PSY/GNDR 2800.001 and 2800.090 Psychology of Love

Course Syllabus PSY/GNDR 2800.001 AND 2800.090 PSYCHOLOGY OF LOVE Fall 2016 The University of Utah - Department of Psychology, cross-listed with Gender Studies 3 Credit Hours Course Website Canvas: http://learn-uu.uen.org Class Meets Tuesday 3:40 – 6pm in the SBS Auditorium This syllabus is not a binding legal contract. With reasonable notice to students, the instructor may modify the syllabus and course schedule at any time, to accommodate the needs of the class. Should you have any questions or concerns, it is your responsibility to contact the instructor for clarification.

Instructor: Lisa M. Diamond Office 623 SBS Email [email protected] NOTE: please email me at this address and NOT through Canvas – I do not check the Canvas email as regularly, so you will get a faster response if you email me at my regular email address, listed above Office hours by appointment – just email me

Teaching Assistants Jenna Alley, [email protected]

Required Materials TEXTBOOK: Intimate Relataionships by Bradbury & Karney (2013), available for purchase at campus store and also available on 2-hour reserve at Marriott Library. READER: Psychology of Love, distributed by University Readers, available for purchase online at https://students.universityreaders.com/store/. Create an account and follow the instructions to order the Reader, after purchasing, you can access your partial e-book by logging into your account and clicking My Digital Materials to get started on your readings right away. The full reader is also available on 2-hour reserve at Marriott Library

Course Format This course is offered concurrently as an in-class lecture course (section 001) and an online course (section 090). All requirements are the same – the only difference is that the online students will be streaming the weekly lectures (which will be digitally recorded and uploaded to the course website by Thursday of each week). The only difference between the online and in- class sections is that the online students must make arrangements through uOnline to take the exams (the in-class students will take the exams in person). Online students should consult http://tlt.utah.edu/uonlinecenter for more information, and should go to http://tlt.utah.edu/student-exam-procedures for proctored exam registration. Online students should contact (801) 581-6112 or [email protected] if they have any questions.

Department of Psychology – The University of Utah | 1 Course Description This course presents an overview of psychological theory and research on romantic relationships. Key questions to be addressed: Why do people fall in love? How is romantic love similar to and different from other types of love? What gets and keeps couples together? How do individual and cultural differences influence relationship Course Overview This course presents an overview of psychological theory and research on romantic relationships. Key questions to be addressed include the following: Why do people fall in love? How is romantic love similar to and different from other types of love? What gets and keeps couples together? How do individual and cultural differences influence relationships? Do men and women have fundamentally different ways of loving? Scientific investigations into love and romantic relationships have increased dramatically over the last 25 years, and these investigations have produced fascinating (and sometimes surprising) insights. We will explore the evolution and biological underpinnings of love; different stages in the development of love; interpersonal processes within romantic relationships (such as conversation, conflict, etc.); the role of sexuality in love; gender differences in romantic feelings and behaviors; break-ups and divorce, etc. Whenever possible, we will address how these insights can be “put to use" to improve the quality of our own relationships.

Course Objectives By the conclusion of the course, students will understand the following: (1) the basic functions, dynamics and biological underpinnings of romantic love and romantic relationships (2) how the experience of romantic love has its basic origins in infant-caregiver attachment relationships (3) current and historical trends regarding regarding romantic relationships, cohabitation, marriage, and sexuality (4) the major gender differences that have been documented with respect to individuals’ feelings and behaviors in romantic relationships (5) how the positive and negative features of romantic relationships are influenced by personality factors, early childhood experiences, cultural values, mental health, and stress (6) the role of sexuality in romantic love and romantic relationships (7) the biological and psychological processes through which romantic relationships influence mental and physical health

