Fall 2017 Psychology 472/572
Title: Psychology of Trauma
Instructor: Jennifer Freyd
University of Oregon
Grading option: Optional
Credits: 4
Time: 8:30-9:50 am Tuesdays and Thursdays
Place: 245 Straub
CRN for Psy 472: 15320
CRN for Psy 572: 15333
*Syllabus Note:
Minor modifications are possible; check on-line for most current version:
http://dynamic.uoregon.edu/jjf/courses/psytrauma/
Instructor: Professor Jennifer Freyd
Office: 477 Straub
e-mail: jjf@uoregon.edu
Office Hrs: Mondays 1-2:50
Graduate Employee Teaching Assistant: Melissa Barnes, MS
Office: 462 Straub
e-mail: mbarnes5@uoregon.edu
Office Hrs: Tuesday 10-11:50
Contacting Professor Freyd: I am best reached by email at jjf@uoregon.edu. I check my email at least once a day (unless I am traveling). I will do my best to respond promptly. I would be pleased to have you visit during my office hours.
Overview: This course is designed to introduce students to the psychology of trauma. We will explore psychological trauma from a variety of viewpoints. The course will draw on research and applications from the growing field of traumatic stress with an emphasis on interpersonal trauma and betrayal on both the individual and institutional levels. We will learn about responses to a variety of traumas including childhood trauma, adult sexual assault, war, and domestic violence. An important focus of the course will involve considerations of how socio-political contexts affect trauma research and intervention.
Learning Objectives: The University has asked us to provide learning objectives. Here are some for this class:
1. Identify major theories and research findings in the field of traumatic stress, with a focus on interpersonal trauma and betrayal in individual and institutional levels.
2. Find relevant articles in the traumatic stress literature and integrate this information into your understanding of various types of trauma (e.g., childhood trauma, adult sexual assault, war, domestic violence) and traumatic stress.
3. Identify and consider how socio-political contexts affect trauma research and intervention.
4. Reflect on the meaning of the material to you, your life, society, and scholarship, and convey this understanding through APA-style writing.
5. Utilize the course material and traumatic stress literature to design a new research project or public policy.
For 472 Students: The course requirements include doing the reading (both in required texts and additional readings assigned on-line), attending class, writing essays, reading an on-line discussion, completing in-class and homework assignments, and taking quizzes. There will not be a final exam.
For 572 Students: The course requirements include doing the reading (both in required texts and additional readings assigned on-line), attending class, writing essays, reading an on-line discussion, completing in-class and homework assignments, and taking quizzes. In addition, 572 students will augment their long essay with an associated web page or a comparable alternative assignment to be discussed. There will not be a final exam.
We will meet each Tuesday and Thursday 8:30-9:50 AM and your attendance is expected. This is not a course to take if you anticipate missing more than one class meeting. However, if you are sick with flu symptoms then you should stay home and not return to classes until you have been without fever for at least 24 hours. Absences should be explained in an email or note to the professor. During class meetings we will combine a variety of activities: lecture, experiential learning of mindfulness skills, documentaries about trauma or traumatic stress, and small group and class discussion. Films and documentaries are an important part of this class, as many aspects of trauma and traumatic stress are best communicated in a rich medium like film. Some of the documentaries and films that I will show are also available for viewing in the University library, but some of the films I plan to show are not available to view outside of class meeting. Sometimes we will have a guest lecturer with expertise in a particular aspect of the psychology of trauma. You will be responsible for all of this material covered in class (it will be tested on the quizzes).
Readings are assigned on a weekly basis. Readings will include chapters from the required books and articles that are assigned via Canvas. Readings are to be completed BEFORE the Tuesday class meeting for which they are assigned.
Two books are required for the course. These books can be purchased as paperbacks at the UO Bookstore. If you prefer electronic media you may purchase e-copies from Amazon.
Articles will be assigned on a weekly basis as we go along. To find the article assignment for the upcoming week, check the "Assignments" section of Canvas. There you will find a folder called "Weekly article and website assignments" with details about what you should read for the next week.
Your grade will be computed by combining your scores in the following overall categories for a total of 100 points:
|
points |
course work |
|
30 |
Quizzes (best 3 of 4 quizzes worth 10 points each) |
|
30 |
Short Essays (3 essays worth 10 points each) |
| 20 | Long Essay (worth 20 points) |
|
20 |
Homework and in-class activities |
|
100 |
Total |
Final letter grades will be determined from point totals as follows:
|
points |
letter grade |
What do grades mean at the UO? |
Percentage of students likely to get this grade based on prior department averages |
|
90-100 ** |
A |
Excellent |
about 27% |
|
80-89 |
B |
Good |
about 37% |
|
70-79 |
C |
Satisfactory |
about 25% |
|
60-69 |
D |
Inferior |
about 5% |
|
Below 60 |
F |
Unsatisfactory |
about 1% |
| Other (P,I,Y) | about 5% |
Notes:
**While we give some -s and +s for grades near a border,
we give A+s only very rarely.
