PSYCTRY 79 W17 University of California, Los Angeles 760 Westwood Blvd, #78-168 Los Angeles, California 90095 Jane & Terry Semel Institute for & Human Behavior Alexander Korb, Ph.D. Adjunct Assistant Professor

January 20, 2017 voice (310) 985-0867 Muriel McClendon, Chair fax (310) 943-6983 General Education Governance Committee [email protected] Attn: Myrna Dee C. Kikuchi, Program Representative A265 Murphy Hall Mail Code: 157101

Dear Dr. McClendon,

I am writing to apply for GE approval for Psychiatry 79 “Applied Positive Neuroscience: Skills for Improving Productivity and Wellbeing.” Applied Positive Neuroscience is a re-worked version of CHS 179 “Life Skills for College Students.” While the course still contains many of the same life skills, it examines them in a more rigorous scientific manner, and places them in the context of the underlying neuroscientific and psychological principles. Furthermore, students will not only learn both neuroscience and psychology, they will also learn to apply the scientific method, and these life skills, to improve their own wellbeing and productivity. As a neuroscientist who has studied the brain for over 15 years, I understand the importance of an in-depth science education. In addition, as the author of The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time, I know how powerful neuroscience can be when applied practically to improve people’s lives. I have brought both the theories of neuroscience and psychology, as well as their applications, together in this course. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Alexander Korb, Ph.D. Adjunct Assistant Professsor Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences University of California, Los Angeles

1 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

General Education Course Information Sheet Please submit this sheet for each proposed course

Department & Course Number Psychiatry 79W Course Title Applied Positive Neuroscience: Skills for Improving Productivity and Wellbeing Indicate if Seminar and/or Writing II course 1 Check the recommended GE foundation area(s) and subgroups(s) for this course

Foundations of the Arts and Humanities ● Literary and Cultural Analysis ● Philosophic and Linguistic Analysis ● Visual and Performance Arts Analysis and Practice Foundations of Society and Culture ● Historical Analysis ● Social Analysis Foundations of Scientific Inquiry ● Physical Science With Laboratory or Demonstration Component must be 5 units (or more) ● Life Science X With Laboratory or Demonstration Component must be 5 units (or more)

2. Briefly describe the rationale for assignment to foundation area(s) and subgroup(s) chosen. This lower division course addresses the GE mission of the Foundations of Scientific Inquiry – with a focus on the scientific foundations of wellbeing – to ensure that students gain a fundamental understanding of how scientists formulate and answer questions about the operation of the life sciences.

3. "List faculty member(s) who will serve as instructor (give academic rank):

Alexander Korb, PhD, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Robert Bilder, PhD, Professor in Residence Do you intend to use graduate student instructors (TAs) in this course? Yes X No If yes, please indicate the number of TAs 2

4. Indicate when do you anticipate teaching this course over the next three years: 2016-17 Fall Winter Spring X Enrollment Enrollment Enrollment 60 2017-18 Fall X Winter X Spring X Enrollment 80 Enrollment 120 Enrollment 120 2018-19 Fall X Winter X Spring X Enrollment 120 Enrollment 120 Enrollment 120 5. GE Course Units Is this an existing course that has been modified for inclusion in the new GE? Yes X No If yes, provide a brief explanation of what has changed. We have modified the existing course,

2 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

CHS 179, as a lower division GE, so that students may take it in their first two years at UCLA. Present Number of Units: 4 Proposed Number of Units: 5 6. Please present concise arguments for the GE principles applicable to this course. ❑ General Through the lens of neuroscience and psychology, students will learn the Knowledge science of wellbeing, and understand how to apply it to their own lives. The course will cover intrapersonal, interpersonal and extrapersonal contributions to wellbeing, and how activity and chemistry of key brain regions contribute to each e.g the influences of mindfulness on prefrontal cortex activity, or how the oxytocin system is altered by social interaction. This understanding will provide students with the ability to recognize the relationship between cognitive, social, and emotional competence for healthy development, and how to apply it to their own lives.