Department of Psychology – The University of Utah | 2 Evaluation Methods Four evaluation methods will be utilized in this course: (1) Weekly questions that students will write and submit about each of the assigned readingss, (2) Two multiple-choice exams and a multiple-choice final, (3) an optional short-answer final that will serve as an all-purpose “make- up” exam, and (3) a short research paper . The following table presents the core learning outcomes for the Department of Pschology (first column), how each of these outcomes aligns with the learning outcomes for this specific course (second column), and how these outcomes will be assessed in this course (third column). How these Learning How this Learning Psychology Learning Outcomes are Linked to Outcome will be Assessed Outcomes this Course’s Learning Outcomes 1. Understand psychology as a science Romantic love and romantic Students’ understanding of each of human and non-human behavior, relationships represent a central of these contributions will be including cognition and emotions, form of human behavior, and this assessed through the weekly as well as to gain an understanding course touches on their cognitive, questions that they submit on of human behavior in broad emotional, and biological the course readings and by the perspective, including physiological components. Each of the seven exams and socio-cultural factors that affect objectives listed above informs the human behavior. student’s understanding of psychology as a science of human and non-human behavior. 2. Understand sub-fields within Numerous subfields of psychology Students’ understanding of each psychology (developmental, have contributed to our of these contributions will be personality, social, cognitive, understanding of romantic love and assessed through the weekly neuroscience, health, clinical), with romantic relatinonships. Hence, questions that they submit on an emphasis on both social- after completing this course, the course readings and by the contextual and physiological students will understand the exams processes. specific contributions that have been made to the study of romantic love and romantic relationships by developmental psychology, social psychology, neuroscience, health psychology, and clinical psychology 3. Understand the methods used in Throughout this course, students Students’ understanding of each psychological research. will learn the rationale underlying of these contributions will be different methods for studying love assessed through the weekly and relationships, how these questions that they submit on methods have been applied, and the course readings and by the their effectiveness in contributing exams. to our understanding of love and relationships. Students will also encounter these methods when they complete their required research participation. 4. Understand the critical role of A number of different theories Students’ understanding of the theory in psychological research. have been applied to the study of role of theory will be assessed romantic love and relationships, through the weekly questions and in this course, students will that they submit on the course learn about the basic principles of readings, the multiple choice Department of Psychology – The University of Utah | 3 How these Learning How this Learning Psychology Learning Outcomes are Linked to Outcome will be Assessed Outcomes this Course’s Learning Outcomes these different theories, how well exams, and the research paper. they explain current research findings regarding romantic love and relationsihps, and how these theories have been tested with different methods. 5. Understand some of the basic Human love is universal, and plays The research paper will serve to applications of psychology to real- a fundamental role in human well- assess students’ ability to world problems, both clinical and being. Throughout the course, real- understand the real-world non-clinical. world examples will be used to applications of the course highlight the relevance of the material by requiring that they course material to students’ apply the information in the understanding of their own day-to- course to interpreting the day experiences in close dynamics underlying a “real-life” relationships. romantic relationship (that of a friend, colleague, or family member). 6. Write effectively about In the process of writing the The research paper will serve to psychological issues, making well- research paper, students will be assess students’ ability to write organized arguments supported by asked to develop a coherent, effectively about psychological relevant evidence. evidence-based argument that issues pertaining to human love demonstrates their mastery of the and relationships. The paper will course material and their ability to serve to evaluate their ability to identify which research findings are sustain a well-supported most relevant to their argument. argument that draws effectively from the course material.

Assignments Weekly Questions: In the Course Schedule (which appears below), you will see the specific readings that are due for each class meeting. By 9am on the day of class, you will be required to submit (to the course website) a thoughtful question about each SEPARATE reading listed for that day. For example, if there is one chapter from the textbook assigned and two articles from the course reader, you will need to submit a separate question for EACH of these. Each question should be one to three sentences long and should demonstrate that you are thinking a bit “beyond” the information presented in the reading (i.e., questioning some of the assumptions, considering future implications, thinking about research methods). Make sure to provide enough CONTEXT for your question (i.e., a brief summary of a point that the author made, or a research finding that is described) so that we can understand why your question is relevant. Each question will be graded on a three-point scale: 1 = poor question that does not demonstrate understanding of the reading; 2 = satisfactory, demonstrates completion of the reading, but only superficially; 3 = an articulate and thoughtful question which shows that you are thinking critically about the material and its larger implications. An example of a poor question (1 point) would be “Why does the author keep saying that divorce is bad for health?” An example of a GREAT question (3 points) would be “On p. 300 of the chapter, the authors state that most married couples have

