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Overview

We are living in an “infodemic,” constantly bombarded by information through popular and social media, without a clear way to differentiate between good and bad information. Psychology 655: Psychological Sciences in Everyday Life is designed to provide you with the tools to navigate the “infodemic,” to teach you something new about yourself, and to challenge your understanding of research and science. This course differs from most because the goal is not just to teach you the scientific principles and research methods that form the foundation of the Psychological Sciences, but to show you that science is not isolated to the university or lab, but it is a tool that can be used in everyday life to solve everyday problems.

Outline

PSYC 655: The Psychological Sciences in Everyday Life consists of five parts comprising 11 units:

Part 1: The Problem of Science

Unit 1: Introduction to Science

Unit 2: The Necessity of Science

Unit 3: The Problem of Pseudoscience

Part 2: Science in Everyday Life

Unit 4: Behaviour Modification, Part 1

Unit 5: Behaviour Modification, Part 2

Part 3: Science in Practice

Unit 6: Science in Practice, Part 1

Unit 7: Science in Practice, Part 2

Unit 8: Science in Practice, Part 3

Part 4: Science, Authority, and Communication

Unit 9: Science and Authority

Unit 10: Science and Communication

Part 5: Final Words

Unit 11: Final Chapters and the Bigger Picture

Learning outcomes

Upon the successful completion of PSYC 655, you will be able to

1. Understand how scientific principles and research methods are translated into everyday life, with a focus on topics related to the psychological and health sciences.
2. Apply practical experience in translating scientific principles and research methods into everyday life through a self-experiment project that uses psychological and behavioural methods.
3. Develop and practice communication and writing, with an emphasis on research writing, through an iterative writing assignment structure.
4. Evaluate scientific knowledge and research methods, as applied to everyday life, with the aim of helping the student become a more discerning and critical consumer of scientific information.
5. Understand how science and research relates to other approaches to knowing and knowledge generation.

Evaluation

To receive credit for this course, students must participate in the online activities, successfully complete the assignments, and achieve a final mark of at least 60 per cent. Students should be familiar with the Master of Arts—Interdisciplinary Studies grading system . Please note that it is students' responsibility to maintain their program status. Any student who receives a grade of "F" in one course, or a grade of "C" in more than one course, may be required to withdraw from the program.

The following table summarizes the evaluation activities and the credit weights associated with them.

Materials

Digital course materials

Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:

• Caulfield, T. (2012). The cure for everything. Penguin Random House.
• Clear, J. (2018). Atomic habits. Penguin Random House.
• Goldacre, B. (2010). Bad science. Fourth Estate.
• Zinsser, W. (2012). On writing well. Harper Collins.

Important links

• Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies
• Focus Areas
• Courses
• Fees and Funding