❑ Integrative Through a neuroscientific context, the course introduces multidisciplinary Learning perspectives on a variety of topics that are widely considered significant maturational tasks for young adults, including regulation, managing social relationships, enhancing productivity and identity development,. Students will read, discuss, reflect, assess and write about related texts and articles from neuroscience and psychology.

❑ Ethical Beyond taking a traditional academic approach to the subject matter, the Implications course will also focus on application, aiming to support students in developing emotional and social competencies and resilience. The course thus tackles the ambitious task of presenting the subject matter in an academically rigorous manner, through discovery, evaluation and communication of knowledge, while simultaneously promoting positive developmental outcomes.

❑ Cultural Students will learn and practice communication theories and techniques that Diversity can enhance cross-cultural and interpersonal relationships. In addition, students will explore diverse areas of identity development through the lens of gender, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation and more. Furthermore, intrinsic biases will be explored as a method to reflect on varying styles of communication.

❑ Critical Thinking Students will participate in quarter-long monitoring of their mood, energy and well-being along with a variety of simple interventions. Students will produce a final research paper, which will be an opportunity for them to synthesize what they have learned by reflecting on how various interventions impacted their outcome measures, and to explain the neuroscientific theories behind these effects. Whenever students are assigned primary research papers to read, they will be challenged to interpret the data for themselves, and asked for insights into how the study could have been better designed, or how conclusions would change if the data were slightly different. In short, they will be taught to consume science as scientists, with skepticism and an understanding that in order for data to be fully understood it must be placed within a relevant theoretical context. In discussion section they will be asked to engage in experiential learning

3 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

activities and reflect on how these experiences mesh with the material covered in lectures and with their lives outside of class.

❑ Rhetorical Course requirements will include students’ participation in discussions, Effectiveness learning assignments, and a final research paper.

❑ Problem-solving In discussion sections students will be asked to identify challenges in their own lives, and will be asked to use the tools acquired in the class to identify potential solutions. Essentially the class treats the student’s own life as a problem-solving endeavor, allowing them to tackle their own issues with productivity, communication, mood, etc.

❑ Library & Course requirements include the organization, compilation, and analysis of Information Literacy research articles towards the goal of completing a final research paper. Students will learn to do literature searches, how to cite articles, and how to structure a scientific paper.

(A) STUDENT CONTACT PER WEEK (if not applicable write N/A) 1. Lecture: 3 (hours) 2. Discussion Section: 1 (hours) 3. Labs: N/A (hours) 4. Experiential (service learning, internships, other): N/A (hours) 5. Field Trips: N/A (hours)

(A) TOTAL Student Contact Per Week 4 (HOURS)

(B) OUT-OF-CLASS HOURS PER WEEK (if not applicable write N/A) 1. General Review & Preparation: 1 (hours) 2. Reading 2.5 (hours) 3. Group Projects: N/A (hours) 4. Preparation for Quizzes & Exams: 2.5 (hours) 5. Information Literacy Exercises: N/A (hours) 6. Written Assignments: 2 (hours) 7. Research Activity: 3 (hours)

(B) TOTAL Out-of-class time per week 11 (HOURS)

GRAND TOTAL (A) + (B) must equal at least 15 hours/week 15 (HOURS)

4 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTORS: ALEXANDER KORB ([email protected]) (Principal) ROBERT BILDER ([email protected])

Lecture: Professor: Alexander Korb Office: CHS 78-168 Office Hours:

Course Title Applied Positive Neuroscience: Skills for Improving Productivity and Wellbeing

Course description

From stress management and social media, to communication and cultural identity, recent research has uncovered dozens of ways in which our neural circuits increase stress and anxiety and get in the way of achieving goals and increasing happiness. Through the dual lenses of neuroscience and psychology, students will learn the scientific theories behind productivity and wellbeing, and how they are influenced by our actions, interactions, thoughts and environment. Importantly, students will also learn to apply these theories to take concrete actions to improve their own productivity and wellbeing. Through an essential mix of theory and practice, this course will not only instill an introductory foundation to the life sciences, it will also provide an avenue for students to understand how to meaningfully improve their lives.

