Woods College of Advancing Studies Boston College ADPS116001 PSYCHOLOGY OF EMOTIONS Fall 2014 Credits: 4 Nielsen Instructor: Dr. Anna L. Nielsen Email: a.l.nielsen@bc.edu Office: McGuinn Hall, Rm. 100 Office Hours: by appointment Phone: #617/552 8404 Class Sessions: Monday Evenings 6:30 9:00 pm Location: Stokes Hall 109S Boston College Mission Statement Strengthened by more than a century and a half of dedication to academic excellence, Boston College commits itself to the highest standards of teaching and research in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs and to the pursuit of a just society through its own accomplishments, the work of its faculty and staff, and the achievements of its graduates. It seeks both to advance its place among the nation's finest universities and to bring to the company of its distinguished peers and to contemporary society the richness of the Catholic intellectual ideal of a mutually illuminating relationship between religious faith and free intellectual inquiry. Boston College draws inspiration for its academic societal mission from its distinctive religious tradition. As a Catholic and Jesuit university, it is rooted in a world view that encounters God in all creation and through all human activity, especially in the search for truth in every discipline, in the desire to learn, and in the call to live justly together. In this spirit, the University regards the contribution of different religious traditions and value systems as essential to the fullness of its intellectual life and to the continuous development of its distinctive intellectual heritage. Course Description Understanding the nature of human emotions, particularly how attachments and relationships develop and dissolve, suggests a closer look at concepts such as human needs, fear, aggression, love, guilt, family influence and friendship. Course examines these and related issues in the context of various literary accounts to develop a sense of the universal and changing questions of emotional development. Course Objectives (CO) Gaining factual knowledge (terminology, classification, models, trends) Learning fundamental principles, generalizations, and theories Learning to apply course material (to improve thinking, problem solving, and decisions) Developing specific skills, competencies, and points of view needed by professionals in the field most closely related to this course Learning to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view Acquiring an interest in learning more by asking questions and seeking answers 1
The student will demonstrate knowledge and competency and will practice respect and humanistic behavior across cultural settings and will learn the impact of culture, age, and gender in the theory of the psychology of emotions. The student will furthermore demonstrate ethical knowledge and competency all class content and class oral and written work. Learning Strategies We will engage in a variety of teaching/learning methods to cover the course material, including but not limited to: lecture, readings, small and large group discussions, independent and group projects, observation, technology experimentation, and written and oral presentations. Philosophy on Learning Environments The call to men and women for others. Communication As your instructor, I will do my best to clearly communicate all course requirements and material in a timely manner. This will include this syllabus, announcements during live class sessions, postings on the Blackboard class page, and email announcements. All email announcements will include the heading ADPS116001. In addition to attending class, you are expected to check the Blackboard class page and your email regularly, and contribute to online discussions. With the changing uses of technology in our lives, norms around communication appear to shift as well. I expect that we will communicate with each other in a respectful and professional manner. For example, I expect that emails have some form of greeting (such as "Dear Dr. Nielsen" and conclude with some closure and name (such as "Sincerely, Jane" or "Best, Joe.") In addition to this being good practice for professional development, sometimes my email program filters out improperly addressed emails as spam. As well, emails should be written using proper grammar and punctuation. There will be no exceptions. If you have not heard back from me within 48 hours of your email, please feel free to drop me a reminder. Be aware that I am offline on Sundays. Also see for general guidelines: http://productivegeek.com/articles/how to email yourprofessor and get a quick response/ and http://web.wellesley.edu/socialcomputing/netiquette/netiquetteprofessor.html UNIVERSITY and COURSE POLICIES WCAS Grading System The undergraduate grading system consists of twelve categories: A (4.00), A (3.67), excellent; B+ (3.33), B (3.00), B (2.67), good; C+ (2.33), C (2.00), C (l.67), satisfactory; D+ (l.33), D (l.00), D (.67), passing but unsatisfactory; F (.00), failure; I (.00), incomplete; F (.00), course dropped without notifying office; W (.00), official withdrawal from course. The graduate grading system is A (4.00), A (3.67), Excellent; B+ (3.33), B (3.00), good; B (2.67) and C (2.00), passing but not for degree credit; F (.00), failure. 2
