Psychology 3724F 001

The Science of Romantic Relationships

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

2022-2023

 

Psychology 3724F   Section 001

The Science of Romantic Relationships

 

 

  1. 0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

 

This course provides an overview of the field of intimate relationships. Current empirical research is emphasized. Topics include theoretical perspectives on intimate relationships (e.g., social psychological theory, evolutionary and life histories theory, interpersonal attraction, love, sexuality, communication within relationships, and various relationship challenges (conflict, violence, power, loss, etc.).

 

Antirequisites: Psychology 3726F/G, 3790G if taken in 2012/13

 

Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. So if you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.

 

Prerequisites: Psychology 2820E or both Psychology 2800E and 2810

2 lecture hours, 1 tutorial hour, 0.5 course

 

Unless you have either the prerequisites 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:   Lorne Campbell                          

       Office:  SSC 6328

       Group Office Hours: TBD

      

       Email: lcampb23@uwo.ca                                      

 

       Teaching Assistants:

 

       TBD          

 

       Time and Location of Classes and Labs:

      

       Lecture/class: Tuesdays from 12:30 – 2:30pm in SSC 2028

 

       Tutorials:

  • Section 004, Wednesdays from 10:30 – 11:30am in B&GS 1056
  • Section 005, Wednesdays from 11:30am – 12:30pm in B&GS 1056
  • Section 002, Thursdays from 12:30-1:30 in UC 3225
  • Section 003, Thursdays from 1:30 – 2:30pm in UC 3225

 

 

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. You may also contact Accessible Education at aew@uwo.ca  or 519-661-2147.

 

 

3.0  TEXTBOOK

 

There is not textbook for this class. I have assigned readings for each week/topic that are available online.

 

Optional textbook: Fletcher, G.J.O., Simpson, J.A., Campbell, L., & Overall, N. (2019). The science of intimate relationships (2nd ed.). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

ISBN: 978-1-119-43004-9

 

4.0  COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES

 

The purpose of this course is to develop a thorough understanding of the psychology of romantic, intimate relationships. The topics include interpersonal attraction, relationship maintenance, and relationship dissolution. The objectives are to be aware of current theory and research regarding different facets of intimate relationships, and critically evaluate this literature.

 

Lectures are intended to complement and elaborate upon the readings. Given that weekly readings are focused more narrowly on a particular research topic material that is not in the readings will be presented each week during lecture. Weekly slides presented at lectures will be posted in advance on the course website. If you wish, you can print copies of the slides, bring them to class, and use them as a framework for taking notes.

Discussion during lecture time is encouraged, so please feel free to ask questions at any point and to offer your thoughts about issues raised in the lectures.

Tutorial/laboratory meetings will focus on specific aspects of the week’s topic. Sometimes the lab will involve watching a video and discussing it afterwards, sometimes the lab will expose students to concrete elements of a research topic (e.g., different perspectives on gender differences in interpersonal attraction), and sometimes the lab will involve discussion of a pertinent topic. Tutorial/lab sections are limited to 25 students per section.

 

Learning Outcome

Learning Activity

Assessment

Depth and Breadth of Knowledge

 

Describe , identify and explain the evolutionary, personal, interpersonal, and developmental factors that influence thoughts, feelings and behaviors of partners in romantic relationships

 

 

Lecture; Class discussions; Textbook

 

 

Exams, Tutorial participation

Application of Knowledge

 

Articulate the above concepts when critically evaluating research and building persuasive arguments in this area

 

 

Lecture; Class discussions; Textbook

 

 

Exams, Tutorial participation

Application of Methodologies

 

Explain how personal, situational, and relationship factors apply to the thoughts, feelings and behaviors of partners in romantic relationships

 

 

Lecture; Class discussions; Textbook

 

 

Exams, Tutorial participation

Communication Skills

 

Communicate ideas clearly and concisely, in language accessible to intelligent non-experts (oral and written formats)

 

 

Lecture; Class discussions; Textbook, paper

 

 

Exams, Tutorial participation, paper

Awareness of Limits of Knowledge

 

Describe and explain the limits of research conclusions in the context of methodological practices within the field

 

 

 

Lecture; Class discussions; Textbook

 

 

 

Exams, Tutorial participation

Autonomy and Professional Capacity

 

Develop the ability to critique others’ writing politely and professionally

 

 

 

Lecture; Class discussions

 

 

 

Exams, Tutorial participation

 

 

5.0  EVALUATION

 

The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4.0 and are considered necessary for meeting these learning objectives.