The course begins with a basic overview of brain function, and how certain neural circuits can get in the way of productivity and wellbeing, and then moves on to consider how the activity or chemistry of these circuits can be modulated. The course addresses methods for enhancing wellbeing through stress management, identification of long-term goals and values, mapping of long-term goals onto immediate actions, reinforcement learning, , gratitude exercises, sleep, physical exercises and time management. Later lectures focus on how interpersonal interactions shape and are shaped by various neural circuits. Final lectures emphasize how technology, creativity and identity influence our brains, and how a better understanding of these influences can lead to enhanced wellbeing.

Readings include primary research articles, as well as summary articles and videos intended for a general audience. Primary research articles will help students become informed, yet skeptical, consumers of scientific literature, while the other supplementary material will help them to understand the concepts on a more intuitive level, as well as help them in applying these concepts to their own lives.

The class has an experiential component, involving the development and implementation of a class “self- monitoring” program, in which students attempt to use a variety of simple life-skills interventions, such as aerobic exercise and sleep hygiene, to modify their energy and mood. Students will log their own

5 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTORS: ALEXANDER KORB ([email protected]) (Principal) ROBERT BILDER ([email protected])

activities, measure their own progress, and record their insights as they engage in these class exercises. Students are expected to gain a basic understanding of neuroscience as it pertains to everyday behavior, and to appreciate how this knowledge can be applied to their own lives to improve their productivity and wellbeing. Students will also acquire expertise in the methods for measurement of behavior, and in the analysis of data. The final paper component will rely on the data collected from the student self- monitoring. It will emphasize scientific data analysis, and aims to help students apply scientifically validated techniques, as well as the scientific method itself, to achieving happiness and wellbeing.

COURSE LOGISTICS

Grading: (a) Participation - 20% (b) Midterm Exam - 20% (c) Final Exam - 20% (d) Self-monitoring - 20% (e) Final Project - 20%

Grading Descriptions: (a) Participation (20%) - Students will be expected to participate during discussion section. In the discussion section, different life skills interventions will be introduced and discussed.

(b) Midterm exam (20%) – the midterm exam will cover course material from the first half of the course, with approximately 10 multiple choice questions for each of the 5 topics; note that everything on the exam will have been covered in class on the slides. The exam is closed-book.

(c) Final exam (20%) – the final exam will cover course material from the second half of the course, with approximately 10 questions for each of the 5 topics; note that everything on the exam will have been covered in class on the slides. The exam is closed book. The final exam will take place during the last lecture in tenth week.

(d) Self-monitoring (20%) - We will be doing 7 life-skills interventions throughout the course in the following areas: physical exercise, sleep hygiene, gratitude, mindfulness, setting goals, communication strategies, and - some of the interventions will be confined to discussion section, others will be done outside class. The final paper will focus on integrating the neuroscience theory with the experiences of the various interventions, along with analysis of wellbeing data collected.

A key component to this course is understanding how to design a scientific experiment and interpret data. Students will conduct an experiment on themselves throughout the course, testing a shared class hypothesis and a personal hypothesis. These experiments will involve: (a) manipulating something in

6 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTORS: ALEXANDER KORB ([email protected]) (Principal) ROBERT BILDER ([email protected])

their life (this is called the “independent variable”); and (b) measuring something (called the “dependent variable”, because it depends in theory on what you are manipulating– that is the result). For example, say I wish to change my mood in order to be less depressed and anxious. I might choose to “manipulate” my own thinking by writing daily “gratitude letters” (this is the “intervention” or independent variable). Then I might measure the outcome using rating scales for depression and anxiety, making sure to get at least one outcome measure before the study. While some experiments measure the outcome rating at the end of the study, this class will measure the “dependent variable” or outcome through daily data collection and weekly logging. Each week will begin with an intro to what will happen that week, laying out the topics and manipulations (weekly life skills exercises) that will be attempted, and measure it via dependent variables or outcomes (e.g., mood, sleep latency). It is usually valuable to document other variables that may have affected your outcome measure, such as midterms, illness, social conflicts etc. During weeks 2 through 8, students will record daily outcomes by answering a series of brief survey questions throughout the day (via an app) pertaining to sleep, physical activity, and mood. Every week students will enter data in a collective spreadsheet, and then in the class or discussion section, we will analyze and review the data together. We will use this data throughout the course to complete the final project (outlined below). In addition to entering their data, students will also reflect upon the experiment through weekly logs of approximately ½ a page. Data entry and logging takes an average of 10 minutes per day. Full credit will be awarded to students who complete the weekly logs, and have at least 5 data entries per week. At the end of the course, students will reflect on the course topics, their own unique experience as a subject, identify where their data falls within the overall distribution, and explore what it means to be an individual data point of the group through a final paper (described below).