Department of Psychology – The University of Utah | 4 similar educational and geographical backgrounds. Yet these days, a huge number of people seem to be meeting and dating online, and in these cases they might have very different backgrounds and come from different parts of the country. Is the boom in online dating creating a big change in the proportion of married couples who have similar versus different t backgrounds?” There are a total of 31 readings, but you can skip three readings without penalty. Hence, the maximum points you can earn on the readings is 84 (28 x 3). The points you earn for the weekly questions amount to 15% of your final grade. If you choose to access the course readings on reserve at Marriott library, instead of purchasing the text and/or the reader, make sure to leave yourself plenty of time to complete the readings before class (given that the reserve period is 2 hours and that other students may be checking out the readings exactly when you are trying to do so). Research Participation: To enhance your grasp of psychological methodology, all students will be required to serve as participants in ongoing psychological studies conducted in the department. Two hours of research participation are required (different studies take different amounts of time – you can divide up the time however you like). Participation must be completed by NOVEMBER 9th. Detailed instructions for registering for the Psychology Department’s Participant Pool (which ensures that you receive proper credit for your participation) will be posted on the course website, in a document called “Instructions for Enrolling in the Research Participation Pool.” Please follow these instructions so that you get proper credit. If you do not want to serve as a research participant, you can satisfy the research participation requirement by writing 10 multiple choice test questions (each on a different topic) based on the course material. These test questions should be submitted to the website (to the assignment called “Alternative to research participation -- multiple choice test questions”) by November 9. Research participation will be worth 1% of your grade. Research Paper: There is one paper of 1500 to 1700 words (that’s about 5-6 pages, not including title page or references), due by 5:00pm on Friday, November 18 (uploaded directly to the course website). For this paper, you will be required to interview a friend or relative about an important romantic relationship that they had that did NOT last. Your task will be to use the course material to try and analyze some of the most important reasons for the breakup. In order to do this, make sure that your interview questions touch on the full range of topics in the course, so that you gain as comprehensive an understanding as possible BUT please also respect the privacy of the person you are interviewing. If there is an area they do not want to talk about, please respect that. I would recommend inquiring about some or all of the following: Both partners’ family backgrounds (did they come from stable families? Did either of them have divorced parents?), their personalities and attachment styles, what degree of commitment each partner had to the relationship, how they handled conflict, whether they ever tried couples counseling, etc. etc. etc. Your paper should not be a summary of everything they said, but instead a thoughtful, organized argument about the underlying reasons for the breakup and, most importantly, whether there were things they could have changed to keep the relationship going (i.e., maybe they couldn’t have changed the economic pressure they were facing, but they could have developed better strategies for talking about money without insulting each other, etc. etc.). It is important that your paper have a focused, organized argument -- therefore, you might not end up mentioning everything that you learned during the interview. Your task is to sift through all of this information and filter it through the knowledge that you have gained in the course in order to produce a tightly organized argument that is supported by empirical research. You will need to make direct, accurate, and relevant references to the course material (both lectures and readings) to receive full credit. The paper will be worth 20% of your final grade. Because you

Department of Psychology – The University of Utah | 5 have ample time to plan and complete this paper, and to anticipate schedule conflicts, no extensions will be granted. Exams: There will be two in-class exams, each worth 20% of your grade, and one comprehensive final exam, worth 24%. As noted above, online students must arrange to take these exams through https://uonline.utah.edu/. All exams will be multiple-choice, and will be approximately one hour in length (the final exam will be approximately 90 minutes). Both lectures and readings will be covered. In-class exams cannot be rescheduled for any reason. To accommodate students who have unexpected scheduling conflicts or illness, there will be a SINGLE make-up exam held immediately after the final exam on December 15. Unlike all the other exams, this exam will be a short answer format and will be approximately 60 minutes. Any student is free to take this exam and use it to replace their lowest exam score (but not a low paper score). At the class session prior to each exam, I will set aside time to answer any of your review questions, and I will be available to answer questions via email up until the night before the exam. Grading Policy Grades will be based on a 100 point scale with letter grades assigned to the following ranges: 96 to 100 A + 86 to 89 B + 76 to 79 C + 66 to 69 D + 93 to 95 A 83 to 85 B 73 to 75 C 63 to 65 D 90 to 92 A - 80 to 82 B - 70 to 72 C- 60 to 62 D - below 59 F

Evaluation Method Points Weight Weekly Questions 84 15% Exam 1 100 20% Exam 2 100 20% Paper 100 20% Final Exam 100 24% Research Participation 1 1%

Extra Credit Students can earn up to 4 extra credit points, added directly to their final grade (the final grade will be calculated on a scale of 1 to 100 points) by submitting up to 12 EXTRA questions about the readings (just like the other questions you’ll be submitting each week). Each 3 extra question will earn you 1 extra credit point (so that a total of 4 extra credit points can be earned by submitting 12 extra questions). You can submit these questions in the very same place each week that you submit the rest of your questions, but you should label the extra question “EXTRA CREDIT” so that we can see that these questions should be counted for extra credit. The question must be of high enough quality that it would have received full credit as a reading question.

