PSYC 102 (Section 006): Introduction to Developmental, Social,

Personality, and Clinical Psychology

Spring 2021, Term 2
Online home: https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/61317

Professor: Andrew Rivers TA: Vivian Qi

Student hours: Thurs. 8-9am & Fri 1-2pm (PST) Student hours: Tues 10:30-11:30am
on Collaborate Ultra on Zoom ID: 67375140737 PW: 827644
also available on Zoom ID: 7883625730 PW: 998877 Contact: [email protected]
Contact: [email protected]
TA: Xiaolei Deng
Email policy: Please include “PSYC102” in the subject Student hours: Tues 8:30-9:30pm
line. Note that emails may not be answered on weekends. on Zoom ID: 6671428593 PW: ZXsS4v
Contact: [email protected]
COURSE DESCRIPTION .
This course will introduce you to several major areas in the study of human psychology (there’s much
more than Sigmund Freud!). During the course, we will cover latent, or unobservable, psychological
constructs like motivation, self-esteem, and personality as well as observable human behavior like
helping, conformity, and aggression. In addition to understanding how ‘normal’ humans think, feel, and
behave we will also consider ‘abnormal’ psychology as studied in the field of clinical psychology.

LEARNING GOALS
Over the course of this term, you should expect to:

1. Understand major psychological theories of human cognition and behavior: Theories

are the currency of all scientific inquiry in the psychological sciences. Theories are models
that allow us can make sense of the behaviors that we see in ourselves and others. Good
theories are simple, useful, and always wrong in some ways. We will talk about the
implications of this fact and how we should think about uncertainty in the study of human
behavior.
2. Learn about landmark experiments and findings in the study of human behavior: We
will learn about many landmark psychological studies that changed the way we think about
human psychology. Not only will we understand the implications of this groundbreaking
work, but we will also consider critiques of these landmark studies where appropriate.
3. Develop an understanding of psychology as a science: What methods do psychologists
use to investigate human behavior? How can we distinguish these methods from other ways
of knowing about the world, such as intuition? The answers to these questions relate most
closely to epistemology, or “how we know the things we know?” We will discuss
techniques that psychologists have developed to test their theories, touching on both their
strengths and weaknesses.
4. Apply psychological knowledge to real-world situations: Psychological knowledge is
meant to improve human functioning and well-being. We will learn many pieces of practical
information that we can put to use immediately in our own lives (for example, “How can we
best eliminate a phobia?”).
5. Find INSPIRATION! I am genuinely excited and fascinated by human psychology and
behavior; I hope to ‘infect’ you with this same enthusiasm!
TEXTBOOK .
The required text for this course is Interactive Psychology: People in Perspective (Gross
et al., 2020). All additional readings and material will be available on the Canvas course
website. You will be expected to read, listen to, or watch all additional materials unless
otherwise noted.
eText is available from the UBC bookstore, ISBN 9780176936310
eText and hardcopy version ISBN 9780176936303
Either one is fine, but you must be able to access a copy of your own J

LEARNING ASSESSMENT .
Learning assessment (i.e., grades) will consist of the following six components:
1) InQuizitive Reading Guides (10x)
Keeping up with our readings when we are psychologically distant from physical class can be difficult! To
help motivate us, there will be a short quiz accompanying each of our textbook chapters. InQuizitive guides
will be due most Mondays this term by 11:59pm (PDT). These are open-book, but you should work on them
individually rather than in a group – psychological research shows that we learn better this way!

2) Podcast Activities (6x)

There will be 6 podcast activities listed on Canvas throughout the term. The purpose of these activities is to
inspire you! Each podcast covers a fascinating aspect of human psychology, and are produced in a very
engaging way. Because their purpose is to inspire, there are not ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers on these
activities. Thus, completed submissions meeting activity guidelines are very likely to receive full credit.