(e) Final Paper (20%) – the final project will include writing a 5-6 page scientific paper analyzing and reflecting upon the logging data recorded throughout the course. The paper is designed to teach students how to write a paper based on the scientific method. It will include an introduction with scientific literature background, a shared class hypothesis, personal hypothesis, experimental design with the manipulations (life skills exercises) taken throughout the quarter, data analysis, discussion, and conclusion. Students will analyze both personal data and class data to find interesting associations between life skills exercises, sleep, physical activity, and mood. It is expected that students work on the project throughout the quarter, but the final project will be due during finals week. The paper will include a minimum of 3 unique findings with 1-2 relevant sources to support interpretation of these findings. Students will conclude their paper with a discussion of the most and least effective interventions and plans for future directions.

7 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTORS: ALEXANDER KORB ([email protected]) (Principal) ROBERT BILDER ([email protected])

Experiment-Logging Measures and Final Paper Guidelines

Final Paper Outline Introduction ● Goals and Hypothesis ● Purpose of experiment Methods (i.e. description of the experiment) ● Explain Life Skills “Interventions” learned in discussion each week ● Explain which weeks Life Skills were used outside of the classroom and which were not ○ Note: Students are required to use 3 Life Skills outside of the classroom for at least 3 out of the 7 weeks to write Data and Discussion portions. ● Explain measurement questions (PACO) ● Explain how data from those questions are formatted Results (i.e. what does the data show?) ● Pick three weeks in which skills were used and discuss personal experience/possible correlations found between use of skill and other parameters (e.g. interpersonal relationships, mood) ● Discuss how this data relates to class data and whether it is consistent with rest of class ● Include 1 graph showing where individual student lies relative to class data Discussion (i.e. what do the results mean?) ● Discuss whether personal findings are consistent with the class ● Discuss whether personal findings or class data are consistent with literature ● Use at least 1-2 sources from course readings to corroborate or contrast for each life skill ● Limitations: Discuss how confounding variables (e.g. sleep, exercise, etc.) influenced outcomes and how that is consistent with literature as well ● Conclusion: closing thoughts ● What was most/least effective? What was most/least enjoyable? ● Future directions? (E.g. keeping with one life skill and what you hope that will influence)

8 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTORS: ALEXANDER KORB ([email protected]) (Principal) ROBERT BILDER ([email protected])

Course Schedule Please note the Master Schedule below. The final day of class will be an abbreviated class during which the final exam will be administered, and course evaluations are to be submitted.

Applied Positive Neuroscience: Master Schedule WEEK Tuesday Thursday DISC SEC 1 CLASS 1 CLASS 2

2 CLASS 3 CLASS 4

3 CLASS 5 CLASS 6

4 CLASS 7 CLASS 8

5 CLASS 9 CLASS 10

6 CLASS 11 CLASS 12

7 Class 13 Class 14

8 Class 15 Class 16

9 Class 17 Class 18

10 Class 19 Class 20

Notes: 1. All classes are INSERT START AND END TIME (total: 1 hour 30 min).

Please note the major class topics are numbered below from 1 to 10. We will generally be covering these topics in order during the regular class sessions but may not cover exactly 1 topic per week. It is a good idea to do the reading at least one topic in advance so that you will be prepared for class discussions. The readings and slides are all available on a DropBox Folder here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0orChPjCYNGa0ZUbFBweHk5bEE?usp=sharing . Please contact INSERT TA NAME HERE if you have trouble downloading the readings or slides.

