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THE SCIENCE OF HUMAN NATURE

HPS 110 LEC0101

Tuesday 1-3 FALL 2020

University of Toronto
Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IHPST)

Instructors:
Mark Solovey mark.solovey@utoronto.ca

Marga Vicedo marga.vicedo@utoronto.ca

Teaching assistants:

Filippo Sposini filippomaria.sposini@mail.utoronto.ca

Bianca Grier bianca.grier@mail.utoronto.ca
Andrew Muncaster Andrew.Muncaster@ontariotechu.ca

Tutorial sections:

TUT0401 + TUT9401
Monday 11:00-12:00
TA: Filippo Sposini

TUT0101 + TUT9101
Monday 12:00-13:00
TA: Filippo Sposini

TUT0201 + TUT9201
Monday 14:00-15:00
TA: Bianca Greer

TUT0301 + TUT9301
Monday 15:00-16:00
TA: Bianca Greer

TUT5101 + TUT6101
Monday 17:00-18:00
TA: Andrew Muncaster
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TUT0501 + TUT9501
Tuesday 12:00-13:00
TA: Filippo Sposini

TUT0601 + TUT9601
Tuesday 16:00-17:00
TA: Andrew Muncaster

TUT5201 + TUT6201
Tuesday 17:00-18:00
TA: Andrew Muncaster

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Why do we do what we do? What factors play a role in shaping our personality? What
biological, psychological and social elements help to configure a person’s psychological,
emotional, and moral character? What can we do about them?

In this course, we examine landmark studies that shook standard beliefs about human nature in
their time. We analyze those studies in their historical contexts. We explore their influence on
contemporary views about humans and society. And we discuss their relevance to social, ethical,
and policy debates.

In addition to shaping our views about the human mind and behavior, many of these studies also
had an impact on the epistemological and ethical criteria used by the scientific community and
broader society to decide what counts as good science. Thus, we will also examine evolving
views about scientific inquiry: How have ideas about what counts as good science changed?
And why have they changed?

LECTURES

Asynchronous lectures for each topic will be posted in Quercus on the day specified on
the syllabus.

On Tuesdays 1-3, we will meet the following three days:

September 15: Introduction to the course

October 27: On writing
December 8: Last class

You need to listen to the lecture and do the readings for a topic BEFORE participating in
the tutorial on that topic.
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TUTORIALS

Tutorials will review the lecture and readings material for the week. They provide a
forum for discussion. They will also teach you skills needed to do well on the
assignments. By participating you will learn to present your views, listen to other
viewpoints, and engage in fruitful exchange of ideas.

Tutorials will only be held as online synchronous meetings at the scheduled times. They
are a very important part of the course. You should attend and be well prepared for each
of them.

Students have to attend the tutorial for which they registered. If you need to change your
tutorial section, please do so as soon as possible. If you encounter a problem, write to the
TA in the section you are enrolled in and the TA in the section you want to attend.

Equipment: students will need a computer with a microphone and camera in order to
participate in tutorials.

READINGS AND VIDEOS

Most of the readings will be available on the course website in Quercus.

In a few cases you will access the readings by going to the website link specified on the syllabus.

The required readings for this course include the original published studies we are covering
(primary sources, indicated with an *) and articles that situate these studies in their historical
contexts (secondary sources).

In addition, we will watch video footage of original experiments/studies and other video
materials, such as documentaries or interviews.

Some weeks we may add a short reading or a video to watch, in addition to the required readings
listed below.

COURSE SCHEDULE

WEEK 1 (September 15) INTRODUCTION 1pm-3pm

Using BB Collaborate

NO TUTORIALS (September 14 + 15)

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PART I: BREAKING BAD

WEEK 2 (September 22) OBEDIENCE

Lecture posted in Quercus on September 17th by 1pm

TUTORIALS (September 21 + 22): Introduction

*S. E. Asch, “Opinions and social pressure,” Scientific American 193 (1955), 31-35.
*S. Milgram, "Behavioral study of obedience," Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 67
(1963), 371-378.
*S. Milgram, Obedience to Authority, 1974, 165-168.
T. Blass, "The roots of Stanley Milgram's obedience experiments and their relevance to the
Holocaust," Analyse & Kritik 20 (1998), 46-53.
T. Blass, "The Milgram paradigm after 35 years: some things we now know about obedience to
authority," Journal of Applied Social Psychology 29 (1999), 955-978.
L. T. Benjamin Jr. & J. A. Simpson, "The power of the situation: the impact of Milgram's studies
on personality and social psychology," American Psychologist 64 (2009), 12-19.

