PSYCHOLOGY OF EMOTION
Psychology 387-01
Spring, 2002
Dr. Jerry Boucher |
 |
TEXT: |
The Nature of Emotion. Ekman, P. and Davidson, R. J. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994. |
| Selected journal articles and other readings as will be assigned in class. |
THE COURSE: This is laboratory/research course which covers the field of emotion with an emphasis on the major theories of emotion. Prerequisites for the course are: PSYC 101: General Psychology; PSYC 260: Psychological Statistics; PSYC 265: Psychological Research Methods; and PSYC 270: Brain and Behavior. Thus it is assumed the students will be competent to a design a research project and perform the appropriate statistics and analysis for that research. This course will address the essential issue of how to ask the appropriate research questions regarding emotion.
CLASS PROCESS: By enrolling in an advanced upper division course students are assuming a greater responsibility for working independently than might be expected in lower division and/or introductory courses. In particular, students in this course should understand that they are responsible for reading and studying the material in the textbook and any other assigned readings, whether or not that material is covered in the class lectures, discussions and exercises. The class presentations will serve to illustrate and/or augment some aspects of the topic of the assigned reading, but not necessarily with any specific reference to that reading. The class presentations will proceed with the assumption that the students have read the assigned material before attending the class. Readings are assigned as per the schedule below. Several additional readings from sources other than the text may be assigned as the semester progresses.
Classroom participation and discussions of the subject matter are expected and encouraged. If questions are not asked it will be assumed that the material under consideration has been understood. Presentations to the class by students are most strongly invited, and will be scheduled as time permits on a first-come first-served basis. Two or three points of extra credit will be awarded for each presentation.
CULTURAL ISSUES: In this course the behaviors of emotion frequently will be considered in a cultural context. First, these behaviors and their meanings often differ from one culture to another, and many of the problems that occur in intercultural encounters are attributable to these differences. Second, much of the research that has defined this field has taken place in a cross-cultural setting. Third, placing the subject in an exotic setting can highlight an issue that could be otherwise missed or ignored when seen only from the perspective of one's own culture. Cultural examples will be given in order to illustrate and elaborate concepts, not in order to teach about that particular culture. Most importantly, we will frequently revisit the notion that the experience of emotion involves an interplay of culture and biology.
EXAMS: There are three midterm exams and one final exam. Each of exams counts for about 25 percent of the course grade. The two highest midterm exam grades will be added, and the lowest midterm grade dropped. Thus, the exams will account for about 75 percent of the total course grade. There will be no make-up exams.
The exams will consist of a mixture of multiple-choice and short answer questions. As a rough guide, students can anticipate that about a third of the exam questions will be on material covered only in the class presentations, a third on material covered in both the reading and in the classroom, and about a third on material covered only in the assigned reading. No formal review for exams will be prepared by the professor.
RESEARCH: Each student will design and implement a research project on some aspect of emotion. Students may work alone, or with one other student on their project. You will be expected to use experimental subjects and appropriate statistical analyses. A proposal for the research will be submitted to the professor by no later than the date of the first exam. A detailed description of the proposed method and analyses will be submitted to the professor by no later than the second exam. The completed research will be prepared for presentation at a poster session on the last day of class. (If the department decides to have a department-wide poster session the students in this class will present their research at that session rather than on the last day of class.) This research will count for about one-quarter of the grade for the course.
POP QUIZZES: Pop quizzes may occur at any time, and can contribute from 1 to 5 points depending on the nature of the question(s) asked. There will be no make-up for missed pop quizzes.
GRADES: The total possible points from the required items (exams, research, quizzes, attendance) will be about 180, and the course grade curve will be determined from these points. Extra credit derived from class presentations will be added on after this scaling. The professor will determine the letter grades as a curve function of the distribution of scores in the class. Past experience suggests the breakpoints usually fall at about 90, 80, 70, and 60 percent for A, B, C, and D respectively. The policy of the University is that students are expected to attend class. Therefore the exams will contain questions on material that was presented only in class. Attendance may be taken on any day, at the beginning of the class. One point toward the semester total will be given for a student being present for class on time if/when attendance is taken.
OFFICE HOURS AND CONTACTING THE PROFESSOR: The professor normally works at his off-campus office and is on campus only to teach this class. Office hours are by appointment only. You are most strongly encouraged to use email for out-of-class contact. Do not leave time-sensitive material in the departmental mailbox. Do not leave messages on the campus voice mail: it is never checked.
PROFESSOR:
Dr. Boucher studied psycholinguistics with Charles E. Osgood at the
University of Illinois, and social psychology and nonverbal emotional
behavior with Paul Ekman at the University of California, San Francisco.
In 1971 through 1973 he lived in Malaysia, researching the nonverbal and
emotional behavior of Malays and Temuan Aborigines. From 1974 through 1989
he was a member of the academic staff of the East-West Center in
Honolulu, Hawaii, and was affiliated with the departments of communication
and psychology at the University of Hawaii. He served as Adjunct Professor
of Communication at the University of Arizona, and Visiting Professor of
Psychology at Western Washington State University. He has lectured and
performed research in many different countries, and has published in the
areas of verbal and nonverbal emotional behavior, ethnic conflict and
cultural relations. He has been an adjunct professor in the department of
psychology at USF since 1994.
COURSE SCHEDULE
| 1/22 | Introduction, Class Overview, and Administrivia. | |
| 1/24 - 1/29 | Question 1: | Are There Basic Emotions? Pp. 3 - 48. |
| 1/31 - 2/5 | Question 2: | How Are Emotions Distinguished from Moods, Temperament, and Other Affective Constructs? Pp. 49 - 96. |
| 2/7 - 2/12 | Question 3: | What Is the Function of Emotions? Pp. 97 - 143. Video: Face Value from David Suzuki's program The Nature of Things, about facial expression, emotion, with Ekman and others. |
| 2/14 | Exam 1. | |
| 2/19 - 2/21 | Question 4: | How Is Evidence of Universals of Emotion Explained? Pp. 144-178. Video: Dream Girls about the Takarazuka school. |
| 2/26 - 2/28 | Question 5: | What Are the Minimal Cognitive Perquisites for Emotion? Pp. 179 - 234. |
| 3/5 | Question 6: | Is There Emotion-Specific Physiology? Pp. 235 - 262. |
| 3/7 | Exam 2. | |
| 3/12 - 3/14 | Question 7: | Can We Control Our Emotions? Pp. 263 - 282. Video: Telling Lies, Nonverbal and emotional cues to deception. Produced for Danish Television |
| 3/19 - 3/21 | Question 8: | Can Emotions be Nonconscious? Pp. 283 - 300. |
| 3/26 - 3/28 | Spring Recess | |
| 4/2 - 4/4 | Question 9: | What is the Relation Between Emotion and Memory? Pp. 301 - 318. |
| 4/9 | Exam 3. | |
| 4/11 - 4/16 | Question 10: | How Do Individuals Differ in Emotion-Related Activity? Pp. 319 - 344. |
| 4/18 - 4/23 | Question 11: | What Develops in Emotional Development? Pp. 345 - 376. |
| 4/25 - 4/30 | Question 12: | What Influences the Subjective Experience of Emotion? Pp. 377-408. |
| 5/2 - 5/7 | Epilogue | Affective Science: A Research Agenda. Pp. 409 - 431. |
| 5/9 | Last Day | Poster Session for Research Projects. Pp. 409 - 431. |
| 5/13 | 8:00 AM | Exam 4: Final. |