Required Books: The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression, One Small Change at a Time by Alex Korb (New Harbinger, 2015)

9 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTORS: ALEXANDER KORB ([email protected]) (Principal) ROBERT BILDER ([email protected])

Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Heen (Penguin Books, 2000)

Weekly Course Outline and Readings

Week 1: Course Introduction and Overview ● Course overview o Description of sessions, deadlines, readings, final paper and final exam o What an Applied Positive Neuroscience Class can do for me - Understand how the brain influences productivity and wellbeing, and what you can do about it - Manage stress/time, improve mood and productivity, develop an appreciation of values/goals ● Brain orientation o Summary of brain evolution o Important systems and neurochemicals - Prefrontal cortex, limbic system, striatum - Serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, etc ● Frontal-Limbic-Striatal Interactions o The neural basis for planning, processing , motivation and habits.

Reading-Homework: o The Upward Spiral: - Ch. 1 - “A Brain Map of Depression” - Ch. 2 - “Trapped with Anxiety and Worry” - Ch. 4 - “Caught in Bad Habits” o Howe (2016). "A Self-Improvement Secret: Work on Strengths." Scientific American. o VIDEO: Carol Dweck: The power of believing that you can improve (www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve) o VIDEO: Allan Jones: A map of the brain (www.ted.com/talks/allan_jones_a_map_of_the_brain)

Discussion Section o Topics: - Overarching goals: executive control and release of control - Time management - Monitoring physical activity, sleep and +/- affect - Discuss PACO and download app o Class Activity: - Self-monitoring, logging procedures - Discussion of goals

10 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTORS: ALEXANDER KORB ([email protected]) (Principal) ROBERT BILDER ([email protected])

Week 2: Managing Stress and Building Resilience: Physiological ● The effects of sleep and exercise on the brain ● The HPA Axis and the parasympathetic/sympathetic nervous systems ● Stress hormones - cortisol and adrenaline ● The vagus nerve ● Modulating brain activity through deep breathing, posture and muscle tension

Reading-Homework: o Volunteering o The Upward Spiral - Ch. 5 - “Exercise Your Brain” - Ch. 7 - “Give Your Brain a Rest” - Ch. 9 - “Take Advantage of Biofeedback” o Streeter et al. (2012). “Effects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma- aminobutyric-acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder." Medical Hypotheses. o Yoo et al. (2007). "The human emotional brain without sleep - a prefrontal amygdala disconnect." Current Biology. o VIDEO: Jeff Iliff: One more reason to get a good night's sleep (www.ted.com/talks/jeff_iliff_one_more_reason_to_get_a_good_night_s_sleep) o VIDEO: Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend (www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend) Discussion Section o Topics: - How much exercise is the right amount - How much sleep should you get o Class Activity: - Breathing and posture exercises

Week 3: Stress and Resilience Continued: Psychological ● The benefits of therapy o Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: principles of re-evaluating one’s own thoughts o Behavioral Activation Therapy: principles of aligning long-term goals & values with immediate actions o Psychodynamic ● The power of gratitude, cognitive reappraisal, acceptance, etc. ● Social support and stress ● Mindful awareness, brain function, and health ● The Yerkes-Dodson Law: inverted U curve relating anxiety or arousal to performance o How to find the “sweet spot” of arousal with respect to your proficiency in a given task

Reading-Homework:

11 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTORS: ALEXANDER KORB ([email protected]) (Principal) ROBERT BILDER ([email protected])

o The Upward Spiral - Ch. 3 - “Always Noticing the Negative” - Ch. 10 - “Activate a Gratitude Circuit” o Emmons and McCollough. (2003). "Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. o Kini et al. (2016). "The effects of gratitude expression on neural activity." NeuroImage. o Ireland (2014). "What Does Mindfulness Do to Your Brain?" Scientific American. o VIDEO: Andy Puddicombe: All it takes is 10 mindful minutes (www.ted.com/talks/andy_puddicombe_all_it_takes_is_10_mindful_minutes) o VIDEO: David Blaine: How I held my breath for 17 minutes (OPTIONAL) (www.ted.com/talks/david_blaine_how_i_held_my_breath_for_17_min)

