PSYC 262 Course Syllabus (Spring 2024)
PSYC 262 Course Syllabus (Spring 2024)
Why do we do what we do? This question is at the core of lay, philosophical, and psychological
approaches to human motivation. Within contemporary scientific psychology, one approach to
human motivation that has burgeoned over the last 50 years is self-determination theory, which
traces its origins to the University of Rochester. Arguably, self-determination theory is the
leading psychological approach to human motivation and, therefore, is the focus of this course.
I have been teaching An Approach to Human Motivation at the University of Rochester since
2007, and I thoroughly enjoy doing so. For me, the content of An Approach to Human
Motivation—with its focus on self-determination theory—is immensely rich, complex, and
inspiring. For many undergraduates who have taken this course, the content of An Approach to
Human Motivation can inspire personal growth and self-understanding, better relationships with
others, and psychological wellness and integration to the extent that students actively wrestle
with and apply the material to their own experience. Therefore, I have decided to redevelop An
Approach to Human Motivation as a “hybrid” course that combines traditional instruction (viz.,
lecture) with student-led inquiry and group-based discovery.
Here’s how it works
1. Each week, students will attend a lecture delivered by Professor Niemiec that focuses on
the theoretical tenets and real-world applications of self-determination theory. These
lectures will be recorded and available on blackboard, yet student attendance of these
lectures is highly encouraged!
2. After lecture, Professor Niemiec will post one or two empirical articles on blackboard.
These articles will be relevant to the week’s lecture (see Point 1) and will contain
Introduction, Method, and Results sections only (Abstract and Discussion sections
will be redacted). All students will be responsible for reading one or both articles.
Students will be asked to submit questions to their teaching assistant for one of the
articles—as determined by their teaching assistant.
3. During the next class period, students will engage in small-group, in-class, TA-
facilitated discussions that focus on the empirical articles relevant to the week’s lecture.
Each “small group” (~12 students) will be sub-divided into two “mini-groups” (~6
students), and each “mini-group” will be responsible for presenting to their “small group”
on the Introduction, Method, and Results sections of their assigned empirical article.
These presentations will take approximately 30 minutes. For the remainder of the class
period, students will engage in a discussion about the week’s lecture content and
empirical articles, and this discussion will follow from the questions that students
submit (see Point 2) and from topics for conversation initiated by the teaching staff. This
discussion will take approximately 45 minutes.
4. Following each in-class discussion session (see Point 3), students will be invited to write
a ~400 word reflection paper that essentially “fills in” the redacted Discussion section
from the empirical article on which their “mini-group” presented. In these reflection
papers, students are encouraged to write on the theoretical implications (~150 words)
and practical implications (~150 words) of the empirical article under consideration, as
well as any personal implications that come to mind (~100 words). It is necessary to
write four reflection papers for each section of the course (Section 1 on theoretical tenets,
Section 2 on real-world applications). Students can write up to six reflection papers for
each section of the course, and the four reflection papers from each section of the course
with top marks (for a total of eight reflection papers) will be factored into the final grade.
Students have one week following the in-class discussion session to submit this paper.
March 7 Examination #1
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in
motivation, development, and wellness. New York: The Guilford Press.
All other readings will be available online through blackboard.
Course Calendar
Overview of Section 2: Real-World Applications
March 19 [Lecture #7] Parenting Chapter 13
April 30 Examination #2
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in
motivation, development, and wellness. New York: The Guilford Press.
The content of PSYC 262 is immensely rich in its scope and detail. Accordingly, students have
been asked to register for a recitation section (really, a discussion session) that will afford an
opportunity to explore this material further. Out-of-class discussion sessions will meet five times
during the semester. In these meetings, students will consider a publication (typically, a book
chapter) that presents an application of self-determination theory that is not covered fully by the
lecture content or the in-class discussion sessions.
1. Students will be asked to write a 500-word synopsis of the publication, and points will
be earned for (1) attending and participating in the discussion session [2 points], (2)
choosing two concepts from the publication and discussing each concept in depth and
detail [6 points], and (3) using new examples to illustrate how the concepts “work” and
why they are important for psychological understanding in “real life” [6 points].
2. Students will be asked to write a 300-word reflection that applies the content of the
publication to your life [6 points].
It is important that your synopsis and reflection be written within the word limits specified.
Your synopsis and reflection are to be submitted via blackboard within one week of your
out-of-class discussion session. Work that is more than one week late (i.e., past the
aforementioned deadline) will not be graded.
It is critical that you attend an out-of-class discussion session for each of the five topics
listed above. If you are unable to attend your registered out-of-class discussion session, then
it is your responsibility to obtain permission—both from your teaching assistant and from
the teaching assistant of the alternate out-of-class discussion session—to attend an alternate
out-of-class discussion session for that week.
