Psychology of Religion and Spirituality PSYC 498 SEC 002 Lecture: Mondays 3:00 pm 6:00 pm Classroom: 328 Burnett Hall Instructor: Office: Office Hours: Email: Christopher Kimbrough 71 Burnett Hall Tuesdays & Thursdays 12:30-1:30pm and by appointment Christopher.Kimbrough@huskers.unl.edu *Please put PSYC 498 in the subject line for all emails. I will try to respond to all emails within 1 business day. Course Description and Goals This course will act as an overview of the many ways that religious and spiritual beliefs can and do influence our daily lives, including an individual s attitudes, motivations, cognitions, emotions, and behaviors (and vice versa). The focus of this course will not be on any religious affiliation in particular, but instead on how people view religion and spirituality and use those beliefs in both positive and negative ways. After this course, you will probably forget 90% of the theories, experiments, and names presented to you, but hopefully you will think more critically about how religious and spiritual beliefs influence actions in your everyday lives. Because of the nature of this topic, respect for the beliefs and opinions of others is essential, for both believers and non-believers. There will be a zero-tolerance policy for ANY prejudicial or discriminatory remarks made during class. Prerequisites Prior completion of 12 hours of psychology, including Psyc 350 (or an equivalent course in research methodology) and Psyc 288 (Psychology of Social Behavior). Required Texts Saroglou, V. (2014). Religion, Personality, and Social Behavior. NY: Psychology Press. There will also be required readings posted on Blackboard, including news articles, journal articles, and selected chapters from relevant textbooks. 1
Course Requirements and Things That Might Make It Easier The course will be out of 1700 points and consists of three main components: four papers, one class presentation, and class participation/discussion. More detailed information on paper assignments and the presentation will be provided in class and on Blackboard. There is also an optional final exam, which can replace your lowest paper grade (not including the final paper). The final exam is cumulative, covering the entire semester. There are several things on Blackboard which will help you in this class. First, there are Lecture Outlines and Powerpoint slides corresponding to each topic. Note that the slides do not contain all of the information that will be covered during class. Second, there will occasionally be Announcements about schedule changes, when assignments will be graded, etc. Third, pdf files containing some of the required readings are posted. So you should check Blackboard regularly. Important Dates Feb. 6th: Mar. 13th: Mar. 20th: Apr. 10th: Apr. 17 th : Apr. 27 th : May 1st: Measurement Paper Due Final Paper Checkpoint #1 Due Topical Paper Due Visitation Paper Due Final Paper Checkpoint #2 Due Final Paper Presentations Final Paper Due ALL written assignments must adhere to APA Style, and points will be deducted for not doing so. Measurement Paper Topical Paper Visitation Paper Final Paper Checkpoint #1 Final Paper Checkpoint #2 Final Paper Class Participation / Discussion Final Paper Presentation Total = 50 points = 50 points = 400 points = 200 points = 1700 points 2
Course Components Papers (1250 points total; @74% of your grade) There will be three shorter papers (5-6 pages) assigned during the semester, and one longer final paper (12-14 pages). All papers are due by 5:00 pm via SafeAssign on the due date. Due to the extra time needed Visitation Paper, I highly recommend that you begin researching for this assignment as soon as possible. You will have the opportunity to rewrite a paper once if you are unsatisfied with your grade (not including the final paper). Your revised paper will be due one week after it is returned to you. More detailed information regarding all papers will be posted on Blackboard. In addition to the final paper itself, there are two checkpoints along the way in which you will be required to submit short papers showing your progress toward the final paper. More information about these checkpoints will be provided in class and on Blackboard. Final Paper Presentation (250 points; @15% of your grade) Prior to turning in the final paper, you will present your paper topic to the class. More information about the