Critical Dilemmas in Contemporary Psychology

Critical Dilemmas in Contemporary  Psychology

Fall Semester
Dr Lisa Law-Armon
lisa@drlisalaw.com
Office hours:

Short description:

The course gives students an opportunity to gain exposure to and an understanding of various dilemmas and debates within psychology. The course will cover aspects of research psychology, biological psychology, clinical psychology, social psychology, developmental psychology and cognitive psychology. Each lecture will centre around a complex question or debate within the field. Students will be presented with various arguments and theoretical critiques. They will be encouraged to discuss the materials and using critical thinking come to their own conclusions on various contemporary issues. Topics include controversial topics such as: ‘Are human beings naturally violent?’ ‘Can empathy be learnt?’ and ‘Is the pornography industry harmful to society?’ Students will have the opportunity to critically assess and present their own topics of interest for their mid-term.

Assessment:

Mid Term: Group presentation – 50%

Final requirement: In-class exam – 50%

Attendance:

Attendance is mandatory. Students are permitted a maximum of three unexcused absences without penalty. Any additional absences will affect the final grade and may result in failure of the course.

Academic conduct:

Plagiarism is taken extremely seriously. Any instance of academic misconduct which includes: submitting someone else’s work as your own; failure to accurately cite sources; taking words from another source without using quotation marks; submission of work for which you have previously received credit; working in a group for individual assignments; using unauthorized materials in an exam and sharing your work with other students, will result in failure of the assignment and will likely lead to further disciplinary measures.