A note on learning outcomes
3. Examine how factors that support autonomy, competence, and relatedness are conducive
to optimal motivation, physical health, social integration, psychological wellness, high-
quality performance, and behavioral persistence.
4. Examine how factors that thwart autonomy, competence, and relatedness are detrimental
to optimal motivation, physical health, social integration, psychological wellness, high-
quality performance, and behavioral persistence.
5. Make connections between the theoretical tenets and real-world applications of SDT.
A note on grading
Students can earn points toward their grade in PSYC 262 through the following mechanisms:
Final grades are based on the percentage of points earned (out of 300 total points). Often,
students find it informative to know where they stand in the course based on their performance.
In the Course Syllabus, the assignment asks you to write on the “practical implications” of the
empirical article. Herein, I want to offer additional clarification. In psychology, one of the merits
of theory is that knowledge based on that theory can be put to use to make a difference in the real
world. In considering the “practical implications” of the empirical article, I encourage you to
think about the following issues: What can be done with the findings? How can the findings be
put to use to make a difference in the real world? Again, much is being asked of you in this
assignment. Therefore, it is important to consider in specific detail how people in the real world
can make use of the findings from the present research.
In the Course Syllabus, the assignment asks you to write on the “personal implications” of the
empirical article. In considering the “personal implications” of the empirical article, I encourage
you to think about the following issues: What do the findings mean for your life? How can you
use the findings to make a self-discovery and/or facilitate personal growth?
I will introduce a “continuity of care” model in which the teaching assistant who graded the
paper you wrote for In-Class Discussion 1 will grade the papers you write for the remainder of
the semester. [The “other” teaching assistants will take responsibility for grading your Out-of-
Class Discussion Session papers.] The purpose of this “continuity of care” model is to enhance
the amount of structure students experience in their writing and the feedback they receive on
their writing. I believe students will be better positioned to experience competence and mastery
around their writing in the context of this enhanced structure. To be sure, the teaching assistants
will spend considerable time discussing criteria for evaluating the In-Class (and Out-of-Class)
Discussion Session papers so that their grading is calibrated and average grades are equivalent
across the teaching assistants. If, at the end of the semester, we notice meaningful differences in
average grades among the teaching assistants, then we will make appropriate adjustments by
adding points, if necessary, to “bridge the gap” between students who have been graded by
different teaching assistants. In this way, all students will be fairly and equivalently evaluated on
their work.
The Course Syllabus offers rough approximations of length for the papers you write for the In-
Class Discussion Sessions (i.e., ~, or about, 400 words total, with ~150 for the theoretical
implications, ~150 for the practical implications, and ~100 for the personal implications). The
“~” does not denote “limit”; rather, the “~” suggests an appropriate length for the sections of
these papers, and it is OK to write longer sections and papers, within reason. If you have a
question about length for these papers, then you can consult with me and/or with my teaching
staff.
In redeveloping “An Approach to Human Motivation”, my goal was to create a course in which
the material is meaningful and personally relevant to students’ lives. As well, my goal was to
create a course in which students could think critically about, discuss, and put to active use the
material, as doing so is likely to promote conceptual understanding, long-term retention, and
self-discovery. Finally, my goal was to give students opportunities to think and write critically,
openly, flexibly, and holistically about course material. These academic—and life—skills are
less likely to be acquired in “traditional” lecture courses. That being said, these academic—and
life—skills will assist you in developing your post-college career and taking your career to “the
next level”. The ability to think and write critically, openly, flexibly, and holistically is acquired
by doing things upon which these skills are predicated, such as involvement in the Discussion
Sessions and the papers written in response to the Discussion Sessions. To be sure, often there is
a “struggle” involved in developing these skills, and I believe that the guidelines specified above
—along with your EXCELLENT effort in this course—will guide you in this development.
Again, students will struggle (initially) with writing on the theoretical and practical implications
of empirical articles and that is OK because students will overcome the challenge of writing on
the theoretical and practical implications of empirical articles by learning how to identify
“theoretical tensions”, “gaps in the literature”, and “unanswered questions” that led to the present
research.
The maximum number of credit hours that can be applied to extra credit is 8.0; 8 hours of extra
credit will raise your final grade 2.67 points (out of 100). The maximum amount of credit is
guaranteed to move a student from one grade to the next highest grade (e.g., from B to B+, or
from B+ to A-). [NB: This rule does not necessarily apply at the Pass/Fail boundary.] You must
allocate credits earned through SONA to specific courses, and credits earned this semester
must be used this semester. The deadline for allocating SONA credits to this course is the
last day of Reading Period. Information on research participation and SONA appears below.