presentation will be available in class and on Blackboard as presentation gets closer. Presentations should last no more than 12 minutes, and will follow the general outline of the final paper. NO LAPTOPS OR TABLET DEVICES WILL BE ALLOWED IN CLASS ON THE DAY OF PRESENTATIONS. Class Participation / Discussion (200 points; @12% of your grade) Since this is a small class, active class participation is essential. That means that you should do all the readings and come to class prepared to discuss them. Each week one or two members of the class will be appointed the Discussion Leader(s), whose role is to lead and facilitate discussion. The Discussion Leader is also responsible for finding and presenting one additional, recent (i.e., 2007 or later) article or case on the week s topic. Leadership duties will be distributed evenly over the course of the semester. Your participation should not be limited only to those sessions when you lead discussion. In addition, I encourage you to share with the class instances of religion and spirituality research in the news that you happen to come across. Grading Scale Letter grades will be assigned according to a straight curve --i.e., >90% an A, >80% a B, etc. Pluses and minuses will be used in assigning final grades. Note that a grade of C or higher (i.e., not a C-) is necessary for your grade in this course to count toward the major in psychology. I will not round up grades at the end of the semester. If you have concerns 3
about your grade, please speak with me during the semester (sooner is better). I may be able to offer you suggestions (e.g., advice for exam preparation) that will help you to increase your grade. I can do nothing, however, at the end of the semester once the final grades have been calculated. Course Policies Assignments All assignments must be submitted on Blackboard via SafeAssign. No assignments will be accepted in person or via email. All written assignments must adhere to APA Style, and points will be deducted for not doing so. Blackboard You are responsible for all announcements, assignments, materials, and information posted on Blackboard. Updates to the syllabus may be made as we progress through the course. Check Blackboard regularly. In addition, your email address on Blackboard must be accurate and one you check often, as this will be our primary means of communicating with you outside of class. To access Blackboard, go to http://blackboard.unl.edu and sign-in (using your login name and NU ID) and then click on Psyc 460 under My UNL Courses. Late Work Policy All assignments must be submitted on Blackboard via SafeAssign, which provides an electronic date/time stamp. Due dates are noted in the schedule of this syllabus or in the handout describing the assignment in more detail. Assignments turned in after the due date/time will be penalized 10% for up to 24 hours after the deadline. After 24 hours, the assignment will receive a 0. You must contact me prior to the deadline if you want us to approve a late submission. Attendance Attendance is mandatory at all classes. You may miss up to 2 classes without explanation or penalty; each additional absence will result in the deduction from your grade of 10% from your Class Participation / Discussion points. For example, if you finished the semester with 350 out of 400 points but missed 3 classes, your final points for this component would be 315 out of 400. If you must miss the exam or a discussion due to an UNAVOIDABLE circumstance, you must notify me prior to your absence. Note that even if your absence from class is excused, you obviously cannot contribute toward the participation component of your grade if you are not present. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities are encouraged to contact the instructor for a confidential discussion of their individual needs for academic accommodation. It is the policy of the University of Nebraska Lincoln to provide flexible and individualized accommodation to students with documented disabilities that may affect their ability to fully participate in course activities or to meet course requirements. To receive accommodation services, 4