You will have four in-class quizzes, each worth 10 points. Your top 3 quiz scores will be used for your final score out of 30. There are no make-up quizzes, so if you miss a quiz for any reason your score will be 0 for that quiz. Quizzes will cover material from readings (including the book chapters and articles and discussion board posts) and in-class material and will be cumulative. Quizzes will be multiple choice and short answer format and will be used to evaluate your understanding and integration of class material.
Three short essays will be due, each worth 10 points. A point will be subtracted for each day late. Essays must be uploaded to Canvas by the due date. Each essay should show that you have put thought into the reading material. Think of the short essay as an opportunity to reflect on the readings and the meaning of the material to you, your life, society, and scholarship. The short essays will typically be about two typed (double-spaced) pages in addition to a title page (see formatting instructions below). Topics for each essay will be posted on Canvas under the "Assignments" folder.
One long essay will be due, worth 20 points. Two points will be subtracted for each day late. The long essay must be uploaded to Canvas by the due date. The long essay will involve proposing a new research project or new public policy based on material covered in the course. In addition to using assigned readings, we require you to draw on at least three additional scholarly references for the long essay. The long essay will typically be about four typed(double-spaced) pages in addition to a title page (see formatting instructions below). Additional information about the long essay assignment will be posted on Canvas under the "Assignments" folder.
Use APA 6th edition style, including APA style for in-text citations (e.g., Herman, 1997). For quotations give page numbers per APA style. Include a full APA-style reference list at the end of your essay. Include a title page (but without your name) and running head. In order to help us grade your work fairly, please do not include your name on your title page. Instead, include your name on a separate page at the end of your document. All essays should be double-spaced.
Homework and in-class assignments will have point values totaling 20 points over the course of the term.
If you discover we have made an error recording your grade on Canvas please return the graded work and we will correct the error. It is very wise to check your posted grades on Canvas on a regular basis to make sure we have entered your grades correctly. If you feel we have graded you unfairly, you may request we regrade the assignment. In order to do this you must return your assignment with a written explanation from you regarding why you feel the grading was unfair. You must submit the re-grade request to us within 1 week of our having posted the grades on Canvas. After that grades on assignments are final.
Key information, including updated assignments and grades, will be posted on Canvas. Plan on checking it at least twice a week.
We will have an electronic discussion on Canvas. You are expected to read the on-line discussion. Posting your own messages is optional but highly encouraged.
All work submitted in this course must be your own and produced exclusively for this course. The use of sources (ideas, quotations, paraphrases) must be properly acknowledged and documented. For the consequences of academic dishonesty, refer to the Schedule of Classes published quarterly. Violations will be taken seriously and are noted on student disciplinary records. If you are in doubt regarding any aspect of these issues as they pertain to this course, please consult with the teaching assistant or the instructor before you complete any relevant requirements of the course. (Text adopted here as recommended from UO web site regarding academic honesty). Because some students are not entirely sure what counts as academic dishonesty, we encourage you to read the discussion of plagiarism and other forms of dishonesty at http://dos.uoregon.edu/academic-misconduct and http://researchguides.uoregon.edu/citing-plagiarism . By enrolling in this course you grant the instructor or teaching assistants permission to evaluate the originality of your work by using plagiarism-detection software.
We will do our best to return your graded work (quizzes, essays, etc.) in a timely and confidential manner. During the term we will typically have your work graded one to two weeks after you turn the work in to us. If you do not collect your materials, we will retain them for only one term and after that must destroy them. So please do collect your graded work from us.
If you have restricted access to your directory information and wish to have special arrangements made for this course, please notify the instructor immediately.
Please talk with the instructor or teaching assistant if you require academic accommodations. See the Accessible Education Center for more information about documenting accessibility needs.
Because cell phone use (e.g., text messaging, internet browsing, playing games, Facebook, etc.,) is often disruptive to others in the classroom, cell phone use is prohibited during class time. Cell phones must be silenced or set to vibrate. Only emergency-related use of cell phones is allowed during class. Laptops and similar electronic devices may be used only for note taking because any other use can be extremely disruptive to other students in the class.
In this class we will be learning about and discussing issues which may evoke intense reactions. Although we will exercise and respect academic freedom, as part of this we must take responsibility to ensure that we are respectful of everyone's opinions and reactions. Although strong responses to the material in this course are valid and understandable, this course is fundamentally an academic activity. We will be focusing especially on critical thinking and the use of empirical data to evaluate theories about trauma. If you find you are troubled by material while taking this course, and need support or counseling, please be sure to pursue that external support by seeking out a supportive friend, counselor, and/or a social service.
Any student who has experienced sexual assault, relationship violence, sex or gender based bullying, stalking, and/or sexual harassment may seek resources and help at https://safe.uoregon.edu/. A student can also call 541 346-7244 [SAFE], UO’s 24 hour hotline to be connected to a counselor or contact the non-confidential Title IX Coordinator at 541-346-8136. From the SAFE site, students may also connect to Callisto, a third-party site which hosts information confidentially and is not a part of the university.