Student Rights and Responsibilities All students are expected to maintain professional behavior in the classroom setting, according to the Student Code, detailed in the Student Handbook. Students have specific rights in the

Department of Psychology – The University of Utah | 6 classroom as detailed in Article III of the Code. The Code also specifies proscribed conduct (Article XI) that involves cheating on tests, plagiarism, and/or collusion, as well as fraud, theft, etc. Students should read the Code carefully and know they are responsible for the content. According to Faculty Rules and Regulations, it is the faculty responsibility to enforce responsible classroom behaviors. Students have the right to appeal such action to the Student Behavior Committee. For Student Rights and Responsibilities, see http://www.regulations.utah.edu/academics/6-400.html

Department of Psychology Undergraduate Academic Misconduct Policy The Department of Psychology has a zero tolerance policy for academic misconduct. Academic misconduct includes cheating, plagiarizing, research misconduct, misrepresenting one’s work, and inappropriately collaborating. This applies to any work students turn in for evaluation or course credit. Definitions can be found in the Student Code at http://www.regulations.utah.edu/academics/6-400.html If you are suspected of academic misconduct, the process proceeds according to the rules found in the Student Code, University Policy 6-400(V). If you are found responsible for misconduct, consequences range from failure on the assignment to dismissal from the program, consistent with both University and Psychology Department Policy.

Minor offenses (plagiarism in written work) include failure to use citations correctly, because of lack of understanding of proper procedures for crediting ideas, rather than intention to cheat (with no evidence of lifted/stolen text. Major Offenses include: 1. Cheating on a test, quiz, problem set, or other independent work 2. Plagiarism in written work: Copying any quantity of text from another source or another student without quoting and citing the copied text. 3. Plagiarism in written work: Flagrant misuse of citations, such that a student clearly attempted to represent ideas that were not his/hers as if they were, even if the ideas were presented in the student’s own words. Both minor and major offenses will have consequences, as outlined in the full Psychology Department Policy (which you can find here in PDF format).

Additional Information and Course Policies It is the student’s responsibility to check the course website regularly for any additional information or announcements. Outlines of the lecture slides will be posted to the course website (as pdsf) prior to each class, to assist with notetaking, but these slides will not serve as substitutes for the lectures.

Attendance The University expects regular attendance at all class meetings (and for online students, this requires viewing all of the recorded lectures in full). The video recordings of the lectures will be available only to online students, but in-class students who anticipate needing to miss a class for an officially sanctioned University activity, or because of an unavoidable and important conflict, can obtain a weblink from the instructor so that they can view the video for the specific class that they missed.

Student Support & Accommodations Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement Department of Psychology – The University of Utah | 7 The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in the class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given to the Center for Disability Services, 162 Olpin Union Building, 581-5020 (V/TDD). CDS will work with you and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. All information in this course can be made available in alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services.

More information can be found in the CDS Student Handbook: http://disability.utah.edu/documents/CDS-Student-Handbook.pdf.

Content Accommodations. Example: There will be no content accommodations in this class. Please review the syllabus and topics carefully and be sure that you are able to engage all of the topics we will be covering this semester. Wellness Statement Personal concerns such as stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, depression, cross-cultural differences, etc., can interfere with a student’s ability to succeed and thrive at the University of Utah. For helpful resources contact the Center for Student Wellness - www.wellness.utah.edu (801-581-7776). The Counseling Center is another excellent resource, offering services that include counseling and a mindfulness clinic (see http://counselingcenter.utah.edu). Veterans Center If you are a student veteran, I want you to know that the U of Utah has a Veterans Support Center on campus. They are located in Room 161 in the Olpin Union Building. Hours: M-F 8- 5pm. Please visit their website for more information about what support they offer, a list of ongoing events and links to outside resources: http://veteranscenter.utah.edu. Please also let me know if you need any additional support in this class for any reason. LGBT Resource Center If you are a member of the LGBTQ community, I want you to know that my classroom is a safe zone*. Additionally, please know that the U of Utah has an LGBT Resource Center on campus. They are located in Room 409 in the Oplin Union Building. Hours: M-F 8-5pm. You can visit their website to find more information about the support they can offer, a list of events through the center and links to additional resources: http://lgbt.utah.edu/. Please also let me know if there is any additional support you need in this class. Learners of English as an Additional/Second Language If you are an English language learner, please be aware of several resources on campus that will support you with your language development and writing. These resources include: the Department of Linguistics ESL Program (http://linguistics.utah.edu/esl-program/); the Writing Center (http://writingcenter.utah.edu/); the Writing Program (http://writing-program.utah.edu/); the English Language Institute (http://continue.utah.edu/eli/). Please let me know if there is any additional support you would like to discuss for this class.

