Psychology 4791G 001
Special Topics in Social Psychology: Interpersonal Rejection in Social Relationships
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
(Revised Jan 2023)
WESTERN UNIVERSITY
LONDON CANADA
Department of Psychology
2022 - 2023
Psychology 4791G Section 001
Special Topics in Social Psychology: Interpersonal Rejection In Social Relationships
- 1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
This seminar course is designed to give students a comprehensive background on research surrounding interpersonal rejection and its social, emotional, cognitive and physiological components. We will review and discuss topics such as ostracism, social pain, coping, biopsychology, group dynamics, and romantic rejection, and how these inform individual and relational outcomes.
Antirequisite: Not Applicable.
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. 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.
Prerequisite: Psychology 2820E, or both of Psychology 2800E and Psychology 2810, plus registration in third or fourth year Honours Specialization in Psychology or Honours Specialization in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. Other Psychology students and Psychology Special Students who receive 75% in the prerequisite courses may enrol in this course.
Extra Information: 3 seminar hours
Course Weight: 0.5
Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol 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: Dr. James Kim (Pronouns: He/Him/His)
Office and Phone Number: SSC 6324
Office Hours: Thursday, 10 – 11 am, and by appointment
Email: jkim2828@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes: Tuesdays, 1:30 – 4:30 pm (AHB-2B02)
Delivery Method: In-Person
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
No textbook will be used for this class. Required readings will be sourced from peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and made available through OWL. Weekly assigned readings are to be completed before each class.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES
This course will cover seminal and contemporary work that inform the nature of acceptance and rejection in social relationships, and its related psychological phenomena. We will cover these aspects across multiple fields and conceptualizations, consolidating literatures to gain a deep understanding of the influences of interpersonal rejection on behavior and emotion. Students will learn key concepts, major theories, and diverse methods relevant to the study of interpersonal rejection. As a seminar course, learning outcomes will be structured around student-driven discussions, thought papers on weekly readings, in-class activities, and an original research paper.
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Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
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Depth and Breadth of Knowledge.
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Weekly reading Topic Presentation Class Discussion Research Proposal |
Thought paper Topic Presentation Class participation Research proposal |
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Knowledge of Methodologies.
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Weekly reading Topic Presentation Class Discussion
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Thought paper Topic Presentation Class participation
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Application of Knowledge.
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Weekly reading Topic Presentation Class Discussion
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Thought paper Topic Presentation Class participation
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Communication Skills.
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Topic Presentation Class Discussion Research Proposal |
Topic Presentation Class participation Research proposal |
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Awareness of Limits of Knowledge.
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Weekly reading Topic Presentation Class Discussion Research Proposal
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Thought paper Topic Presentation Class participation Research proposal
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Autonomy and Professional Capacity.
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Topic Presentation Class Discussion Research Proposal
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Topic Presentation Class participation Research proposal |
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
Course evaluation will be based on the following components (rubrics to be provided on course website):
Class Facilitation
Each week a small group of students will lead the class discussion as facilitators. Facilitators will summarize the readings, pose questions, and guide discussion of that week’s topic, integrating any supplementary materials or tools they think will help situate the topic for the class. Presentations should demonstrate knowledge of the material, and an ability to think deeply (as well as get others to think deeply) about the content. This will be worth 20% of the final grade.
Thought Papers
Over the course, you will turn in a total of five thought papers (2 pages maximum each, double-spaced, ~500 words) based on the weekly readings. Two of these thought papers are to be submitted before the Reading Week break and three after the break. Thought papers are not to be turned in for the week a student is facilitating. Papers will be evaluated based on demonstration of critical thinking skills, depth of engagement with the material, and the quality and clarity of writing. Thought papers will worth 25% of the final grade (5 thought papers x 5% each). Thought papers are to be submitted through the course website on OWL.
Class Participation
As a discussion-based seminar course, class participation is very important. Participation will account for 15% of the final grade (5% for attendance, 10% for in-class participation). Expectations are for students to engage thoughtfully, respectfully in each week’s discussion and during in-class activities, being insightful, integrative, and encouraging of classmates. Evaluation will be based on weekly attendance, active participation through initiating contributions to class discussion, quality of comments, and demonstration of listening skills.
Research Proposal
The final paper will be a research proposal and should be a maximum of 12 pages including references (approximately 2500-3000 words), formatted with 12-point Times New Roman; 1 inch margins on all sides; written in accordance with APA 7th guidelines. Papers will be worth 40% of the final grade. Your proposal does not have to be centered on your class facilitation week.
5.1 POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK
Thought papers – A grade of 0 will be given for each of the five required thought papers that are not submitted on time. Thought papers may be submitted after the weekly deadline only with appropriate approved documentation.
Class presentation – In the event of a non-excused absence, class facilitation grades will receive a grade of 0, unless appropriate approved documentation is provided.
Research proposal - A 10% per day penalty will be applied for late submission of research proposal papers.
PLEASE NOTE: Because this is an essay course, as per Senate Regulations, you must pass the essay component to pass the course. That is, the average mark for your written assignments must be at least 50%.
This course is exempt from the Senate requirement that students receive assessment of their work accounting for at least 15% of their final grade at least three full days before the date of the deadline for withdrawal from a course without academic penalty.
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: http://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.
6.0 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
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Thought Papers |
Due the Monday before class on OWL by 11:59pm
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Research Proposal Paper |
April 10 |
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7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
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Week |
Date |
Topics |
Readings |
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1 |
Jan. 10, 2023 |
Class Orientation & Overview |
No readings |
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2 |
Jan. 17, 2023 |
Theoretical Perspectives I |
Baumeister, R. F. & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 497-529.