Grade Reports. All students are required to log into the web through Agora to access their semester grades. Students must utilize their BC username and password to log on. If your username or password is not known, the Student Learning and Support Center in the O Neill Library Computer Center will issue a new one. The SLSC requires a valid picture ID (a BC ID, driver s license or passport) to obtain your password. WCAS Policies http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/advstudies/guide/academicinteg.html Written Work Graduate and undergraduate students are expected to prepare professional, polished written work. Written materials must be typed in the format required by your instructor. This includes your name in the header of each page of each assignment. Each assignment with multiple pages must be stapled. Assignments that do not follow the required format will not be accepted and a grade of F will be given for the assignment. Strive for a thorough, yet concise style. Cite literature appropriately, using APA MLA format. Guidelines can be found through the Boston College University Libraries, Psychology. Style Manuals & Writing Guides http://libguides.bc.edu/content.php?pid=1327&sid=5795. Work not following the above guidelines will not be accepted. Develop your thoughts fully, clearly, logically and specifically. Proofread all materials to ensure the use of proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling. You are encouraged to make use of campus resources for refining writing skills as needed http://www.bc.edu/libraries/help/tutoring.html. Scholarship and Academic Integrity It is expected that students will produce original work and cite references appropriately. Failure to reference properly is plagiarism. Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not necessarily limited to, plagiarism, fabrication, facilitating academic dishonesty, cheating on examinations or assignments, and submitting the same paper or substantially similar papers to meet the requirements of more than one course without seeking permission of all instructors concerned. Scholastic misconduct may also involve, but is not necessarily limited to, acts that violate the rights of other students, such as depriving another student of course materials or interfering with another student s work. Please refer to and comply with the Boston College Academic Integrity standards and policy and procedures: http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/offices/stserv/academic/integrity.html Request for Accommodations If you have a disability and will be requesting accommodations for this course, please register with either Dr. Kathy Duggan (dugganka@bc.edu), Associate Director, Connors Family Learning Center (learning disabilities or AHD) or Dean Paulette Durrett, (paulette.durrett@bc.edu), Assistant Dean for students with disabilities, (all other disabilities). Advance notice and appropriate documentation are required for accommodations. For further information, you can locate the disability resources on the web at http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/libraries/help/tutoring/specialservices.html. Attendance Class attendance is an important component of learning. Students are expected to attend all classes and to arrive by the beginning of and remain for the entire class period. Arriving late 3
and leaving early will result in being marked absent. When an occasion occurs that prevents a student from attending class, it is the student s obligation to inform the instructor of the conflict before the class meets. The student is still expected to meet all assignment deadlines. If a student knows that he or she will be absent on a particular day, the student is responsible for seeing the instructor beforehand to obtain the assignments for that day. If a student misses a class, he or she is responsible for making up the work by obtaining a classmate's notes and handouts and turning in any assignments due. Furthermore, many instructors give points for participation in class. If you miss class, you cannot make up participation points associated with that class. Types of absences that are not typically excused include weddings, showers, vacations, birthday parties, graduations, etc. Additional assignments, penalties and correctives are at the discretion of the instructor. If circumstances necessitate excessive absence from class, the student should consider withdrawing from the class. In all cases, students are expected to accept the decision of