Course SyllabusPsychology 137C: Close RelationshipsProf. William Marelich Summer 2005, UCLALecture: T/Th 10:45am – 12:50pmE-mail: [email protected]: Messages: 714-278-7374TA: Natalya MaiselEmail: [email protected] Description/Objectives:This course will encourage students to develop an understanding and appreciation for the underlying psychological issues and theories associated with intimate and close relationships. Commonly, much of the popular or naïve psychology is misleading and unsubstantiated when compared to current psychological research.Through our text and lecture materials, students should see the importance of psychological theory in understanding relationships, and see that close relationships are affected by a wide range of issues including interpersonal communication, ecological factors, and evolutionary processes. This course will rely heavily on social psychological theory and its application to understanding relationships.The first goal of the course is to provide knowledge on intimate relationship beginnings, development, maintenance, and dissolution. The second goal is to have students develop an understanding of how relationships are influenced by the social environment (as opposed to a static, person-oriented view). The third goal is to “link” the relationship dynamics discussed in class to psychological theory. The fourth goal is to provide students the opportunity to apply what they learn through experiential tasks. Required Readings:Brehm, Miller, Perlman, & Campbell (2002). Intimate relationships (3rd ed.). NY: McGraw Hill.Assignments and tests:Individual Projects (1) 20%1 Midterm Exam 40%1 Final Exam 40%_____100%1Grading Procedure, late papers, absences:Grades will be assigned based on total points from the exam and projects. Grades will be brokendown for an “A” as follows:97% - 100% = A+93% - 96.9% = A89.5% - 92.9%= A-B’s, C’s, and D’s will be assigned in a similar fashion applying following percentage breakdowns: 79.5% to 82.9% is a B-, 83% to 86.9% is a B, and 87% to 89.4% is a B+. An assignment handed in late will be penalized one grade per week it is late. It will benefit the student to turn in all assignments, no matter how late, because grades are based on total points. No makeup exams will be given. Our final exam is on the last day of class. No exceptions will be made regarding missing the midterm or final exam. Students are expected to attend all class meetings. Besides attending class, students are expectedto stay the entire class period. Individual Projects: To enhance knowledge of material covered in class and to provide applied experience, students will produce a short project. Topics will be assigned by the instructor, and can include (but not limited to) out-of-class observations, additional readings, papers on various lecture topics, or film critiques. These are graded on an 11 pt scale. 2Class Schedule and Reading AssignmentsDates Topic ChaptersWeek 1 Syllabus, Overview of Relationships, BREHM 1, 2Research Methods in ApplicationFriendship & Attraction BREHM 3, 7Week 2 Social Cognition, Sexuality BREHM 4, 9Sexuality/Relationship Dev BREHM 9, 6Week 3 Relationship Development BREHM 6Love & Romance BREHM 8Week 4 Communication BREHM 5 Social Power BREHM 11Week 5 Stresses/Strains BREHM 10 Conflict/Dissolution BREHM 12, 13Week 6 Therapeutic Interventions BREHM 15Final Exam Note: Date of the Midterm will be announced. Due-dates for projects will also be announced during the quarter. The above schedule and procedures in this course are subject to change per the instructor’s preference.