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3 |
Jan. 24, 2023 |
Theoretical Perspectives II |
Maxwell, J. A., Spielmann, S. S., Joel, S., & MacDonald, G. (2013). Attachment theory as a framework for understanding responses to social exclusion. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 7(7), 444-456.
Williams, K. D. (2009). Ostracism: A temporal need‐threat model. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 41, 275-314.
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4 |
Jan. 31, 2023 |
Rejection Sensitivity |
Downey, G., & Feldman, S. I. (1996). Implications of rejection sensitivity for intimate relationships. Journal of personality and social psychology, 70(6), 1327-1343.
Ayduk, Ö., Gyurak, A., & Luerssen, A. (2008). Individual differences in the rejection–aggression link in the hot sauce paradigm: The case of rejection sensitivity. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 44(3), 775-782.
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5 |
Feb. 7, 2023 |
Biopsychology & Social Pain |
Eisenberger, N. I., Lieberman, M. D., & Williams, K. D. (2003). Does rejection hurt? An fMRI study of social exclusion. Science, 302, 290-292.
Kross, E., Berman, M. G., Mischel, W., Smith, E., & Wager, T. D. (2011). Social rejection shares somatosensory representations with physical pain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108, 6270-6275.
Moor, B. G., Crone, E. A. & van der Molen, M. W. (2010). The heartbrake of social rejection: Heart rate deceleration in response to unexpected peer rejection. Psychological Science, 21, 1326-1333.
DeWall et al. (2010). Acetaminophen reduces social pain: Behavioral and neural evidence. Psychological Science, 21, 931-937.
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6 |
Feb. 14, 2023 |
Responses to Rejection |
DeWall, C. N., Twenge, J. M., Gitter, S. A., & Baumeister, R. F. (2009). It’s the thought that counts: The role of hostile cognition in shaping aggressive responses to social exclusion. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 45-59.
Leary, M. R. (2015). Emotional responses to interpersonal rejection. Dialogues in clinical neuroscience, 17(4), 435-441.
Hales, A. H., & Williams, K. D. (2018). Marginalized individuals and extremism: The role of ostracism in openness to extreme groups. Journal of Social Issues, 74(1), 75-92.
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7 |
Feb. 21, 2023 |
READING WEEK |
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8 |
Feb. 28, 2023 |
Romantic Rejection |
Baumeister, R. F., Wotman, S. R., & Stillwell, A. M. (1993). Unrequited love: On heartbreak, anger, guilt, scriptlessness, and humiliation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64(3), 377.
Stratmoen, E., Greer, M. M., Martens, A. L., & Saucier, D. A. (2018). What, I′m not good enough for you? Individual differences in masculine honor beliefs and the endorsement of aggressive responses to romantic rejection. Personality and Individual Differences, 123, 151-162. |
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9 |
Mar. 7, 2023 |
Romantic Rejection II |
Joel, S., Plaks, J. E., & MacDonald, G. (2019). Nothing ventured, nothing gained: People anticipate more regret from missed romantic opportunities than from rejection. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36(1), 305-336.
Joel, S., & MacDonald, G. (2021). We’re not that choosy: Emerging evidence of a progression bias in romantic relationships. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 25(4), 317-343. |
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10 |
Mar. 14, 2023 |
Sexual Rejection |
Bevan, J. L. (2003). Expectancy violation theory and sexual resistance in close, cross-sex relationships. Communication Monographs, 70(1), 68-82.
Marcantonio, T. L., Jozkowski, K. N., & Lo, W. J. (2018). Beyond “just saying no”: A preliminary evaluation of strategies college students use to refuse sexual activity. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 47(2), 341-351.
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11 |
Mar. 21, 2023 |
Rejection in Close Relationships |
Rajchert, J., Żółtak, T., Szulawski, M., & Jasielska, D. (2019). Effects of rejection by a friend for someone else on emotions and behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 764.
Reczek, R., & Bosley-Smith, E. (2021). How LGBTQ adults maintain ties with rejecting parents: Theorizing “conflict work” as family work. Journal of Marriage and Family, 83(4), 1134-1153
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12 |
Mar. 28, 2023 |
Group Dynamics |
Bernstein, M. J., Sacco, D. F., Young, S. G., Hugenberg, K., & Cook, E. (2010). Being “in” with the in-crowd: The effects of social exclusion are enhanced by the perceived essentialism of ingroups and outgroups. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36, 999-1009.
Knowles, M. L. & Gardner, W. L. (2008). Benefits of membership: The activation and amplification of group identities in response to social rejection. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 34, 1200-1213.
Mendes, W. B., Major, B., McCoy, S., & Blascovich, J. (2008). How attributional ambiguity shapes physiological and emotional responses to social rejection and acceptance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 94(2), 278. |
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13 |
Apr. 4, 2023 |
Coping |
Stinson, D. A., Logel, C., Shepherd, S., & Zanna, M. P. (2011). Rewriting the self-fulfilling prophecy of social rejection: Self-affirmation improves relational security and social behavior up to 2 months later. Psychological Science, 22(9), 1145-1149.
DeWall, C. N., Maner, J. K., & Rouby, D. A. (2009). Social exclusion and early stage interpersonal perception: Selective attention to signs of acceptance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 96, 729-741.
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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: 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 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:
- 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;
- 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 hours after 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.
- 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.
