Psychology of Women
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Psychology 443: The Psychology of Women
Instructor:
Dr. Catherine Lutz Zois
Phone: (937) 229-2164
E-mail: czois1@udayton.edu
E-mail policy: I generally attempt to respond to e-mail inquiries within approximately 24 - 36
hours (spanning working days, not weekends, vacation time, or holidays). Because I often have
back-to-back classes and other commitments throughout the day, it is not always possible for me
to respond earlier than that.
Office Location: 308 Saint Joe's Hall
Office hours: Tues. & Thurs. from 10:30-11:30 or by appointment
Teaching Assistant:
Name: Doug Berkowitz
Phone: 229-2175
E-mail: In “address book” of g-mail
Call for the following: To schedule make up exams or to send homework assignments by e-mail.
Purpose/Course Description:
This is a survey course of the Psychology of Women, spanning a wide range of topics pertaining to
women. Traditionally, mainstream psychology has summed across gender, assuming that this body of
theories and research applies equally to men and women. The goal of this course is to “fill in the gaps” by
critically evaluating gender differences as well as similarities in personality, behavior, and life
experiences. The format of this course is a combination of lectures and group activities.
This course fulfills one of the requirements for the “Women and Culture” and “Social Justice”
clusters. It is also an approved course for both the Women's Studies Minor and Major.
Required Text:
Etaugh & Bridges (2013). Women’s lives: A psychological exploration (3rd Ed). Boston, MA:
Pearson.
*This book is on reserve in Roesch Library.
Articles on Reserve:
Allen, M. (2010). Is “Gender Identity Disorder” and appropriate psychiatric diagnosis.
In J.W. White (Ed.), Taking sides: Clashing views in gender (5th Ed.) (pp. 153-156). New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
D’Amato, A. (2010). Porn up, rape down. In J.W. White (Ed.), Taking sides: Clashing views
in gender (5th Ed.) (pp. 153-156). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Jonason, P.K., et al. (2010). Do nice guys finish last? In J.W. White (Ed.), Taking sides: Clashing
views in gender (5th Ed.) (pp. 105-126). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Scott, B. A. (2008). Women and pornography: What we don’t know can hurt us. In J.C. Chrisler,
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th
C. Golden, & P.D. Rozee (Eds), Lectures on the psychology of women (4 Ed.) (pp. 338336). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Lecture Outlines:
Outlines of all of my lecture notes can be found on my web page. The address is
http://academic.udayton.edu/CatherineLutz. It is highly recommended that you print them at the
beginning of the semester and put them in a three ring binder. Most students use them as a structure for
taking notes and as an important resource when studying for the exams.
Course Requirements:
300pts. (100 each)
30pts. (10 each)
20pts.
30pts.
20pts.
400pts.
3 Non-cumulative Exams
3 Debate Assignments
Group Project
Participation and Attendance
1 Short Paper
Exams: There will be three exams in this course. Each exam will be worth a third of your total
exam grade. Material on the second and third exams will not be cumulative. The exams will consist of
primarily multiple-choice questions and “fill-in-the-blank paragraphs.” Make up on exams will be
allowed, but only during a designated time at the end of the semester.
Discussion Assignments: There will be 3 debate assignments, one of which you will be part of the
panel. Each of these debate assignments requires that you read the designated articles prior to the class
period and have written comments prepared. These comments will be collected at the end of the class
period in which they are due. All of the debate articles are both on hard and e-reserve. Because they are
on hard reserve, “computer problems” will not be accepted as a valid excuse for not completing the
assignment. If you turn in the written comments after the day that they are due (but were present
that day in class), you will lose 3 points off the assignment.
Group Presentation: You will do one group presentation, the date of which will be a function of
the topic. Students will be assigned a group at the beginning of the semester. To help ensure equal
contributions on the part of all group members, part of your grade will be based on the ratings of the other
students in the group.
Participation/Attendance: Active involvement in class discussions is a crucial part of this course.
My expectations for participation are such that students who make comments almost every class period
will earn A's, students who make comments in class a few times between each exam will earn B's, and
students who rarely make comments in class will earn C's.
In order to reward students who may be less vocal than their peers, but attend class regularly,
attendance will be part of your participation grade. However, it is recognized that absence is at times
unavoidable; thus, perfect attendance is not expected.