3) Individualized Engagement Portfolio

Actively engaging with others to discuss human psychology may be the single best way to deeply learn the
material in this class. The individualized engagement portfolio is designed to allow us to choose our own
engagement journey. Talk with a friend about something you read! Watch a course video with a family
member! Meet with a discussion group to debate an interesting current event! At the end of the term, I
would like you to document, in writing, at least 8 meaningful ways that you have engaged with others.

4) Midterm Exam (1x)

There will be one midterm exam, which will assess understanding of material from lecture and the textbook.
More details about the exam will be announced as the date of the exam approaches.

5) Final Exam
The final exam will be cumulative, and will assess understanding of material from lecture and the textbook.
More details will be announced as the finals period approaches.

6) Participation in Psychological Research (3x)

Developing an understanding of psychology as a science requires a working knowledge of how research
psychologists study human behavior. One of the best ways to acquire this knowledge is to participate in
psychological research. Students will be expected to earn 3 participation credits by participating in
accredited psychology experiments at UBC. As an alternative to participating in studies, students can
complete writing projects, in which you read and summarize a research article. See the HSP website for
detailed information including due dates and submission procedures for the writing projects. To take
advantage of this extra credit and learning opportunity, see https://ubc-psych.sona-systems.com. To learn
more, visit https://psych.ubc.ca/hsp
GRADING BREAKDOWN .
ASSESSMENT TYPE POINTS DUE DATE(S)
1) InQuizitive quizzes (10x) 15 Weekly on (most) Mondays
2) Podcast Activities (6x) 12 Every other Friday
3) Individualized Engagement Portfolio 7 4/14
4) Midterm Exam 50 3/3
5) Final Exam 75 TBA
6) Participation in Research (HSP, 3x) 6
Total 165

BONUS Oops! Token (1x)

Even if we are diligent in keeping up with course material and diligent in our planning for the weeks ahead,
sometimes ______ happens! Each student will receive an Oops! Token that they can use once during the
term. The token may be used in the following ways:
• “Oops, I forgot to complete my InQuizitive this week!”
o If you use the Oops! Token, you’ll receive full credit for the missed InQuizitive.
• “Oops, I submitted my podcast activity after the deadline!”
o If you use Oops!, I’ll accept your submission with no penalty at any time during the term.
• “Oops, I didn’t document the required number of engagement events in my engagement portfolio”
o If you use Oops!, the requirement is now only to document at least 4 events.
• “Oops, I missed the midterm exam!”
o If you use Oops!, your score on the final exam will count for both exams.
• “Oops, it’s the end of the term and I don’t see any more HSP studies available!”
o If you use Oops!, you’ll receive 1 HSP credit.

Fine Print: The Oops Token! is a ‘no questions asked’ benefit, you can use it whenever you’d like and for
whatever oops! might have happened. The Oops Token! CANNOT be used for the final exam. Additionally,
the Oops Token! cannot be used for the midterm exam after you have started the midterm exam.

To use the Oops Token!, complete the Oops Token! survey on Canvas – remember, no questions asked no
reason necessary!

GENERAL COURSE POLICIES: .

This course will take the form of ‘distance learning.’ Because students are all over the world right now, and
in different time zones; class will be asynchronous – meaning that I will record lecture videos and upload
them to our Canvas course webpage along with supplemental materials. Attendance at student hours on
Collaborate Ultra is not mandatory, but is encouraged.

To complement asynchronous lectures, I will hold both morning (Thursday) and midday (Friday) weekly
student hours so that, no matter where in the world you currently are, you’ll be able to meet with me to
discuss psychology!!

Meetings: Meetings, either during listed student hours or scheduled via email, are the best way to ask
questions about course material. I encourage everyone to take advantage of scheduled student hours and note
that I am *happy* to schedule individual meetings with you.

