Teaching

PSYB70. Methods in Psychological Science

This course focuses on content and skills central to effectively consuming and critiquing research in psychological science. Students will develop scientific literacy skills as they learn about commonly used research designs, how to assess whether a design has been applied correctly, and whether the conclusions drawn from the data are warranted. Students will also gain practice finding, interpreting, and critically evaluating primary journal articles. The course is offered every fall and summer. My next offering of this course will be Fall 2023 and Summer 2024.

PSYD10. Community and Applied Social Psych

This course encourages students to critically examine how social psychological theory can be applied to empower individuals and motivate social change. We will examine the complex intersection between scientific inquiry and voices of lived experience. In doing so, the course seeks to elevate voices that have not always been historically consulted in the development of social psychological theory and research, including (but not limited to) voices from Indigenous communities, racialized individuals, refugees and immigrants, mental health consumer/ survivors, individuals living with disability, individuals living in poverty, and members of the LGBTQQIA community. To engage students to think deeper about the course content, course readings are complemented with a student-led inquiry project and case studies. The course is offered most frequently in the winter term. I will be teaching this course again in Fall 2023.

PSYC12. Psychology of Prejudice

Psychological research has found that our brains quickly and efficiently sort information into categories (e.g., like me/not like me; safe/dangerous). This categorization process most likely evolved because it offered our earliest ancestors a mechanism to quickly differentiate between friend versus foe. But in our current lives, this rapid and automatic categorization process can result in the development of biased beliefs (stereotypes), attitudes (prejudice), and behaviours (discrimination), even when no real threat is present. When these psychological processes are amplified within the context of unequal power structures that grant special favour to some (privilege), while denying rights and dignity to others (marginalization), then oppression occurs.

This course examines (a) the psychological processes that create prejudice, (b) the social-cultural factors that turn prejudice into oppression, (c) the numerous ways that prejudice and oppression negatively affect health and well-being, and (e) the steps that can be taken to reduce privilege, power, oppression, and prejudice. The course is offered most fall, winter, and summer terms. I will be teaching this course again in Winter 2024.

NEW: PSYC15. Foundations of Community Psychology

Community psychology is an area of psychology that examines the social, cultural, and structural influences that promote positive change, health, and empowerment among communities and community members. This course will offer an overview of the foundational components of community psychology including its theories, research methods, and applications to topics such as community mental health, prevention programs, interventions, the community practitioner as social change agent, and applications of community psychology to other settings and situations.  I will be offering this course for the first time in Winter 2024.

PSYC71. Social Psychology Laboratory

This course provides an introduction to conceptual and practical issues concerning research methods in social psychology. As part of a series of hands-on projects, students will directly engage in the process of developing theoretically important research questions, contextualizing research ideas within the context of the existing social psychological literature, acquiring a research sample, operationalizing variables, designing to test for causal and theoretical connections, collecting and analyzing data, and interpreting and writing up the results. The course is offered most fall, winter, and summer terms. I am not teaching this course in 2023/2024 (check back again later for 2024/2025 offerings).