the instructor regarding attendance policies specific to the class. Consistent with our commitment of creating an academic community that is respectful of and welcoming to persons of differing backgrounds, we believe that every reasonable effort should be made to allow members of the university community to observe their religious holidays without jeopardizing the fulfillment of their academic obligations. It is the responsibility of students to review course syllabi as soon as they are distributed and to consult the faculty member promptly regarding any possible conflicts with observed religious holidays. If asked, the student should provide accurate information about the obligations entailed in the observance of that particular holiday. However, it is the responsibility of the student to complete any and all class requirements for days that are missed due to conflicts due to religious holidays. There may be circumstances that necessitate a departure from this policy. Feel free to contact the WCAS at 617 552 3900 for consultation. Deadlines All assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the specified dates. Late assignments will be graded accordingly. ASSIGNMENTS and GRADING Your grade will be based on the following: 1. Class Attendance and Participation 15% 2. Online Reading Response Forums (5) 25% 3. Joy Journal Experiment 10% 4. Midterm 20% 5. Final Exam 30% Class Attendance and Participation 15% Attendance of ALL class sessions is mandatory. Your participation grade will be based on active attendance (involvement in class discussion and activities, clear evidence of having read and engaged with the class readings). Pay attention to quality merely speaking and/or fulfilling word requirements will not be enough to earn full participation marks. Two or more absences automatically result in a failing grade. You are expected to keep track of your own attendance record. The Professor will not tell you when you have exceeded the allowable number of absences. 4
Good participants will: o be consistent in their participation; o contribute substantively; o demonstrate an understanding, familiarity, and thoughtful engagement with the assigned weekly readings and during class discussion and in written semi weekly exercises. Online Reading Response Forums (5) 25% Five online reading responses of 500+ words each: #1 Culture Due September 29 #2 Emotion and the Brain: The Central Nervous System Due October 20 #3 Happiness Due November 10 #4 Emotional Intelligence Due December 1 #5 Psychology of Emotions Due December 8 The Science and Theory of Joy Journal Experiment 10% To be reviewed in class. Due November 17 Midterm 20% Final Exam 30% TEXTS Required Cornelius, Randolph R. (1996). The Science of Emotion. NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc. Shiota, Michelle & James W. Kalat. (2012). Emotion. 2 nd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Additional required readings available through Boston College University Libraries; Recommended Bok, Sissela. (2010). Exploring Happiness: From Aristotle to Brain Science. New Haven, Yale University Press. Evans, Dylan. (2003). Emotion: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Damasio, Antonio. Descartes Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. NY: Penguin, 2005. * Additional readings may be added. * WEEKLY COURSE and ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE Week One: September 8 Introduction to Course In class Activities Introduction to course Introduction to psychology research at Boston College University Libraries http://libguides.bc.edu/psychology What is Psychology of Emotion? 5
Week Two: September 15 Nature of Emotion Ribot, Theodule. (1914). The Psychology of Emotions. NY: Scribner. Chapter VII. The Nature of Emotions, pp. 91 113. Available through BC Library online resources. Frijda, N.H. (1988). The laws of emotion. American Psychologist, 43, 349 358. Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 1: The Nature of Emotion, 1 32. Carefully read through the entire Psychology LibGuide, especially Find Background Information, Find Books and Find Articles. http://libguides.bc.edu/psychology Library Research Exercise Defining Emotions Week Three: September 22 The Evolution of Emotion; The Darwinian Perspective Darwin, Charles. (1916). The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. NY & London, D. Appleton and Company. Chapter I: General Principles of Expression. Available through BC Library online resources. Cornelius (1996). Chapter 1: Snarling Dogs, Cowering Cats, and Weeping Humans The Darwinian Perspective. Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 2: The Evolution of Emotion, 33 57. Find, print, and bring in three paintings or photographs of three different faces expressing three different emotions. Darwinian Perspective: Function of emotions in the context of evolution by natural selection. Week Four: September 29 Culture and Emotion Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 3: Culture and Emotion, 58 82. Cornelius (1996). Chapter 5: Emotions and the Politics of Everyday Life The Social Constructivist Perspective. Online Reading Response Forum #1: Culture Culture: compare and contrast; group work. Week Five: October 6 Emotion and the Body; The Jamesian Perspective Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 4: Emotion and the Body: Automatic Nervous System and Hormones, 83 109. Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 5: Emotion and the Brain: The Central Nervous System, 110 155. Cornelius (1996). Chapter Three: Listening to the Cries and Whispers of the Articulate Body The Jamesian Perspective. Online Reading Response Forum #2: Emotion and the Brain 6
Jamesian Perspective: Emotion is primarily the experience of bodily changes. Week Six: of October 13 NO CLASS COLUMBUS DAY Week Seven: October 20 Emotion Regulation Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 6: Emotion Regulation, 136 156. Cornelius (1996). Chapter 4: Feeling is Thinking The Cognitive Perspective. Lecture and class discussion Week Eight: October 27 Some Individual Emotions: Fear and Anxiety; Anger and Distrust Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 7: Fear and Anxiety, 158 175. Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 8: Anger and Disgust, 176 202. Darwin, Charles. (1916). The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. NY & London, D. Appleton and Company. Chapter X: Hatred and Anger. Available through BC Library online resources. Lecture and class discussion Midterm preparation and review The Science and Theory of Joy Journal Experiment preparation and review Week Nine: November 3 MIDTERM Week Ten: November 10 Love, Happiness, and the Positive Emotions Darwin, Charles. (1916). The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. NY & London, D. Appleton and Company. Chapter VIII: Joy, High Spirits, Love, Tender Feelings, Devotion. Available through BC Library online resources. Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 9: Love, 203 229. Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 10: Happiness and the Positive Emotions, 230 253. Bok, Sissela. (2010). Exploring Happiness: From Aristotle to Brain Science. New Haven, Yale University Press. Chapter Ten: The Scope of Happiness. Online Reading Response Forum #3: Happiness Lecture and class discussion Week Eleven: November 17 Happiness Revisited and the Self Conscious Emotions Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 10: The Self Conscious Emotions, 254 268. Watch: TEDx Talk: Shawn Achor, The Happiness Advantage: Linking Positive Brains to Performance http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxy kbvq1m (12:29) Ted Talk: Dan Gilbert, The Surprising Science of Happiness http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy.html (21:20) Ted Talk: Nancy Etcoff, Happiness and Its Surprises http://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_etcoff_on_happiness_and_why_we_want_it.html 7
(14:22). We tend to think of emotions as just feelings. But in fact, emotions are an all systems alert that change what we remember, what kind of decisions we make, and how we perceive things. Readings Recommended Look through Open Culture, Three Universities Use Twitter to Understand Happiness, Hate, and Other Emotions in America http://www.openculture.com/2013/05/three_university_projects_use_twitter_to_u nderstand_happiness_hate_and_other_emotions_in_america.html Listen and watch: Pharrell Williams Happy song o Official Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6sxv suytm o 24HoursofHappy: http://24hoursofhappy.com/ (pick a few moments; pick them all, if you like) The Science and Theory of Joy Journal Experiment Lecture and class discussion Week Twelve: November 24 RESEARCH DAY Week Thirteen: December 1 Development of Emotion; Emotion and Personality Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 12: Development of Emotion, 270 293. Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 13: Emotion and Personality, 294 309. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/15/magazine/can emotional intelligence betaught.html?_r=0 Can Emotional Intelligence Be Taught? NYT September 11, 2013 Goleman, Daniel. What Makes a Leader? Harvard Business Review. 82.1 (January 2004): 82 91. Online Reading Response Forum #4: Emotional Intelligence and/or Emotional Leadership Lecture and class discussion Week Fourteen: December 8 Effects of Emotion on Cognition; Directions in Emotional Psychology Shiota & Kalat (2012). Chapter 14: Effects of Emotion on Cognition, 310 335. Cornelius (1996). Chapter Seven: Concluding Unscientific Postscript Emotions and You. Online Reading Response Forum #5: Psychology of Emotions Lecture and class discussion Course review Final exam preparation Week Fifteen: December 15 FINAL EXAM 8