Psychology 2054A 001 FW24

Psychology of Eating

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

Fall/Winter 2024

 

Psychology 2054A Section 001

 

PSYCHOLOGY OF EATING

 

1.     Calendar Description

 

This course examines the neurobehavioural, developmental, cognitive and social determinants of eating behaviour. Topics may include the biology of hunger and satiety, food preference and choice, social and cultural meanings of food, media influences, body image, emotions and eating, obesity and dieting, and disordered eating.

 

https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/academics/timetables.html

 

Antirequisite(s): Psychology 3254A/B

Prerequisite(s): n/a

 

3 lecture 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.     Course Information

 

Instructor:                   Dr. Christine Tenk

Email:                          ctenk2@uwo.ca

 

Email replies are usually within 24 hours Monday - Friday. I do not check email Friday evenings and check infrequently on weekends and holidays. If you email Friday after 4:00 pm or on the weekend, expect a reply Monday afternoon.

 

Office & Phone:           see OWL

Office Hours:               see OWL

 

Teaching Assistant:     TBD

Office:                         TBD

Office Hours:               TBD

Email:                          TBD

 

Time and Location of Classes: See OWL or Student Centre for Timetable

 

For courses that include an online component, students must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online learning system requirements.

 

3.     Course Materials

You are responsible for obtaining and using the materials needed for your learning success.

 

  1. OWL

 

Course information and materials, such as announcements, lecture slides, assignments, learning activities, and grades, are posted on OWL. You are responsible for checking OWL and your Western email frequently.

 

  1. Course Readings

Download weekly course readings from Western course readings website: https://coursereadings.lib.uwo.ca

 

 

4.     Course Objectives and Learning Outcomes

 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge

·         Explain the neurobiological processes involved in hunger, satiety, and food reward.

·         Describe how developmental stages influence eating behaviours and food preferences

·         Identify the social and cultural meanings of food in various settings and societies

·         Recognize healthy and unhealthy patterns of eating

 

Lectures,

In-class activities & discussions,

Reflections

Exams,

Reflections

Knowledge of Methodologies

·         Discover the interdisciplinary nature of research examining eating behaviour

 

 

Lectures,

Discussions,

Readings

 

 

Exams

 

Application of Knowledge

·         Identify developmental, cultural, social and individual determinants of one’s own and other's eating behaviour

·         Analyse the influence of family, peers, and cultural norms on eating behaviour

 

 

Lectures,

In-class activities & discussions,

Reflections,

Readings,

 

Exams,

Reflections

Communication Skills

·         Engage in a cooperative and reflective learning environment

 

 

In-class activities & discussions,

Reflections,

Participation

 

 

Reflections,

Participation

 

Awareness of Limits of Knowledge

·         Develop awareness about the inherent biases and lack of diverse perspectives around meanings of food and eating, and in interpretating eating behaviour in colonial science

 

 

Lectures,

Discussions,

Readings,

Reflections

 

Reflections

 

Autonomy and Professional Capacity

·         Engage in a cooperative and reflective learning environment

 

 

In-class activities & discussions,

Reflections,

Participation

 

Reflections,

Participation

 

 

5      Evaluation

 

The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4 and are necessary for meeting these learning objectives

 

In-class Participation  6%

Reflections                  26%

Midterm Exam            32%

Final Examination       36%

 

In-class Participation Activities

There are 4 classes throughout the course where participation in learning activities will contribute to your final grade. Your best 2 of 4 marks will contribute 6% of your final grade (3% each).

Participation marks for learning activities will be assigned out of 1 using the follow rubric:

0 marks: absent for activity or little/minimal participation

1 mark: engaged with activity & repeatedly attempts participation

See the Class Schedule below for dates of in-class learning activities.

Note that no academic consideration will be given for missed participation activities. The flexibility included in these assessments, best 2 of 4 counting, is the consideration.

 

Reflections

There are 3 reflection activities. Your best 2 of 3 marks will contribute 26% of your final grade (13% each).

Reflection #1 is completed in-class, in small groups on Sept. 23. Topic: Identify common and diverse cultural influences on eating behaviour.

Reflection #2 is completed in-class, in small groups on Nov. 25. Topic: Identify common and diverse social influences on eating behaviour.

Reflection #3 is completed on OWL, individually on Dec. 2. Topic: Identify individual influences on eating behaviour.

Further assessment details will be provided in class and on OWL.

Note that students must be present in class on Sept. 23 to participate in Reflection #1 and on Nov. 25 to participate in Reflection #2.

Note that no academic consideration will be given for missed learning reflections. The flexibility included in these assessments, best 2 of 3 counting, is the consideration.

 

Examinations. There will be a midterm and a final exam.  The midterm is worth 32% of your final grade and the final exam 36%. Both examinations will be multiple choice, and both scheduled for 2 hours. The midterm will cover material from Topics #1 - 5 and the corresponding classes. The final exam will cover material from Topics #5 – 9 and the corresponding classes. Both the midterm and the final exam assess Topic #5.

 

Note that you are responsible for all of the readings in a topic including material not covered in class.

 

Note that academic consideration based on self-attestation cannot be used for the midterm exam.

 

Policy on Missing Coursework

 

Only the top 2 of 4 participation activities will be counted toward your final grade. You may miss up to 2 participation activities without penalty. No make up activities are provided. If you miss more than two participation activities, please seek official accommodation by submitting your documentation to the academic counselling office in your home faculty. In these cases, the participation activity grade will be reweighted.