Video: “Obedience.” The Milgram Experiment 1962 Full Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdrKCilEhC0

WEEK 3 (September 29) PREJUDICE

Lecture posted in Quercus on Sept. 24th by 1pm

TUTORIALS ON OBEDIENCE (September 28 + 29)

*K. B. Clark & M. P. Clark, "Racial identification and preference in Negro children," 169-178 in
T. M. Newcomb & E. L. Hartley, eds., Readings in Social Psychology, 1947.

*K. B. Clark, I. Chein & S. W. Cook, “The effects of segregation and the consequences of
desegregation: a (September 1952) social science statement in the Brown v. Board of Education
of Topeka Supreme Court case," American Psychologist 59 (2004), 495–501.

B. Keppel, "Kenneth B. Clark in the patterns of American culture," American Psychologist 57

(2002), 29-37.

A. Rutherford, "Mamie Phipps Clark: developmental psychologist, starting from strengths," 261-
275 in W. E. Pickren, D. A. Dewsbury & M. Wertheimer, eds., Portraits of Pioneers in
Developmental Psychology, 2012.
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M. Konnikova, “Revisiting Robbers cave: The early spontaneity of intergroup conflict.” Blogs.
Scientific American. September 5, 2012.

Reading: TBA

Video: TBA

WEEK 4 (October 6) CONFORMITY

Lecture posted in Quercus on October 1st by 1pm

TUTORIALS ON PREJUDICE (October 5 + 6)

*P. G. Zimbardo et al., "The mind is a formidable jailer: a pirandellian prison," New York Times
Magazine, April 8, 1973, 38 ff.

*P. G. Zimbardo, The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil, 2007, chapter
10.

W. Saletan, "Situationist ethics: the Stanford prison experiment doesn't explain Abu Ghraib,"
May 12, 2004, Slate.com

S. Drury, S. A. Hutchens, D. E. Shuttlesworth & C. L. White, "Philip G. Zimbardo on his career

and the Stanford prison experiment's 40th birthday," History of Psychology 15 (2012), 161-170.

Reading: TBA

Video: “Quiet Rage: The Stanford Prison Study.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUZpB57PfHs

WEEK 5 (October 13) AGGRESSION: BIOLOGICAL APPROACHES

Lecture posted in Quercus on October 8th by 1pm

NO TUTORIALS (October 12 + 13)

*K. Lorenz, On Aggression, 1966, chapter 3 “What aggression is good for.”

*E. O. Wilson, On Human Nature, 1978, chapter 5 “Aggression.”

Reading: TBA
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Video: TBA

Essay Questions for Test 1 posted: October 13th

WEEK 6 (October 20) CLASS ON WRITING 1pm-3pm

Using BB Collaborate

TUTORIALS ON AGGRESSION-BIOLOGICAL APPROACHES (October 19 + 20)

WEEK 7 (October 27) AGGRESSION: PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES

Lecture posted in Quercus on October 22nd by 1pm

TUTORIALS ON AGGRESSION: PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES (October 26 + 27)

*A. Bandura, D. Ross & S. A. Ross, “Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive
models,” Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 63 (1961), 575-582.

A. Bandura, “Autobiography,” 42-75 in M. G. Lindzey & W. M. Runyan, eds., A History

of Psychology in Autobiography, v. 9 (2006).

Video: TBA

Essays for Test 1 due: October 27

PART II: BECOMING GOOD

WEEK 8 (November 3) ATTACHMENT

Lecture posted in Quercus on October 29th by 1pm

TUTORIALS ON ATTACHMENT (November 2 + 3)

*H. Harlow, “The nature of love,” American Psychologist 13 (1958), 673-685.

