SPRING 2001

This information effective for Spring 2001.
Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.

Psychology

[PSYC-133]

133. Psychology and Evolutionary Theory

Instructor: Bruce Bridgeman
343 Soc. Sci. II, phone: 459-4005, e-mail: bruceb@cats.ucsc.edu
Office Hours: Wed. 1:00 - 3:00, or by appointment

Registration Information:

Those who wish to register for Psychology 133 should e-mail to Bruce Bridgeman (bruceb@cats.ucsc.edu) a brief statement (less than a page) describing relevant courses and other background, what you can contribute to the course, and what you hope to get out of it. You can submit the statement on paper by Thursday, March 15, to get priority enrollment. A list of those accepted will be posted here on March 16; permission codes will be available by return e-mail, or during my office hour 1-3 pm, Wednesdays.

The course will be in a seminar format, with an oral presentation to the class and a written paper as the principal products.

 

[Please Note: The following syllabus is from Spring 1999]

 

Syllabus

Textbook: Buss, D., Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind, 1999.

I. Fundamental Concepts

Chapters

3/30

Introduction
Psychology in a developmental and biological perspective

4/1

Evolutionary theory and culture
Behavior genetics, canalization

Buss, Ch. 1, 2, 3

4/6

99% of human history
Seminar prospectus due

Bridgeman, Ch. 1, 2

II. Phylogeny

4/8

Reproduction and Mating
Assignment of Seminars

Bridgeman, Ch. 3
Buss, Ch. 4, 5

4/13

Social adaptations;
Universals of human social systems

Buss, Ch. 9, 10

4/15

Population and human ecology

Buss, Ch. 12

III. Ontogeny

4/20

Development: Life as after-the-womb embryology - Field trip
Moral development

Buss, Ch. 7, 8

4/22

Guest Lecture: Prof. Frank Andrews, Scientific and Humanistic Approaches to Human Evolution

Buss, Ch. 13

IV. Seminars

4/15-5/20

Individual conferences

4/27 - 5/27

Each student will present a seminar on the paper topic, followed by class discussion. The titles and subtitles in the textbook's table of contents would make suitable paper topics, though you are not limited to them. This part of the course will be as good as the students make it. Try not just to read your paper - it's deadly for interest. Know your material well enough to be able to speak from notes and to answer questions. Seminar schedule will be distributed 4/8.

5/11

Guest Lecture: Prof. Dan Friedman, Evolutionary Thought in the Social Sciences

6/1

Exchange day - no class

6/3

Paper-writing period - no class

6/8

Papers due at 4:00. Or, submit electronically to bruceb@cats.ucsc.edu (MSWord).

1998 Seminar Schedule

The class is taught in the format of a graduate seminar, where students do independent research under the guidance of the instructor, and report their results to the class. Below are the seminar topics that the students chose in 1998:

Development

5/5

Lori McFarland, evolution of play

Dimitri Timm, play and fighting

Perception

5/7

Jonathan Cushing, color perception

Tran Van Thu, spatial abilities

Language and Communication

5/12

Christian Balducci, Shirit Megiddo, Alexandra Stone, language

5/14

Jessica Trazzare, pheromones in sexual attraction
Josh Goodley, functions of music
 

Morality

5/19

Donna Lee, evolution of altruism

Craig Schommer, morality and humanistic psychology

Reproduction and Family Structure

5/21

La Phengrasamy, parenting
Robyn Hannon, sibling rivalry

5/28

Kami Elliot, social menstruation
Eve Tokumaru, fitness of monogamy

Contemporary Life

6/2

Julie D'Amico, the elderly
Shelley Woodcox, mental disorders

6/4

Joshua Hart, quality of life
Charles Buquet, evolution of leisure

6/9

Jennifer Caudillo, personality
Gilda Tafreshi, human tools

The Future

6/11

Debbie Sidenfaden, extinction

wrapup

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