Anicich, E. M., Fast, N. J., Halevy, N., & Galinsky, A. D. (2015). When the bases of social hierarchy collide: Power without status drives interpersonal conflict. Organization Science, 27, 123-140. doi: 10.1287/orsc.2015.1019
- Oct. 20 Interpersonal consequences of social rank
Weekly reading(s):
Kilduff, G. J., Willer, R., & Anderson, C. (2016). Hierarchy and its discontents: Status disagreement leads to withdrawal of contribution and lower group performance. Organization Science, 27, 373-390. doi: 10.1287/orsc.2016.1058
- Oct. 27 How hierarchy relates to team effectiveness/Class Review
Weekly reading(s):
Aime, F., Humphrey, S., DeRue, D. S., & Paul, J. B. (2014). The riddle of heterarchy: Power transitions in cross-functional teams. Academy of Management Journal, 57, 327-352. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2011.0756
- Nov. 3 Reading Week (No Class)
- Nov. 12 In-class examination
- Nov. 17 Student presentations (no assigned readings)
- Nov. 24 Student presentations (no assigned readings)
- Dec. 1 Student presentations (no assigned readings)
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: https://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
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. 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:
https://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
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:
- 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.
https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html
Students seeking academic consideration:
- are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;
- must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hoursafter the end of the period covered 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: IN-Person & Blended classes
In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence or any other event 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.
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: https://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site/Current Student Information for information on the following:
- 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
- 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.