Students experiencing any other form of prohibited discrimination or harassment may seek information on https://respect.uoregon.edu or https://aaeo.uoregon.edu or contact the non-confidential AAEO offices at 541-346-3123 or Dean of Students offices at 541-346-3216 for help. UO policy has different reporting requirements based on the nature of the reported harassment or discrimination. Find additional information here about reporting requirements for discrimination or harassment unrelated to sexual assault, relationship violence, sex or gender based bullying, stalking, and/or sexual harassment: http://aaeo.uoregon.edu/content/discrimination-harassment
Specific details about confidentiality of information and reporting obligations of employees can be found at https://titleix.uoregon.edu.
The instructor of this class and the teaching assistant will direct students who disclose sexual harassment or sexual violence to resources that can help and will only report the information shared to the university administrator when the student requests that the information be reported (unless someone is in imminent risk of serious harm or is a minor); and forward de-identified information to the Clery Office for statistical purposes only. The instructor of this class is required to report all other forms of prohibited discrimination or harassment to the university administration.
A sample of informational, counseling, and social service resources follows. Disclaimer: We do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy of information or quality of services offered by the following organizations or individuals. We also recommend that you carefully review the confidentiality policy and practices of any of these agencies or others before sharing private information.
Any student who has experienced sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and/or sexual harassment may seek information and help at https://safe.uoregon.edu/ . You can also call 541 346-SAFE, UO’s 24 hour hotline to be connected to a counselor.
In addition, the UO Ombudsperson (541 346-6400 or ombuds@uoregon.edu) may be able to provide assistance. You can also contact any imam, pastor, priest, rabbi, or other member of the clergy. In theory, these individuals have an obligation not to reveal your name or other specific information without your permission. We recommend that you carefully review the confidentiality policy and practices of any of these individuals, agencies, or others before sharing private information.
|
Community Crisis Lines |
|
|
Sexual Assault Support Services Crisis Line |
541-343-7277 |
|
Whitebird Clinic Crisis Line |
541-687-4000 |
|
Womenspace Crisis Line |
541-485-6513 |
|
Local Counseling |
|
|
541-344-0620 |
|
|
541-687-6983 |
|
| Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) | 541-484-9791 |
|
Some Additional Campus Resources |
|
| UO Ombudsperson | 541 346-6400 |
| SAFE | 541 346-SAFE |
|
541-346-4095 |
|
|
541-346-8619 |
|
|
Multicultural Center |
541-346-4321 |
|
541-346-6105 |
About the Readings: Book chapters are assigned in the weekly schedule list below. Articles & websites will be assigned as we go along. To find the article assignment for the upcoming week, check the "Weekly article and website assignments" in the "Assignments" section of Canvas. Readings must be completed before the Tuesday class each week!
Week 1 (September 26 & 28)
No readings or homework assigned for Week 1
Week 2 (October 3 & 5)
Read: Herman Intro & chapter 1; Freyd & Birrell Preface & chapter 1 AND articles and/or websites to be assigned
Turn in: Personal Index Cards (worth 3 points toward homework) due October 3 at 8:30 AM
Complete in class: Quiz #1 on October 5
Week 3 (October 10 & 12)
Read: Herman chapters 2 & 3; Freyd & Birrell chapters 2 & 3; AND articles and/or websites to be assigned
Instructor on October 12: Melissa Barnes, MS, Graduate Employee Teaching Assistant
Submit on-line: Short Essay #1 due by Monday October 9 at 11:59 PM
Week 4 (October 17 & 19)
Read: Herman chapters 4 & 5; Freyd & Birrell chapters 4 & 5; AND articles and/or websites to be assigned
Instructor on October 17 and 19: Melissa Barnes, MS, Graduate Employee Teaching Assistant
Complete in class: Quiz #2 on October 19
Week 5 (October 24 & 26)
Read: Herman chapter 6; Freyd & Birrell chapters 6 & 7; AND articles and/or websites to be assigned
Guest on October 26: Elaine Walters, Executive Director of the Trauma Healing Project
Submit on-line: Short Essay #2 due by Monday October 23 at 11:59 PM
Week 6 (October 31 & November 2)
Read: Herman chapter 7 & 8; Freyd & Birrell chapters 8 &9; AND articles and/or websites to be assigned
Complete in class: Quiz #3 on November 2
Week 7 (November 7 & 9)
Read: Herman chapter 9; Freyd & Birrell chapters 10 & 11; AND articles and/or websites to be assigned
Guest on November 7: Jenn Lewis, MS, UO Psychology Department
Submit on-line: Short Essay #3 due by Monday November 6 at 11:59 PM
Week 8 (November 14 & 16)
Read: Herman chapter 10; Freyd & Birrell chapters 12 & 13; AND articles and/or websites to be assigned
Guest on November 14: Sarah Horn, UO Psychology Department
Guest on November 16: Jocelyn Hollander, PhD, UO Sociology Department
Complete in class: Quiz #4 on November 16
Week 9 (November 21 & 23)
Read: Herman chapter 11 & Epilogue; Freyd & Birrell chapter 14; AND articles and/or websites to be assigned
Guest on November 21: Ron Unger, LCSW
Submit on-line: Long Essay due by Monday November 20 at 11:59 PM
Week 10 (November 28 & 30)
Read: articles and/or websites to be assigned
Turn in: In class assignments each day.