Discussion Section o Topics: - Psychodynamic/Interpersonal therapies - STRAIN Assessment (assessing stress and resilience resources) - CBT (e.g. Gavin's CBT program) o Class Activity: - Mindful meditation ● , gratitude, self-affirmations - Kindness exercises

Week 4: Bad Habits, Addiction, and Choice ● Habit Formation and Behavioral Change o Stages of Change model: Prochaska - Stages: Precontemplative, Contemplative, Preparation, Action, Maintenance - Matching treatments to stages of change ● Action/Perception Cycle ● Dopamine System o Neurobiology of addiction o Mesolimbic dopamine system ● IBZ To GTD o InBoxZero (IBZ): a mantra for the multi-taskers of the world (see Merlin Mann website/video) o Getting Things Done (GTD): David Allen’s system, with a focus on “stress-free” productivity o How the brain works in responsive (under stimulus control) versus projectional (under volitional control) modes, and how this relates to our inbox loads and fixation on incoming messages rather than our own plans and goals

12 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTORS: ALEXANDER KORB ([email protected]) (Principal) ROBERT BILDER ([email protected])

Reading-Homework: o The Upward Spiral - Ch. 6 - “Set Goals, Make Decisions” - Ch. 8 - “Develop Positive Habits” o Allen (2001). Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. Penguin Books. (Intro & Ch. 1) o Felitti et al. (2010). "Obesity: Problem, Solution, or Both?" The Permanente Journal. (OPTIONAL) o Prochaska (2008). "Medical Decision Making." Sage. o Nestler and Malenka (2004). "The Addicted Brain." Scientific American. o VIDEO: Dan Ariely: Are we in control of our own Brains? (www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_asks_are_we_in_control_of_our_own_decisions) o VIDEO: Charles Duhigg: The Power of Habit (http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/The-Power- of-Habit-Charles-Duhi) o VIDEO: Malcolm Gladwell: Choice, happiness and spaghetti sauce (OPTIONAL) (www.ted.com/talks/malcolm_gladwell_on_spaghetti_sauce)

Discussion Section o Topics: - Habit change - Productivity o Class Activity: - Self-affirmation - Mapping values onto goals

Week 5: Body Image - Positive and Negative

● Eating Behavior vs. Physiological needs of our bodies o Emotional overeating ● Body issues in women vs. men o Media Influence on body image ● How negative self talk arises ● Interoceptive awareness ● How disgust and shame are represented in the brain

Reading-Homework: o Karazsia (2009). "Social body comparison and internalization: Mediators of social influences on men's muscularity-oriented body dissatisfaction." Body Image.

13 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTORS: ALEXANDER KORB ([email protected]) (Principal) ROBERT BILDER ([email protected])

o Kelly and Stephen (2016). "A daily diary study of self-compassion, body image, and eating behavior in female college students." Body Image. o Lev-Ari et al. (2014). "Show Me Your Friends, and I Shall Show You Who You Are: The Way Attachment and Social Comparisons Influence Body Dissatisfaction." European Eating Disorders Review. o Arnold (2011). "More Than Meets the Mirror: Illusion Test Links Difficulty Sensing Internal Cues with Distorted Body-Image." Scientific American. o Graham (2004). "Media Physiques Prompt Body Image Woes among Men, Too." Scientific American.