 

Only the top 2 of 3 written reflections will be included in your final grade. You may miss up to 1 reflection without penalty. No make up reflections are provided. If you miss more than one reflection, please seek official accommodation by submitting your documentation to the academic counselling office in your home faculty. In these cases, the reflection grade will be reweighted.

 

Students who miss the midterm or final exam require official accommodation approved through the academic counselling office in your home faculty. Students with approved accommodation will be offered a make up exam at a time to be scheduled after the original exam date.  There will be ONE make midterm and ONE make-up final exam offered. If a student is unable to attend a make-up when it is offered, they will be required to write the make-up the next time the course is taught.

 

Note that acceptable documentation and approval through your faculty’s academic counselling office is required for the midterm exam; academic consideration based on self-attestation cannot be used for the midterm exam.

 

See Section 11 for information on seeking accommodations. Please note the Western policy that instructors are not permitted to receive documentation directly from a student, whether in support of an application for medical grounds, or for other reasons. All documentation required for absences that are not covered by the absence reporting policy must be submitted to the Academic Counselling Office of a student’s home faculty.  

 

The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines:  https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf

 

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

 

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.

 

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

 

 

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.

 

6      Assessment/Evaluation Schedule

 

Component

Weight

Due Date

 

In-class participation (best 2 of 4)

6%

Sept. 9

Oct. 21

Nov. 4

Nov. 18

In-class reflection activities (best 2 of 3)

26%

Sept. 23

Nov. 25

Dec. 2

Midterm (Topics #1 – 5, Sept. 9-Oct. 21, inclusive)

32%

Oct. 28

Final Exam (Topics #5 – 9, Oct. 21 – Dec. 2, inclusive)

36%

During Final Exam Period – Date TBA

 

7      Class Schedule

 

Date

Description

Reading

Assessments

Sept. 9

Welcome

Healthy eating

 

Course outline

Topic #1

 

In-class participation activity

Sept. 16

The meaning of food

Topic #2

 

Sept. 23

           

Cultural influences on eating

Topic #3

In-class reflection activity

Sept. 30

Truth & Reconciliation Day – NO CLASS - See OWL for indigenous voices

Oct. 7

Neuroscience Basics

Food Reward

Topic #4

 

Oct. 14

Fall Reading Week – NO CLASS

---

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Oct. 21

Appetite regulation I

 

Topic #5

 In-class participation activity

Oct. 28

Midterm – In Class

Topics #1 - 5

 

Nov. 4

Appetite regulation II

Topic #5

In-class participation activity

Nov. 11

Cognitive development & learning processes

Topic #6

 

Nov. 18

Social influences on eating

Topic #7

In-class participation activity

Nov. 25

Media influences, stereotypes, and body image

Topic #8

In-class reflection activity

Dec. 2

Individual influences on eating & disordered eating

Topic #9

OWL reflection activity

December Exam Period – Date TBA

Final Exam

Topic #5 - 9

 

 

8     Academic Integrity

 

Scholastic offences are taken seriously, and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf.

 

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.

 

Statement on Use of Electronic Devices

 

You can bring your own laptop, tablet or other device to class to assist your learning.

 

However, if you are going to use Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok, etc or engage in other activities not related to course content, please sit at the back or edges of the classroom.

 

Research has shown that non-academic use of laptops and smartphones during class has a negative correlation with exam grades (Ravizza et al., 2014). That is, the more students use their devices in class on non-class tasks, the lower their marks on tests and exams, regardless of intellectual ability.  What is most concerning is that not only do those students have lower marks, the students sitting behind them who can be distracted by their screens also score significantly lower on tests and exams (Sana et al., 2013). 

 

If you choose to hurt your own academic performance, that is your decision.  However, if in doing so you compromise the experience and success of those sitting near you, that is not acceptable.  It is a matter of respect for your classmates.

 

Students who are distracting others or disrupting the learning environment will be asked to refrain from these activities and/or to leave the classroom.

 

Plagiarism Detection Software

 

All required papers may be subject to submission for textual similarity review to the commercial plagiarism detection software under license to the University for the detection of plagiarism.  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.

 

Use of AI

 

The use of generative AI tools such as ChatGPT to produce written work is not permitted unless permission is granted by the instructor for specific circumstances. Any work submitted must be the work of the student in its entirety unless otherwise disclosed. When used, AI tools should be used ethically and responsibly, and students must cite or credit the tools used in line with the expectation to use AI as a tool to learn, not to produce content.

 

Multiple Choice Exams

 

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.

 

 

9      Academic Accommodations and Accessible Education

 

View Western’s policy on academic accommodations for student with disabilities at this link.

 

Accessible Education provides supports and services to students with disabilities at Western.

If you think you may qualify for ongoing accommodation that will be recognized in all your courses, visit Accessible Education for more information.  Email: aew@uwo.ca  Phone: 519 661-2147

 

10    Absence & Academic Consideration

 

View Western’s policy on academic consideration for medical illnesses this link

 

Find your academic counsellor here: https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain academic considerations. Students must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence.

 

Medical Absences

 

Submit a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner to Academic Counselling in your Faculty of registration to be eligible for Academic Consideration.

 

Nonmedical Absences

 

Submit appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in your Faculty of registration to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

 

Religious Consideration

 

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.

 

11    Other Information

 

 

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.

 

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 in writing 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.

 

12    Land Acknowledgement

 

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Chonnonton. Nations, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Métis and Inuit) whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of our society.