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Spring 2002
This information effective
for Spring 2002.
Check with instructor the first day of class for any changes.
Spring 2002
Instructor: Bruce Bridgeman
TTh 4:00–5:45 p.m.
College Eight 242
Office: Soc Sci 2 378
Office Hours: Th 1:00–2:30, or by appointment
Phone: 9-4005
E-mail: bruceb@cats
SYLLABUS
Textbook: Bridgeman, B., Psychology and Evolutionary Theory
| I. Fundamental Concepts | Readings | |
| 3/27 | Introduction | |
| Psychology in a developmental and biological perspective | ||
| 3/29 | Evolutionary
theory and culture genetics, canalization |
Bridgeman
Preface, Behavior Ch. 1 |
| 4/3 | 99% of
human history Seminar prospectus due |
Bridgeman Ch. 2 |
| II. Ontogeny | ||
| 4/5 | Reproduction
and Mating Assignment of Seminars |
Bridgeman Ch. 3 |
| 4/10 | Development: Life as after-the-womb embryology | Bridgeman Ch. 4 |
| III. Social Interactions | ||
| 4/12 | Population and human ecology | |
| 4/17 | Social
adaptations; Field trip “Universals” of human social systems Moral development |
Bridgeman Ch. 5 |
| 4/19 | Language and Communication | Bridgeman Ch. 6 |
| IV. Seminars | ||
| 4/10–5/17 | Individual conferences | |
| 4/24–5/29 | 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. | |
| 5/8 | Guest Lecture, Prof. Dan Friedman, Economics: “Evolutionary Thought in the Social Sciences” | |
| 5/31 | Wrapup and conclusions | |
| 6/1 | Papers due at 4:00. Or, submit electronically to bruceb@cats.ucsc.edu (MSWord). | |
Spring 2002
Instructor: David Harrington
TTh 12:00–1:45 p.m.
Cowell 134
Enrollment is limited to 30, with prerequisites being Senior status, Psychology 3, 10, and 60, or permission of the instructor.
How and why is it that some children and adolescents survive parental abuse, seriously dysfunctional families, prejudice and discrimination, terrible schools, drug-infested neighborhoods, economic deprivation, moves to new countries in which they do not know the language or customs, serious childhood diseases, or major accidents to become healthy, well-functioning adults, whereas many others do not fare so well?
How and why is it that some adults are able to deal relatively successfully
with personal tragedies, life-wrenching divorces, serious chronic diseases,
major personal handicaps, and the stresses of old age, whereas others are sent
into downward spirals by these stressful events?
During the past 30 years, personality and developmental psychologists have been
trying to provide answers to such questions and to identify the personal and
social processes by which some individuals manage to survive or escape from
conditions which have put them at risk for psychological or physical harm. Those
who survive, escape, or “bounce back” from such conditions are often
referred to as “resilient” individuals. More recently, psychologists
have also begun to examine the processes by which entire families or communities
exhibit resilience in the face of great adversity.
Our seminar will examine the personal and social factors and processes that
lead to resilient responses by individuals, families, and communities.
How Will this Seminar Proceed?
We will spend the first two weeks establishing “ground rules” for our seminar process, and discussing some of the large conceptual issues that arise in discussions of resilience.
During the next 8 weeks of the quarter members of the seminar will initiate and lead discussions about some aspect, form, or instance of resilience which they find particularly interesting. Seminar members will often, though not always, lead discussions on topics about which they will be writing their final seminar papers. Some discussions will be lead by two students, though many will be led by just one student. We will usually discuss two topics each day.
Students leading a discussion will be expected to locate one good introductory reading for their topic which they will distribute to all seminar members no later than the Thursday prior to the discussion of the reading.
Though the designated discussion leaders will be expected to play a major role in initiating, framing and directing the discussion, all seminar members are expected to take responsibility for helping each seminar discussion succeed. This means that all seminar members are expected to contribute to the discussions and are expected to help “silent” members speak up.
(Note: If necessary to facilitate discussions, I may ask seminar members to turn in very brief written comments on the assigned readings at the beginning of each seminar meeting. If we’re doing well without such brief reactions papers, I won’t assign them.)
Final Papers and “Action Recommendations”
You will be asked to write an 8–10 page final paper on some aspect, form, or instance of psychological resilience which you find especially interesting. These papers may take many different forms. I encourage people to choose a topic and final report form that suits them. Seminar members will also be asked to write a 1–2 page “Action Recommendation” regarding how to foster psychological resilience or how to advance our understanding of resilience. Students will distribute copies of their Action Recommendations to every member of the seminar at the end of the quarter.
No Final Exam
There will be no final exam in this seminar. We will use our final exam period to discuss our Action Recommendations.
Note Carefully
This is NOT a lecture course. It is a SEMINAR in which every person is expected to lead seminar discussion and to contribute consistently to our seminar discussions. Students are also expected to share responsibility for maintaining the intellectual and interpersonal health of the seminar. Seminars give you excellent opportunities to develop group discussion skills you will use throughout your life. Seminars also provide an opportunity for you to learn from others, sharpen and develop your own ideas, and help the group create new ideas and insights from its collective experience, wisdom, and imagination.
Consistent Attendance is Very Important
Consistent attendance is vastly more important in a seminar than in a lecture class. You quickly become an integral member of a seminar and your absence leaves a hole which the group experiences as a loss. You therefore will be expected to attend all seminar meetings except when you are sick or dealing with a family crisis.
Basis of Evaluations and Grades
About 2/3 of your evaluation or grade will be based on your consistent participation in and engagement with the seminar discussions and your contributions to the intellectual life of the seminar.
About 1/3 of your evaluation or grade will be based on your final paper and your final 1–2 page Action Recommendations.
An excellent evaluation or grade will require a strong performance in both realms.
You are absolutely not in
competition with one another for excellent evaluations. I will evaluate you
in terms of my own standards for undergraduate performance in such settings.
If you all do excellent work, you will all receive excellent evaluations and
grades of A. I am looking for serious intellectual engagement and a commitment
to the health and intellectual life of the seminar. If I see evidence of these
qualities and a solid final paper, you will receive an excellent evaluation
and an A.
Spring 2002
Instructor: Professor Avril Thorne
TTh 10:00–11:45 a.m.
Soc Sci 1 110
Class size: 60
Course Description:
This course is intended
for students who are interested in careers in which they will have occasion
to construct and/or conduct psychological assessments, such as clinical or counseling
psychology, or personnel selection. We will examine the development, meaning,
and uses of some
frequently-used measures of personality (life history interviews, ACL, CPI,
MBTI, TAT, California Q-sort) and psychopathology (MMPI, Rorschach). Guest lecturers
will share their experience with practical applications of assessment techniques.
Throughout the course, students
will get hands-on experience with personality measures through self-assessments,
and by observing X, a person who volunteers to serve as an assessee. Requirements
include two essay exams and a final paper. The final paper is a 10-page case
study of X based on assessment data and life history information collected throughout
the quarter.
Required textbook:
Psychological Testing
and Assessment, by Cohen and Swerdlik.
Fifth edition, 2002, McGraw-Hill Publishers.
ISBN 0-07-113134-5
Assessment fee:
An assessment fee of approximately $10 per student will be required to purchase test materials for self assessments.