At the University of Rochester, matters related to academic honesty and integrity are taken
seriously [www.rochester.edu/College/honesty].
Work for the in-class and out-of-class discussion sessions is to be completed with honesty and
integrity. Common forms of academic dishonesty include using others’ notes and/or papers to
draft your papers, and using verbatim content from the text, from the empirical and/or theoretical
articles, and/or from lecture to draft your papers. The teaching staff will review all papers using
plagiarism detection software.
Examinations are to be completed with honesty and integrity. Common forms of academic
dishonesty on examinations include looking at others’ examination responses, and using
verbatim content from the text, from the empirical and/or theoretical articles, and/or from lecture
to draft your examination responses.
The Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology invites students enrolled in this course to participate in research being
conducted by faculty, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates. The Department believes that research participation is a
valuable opportunity to experience how psychological knowledge is built, and that students can gain insight from participation in
research. Students who are 18+ years of age may earn extra course credit by participating as subjects in departmental research and/or
by pursuing the alternate route to extra course credit described later in this section. Students who are under 18 years of age may earn
extra credit only by pursuing the alternate route. Given sufficient availability of studies—which is not guaranteed—participation in
research can earn extra credit toward your grade in this course. A total of 8 hours of extra credit is the maximum that may be earned and
credited toward a particular course in any given semester, and earning the maximum of eight hours of extra credit is guaranteed to move
a student from one passing grade to the next highest grade (e.g., B+ to A-) [this may not apply at the Pass/Fail boundary], but cannot
move a student two grade steps (e.g., B- to B+). Credits are not retained for later semesters.
Researchers agree to explain fully the general context of the research, its specific purpose, and the study design. Typically, debriefing
will occur immediately after participation in the study. If debriefing is delayed, then researchers are required to mail the information to you
before the end of the semester. You have a right to understand the research in which you are involved; if you believe a researcher is
unwilling to discuss the research with you fully, then you may notify the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Psychology (Christopher
Niemiec; [email protected]) or the Chair of the Psychology Department (Loisa Bennetto; [email protected]).
Researchers commit to following both University and Federal guidelines for obtaining informed consent. The researcher should provide
information about what you will be asked to do in the study, any risks or benefits to you, who to contact if you have questions about the
study or about your rights as a participant, who will have access to the data you generate—including your identity—and what will happen
to your data if you decide not to participate in the study. You are free to withdraw from a study without penalty at any time and receive
credit for your time.
Missed appointments (Researcher): Notify the SONA Administrator ([email protected]) if a researcher fails to keep an
appointment. The SONA Administrator will verify your claim and will assign 1/2 hour credit as appropriate.
Missed appointments (Students): Students who acquire more than three unexcused no-shows in the current semester for studies for
which they have signed up will lose the opportunity to sign up for further studies in the current semester. In order not to acquire an
unexcused no-show for a study for which you are unable to attend, it is necessary that you cancel your sign up via the SONA System at
least 24 hours prior to your research appointment. If you are signed up for a study and you do not attend your research appointment,
then you will acquire an unexcused no-show for that study. More than three unexcused no-shows will result in your losing the ability to
participate in additional research (and receive additional extra credit via this route) in the current semester.
Alternate Route to Credits: If you prefer, or if you are under 18 years of age, then you may pursue an alternate route to earning extra
course credit. Your instructor will provide assignments that focus on research in psychology and involve about the same investment of
time per point as participating in research. These may involve computer simulations of research, critical evaluations of research reports,
learning more about research methods in psychology, or a mix of these and similar activities. Some assignments may be scheduled for a
given time and place, whereas others may be done at the student's convenience. To pursue this alternative, notify the instructor and
work out the details with him or her. Instructors will respond favorably to these requests if they are received within 4 weeks of your entry
into the course. Students may use a combination of SONA and the alternate route(s) to earning extra credit.
Deadline for earning and assigning SONA credits: The SONA System will close at the end of the last day of Reading Period. This
means that all participation in SONA research studies must be completed on or prior to this deadline so that experimenters can enter
credit into the SONA System. Students must allocate all SONA credits to their psychology courses on or prior to this deadline.
The SONA System will close at the end of the last day of Reading Period
o No appointments should be scheduled after this date
o This is the last day you can assign SONA credits to your courses
IMPORTANT:
o Participation in research is voluntary; it is not required
o You must allocate your credits to your courses if you are in more than one course that
accepts SONA credit
o SONA credits earned this term must be used during this term
o Send any questions or concerns to [email protected]