Fall 2025 - PSYC 461 D100
Advanced Topics in Social Psychology (4)
Class Number: 3883
Delivery Method: In Person
Overview
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Course Times + Location:
Sep 3 – Dec 2, 2025: Mon, 2:30–5:20 p.m.
Burnaby
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Instructor:
Yuthika Girme
ygirme@sfu.ca
Office: RCB 8307
Office Hours: Friday's 11am - 12pm via Zoom
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Prerequisites:
PSYC 201, 210, 260, 60 units, and a CGPA of 3.0. Other prerequisites vary by topic offering.
Description
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:
Course can be repeated for credit. Students may not take this course for further credit if similar topics are covered. See Psychology department website for course description.
COURSE DETAILS:
This is a seminar based course. Seminars are designed to be highly interactive, involving class presentations, small group exercises, and class discussions. Given the small size of the seminar class, the use of laptops or tablets for note-taking will be strongly discouraged in order to minimize distractions and facilitate engaged seminar discussions.
COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:
The major objectives of this course are to critically evaluate historical and emerging claims about singlehood and to apply your understanding of singlehood theories and processes to explain diverse and complex singlehood experiences.
Grading
- Participation: 10%
- Class Faciliation: 20%
- Create a Sim: 50%
- Group Project Science Communication: 10%
- Final Reflection: 10%
NOTES:
Around the world, the rates of singlehood are on the rise. People are more often living in single person households, marrying later, and are more likely to be without a romantic partner than in the past. Although research on singlehood had been sparse, researchers from a variety of disciplines are beginning to converge on this topic in a way that has created a growing, multi-disciplinary body of literature. We may be watching the founding of a new academic sub-discipline in real time!
Topics:
The Rise of Singlehood Studies, Singlehood as an Identity, Individual Differences, Social Connection and Social Disapproval, Singlehood at the Intersection of Gender, Singlehood in a Racialized Context, Singlehood and Aging, Queering Singlehood, Medicine, Policy and Law, Singlehood and Relationships + One Class Chosen Topic.
REQUIREMENTS:
No prerequisite waivers will be given for this class.
Materials
MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:
There is no textbook for this course. Students will read weekly resources that are freely available on-line.
REQUIRED READING NOTES:
Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.
Registrar Notes:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS
At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.
To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit:
- SFU’s Academic Integrity Policy: S10-01 Policy
- SFU’s Academic Integrity website, which includes helpful videos and tips in plain language: Academic Integrity at SFU
RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION
Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.