HDFS 697: The Science of Happily Ever After Summer 2016

Instructor: Tyler Jamison, Ph.D. 201 Pettee Hall tyler.jamison@unh.edu 603-862-5587 Office Hours: I am available by appointment in person or via skype. The course will be conducted online. No class meetings will be required. Course Description This course will explore the foundations of healthy relationships, specifically how partner selection and relationship maintenance strategies contribute to positive outcomes for couples. Through personal reflection and application, the course will emphasize how students can use research-based information to form strong and lasting romantic partnerships.

Readings

Tashiro, T. (2014). The science of happily ever after: What really matters in the quest for enduring love. Ontario, Canada: Harlequin. Gottman, J., & Silver, N. (2015). The seven principles for making marriage work: A practical guide from the country’s foremost relationship expert. New York, NY: Wiley & Sons.

The Science of Happily Ever After will explore what scientists have discovered are the best bets and pitfalls of choosing a partner and maintaining a happy and healthy romantic partnership. Through personal reflection and application, the course will emphasize how students can use research-based information to form strong and lasting relationships.

HDFS 697: The Science of Happily Ever After

Summer 2016 Online Dr. Tyler Jamison

Course Requirements Blogs (40%) Students will complete blogs in Weeks 1, 3, and 4. Blogs demonstrate your ability to comprehend and analyze the course material within and across topics. It is your task in each blog to show me that you are (a) completing any assigned activities, (b) reflecting on their relevance to your life, and (c) thinking critically about the readings. In about 600 words, discuss the weekly activity and one fact or idea from each reading that surprised you, interested you, or otherwise caught your attention and explain why. Your discussion should demonstrate that you are engaging the material through thoughtful reflection and analysis. In order to earn full credit, you must cite a specific idea from each reading. Think of book chapters as separate readings, so if you are assigned Tashiro Ch. 3-5, analyze something from chapters 3, 4, and 5. Cite the readings by indicating the author and page number in parentheses following the idea you are presenting from the reading (e.g., Tashiro, p. 53). Make sure to discuss the ideas from the reading in your own words; do not use direct quotes. Please see myCourses for the grading rubric. Submission guidelines: Blogs must be posted to MyCourses by Saturday at 11:59pm EST. Attach your blog as a Microsoft Word document (.doc or .docx). I will accept late blogs for up to half credit until Sunday night at 11:59pm. Blogs submitted after that will not be graded.

Introduction and Debriefing Videos (5%) At the end of each week, students will make a brief and informal video responding to the readings, assignments, and activities for the week and share it with their classmates. Your blogs are not public, so debriefing videos are a place to quickly say what surprised you the most about the reading, what you’re thinking about the material so far, a comment you wanted to make about the provocative question, etc. It can really be anything as long as it makes a contribution to the class.

Provocative Question Discussions (15%) One of the unique things about this course is that you may already have knowledge (in the form of attitudes, beliefs, and experiences) about the topics we cover. Accordingly, I want to give you opportunities to reflect on some of the more provocative issues that can arise in a discussion of relationships. Each week I will pose a question or prompt to which you will respond in 200 words or more within small groups. These questions will invoke more opinions and reflections than direct connections to course material. There are no correct answers, only respectful and insightful responses. I want you to have an informal dialogue with your classmates about issues that are controversial or intriguing. This will be your forum to do so, but as always this should be a respectful exchange. In addition to your original response, you should also respond at least twice to other students’ posts or to someone who replied to your own post. There is no word minimum for these. They will be graded on overall thoughtfulness and appropriateness.

Your original post is due each Wednesday by 11:59pm and your responses to classmates are due by Friday at 11:59. Roadmap for Partner Selection Assignment (20%) In the final chapter of his book, Dr. Tashiro uses a Behavior Activation Framework to explain how someone might take the new insights gained from the book and put it into action in his or her own life. In this assignment, students will create a Behavioral Activation Plan using an adaptation of Tashiro’s 5 steps (p. 237-248). See details in MyCourses. Couple Interview Assignment (20%) One of the ways that we understand relationships, both healthy and unhealthy, is to look around us at the examples we see in our parents, grandparents, siblings, friends, and other family members. Having examples of strong, healthy couples helps us to think about how we might build a life with another person and sustain it over time. In this assignment, you will interview a couple that you admire who has been together for at least 5 years and discuss how their experiences correlate with the Gottman text.

Grading

Your grade in this course will be based on the percentage of available points for each assignment. MyCourses will be used to keep track of individual grading. Please note that I will use exact numbers to calculate your final grade. For example, if you have an 86.8, your grade will be an 86.8% (B). Extra credit is not available in this class. Summary of Class Grading Blogs 40% Introduction and Debriefing 5% Provocative Questions 15% Roadmap Paper 20% Couple Interview 20% Total 100% Grading Scale A 94-100% B 84-86% C 74-76% D 64-66% A- 90-93% B- 80-83% C- 70-73% D- 60-63% B+ 87-89% C+ 77-79% D+ 67-69% F <60%

Class Policies Late work All assignments will lose 50% for each day late. Communication

I will communicate pertinent information about the course via announcements in MyCourses. Please make sure to check both your email and the announcements page in MyCourses regularly. The best way to reach me is through email. You can generally count on me to respond to within 24 hours. I will also be holding office hours by appointment via skype. My skype name is tylerjamison. If you arrange a time with me, I will be happy to talk with you “face-to-face.” If you experience extenuating circumstances (personally or academically), please get in touch with me immediately. Because the class is so brief, the late policy for work is very strict. If you fall behind, reach out! Respect and Civility We will discuss some issues that are very personal and about which people have strong values. It is likely that you will disagree with me or with other students during the semester about issues of value or opinion. I am committed to creating a learning environment characterized by respect and civility, which includes ensuring that all students are free to express their views in a supportive environment. All opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived to be, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse. I also expect that students will express their ideas using respectful language and tone. Please consider that sarcasm and humor can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea but you must do so thoughtfully and without attacking the individual. Nonsexist Language The university has a nonsexist language policy. All of your work for the course should reflect also sensitivity to other biases that might compromise the quality of your work. Academic Integrity Violating academic integrity is considered a serious offense by the University and is treated accordingly. Violation of academic integrity includes, but is not limited to, all of the following: cheating on exams, having unauthorized possession of exams, and submitting the work of another person as your own (plagiarism). Any blatant violations of academic integrity will result in a failing grade for the particular assignment/exam or a failing grade for the entire course. Disability Accommodations The University is committed to providing students with documented disabilities (and/or chronic illnesses) equal access to all university programs and facilities. If you think you have a disability requiring accommodations, you must register with Disability Services for Students (DSS). Contact DSS at (603) 862-2607 or visit them in MUB 118. If you have received Accommodation Letters for this course from DSS, please provide me with that information privately so that we can review those accommodations.