Lecture Videos & Lecture Notes: I will record and post lecture videos covering class material. This means
that you do not need to be present during our scheduled class times – watch the lectures at your convenience
(hopefully in a nice park while you get some sun!). Lecture slides in .pdf form will be posted online
alongside the videos. Lecture slides are not meant to substitute for watching lecture videos.
Discussion Communities: In order to help build opportunities for engagement with one another, I will be
collecting a list of students who would like me to build them a special discussion group on Canvas. This can
allow us to meet new people, and have a regular group of people to discuss psychology with. Discussions in
these groups can count toward the Individualized Engagement Portfolio. We’ll also have a larger Piazza
discussion board that is public to the whole class, and I encourage you to discuss psychology there as well.

Psychology Department’s Policy on Grade Scaling: In order to reduce grade inflation and maintain equity
across multiple course sections, all psychology courses are required to comply with departmental norms
regarding grade distributions. According to departmental norms, the mean grade in a 100-level class is 72%
for an exceptionally strong class, 70 for an average class, 68% for a weak class with a standard deviation of
14 percentage points. Scaling is likely to be used in order to comply with these norms; grades may be scaled
up or down as necessary by the professor, department, or school. Therefore, grades are never official until
they appear on your academic record.

Note: A excellent discussion of the rationale for grade scaling by a UBC Psychology professor is available
here: https://www2.psych.ubc.ca/~schaller/scaling.htm

Psychology Department’s Policy on Academic Misconduct: Cheating, plagiarism, and other forms of
academic misconduct are very serious concerns of the University, and the Department of Psychology has
taken steps to alleviate them. In the first place, the Department has implemented software that can reliably
detect cheating on multiple-choice exams by analyzing the patterns of students’ responses. Strong evidence
of cheating or plagiarism may result in a zero credit for the work in question. According to the University
Act (section 61), the President of UBC has the right to impose harsher penalties including (but not limited to)
a failing grade for the course, suspension from the University, cancellation of scholarships, or a notation
added to a student’s transcript. All graded work in this course, unless otherwise specified, is to be original
work done independently by individuals. If you have any questions as to whether or not what you are doing
is even a borderline case of academic misconduct, please consult your instructor. For details on pertinent
University policies and procedures, please see Chapter 5 in the UBC Calendar
(http://students.ubc.ca/calendar) and read the University’s Policy 69 (available at
www.universitycounsel.ubc.ca/policies/policy69.html).

Diversity and Inclusion: Similar to the broader UBC community, the Psychology Department—and this
class—seeks to build a community where students feel included and are treated equitably. This class aims to
be inclusive of gender identity, gender expression, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, sexual
orientation, political and religious affiliation, ability, health, and age (this is not an exhaustive list!).
Students, instructors, visitors, and readings may sometimes raise controversial and/or sensitive issues.
Respectful and productive discussion is encouraged, and students should feel safe to explore ideas without
fear of being judged. Our goal is not to always agree, but rather to disagree without being threatening or
alienating. However, if a statement or behaviour is likely to offend others or make others feel alienated in
any way, it should not be shared with the class (but can be shared with me after class or in student hours). If
at any point you feel offended, threatened, or alienated by anything that happens in our class, please feel
welcome to let me or a TA know.

Acknowledgements: I want to cite those who I learned from in creating this syllabus. Portions are inspired
by Dr. Elizabeth Dunn, Dr. Peter Graf, Dr. Mark Lam, Dr. Simon Lolliot, Dr. Lily May, Dr. Catherine Rawn,
Dr. Mark Schaller, Dr. Toni Schmader, Dr. Eva Zysk & likely many more. Thank you all!
 Reach out and ask for help if you need it
University students often encounter setbacks from time to time that can impact academic performance. If you
run into difficulties and need assistance, I encourage you to contact me by email and we can coordinate a
meeting (or not if you’d prefer to stick to email). I will do my best to support your success during the term.
This includes identifying concerns I may have about your academic progress or wellbeing through Early
Alert. With Early Alert, faculty members can connect you with advisors who offer students support and
assistance getting back on track to success. Only specialized UBC advisors are able to access any concerns I
may identify, and Early Alert does not affect your academic record.