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I expect you to turn off your cell phones once class begins. Each time
that I see you texting at any time during the class period (including during
videos or student presentations), you will lose 5 points from your
participation grade.
Paper: You will be required write one brief (approximately 4-5 pages typed and double-spaced)
paper. You will have your choice of one from two options. The first option is to interview your same-sex
parent about what it was like for them growing up female or male in this society. The second option is to
choose a movie, painting, or article from a popular magazine and comment on what types of messages it
conveys about gender. Details of these assignments can be found on pages 4-5 of this syllabus. You will
lose a half of a grade (1 point) each day the paper is late.
Extra Credit:
You will have the opportunity to earn 5 points added to your final grade by participating in out-ofclass experiments sponsored by members of the Psychology Department, attending on-campus lectures
pertaining to gender issues, or completing one additional debate assignment listed on e-reserve (“Is fetal
sex selection harmful to society?” Or “Should same-sex couples be able to marry?”).
Grading Policy:
All points will be tallied at the end of the semester course including extra credit, if applicable.
Your grade is the resultant number. I do not add extra points to your final score beyond this
number for any reason! Final grades will be based on the following number of points:
400-372pts. = A
371-360pts. = A359-348pts. = B+
347-332pts. = B
331-320pts. = B319-308pts. = C+
307-292pts. = C
291-280pts. = C279-240pts. = D
239-Below = F
General Policies:
1. This syllabus is subject to change at any time at the discretion of the instructor.
2. Cheating of any sort is a serious violation of academic honesty and will not be tolerated. If
cheating is suspected all students involved will earn zero points for the assignment, and
disciplinary procedures will be undertaken.
3. Students with disabilities are asked to identify themselves to the instructor before the first
scheduled exam. All possible assistance will be provided in coordination with the Office for
Students with Disabilities.
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4. Students will lose points on all late assignments. Specifically, students will lose 3 points for
late discussion assignments. Students will lose a 1 point for every day late on their final paper
assignment.
5. Students will automatically lose points toward their participation grade if seen texting in class.
6. No homework or paper assignments will be accepted after the last scheduled day of classes.
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Interview with Same Gender Parents
(Option # 1)
--See me if you need to find an alternative person to interview.
--4-5 pages typed double-spaced (don't make huge margins).
--Due 11/28/12
--Grading will be based on the quality of the paper as a whole. Specifically, I will be looking at three
factors: (1) the extent to which you carefully followed the instructions outlined on this handout, (2) the
level of sophistication of your analysis of generational differences in gender roles, and (3) your ability to
effectively convey psychological ideas in written form.
The Interview:
--Sample questions:
--What was it like for you growing up female/male in this culture?
--What types of messages do you feel you received about being female/male? From whom
did you receive them (family, teachers, friends, romantic partners)? Did you feel that you
were treated differently form you brothers/sisters? How so?
--Do you feel that you have been faced with sexism in your life? How have you coped
with it?
--What type of future would you hope for me to have as a woman/man?
--Note: this is not an exhaustive list. You can add other questions.
The Paper: I. Your parent's experiences, attitudes, and beliefs.
--Please note that I would like you to abstract a description of your parent's experiences.
Avoid the following:
"I asked her if she felt she was bothered by sexism and she said 'no.' Then I asked
her if things have changed sine she was a child and she said 'yes, very much.'"
II. Your reactions (did anything surprise you? do you agree with your parent? is your
experience growing up female/male different from that of your parent?).
--Note: I would like you to write more than one or two sentences for this section.
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Popular Culture Analysis
(Option #2)
--4-5 pages typed double-spaced (don't make huge margins).
--Due 11/28/12
--Again, grading will be based on the quality of the paper as a whole. Specifically, I will be looking at
three factors: (1) the extent to which you carefully followed the instructions outlined on this handout, (2)
the level of sophistication of your analysis of gender in pop culture, and (3) your ability to effectively
convey psychological ideas in written form.
Task: Choose a movie, song, piece of artwork, or article from a popular magazine and comment on what
types of messages it conveys about gender.
Paper:
I. Summarize relevant portions of this sample of popular culture.
II. Discuss how women are portrayed in this sample of popular culture.
III. Describe ways in which you think that the messages in the pop culture sample might affect
women and men psychologically.