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M. Vicedo, "Mothers, machines, and morals: Harry Harlow's work on primate love from lab to
legend," Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences 45 (2009), 199-218.
Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marga_Vicedo

M. Vicedo, “Putting attachment in its place: disciplinary and cultural contexts.” European
Journal of Developmental Psychology 14 (2017): 684-699. Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marga_Vicedo

Reading: TBA

Video: TBA

Grades for Test 1 posted and essays returned November 3

Note: The last day to drop the course without penalties is November 9th. If you are having
trouble with the course, please, come to talk with us and/or your TA as soon as possible.

November 9-13 Reading Week: NO TUTORIALS. NO CLASS.

WEEK 9 (November 17) EMPATHY

Lecture posted in Quercus on November 12th by 1pm

TUTORIALS ON EMPATHY (November 16 + 17)

*F. de Waal, The Age of Empathy: Nature’s Lessons for a Kinder Society, 2009, chapter 3.

“Profile on Frans B. M. de Waal,” PNAS 102 (August 9, 2005): 11137-11139.

S. Lanzoni, “A short history of empathy,” The Atlantic, October 15, 2015.

S. Lanzoni, “Race, Empaphy, and the White Psyche,” June 14, 2020.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/empathy-emotion-and-
experience/202006/race-empathy-and-the-white-psyche

Video: *S. B. Cohen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq_nCTGSfWE

Video: *F. de Waal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le-74R9C6Bc

WEEK 10 (November 24) ALTRUISM

Lecture posted in Quercus on November 19 by 1pm

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TUTORIALS ON ALTRUISM (November 23 + 24)

*M. Ganzberg, "Thirty-eight who saw murder didn't call the police," New York Times, March 27,
1964.

*J. M. Darley & B. Latane, “Bystander intervention in emergencies: diffusion of responsibility,”

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 8 (1968), 377-383.

*B. Latane & J. M. Darley, "Group inhibition of bystander intervention in emergencies," Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology 10 (1968), 215-221.

M. Dowd, "The night that 38 stood by as a life was lost," New York Times, March 12, 1984, B1.

J. Rasenberger, "Kitty, 40 Years Later," New York Times, Feb. 8, 2004.

R. Manning, M. Levine & A. Collins, “The Kitty Genovese murder and the social psychology of
helping: the parable of the 38 witnesses,” American Psychologist 62 (2007), 555–562.

S. Roberts, “Sophia Farrar Dies at 92: Belied Indifference to Kitty Genovese Attack,” New York
Times, Sept. 4, 2020.

Reading: TBA

Video: TBA

PART III: LIVING WELL

WEEK 11 (December 1) HAPPINESS

Lecture posted in Quercus on November 26th by 1pm

TUTORIALS ON HAPPINESS (November 30 + December 1)

*E. Diener & M. E. P. Seligman, “Very happy people,” Psychological Science 13 (2002), 81-84.

*K. Dahlsgaard, C. Peterson, C., & M. E. P. Seligman, “Shared virtue: The convergence
of valued human strengths across culture and history,” Review of General Psychology 9
(2005), 203–213.

J. W. Shenk, "What Makes Us Happy?" The Atlantic (2009)

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2009/06/what-makes-us-happy/307439/

S. Stossel, "What Makes Us Happy, Revisited," The Atlantic (2013)

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/05/thanks-mom/309287/
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Reading: TBA

Video: Dan Gilbert, “The Surprising Science of Happiness.”

https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_the_surprising_science_of_happiness#t-2884

Essay Questions for Test 2 posted: December 1

WEEK 12 (December 8) LAST CLASS 1pm-3pm

Using BB Collaborate

RESILIENCE

Lecture posted in Quercus on December 3rd by 1pm

TUTORIALS ON RESILIENCE (December 7 + 8)

*D. L. Coutu, “How resilience works,” Harvard Business Review, May, 2002, 46-55.

*G. A. Bonanno, “Loss, trauma, and human resilience,” American Psychologist 59 (2004), 20-
28.

*L. J. Kirmayer, S. Dandeneau, E. Marshall, M. K. Philips, K. J. Williamson, “Rethinking

resilience from indigenous perspectives,” Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 56 (2011), 84-91.

Reading: TBA

Video: TBA

Test 2 Due: December 15

Grades for Test 2 posted and essays returned: December 22

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

Tutorials: 30% of final course grade. Maximum 30 points.