For more information, visit www.earlyalert.ubc.ca

For information about addressing mental or physical health concerns, including seeing a UBC counsellor or
doctor, visit students.ubc.ca/livewell

Healthy Lifestyles
UBC provides resources to support student learning and to maintain healthy lifestyles but
recognizes that sometimes crises arise and so there are additional resources to access
including those for survivors of sexual violence. UBC values respect for the person and ideas
of all members of the academic community. Harassment and discrimination are not tolerated
nor is suppression of academic freedom. UBC provides appropriate accommodation for
students with disabilities and for religious observances. UBC values academic honesty and
students are expected to acknowledge the ideas generated by others and to uphold the highest
academic standards in all of their actions.

Details of the policies and how to access support are available on the UBC Senate website.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and Inclusion: Similar to the broader UBC community, the Psychology Department—and this
class—seeks to build a community where students feel included and are treated equitably. This class aims to
be inclusive of gender identity, gender expression, sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, sexual
orientation, political and religious affiliation, ability, health, and age (this is not an exhaustive list!).
Students, instructors, visitors, and readings may sometimes raise controversial and/or sensitive issues.
Respectful and productive discussion is encouraged, and students should feel safe to explore ideas without
fear of being judged. Our goal is not to always agree, but rather to disagree without being threatening or
alienating. However, if a statement or behaviour is likely to offend others or make others feel alienated in
any way, it should not be shared with the class (but can be shared with me after class or in student hours). If
at any point you feel offended, threatened, or alienated by anything that happens in our class, please feel
welcome to let me or a TA know.
Week Dates Topic Special Section Read Due Dates
Introduction &
1 Jan 11-15
Psychology Basics
Ch. 1
2 Jan 18-22 Research Methods “Big Ideas in Psychology” Ch. 2 - Podcast #1: Friday 1/22 (@11:59pm)
- InQuizitive Ch1. & Ch.2: Monday 1/25
3 Jan 25-29 Social Psychology “Milgram’s Shock Machine” Ch. 15 (@11:59pm)
Social Psychology - InQuizitive Ch.15a: Monday 2/1
4 Feb 1-5
(Part 2)
“Zimbardo’s Tall Tale” - Podcast #2: Friday 2/5
“What’s up with the ‘Four
5 Feb 8-12 Personality
Types’?”
Ch. 12 - InQuizitive Ch.15b: Monday 2/8

6 Feb 15-19 WINTER BREAK No Lectures - InQuizitive Ch.12: Monday 2/15

- InQuizitive Ch.10: Monday 2/22
7 Feb 22-26 Stress & Health “An End to Procrastination” Ch. 10 - Podcast #3: Friday 2/26
Exam is Wednesday 3/3
8 Mar 1-5 Midterm Exam
Covering Ch. 1, 2, 15, 12, & 10
- No InQuizitive due: Take a break!!
9 Mar 8-12 Special Topic: Psychology & COVID-19
- Podcast #4: Friday 3/12
Thought, Language, “Does ‘Brain Training’
10 Mar 15-19
& Intelligence work?”
Ch. 8 - InQuizitive Ch. 8: Monday 3/15

- InQuizitive Ch.11: Monday 3/22

11 Mar 22-26 Development TBD Ch. 11 - Podcast #5: Friday 3/26
Mar 29 -
12 Apr 2
Replication Crisis “Is Science Broken?” - No InQuizitive due: Take a break!!

Psychological - InQuizitive Ch.13: Monday 4/5

13 Apr 5-9
Disorder
“What are Tulpas?” Ch. 13 - Podcast #6: Friday 4/9
- InQuizitive Ch.14: Monday 4/12
14 Apr 12-14 Treatment “ECT: The Whole Story” Ch. 14 - Engagement Portfolio: Wednesday 4/14
- FINAL EXAMS: Wednesday, April 21st at 7am OR 3:30pm