Psychology 3229A-001

Evolution and Human Behaviour

If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.

1.0    CALENDAR DESCRIPTIONS
A survey of evolutionary approaches to the study of human behaviour, including evolutionary psychology.

Prerequisites: Psychology 2820E or both Psychology 2800E and 2810, and one of Psychology 2220A/B, 2221A/B or Neuroscience 2000. Minimum grade of 60% required in all prerequisite courses.
3 lecture/discussion hours, 0.5 course

Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll 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: Tara Farrell    
Office:  SSC 7440    
Office Hours:  Monday 1-2 pm, or by appointment
Email: tfarrel3@uwo.ca    

Teaching Assistant: Shannon Mischeler    
Office Hours: By appointment
 Email: smischle@uwo.ca

Time and Location of Lectures: Monday, 230-530pm in SSC 3022

If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you. Please visit: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.

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 wish to contact Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.

3.0  TEXTBOOK

Workman and Reader (2014) Evolutionary Psychology (3rd Ed.) Cambridge University Press ISBN 978-1-107-62273-9
This text is required for the course and a copy of it will be on reserve at Weldon library. The second edition of the textbook is also acceptable to use.

4.0    COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course will examine how the biological processes of evolution have shaped human behaviour. The primary objective will be to impart a deep understanding of how evolutionary processes have impacted human behaviour. This will involve distinguishing between ultimate and proximate levels of analyses and avoiding superficial rejection or acceptance of evolutionary explanations of human psychology.

5.0     EVALUATION

Your final mark will be based on a combination of the following:

Weekly Quizzes (Best 10 of 12): 10% (1% each)
Assignments (Best 4 of 5):  20% (5% each)
Midterm Exam: 30%        
Final Exam: 40%

Weekly quizzes will be due before the start of each lecture (Mondays at noon; except for the first week of class). Each quiz is 5 multiple-choice questions that are based strictly off the lecture readings assigned for that week. Only the best 10 of 12 will count towards your final grade. Quizzes are open-book, 30 minutes in duration, and are submitted through OWL. You can still complete the quizzes with the second edition of the textbook. Only the best 10 of 12 will count towards your final grade. There is a strict policy that quizzes are not accepted after the due date and will be given a grade of zero. There are no make-ups for missed quizzes.

Assignments will typically revolve around an assigned reading and may be in either a ‘quiz’ format (multiple choice, matching and short answer), or a ‘thought paper’ format (700 word max). Information about the assignments will be posted on OWL and you will submit assignments through OWL. There is a strict policy that late assignments will not be accepted and given a grade of zero. There are no make-ups for a missed assignment. Only the best 4 of 5 assignments will count towards your final grade.

The midterm and final exam will be based on both lecture material and assigned readings from the textbook. Both exams will be approximately 75% multiple choice and 25% short-answer. The final will focus primarily on material covered in the second half of the course. Although the final is not cumulative, foundational concepts from the first half of the course do carry-over to the second half of the course.

Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:

70%    1000-level and 2000-level courses
72%     2190-2990 level courses
75%     3000-level courses
80%     4000-level courses
   
The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/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



6.0  TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE

Assignments    Due dates on schedule below
Midterm    Wednesday, October 28 7-9pm in TC 342 and TC 343
Final Exam    TBD, During exam period Dec 11-22

7.0   CLASS SCHEDULE

The assigned readings below are a general outline. Check OWL for updates and more specific information about that week’s readings that are required for the weekly quiz.

Week

Date

Topic

Reading & Assignments

1

September 14

Introduction

Evolution

Chapter 1

2

September 21

Natural Selection

Human Origins

Chapters 2; Pgs. 90-96 (3rd edition)

Assignment 1: Sept. 25 @ 5 pm

3

September 28

Sexual Selection

 

Chapter 3; parts of Chapter 4

4

October 5

Human Mate Choice

 

Chapter 4

Assignment 2 Due: Oct. 09 @ 5 pm

 

October 12

Thanksgiving

No class

 

5

October 19

Cognitive Development

 

Chapter 5

6

October 26

Social Development

Kin Selection and families

Chapter 6; Chapter 7

 

 

 

October 28

Midterm Exam

(Chapters 1-6)

7-9pm in TC 342 & 343

7

November 2

 

Cooperation and Reciprocity

Chapter 8

8

November 9

Evolution, Cognition and Memory

Chapter 9

Assignment 3 Due: Nov. 13  @ 5 pm

9

November 16

Emotion, Competition and Violence

Individual differences

Chapter 11, Chapter 13

10

November 23

Darwinian Medicine

Psychopathology

Chapter 12

Assignment 4 Due: Nov. 27 @ 5 pm

11

November 30

 

Language

Chapter 10

12

December 7

Cultural Evolution

Biogeography and Human History

Chapter 14

Assignment 5 Due: Dec. 09* @ 5pm

*This is a Wednesday, not a Friday.


8.0     STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link:  http://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 offenses. 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

Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

9.0    POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS

The University of Western Ontario’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2015/pg117.html

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html


10.0        OTHER INFORMATION

Office of the Registrar web site:  http://registrar.uwo.ca

Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca

Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:

    http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html

- 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
- 2015 Calendar References

No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.