There are 11 tutorial sessions. The first one provides an introduction. The other ten cover the
topics for each week. Attendance will be taken at each session.
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10 attendance points: you get 1 point for each tutorial you attend. So you can miss 1 of the 11
sessions and still get 10 points.

10 points for (10) very short answers: except for the introductory tutorial, for each session you
will write a very short answer (50-75 words) in response to a specific question provided ahead of
time by your TA. You need to post your answer upon entering the tutorial session and will get 1
point for each answer. Further guidelines will be provided in tutorials.

10 points for (2) paragraph answers: once during the first half of the course and once during the
second half you will write a paragraph answer to a question provided ahead of time by your TA.
Each one is worth a maximum of 5 points. Further guidelines will be provided in tutorials.

Test 1: 30% of final course grade. Maximum 30 points.

One essay, 800-1000 words, that answers an essay question posted on October 13. Further
instructions and guidance will be provided in lectures and tutorials.

Due date: October 27th

Test 2: 40%. Maximum 40 points.

One essay, 800-1000 words, that answers an essay question posted on December 1. Further
instructions and guidance will be provided in lectures and tutorials.

Due date: December 15th

Grade Revision Procedure

The teaching assistants in the course will grade all of the written assignments. If you are
dissatisfied with your grade for a particular assignment, you must write a short note to your TA
(maximum one page) explaining why you think the grade is incorrect. If after discussing your
grade with the TA you are still unsatisfied, you can bring the test to the instructors for review.
We all make mistakes, but please be aware that the TAs are well qualified to grade all the
assignments in this course. It is unlikely that we will change the grade they have given you. Also,
keep in mind that if we review an assignment, we may give it a higher or a lower grade than the
one given by the TA.

Requests for revision of grades will be accepted no earlier than a week after you receive your
grade, and no later than two weeks after you receive the grade.

Late Assignments

For each day that the assignment is late (including weekend days), the penalty will be 10% of the
grade for the assignment.
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Extensions

Extensions for assignments will only be given for major unforeseen circumstances or illness.
We hope you will not need one. If you do, please write to your TA as soon as possible and, if
pertinent, bring the doctor’s note with the specific dates you were incapacitated.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the use of words from an author without quotation marks and/or a proper reference.
Plagiarism is a serious academic offence. Do not compromise your academic record and your
moral integrity by plagiarizing. If you are having trouble doing an assignment, talk to your TA or
come to see us.

On Academic integrity: http://www.artsci.utoronto.ca/osai/students

WRITING

For general information about writing resources at the UofT:

www.writing.utoronto.ca

Writing Centres:
www.writing.utoronto.ca/writing-centres

Writing Centres for the Faculty of Arts and Science (FAS)

https://writing.utoronto.ca/writing-centres/arts-and-science

Advice Files:
www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice
http://advice.writing.utoronto.ca/student-pdfs

How Not to Plagiarize:

www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/using-sources/how-not-to-plagiarize

Standard Documentation Formats:

www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/using-sources/documentation

Critical Reading for Critical Writing:

www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/reading-and-researching/critical-reading

The Literature Review:

www.writing.utoronto.ca/advice/specific-types-of-writing/literature-review

Writing Workshops:
http://writing.utoronto.ca/writing-plus
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SPECIAL NEEDS

If you have been disabled, we will be happy to accommodate your needs to do well in this
course. The University of Toronto is committed to accessibility. If you require an
accommodation, or have any accessibility concerns about the course, please contact Accessibility
Services as soon as possible http://studentlife.utoronto.ca/accessibility

E-MAIL POLICY

After you have reviewed all the relevant materials (i.e., lectures, videos, tutorials, readings) you
can contact your TA by e-mail with specific questions. However, e-mail will not be used to
explain material covered clearly elsewhere.

E-mail will also not be used to provide information that is on the syllabus or posted
announcements. Please, look at the syllabus and posted announcements first before sending an
email.

The TAs will answer your questions within two business days. If you don’t have a response by
then, please re-send your note or contact one of the instructors. You are also expected to answer
e-mails from your instructors and TAs in a timely manner.

For any e-mail correspondence regarding our course, you must use your University of Toronto e-
mail account. Emails sent from other accounts cannot be answered.