Academic Calendar http://www.sa.utah.edu/regist/calendar/datesDeadlines/deadlines.htm

Department of Psychology – The University of Utah | 8 Course Schedule

Date Topic/Description Reading Assignment Aug. 23 Course overview: WHAT IS None None LOVE?? Aug. 30 Origins and Biology of TEXTBOOK, ch. 1 Submit a question Affectional Bonding READER: Waters for each of these & Cummings. A reading by 9am on secure base from the morning of which to explore class close relationships. Sep. 6 Initiating Relationships: READER: Hazan Submit a question Attachment and Attraction & Zeifman, Sex for each of these and the reading by 9am on psychological the morning of tether class READER: Sprecher, Schwartz, Harvey, & Hatfield. The businessoflove.com. Sep. 13 From Attraction to Falling in TEXTBOOK, ch. 5 Submit a question Love READER: Fisher, for each of these The drive to love. reading by 9am on the morning of class Sept. 20 EXAM 1 Sept. 27 Individual Differences: TEXTBOOK, ch. 6 Submit a question Attachment Style and READER: Rholes, for each of these Personality Paetzold, & reading by 9am on Friedman, Ties the morning of that bind. class Oct. 4 Developing and Maintaining TEXTBOOK, ch. 7 Submit a question Romantic Ties READER: for each of these Markman, reading by 9am on Rhoades, Stanley, the morning of Ragan, & Whitton, class The premarital communication Department of Psychology – The University of Utah | 9 roots of marital distress and divorce. READER: Maisel & Gable, For richer…in good times…and in health Oct. 11 FALL BREAK

Oct. 18 Working it Out: TEXTBOOK, ch. 8 Submit a question Communication, Conflict, READER: for each of these Aggression Langhinrichsen- reading by 9am on Rohling, Top 10 the morning of greatest 'hits' class READER: Boon, Deveau, & Alibhai, The parameters of revenge in romantic relationships Oct. 25 Influences of our Beliefs, TEXTBOOK, ch. 9 Submit a question Values, and Expectations TEXTBOOK, ch. for each of these 10 reading by 9am on the morning of class Nov. 1 EXAM 2 Nov. 8 Gender, Sexuality, and Sexual READER: Submit a question Orientation Firestone, for each of these Firestone, & reading by 9am on Catlett, Men, the morning of women, and sexual class stereotypes READER: Eastwick & Finkel, Sex differences in mate preferences revisited READER: Peplau & Fingerhut, The close relationships of lesbians and gay men

Department of Psychology – The University of Utah | 10 Nov. 15 Jealousy and Infidelity READER: Allan & Submit a question Harrison, Affairs for each of these and infidelity reading by 9am on READER: Levy, the morning of Kelly, & Jack, Sex class differences in jealousy READER: Muise, Christofides, & Desmarais, More information than you ever wanted FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18: PAPER DUE

Nov. 22 Stress, Social Support, and TEXTBOOK, ch. Submit a question Health 11 for each of these READER: DePaulo reading by 9am on & Morris. The the morning of unrecognized class stereotyping and discrimination against singles. READER: Bolger, Zuckerman, & Kessler, Invisible support and adjustment to stress Nov. 29 Dissolution and Loss READER: Hazan Submit a question & Shaver, Broken for each of these attachments reading by 9am on the morning of READER: Vangelisti, class Relationship dissolution. READER: Hofer, Relationships as regulators Dec. 6 Improving our Relationships: TEXTBOOK: ch. Submit a question What Works? What’s the 12 for each of these Goal? READER: reading by 9am on Kauffman & the morning of Silverman, Finding class and fostering the

Department of Psychology – The University of Utah | 11 positive in relationships READER: Fals- Stewart, Lam, & Kelley, Learning sobriety together

FINAL EXAM: DECEMBER 13, 3:40 – 5pm, FOLLOWED BY OPTIONAL MAKE-UP EXAM

Department of Psychology – The University of Utah | 12