students must be registered with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office, 132 Canfield Administration, 472 3787, voice or TTY. Academic Misconduct Policy Academic misconduct in any form is a very serious matter and it will not be tolerated in this course. Academic misconduct is broadly defined as being any action on your part that violates the rights of another student in academic work or that involves misrepresentation of your own work. If you are found to be cheating on examinations or to be engaging in scholarly dishonesty in your work, you will receive a failing grade for the entire course. In addition, the academic misconduct will be reported to the Psychology department, to your home major department (if not Psychology), and to Student Judicial Affairs and any other appropriate University offices, any of which may impose additional sanctions. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following: Cheating Fabrication and Falsification Plagiarism Abuse of Academic Materials Complicity in Academic Dishonesty Falsifying Grade Reports Misrepresentation to Avoid Academic Work Other Please see the University of Nebraska s Student Code of Conduct ( 4.2) for more details. If you have questions about what is and is not acceptable behavior, please ask! Grade Appeals If you feel that your paper was graded unfairly, you may submit a written grade appeal. The deadline for appeals is one week after a paper has been returned. An appeal results in a complete reevaluation of that portion of your paper that is in question, which could result in a higher grade, a lower grade, or no grade change. Except for mathematical errors, no complaints about grading will be addressed unless they are in writing. 5
Tentative Course Schedule See Blackboard for the up-to-date schedule All assigned readings are to be done before class on the day assigned Date Topic Readings Week 1 Jan 12th Introduction Definitions and Measurement of Religion and Spirituality Saroglou Ch. 1 Hall, Meador, & Koenig (2008) Thurstone & Clave (1929) Week 2 Jan 19th Martin Luther King, Jr. Day No Class Week 3 Jan 26th Personality Saroglou Ch. 2 & 3 Tipton, Harrison, & Mahoney (1980) Cohen, Hall, Koenig, & Meador (2005) Week 4 Feb 2nd Cognition, & Neuropsychology Saroglou Ch. 4 Handbook - Chapter 11 Saroglou (2002) Tang & Mietus (2003) Feb 6th Measurement Paper Due Week 5 Feb 9th Emotion Saroglou Ch. 5 & 6 Hoelter & Epley (1979) Week 6 Feb 16th Morality / Values / Ethics Saroglou Ch. 9 & 10 Kennedy & Lawton (1998) Piazza (2012) Week 7 Feb 23rd Pro-Social Behavior Saroglou Ch. 7 Norenzayan & Shariff (2008) Saslow et al. (2013) Bernt (1989) Preston & Ritter (2013) Week 8 Mar 2nd Anti-Social Behavior: Prejudice Week 9 Mar 9th Anti-Social Behavior: Violence and Conflict Saroglou Ch. 8 Feagin (1964) Laythe, Finkel, & Kirkpatrick (2002) Merino (2010) Saroglou pp 347-349 Ginges, Hansen, & Norenzayan (2009) Bushman, Ridge, Das, Key, & Busath (2007) Silva & Mace (2014) Kalkan, Layman, & Uslaner (2009) Mar 13th Final Paper Checkpoint #1 Due Week 10 Mar 16th Culture Saroglou Ch. 11 & 15 Stavrova & Siegers (2014) Mar 20th Topical Paper Due Week 11 Mar 23rd Spring Break No Class Week 12 Mar 30th Gender: Roles and Attitudes Saroglou Ch. 14 Sigillo, Miller, & Weiser (2012) Levitt, Swanger, & Butler (2008) 6
Week 13 Apr 6th Health and Well-Being Saroglou Ch. 12 Fehring, Miller, & Shaw (1997) Watson et al. (2002) Hungelmann, Kenkel-Rossi, Klassen, & Stollenwerk (1996) Apr 10th Visitation Paper Due Week 14 Apr 13th Student-picked Topics TBA Apr 17th Final Paper Checkpoint #2 Due Week 15 Apr 20th Student-picked Topics TBA Week 16 Apr 27th Final Paper Presentations May 1st Final Paper Due **The Final Exam will be Tuesday, May 5th, at 1:00pm** Student-picked Topics: 1. Religious Development a. Specific topics would include readings about the development of religious beliefs as people get older, with a focus on childhood. 2. Religious Experiences a. Specific topics would include experiences of the mystical, spiritual, and religious sense, and readings on religious and spiritual conversions, among others. 3. Religion, Psychology, and the Legal System a. Specific topics would include religiously-charged arguments by the prosecution, religious attitudes influencing juror decisions, among others. 4. Atheism and Religious Nones a. Specific topics would include readings about the change in religious groups in modern America, including the growing number of Atheists and Agnostics, among others. 5. New Religious Groups a. Specific topics would include readings about cults and other marginalized religious groups. 7