--Note: this should be the longest and most in depth section of your paper.
--Note: you have the right to build a case that these poplar culture messages are
psychologically inert. However, you need to present some type of evidence to support your
claim.
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Course Outline
This is a preliminary outline of the readings and lecture each class period. It is subject to change based on
time and other constraints.
______________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 1 (8/22-8/24)
Wed.
Topics: Overview of the Psychology of Women & Brief Review of Research
Methodologies
Readings: Chapter 1--all (Etaugh & Bridges)
Chapter 2—pp. 22-32 (Etaugh & Bridges)
Fri.
Same
______________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 2 (8/27-8/31)
Mon.
Same
Wed.
Same
Fri.
Same
______________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 3 (9/3-9/7)
Mon.
**No Class**
Wed.
Topics:
Same
Theories of Personality and Self-Concept
Readings: Chapter 3—all (Etaugh & Bridges)
Fri.
Same
Assignment: Debate-- Do nice guys finish last?
_____________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 4 (9/10-9/14)
Mon.
Same
Wed.
Same
Fri.
Same
Assignment: Group Project-- Violation of Traditional Gender Roles.
_____________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 5 (9/17-9/21)
Mon.
Same
Wed.
Topics: The Social Construction of Gender
Readings: Chapter 2—pp. 33-47 (Etaugh & Bridges).
Fri.
Same
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_____________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 6 (9/24-9/28)
Mon.
Same
Assignment: Group Project—Gender Bias in MTV Videos?
Wed.
**Exam #1**
Fri.
Topics:
Infancy, Childhood, and Adolescence
Readings: Chapter 4—all (Etaugh & Bridges)
Assignment: Group Project--Pink and Blue: Greeting Cards for Newborns.
____________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 7 (10/1-10/5)
Mon.
Same
Wed.
Same
Assignment: Debate— Is “Gender Identity Disorder” and appropriate psychiatric
diagnosis.
Fri.
**No Class**
_____________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 8 (10/8-10/12)
Mon.
Topics: Gender Comparisons: Social Behavior, Personality, Communication, and
Cognition.
Readings: Chapter 5--all (Etaugh & Bridges)
Assignment: Gender Difference Jeopardy.
Wed.
Same
Fri.
Same
Group Project—Gender Differences in Non-Verbal Communication.
_____________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 9 (10/15-10/19)
Mon.
Topics: Relationships: Friendships, Romantic Relationships, & Motherhood
Readings: Chapter 8--all (Etaugh & Bridges)
Wed.
Same
Fri.
Same
_____________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 10 (10/22-10/26)
Mon.
Same
Wed.
Topics:
Sexuality and Sexual Identity
Readings: Chapter 6--All (Etaugh & Bridges)
Fri.
Same
Psychology of Women
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_____________________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 11 (10/29-11/2)
Mon.
Same
Wed.
Same
Fri.
**Exam #2**
_____________________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 12 (11/5-11/9)
Mon.
Topics:
Survivors of Abuse
Readings: Chapter 14--All (Etaugh & Bridges)
Assignment: Group Project—Sexual Harassment Workshop.
Wed.
Same
Fri.
Same
_____________________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 13 (11/12-11/16)
Mon.
Same
Assignment: Debate-- Porn up, rape down AND Women and pornography: What
we don’t know can hurt us.
Wed.
Topics: Women’s Mental Health
Readings: Chapter 13--All (Etaugh & Bridges)
Fri.
Same
_____________________________________________________________________________________
WEEK # 14 (11/19-11/23)
Mon.
Same
Wed.
**No Class**
Fri.
**No Class**
Mon.
Same
Wed.
Topics: Women and Work
Readings: Chapters 10 &11: All (Etaugh & Bridges)
Assignment: Group Project: Job Segregation in Academia?
**Paper Due**
Fri.
Same
WEEK # 15 (11/26-11/30)
______________________________________________________________________________
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WEEK #16 (12/3-12/7)
Mon.
Same
Wed.
Same
Assignment: Future Plans Survey.
Fri.
**No Class**
______________________________________________________________________________
FINAL EXAMS
1st Section: Dec. 10th (Mon.) 2:30-4:20
2nd Section: Dec. 13th (Thurs.) 10:10-12:00
______________________________________________________________________________