Psychology of Death and Bereavement (PSY 456)
Spring 2013
Instructor: Barbara A. McDonald, Ph.D.
(bamcdonald.psych@gmail.com)
Office: 24K Life Sciences, Phone: 594-6293
Office Hours: Tuesdays, 2:00-3:00
Undergraduate TA: Evangelia Gryparis (evangeliag08@yahoo.com)
Purpose of the Course:
This course will provide an overview of topics related to death, dying and bereavement. We will
study the objective aspects of death and the personal responses to death, grieving and how this
impacts our lives. We will study overall attitudes toward death, cultural aspects of death and
bereavement, information about how people die, death at different age periods, death by suicide
or trauma and death by Alzheimer’s Disease and AIDS. We will also cover living with lifethreatening illnesses, current health care and public policy, and laws governing death and body
disposition. Lectures will be supplemented with videos, speakers and activities.
Student Learning Objectives
• Students will apply psychological concepts and theories and research findings as they
relate to death and bereavement
• Students will understand the role of the person, the situation and interactions between
them as causes of behavior
• Students will apply the knowledge they have of lifespan development to the
understanding of death and bereavement
• Students will be able to explain how individual differences influence beliefs, values
and interactions with others
• Students will learn how to listen to difficult information, remain calm and still show
compassion for those who are suffering
Textbook(s):
Kastenbaum, R.J.: Death, Society and Human Experience, 11th Ed., Required
Nuland, S.: How We Die: Reflections on Life’s Final Chapter Optional
Using Blackboard:
You will use Blackboard to access the syllabus, the lecture outlines, study guides and
any announcements I think might help you. This is the way I will communicate with you.
You should check Blackboard before every lecture to download and print notes.
You should check Gradebook after EVERY CLASS also to make sure your points are
accurately recorded and you know how you are doing in the course.
Your Grade: Your grade will be based on three exams, nine group discussion reports (ten
opportunities, drop one), a group grade for participation and one paper. The points for each are
listed below.
Course Points
EXAMS
3
In-class Assign
Group Grade
11 exercises (drop one)
A score based on member
feedback
Group
Presentation
Paper
Total
Tests
1 papers (2-4 pages)
Points Each
100
Points Total
300
10
20
100
20
20
20
50
50
490
Test and Grading Policies
Tests must be taken when scheduled. If you cannot take an exam due to a very serious
reason AND you contact me about this prior to the exam, you may make it up. Grades
are based on percentage of course points received, with 90% and above = A- to A; 8089% = B-, B, or B+; 70-79% = C-, C or C+; 60-69% = D-, D or D+; and below 60 = F.
Group Discussions and Assignments
You will be assigned to a group. There will be a group experience almost every class.
There will be ten in-class assignments, worth 10 points apiece, of which one will be
dropped. There will be a larger group project with presentation worth 20 points. Group
discussions are a very important part of the class and are intended to foster a sense of
belonging, critical skills in listening and leadership roles in facilitating group discussions.
As for the time necessary to conduct a good group, it will require AT LEAST fifteen
minutes and probably more to complete a detailed group discussion. Any group
discussions that take place in less than twenty minutes will get a score of 4. A good
group discussion will get at least an 8, and a very detailed group report will gain your
group members the full 10 points.
HERE IS THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT GETTING YOUR POINTS:
You will turn in your group response papers to Evangelia, the TA. All of the group
papers should be turned in as a group. IF YOU DO NOT turn in a Group Response
Paper, you WILL NOT GET POINTS. BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR OWN
POINTS, CHECK BLACKBOARD EVERYCLASS TO MAKE SURE YOU ARE
GETTING YOUR POINTS AND CONTACT your TA IMMEDIATELY IF YOU
DON’T GET THE POINTS YOU EXPECT. After a week, it will be too late.
Paper
The paper will be assigned during CLASS SIX and must be turned in during CLASS TEN. The
paper should be about 2-4 pages long and I will discuss the format I wish you to follow in class.
The paper will consist of interviewing someone and writing about their responses. Having read
(and appreciated) many papers, I have decided that the best approach is to write the paper in
narrative form and NOT in a Q AND A form. The narrative papers are much more interesting to
read and that is the main reason. Learning to interview someone about a sensitive topic is an
important addition to your skill set and you will learn a lot and will have more to offer to the
group discussions.
Communicating with me
Office Hours: Office hours are on Tuesdays from 2-3pm. You can also contact me by
email but be sure to indicate in subject line who you are and that you are writing about
the class. My email is bamcdonald..psych@gmail.com.
Course Schedule: Stay tuned for any changes to syllabus. Reading should be done
before lecture.
Date:
Topic/Assignments
Reading
CLASS ONE
Tue 1/22
Introduction; important theories
Overview of issues, research, terms
Chapter 1
CLASS TWO
Tue 1/29
Cultural, historical views of death
Defining death
Chapters 2&3
How we die: Heart attack, Stroke, Cancer,
How We Die,
Nuland
Life Threatening Illness, Adult Death
Chapter 4
& Nuland
CLASS THREE
Tue 2/5
CLASS FOUR
Tue 2/12
CLASS FIVE
Tue 2/19
CLASS SIX
TEST ONE, Scantron: Skinny Green # 882
Tue 2/26
Health care, hospice and palliative care,
Chapter 5
insurance coverage
Assignment: Paper on Interview with another person and discuss
their experiences and responses
CLASS SEVEN
Tue 3/5
CLASS EIGHT
Tue 3/12
End of life issues and decisions, Legal aspects
of death including capital punishment,
assisted suicide
Chapter 6
Funerals & body disposition
Chapter 12
Bereavement, Grief, Mourning
Chapter 11
CLASS NINE
Tue 3/19
CLASS TEN
Tue 3/26
Finish information from previous lectures and review for exam
TEST TWO, Scantron: Skinny Green #882
Paper DUE
___________________________________________________________
SPRING BREAK April 1-5
___________________________________________________________
CLASS ELEVEN
Tue 4/9
Child & Adolescent Death
Begin group planning for Presentations
Chapter 10
Suicide & PTSD
Continue group work on Presentations
Chapter 7
Violent Death: Murder, Terrorism, Accident
Group Presentations
Chapter 8
CLASS TWELVE
Tue 4/16
CLASS THIRTEEN
Tue 4/23
CLASS FOURTEEN
Tue 4/30
Life after death: cultural and religious beliefs
Chapter 13/15
The good death
CLASS FIFTEEN
Tue 5/7
TEST THREE, Scantron: Skinny Green #882
This is the last day of class, there is no final exam
Tue 5/14
Official Final Exam Day. We will not have a final exam but Dr.
McDonald will be in the classroom from 4-6 pm during the
scheduled time to meet with any students who wish to speak with
her