Yale University - Psychology 131 - Human Emotion
Dr. June Gruber - Yale Psychology - Research Methods in Happiness - Psych 231

Requirements & Grading

1. Two In-Class Exams (35% each x 2 exams = 70% total)

There will be two non-cumulative exams in this course. Each exam will cover approximately 1/2 of the course material covered in lectures and readings. Exams may consist of multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay questions that involve critical thinking about concepts drawn from the readings and lectures. The purpose of the exams is two-fold. First, you should be able to demonstrate that you have read and watched the material and understood the factual points and arguments. Second, you should be able to synthesize and integrate the material such that this knowledge can be applied in a broader context. Exams will take place during Professor Gruber's normal office hours (Thurs from 10-11:30am EST) and will be closed book. There will be no exam make-ups.

2. Weekly Written Responses (5 weeks x 2% each = 10% total)

Written responses will be two pages (single-spaced), and are due no later than 2:00pm EST on the Tuesday before your discussion section that week. You will submit these via e-mail to psych131E.emotion@gmail.com with: (1) "Human Emotion Weekly Response" in the subject line, (2) full name and discussion section time and TF in the document and email body, and (3) document attachment (.doc or .docx format) titled 'LASTNAME_WeekXResponse.doc' (e.g., GRUBER_Week1Response). These responses should include 2 components (with each component clearly labeled within the document):

Part I. Take-away lecture question responses The 1st part will include completed written responses to all “take-away” questions from each lecture section (approximately 9 per topic, split across 3 smaller 20 minute video segments). Using the provided template, each answer should be written below the question # and content (i.e., each question will be written out above your response). Each take-away question response should be no longer than 2-3 sentences each.

Part II. Critical reading questions The 2nd part of the document should include 3 critical reading questions you should generate that correspond to the assigned weekly readings. These questions should raise thoughtful issues or questions that came up during the readings that you think would be interesting to cover with your TF and fellow students in discussion section. This portion should be no longer than 1 page.

3. Class Participation and Attendance (5 weeks x 3% each = 15% total)

Attendance and participation in the online discussion sections is mandatory. The success of this course depends on active participation, actively asking questions, and supporting your fellow class members. Each weekly discussion section will cover new topics and move quickly given the accelerated summer session timeline. Please keep up on the readings and assignments. In addition to counting as part of your final course grade, participation may also be used to enhance borderline grade decisions at the end of the course (e.g., B+ to A-, A- to A). Failure to attend weekly sections will result in a grade penalty for each week missed.

4. Class Presentation (5% total)

Each class lecture module is accompanied by a 15 minute “Experts in Emotion Interview” containing a videotaped conversation with Professor Gruber and an expert in emotion from around the world! For your class presentation, you will select 1 Experts in Emotion Interview and do the following: (1) Watch the videotaped interview, (2) Complete a written reaction handout (1-page single-spaced reaction summarizing and critically analyzing the video) and (3) Present your reaction during a brief 5-minute oral presentation to your classmates during one of the weekly discussion sections. Details will be provided during the first week of class.

Readings

You should complete the assigned readings and watch the corresponding videotaped lectures before your weekly discussion section that week (i.e., before Wednesday). This will allow for a better understanding of the lecture and also give you the opportunity to ask questions. Readings will be drawn from two sources:

Textbook: Understanding Emotions, 2nd Edition. Keith Oatley, Dacher Keltner, & Jennifer M. Jenkins. Available for purchase online (e.g., www.amazon.com).

Articles: Articles and chapters outside of the textbook available to download directly off the course website.

NOTE: We recommend getting a head start on readings and videos for Week 1 (which can be found on the "Class Preview Website") before the term begins since you will be expected to have read/watched all materials for Week 1 Discussion Section by June 5th.

News & Events

Expert in Emotion Series Debut!
Watch over 60 interviews with international experts in emotion! [Watch here]

Want to take Human Emotion?
See Professor Gruber speaking about this course! http://summer.yale.edu/find-your-program/online-courses/gruber-video

Human Emotion will be taught in Summer Session A at Yale University in 2013 (June 3-July 5).
For more information: http://summer.yale.edu/find-your-program/online-courses

Yale University releases discussion on advances in online education, Professor Gruber comments.
For more information, see: http://news.yale.edu/2012/12/20/faculty-embraces-plan-expand-online-education

See Professor Gruber talk about happiness at TEDxCambridge!
For more information, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi8Mhvsiymo&feature=player_embedded