Discussion Section o Topics: - Media influences - Emotional impact of expectations o Class Activity: - Mindful Eating Exercise + chocolate tasting - Body image sharing

Week 6: Neurobiology and Psychology of Interpersonal Relationships ● Humans as a social animal ● Attachment and bonding ● The rewarding aspect of other people o Dopamine, oxytocin ● The power of physical touch ● Social rejection and why it hurts ● The interaction between addiction and social neural circuitry

Reading-Homework: o The Upward Spiral - Ch. 11 - “Rely on the Power of Others” o Cacioppo et al. (2012). "Social Neuroscience of ." Clinical Neuropsychiatry. o Eisenberger (2011). "Why Rejection Hurts: What Social Neuroscience Has Revealed About the Brain's Response to Social Rejection." o VIDEO: Helen Fisher: The brain in love (/www.ted.com/talks/helen_fisher_studies_the_brain_in_love)

Discussion Section o Topics: - Identifying your own social support net - Social networking & mood, slackers or social activists? o Class Activity:

14 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTORS: ALEXANDER KORB ([email protected]) (Principal) ROBERT BILDER ([email protected])

- Social support

Week 7: (Mis)communication ● Attachment and bonding continued ● Why being misunderstood is so stressful ● The prefrontal cortex and the theory of mind ● The psychology of how and why we miscommunicate

Reading-Homework: o Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone (Intro, Ch 1-4) o VIDEO: Uri Hasson: This is your brain on communication (www.ted.com/talks/uri_hasson_this_is_your_brain_on_communication) o VIDEO: Steven Pinker: Language as a Window into Human Nature (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-son3EJTrU)

Discussion Section o Topics: - Active listening, practicing/modeling communication strategies o Class Activity: - Planning a difficult conversation

Week 8: Technology, Social Media and Social Alienation ● Technology, reward and habit formation: how smartphones hijack the dopamine system ● Online personas ● The benefits and challenges of online communication ● Fear of missing out

Reading-Homework: o Newman et al. (2011). "'It's not that I don’t have problems, I'm just not putting them on Facebook' : Challenges and Opportunities in Using Online Social Networks for Health." Proceedings of the ACM. o Lin (2012). "How Your Cell Phone Hurts Your Relationships." Scientific American. o VIDEO: Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability (www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability) o VIDEO: Tristan Harris: How better tech could protect us from distraction (www.ted.com/talks/tristan_harris_how_better_tech_could_protect_us_from_distraction)

15 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTORS: ALEXANDER KORB ([email protected]) (Principal) ROBERT BILDER ([email protected])

o VIDEO: Renny Gleeson: Our antisocial phone tricks (www.ted.com/talks/renny_gleeson_on_antisocial_phone_tricks)

Discussion Section o Topics: - FOMO - Honesty vs oversharing - Preliminary final project discussion o Class Activity: - Discuss views of social media and alternate paths to connection

Week 9: Arts, Creativity and the Brain

● Creativity defined: novelty & utility ● Big C and little c ● Dimensions of creative cognition: generation, working memory, response inhibition ● Persistence, Openness, and Dis-Agreeableness – plus the 10,000 hour effect ● The power of creative expression ● Beyond mere sounds: music and the emotional brain:

Reading-Homework: o Csikszentmihalyi (2013). "Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. Journal Name. o Chanda and Levitin (2013). "The neurochemistry of music." Cell Press. o Vernimmen (2016). "Where creativity comes from." Scientific American. o VIDEO: Elizabeth Gilbert: Your elusive creative genius (www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius) o VIDEO: Benjamin Zander: The transformative power of classical music (www.ted.com/talks/benjamin_zander_on_music_and_passion) o VIDEO: Ed Catmull: Inside the Brain Trust (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1Mr3oKR7oM)

Discussion Section o Topics: - Project Analysis (Analyze data, etc) o Class Activity: - Creativity exercises

16 of 17 PSYCTRY 79 W17

COURSE NUMBER COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTORS: ALEXANDER KORB ([email protected]) (Principal) ROBERT BILDER ([email protected])

Week 10: The Science Behind Identity Formation ● Ethnic-cultural identity(id) ● Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity(id) ● Development o Erickson - multiple dimensions of development ● Identity formation ● Individualism/collectivism ● Group decision making

Reading-Homework: o Castro (2013). "Where Does Identity Come From?" Scientific American. o VIDEO: Alice Dreger: Is Anatomy Destiny? (www.ted.com/talks/alice_dreger_is_anatomy_destiny)

Discussion Section o Topics: - Sexual and racial identities - Cultural expectations o Class Activity: - Discussion of points of view

17 of 17