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

 

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

 

Note that 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.

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. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assessment within the course.

There will be three components to the marking scheme: a Midterm Exam (worth 35%), a Final Exam (worth 35%), and a paper (worth 30%).

 

Note: You must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.

 

 

6.0  ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE

 

The two exams (Midterm Exam and Final Exam) will contain both multiple choice and essay questions. Material for the exams will be taken from weekly lectures AS WELL as weekly tutorials. The final exam is NOT cumulative. You will have a maximum of 2 hours to complete each exam. Each exam is worth 35% of the final grade. 

 

            MIDTERM TEST: Tuesday October 25, 2022 (in class during class time)

 

     FINAL EXAM:      TBA (during exam schedule)

 

Make-Up Exams: Tests must be written during the scheduled timeframe unless you have a legitimate excuse recognized by the university administration. Valid reasons include medical or compassionate reasons, and must be substantiated by proper documentation (e.g., a medical certificate, which will be verified by the Office of the Dean). A student who misses a regularly scheduled exam for other reasons, or who cannot justify a claim, will be assigned a 0 for the exam. 

 

Paper:

 

The paper (worth 30%) will be a 10-page double-spaced paper of text (minimum 2500 words of text, maximum 3725 of text), plus title page, references, and tables (if any). Please use Times New Roman font, size 12, with margins of 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all four sides (left, right, top, bottom).

The paper is due on the date of the last lecture via the assignment tab on OWL. Essays that are late will be penalized 1 mark (out of 30) every 2 days. Further instructions regarding electronic submission will be provided.

For the paper you will (a) identify at least 3 research articles in reputable academic journals on a topic of interests, (b) develop a thorough understanding of the ideas, methods, and results of this body of research, (c) and write a “popular press” article that conveys the information in a way that accurately represents the research but can be understood by someone without a science background. Essentially, I am asking you to become a science writer. For context, here is a link to my favorite science writer: https://ed-yong.squarespace.com/writing/. More information will be provided in class and tutorials.

7.0  CLASS SCHEDULE

 

       Week of September 12

       Lecture 1  Organizational lecture; Introduction to the study of intimate relationships

       Readings: The Greening of Relationship Science by Ellen Berscheid (DOI:

                        https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.54.4.260)

 

                        Lab/Tutorial topic: Introductory session

 

       Week of September 19

       Lecture 2   Relationship Science—Key theories and concepts

            Readings: Steps Toward the Ripening of Relationship Science by Harry Reis                  (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2006.00139.x)

 

                        Lab/Tutorial topic: The study of relationships from a scientific perspective                                              assignments; Levels of explanation for human behaviour

 

       Week of September 26

       Lecture 3   The relationship mind

       Readings: Social Cognition in Relationships: Building Essential Bridges Between Two Literatures by Harry Reis et al. (DOI: 10.1521/soco.1999.17.2.97)  

 

                        Lab/Tutorial topic: Implicit and explicit processes in relationships

 

       Week of October 3

       Lecture 4   The relationship body

       Readings: Men in Committed, Romantic Relationships have Lower Testosterone by T.C. Burnham et al. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0018-506X(03)00125-9)  

 

                        Lab/Tutorial topic: Distress and eustress in relationships

 

       Week of October 10                                   

       Lecture 5   Beyond thinking of romantic relationships only as two people

       Readings: Beyond the Dyad: A Review of the Novel Insights Gained from Studying Consensual Non-Monogamy, by Rhonda Balzarini & Amy Muise (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-020-00297-x)

 

                        Lab/Tutorial topic: “Mixed” Relationships

      

       Week of October 17

       Lecture 6   Interpersonal attraction

       Readings: No reading this week—too many to choose from!  

 

                        Lab/Tutorial topic: Culture and attraction

 

       Week of October 24

       Lecture 7   Midterm Test (in class, during class time)

 

                        Lab/Tutorial topic: No lab

 

       Week of October 31

       No Class—Fall reading week

      

 

       Week of November 7                                  

       Lecture 8   Love and commitment

       Readings: Love and the Commitment Problem in Romantic Relations and Friendship by Gian Gonzaga et al. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.81.2.247)  

 

                        Lab/Tutorial topic: Same-sex relationships      

 

       Week of November 14

       Lecture 9   Understanding each other’s minds

       Readings: Working Models of Attachment and Attribution Processes in Intimate Relationships by Nancy Collins et al. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167205280907)

 

                        Lab/Tutorial topic: Assessing empathic accuracy

 

       Week of November 21

       Lecture 10 Communication and interaction

       Readings: What Type of Communication During Conflict is Beneficial for Intimate Relationships?, by Nickola Overall & James McNulty (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2016.03.002)

 

                        Lab/Tutorial topic: Body language

 

       Week of November 28

       Lecture 11 Sex and passion

       Readings: Sexual Frequency Predicts Greater Well-Being, But More is Not Always Better, by Amy Muise et al. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550615616462)

 

                        Lab/Tutorial topic: Sexual and relationship satisfaction

 

       Week of December 5

       Lecture 12 The Dark side of relationships: Relationship Violence; Relationship Dissolution

       Readings: Using I3 Theory to Clarify when Dispositional Aggressiveness Predicts Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration, by Eli Finkel et al. (DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025651)

 

                        Lab/Tutorial topic: Staying in bad relationships

 

       TBA           Final Exam (During final exam period)

 

 

 

8.0  Land Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.

With this, we respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers. We acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples (e.g. First Nations, Métis and Inuit) endure in Canada, and we accept responsibility as a public institution to contribute toward revealing and correcting miseducation, as well as renewing respectful relationships with Indigenous communities through our teaching, research and community service.

9.0  STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

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

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.

In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.

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.

 

10.0      POLICY ON THE USE OF EXAM PROCTORING SOFTWARE

If a remote proctoring service is used, the service will require you to provide personal information (including some biometric data). The session will be recorded. In the event that in-person exams are unexpectedly canceled, you may only be given notice of the use of a proctoring service a short time in advance. More information about remote proctoring is available in the Online Proctoring Guidelines. Please ensure you are familiar with any proctoring service’s technical requirements before the exam. Additional guidance is available at the following link: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/onlineproctorguidelines.pdf

* Please note that Zoom servers are located outside Canada. If you would prefer to use only your first name or a nickname to login to Zoom, please provide this information to the instructor in advance of the test or examination. See this link for technical requirements: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us  

 

11.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES

Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
https://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12

If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:

  1. For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
  2. For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.

 

Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation.

https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html

Students seeking academic consideration:

  • are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;  
  • must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hoursafter the end of the period covered SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence

 

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.

 

12.0       Contingency Plan for Return to Lockdown: IN-Person & Blended classes

In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence or any other event that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online, as determined by the course instructor.

13.0      STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE

In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:

  • please “arrive” to class on time
  • please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
  • please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
  • to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
  • In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
  • In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
  • Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting

 

The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:

  • If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
  • Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
  • Self-identify when speaking.
  • Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).

 

General considerations of “netiquette”:

  • Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
  • Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
  • Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
  • Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.

 

Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.

14.0 OTHER INFORMATION

Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca 

Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca

Psychology Undergraduate Program: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/index.html

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 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.

Policy on the Recording of Synchronous Sessions: Some or all of the remote learning sessions for this course (if scheduled) may be recorded. The data captured during these recordings may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers (name displayed on the screen). The recordings will be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The recordings may be disclosed to other individuals participating in the course for their private or group study purposes. Please contact the instructor if you have any concerns related to session recordings. Participants in this course are not permitted to privately record the sessions, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the student has the prior written permission of the instructor.