COURSE UNIT TITLE

: COGNITIVE AND EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
FDB 6274 COGNITIVE AND EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION ELECTIVE 3 0 0 7

Offered By

Philosophy and Religious Sciences

Level of Course Unit

Third Cycle Programmes (Doctorate Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR CIHAD KISA

Offered to

Philosophy and Religious Sciences

Course Objective

This course aims introduce students to the idea of approaching religious belief and behaviour from a biological point of view, to evaluate behaviors and the possible processes under them from an evolutionary standpoint and to teach the basics of evolutionary psychology with a holisctic approach.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Learning the process of evolutionary theory from a psychobiologic perspective and how it may be applied to the understanding of behaviour.
2   Describe the recent evolution of the human species and discuss factors that may have been important in the evolution of some characteristic features of human behaviour.
3   Defines the concept of instinct, classical ethology, evolutionary psychology and evolved psychological mechanisms.
4   Critically evaluate theories and evidence concerning the evolution of various specific human behaviours

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Conceptual Foundations of Evolutionary Psychology
2 Methods of Evolutionary Sciences
3 Controversial Issues in Evolutionary Psychology
4 Survival: Various Adaptation Processes
5 Adaptationism and Human Mating Psychology
6 Parenting and Kinship
7 Group Living
8 Mid-Term Exam.
9 Evolutionary Developmental Psychology
10 Evolutionary Cognitive Psychology
11 Religious Instinct
12 Why Religious Belief Succeed
13 Problems with the Religion as instinct view
14 Final Exam

Recomended or Required Reading

1. Supplementary Book(s): Buss, D. (2008) Evolutionary Psychology (3rd ed.), Pearson; Allyn & Bacon.
2. Workman, L. & Reader, W. (2004). Evolutionary psychology: An introduction, Cambridge.
3. Lee A. Kirkpatrick. Attachment, Evolution and The Psychology of Religion, Guilford Press.
Barrett, L., Dunbar, R. & Lycett, J. (2002). Human evolutionary psychology. Palgrave Macmillan.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lecture, Question-Answer, Discussion, Brain Storming , Testing, Homework

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
2 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE
3 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE MTE * 0.40 + FCG* 0.60
4 RST RESIT
5 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) MTE * 0.40 + RST* 0.60


Further Notes About Assessment Methods

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Assessment Criteria

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Language of Instruction

Turkish

Course Policies and Rules

If the instructor needs to add some explanation or further note, this column can be selected from the DEBIS menu.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

cihad.kisa@deu.edu.tr

Office Hours

Wednesday 14:00 - 16:00

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 13 3 39
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 13 5 65
Preparation for midterm exam 1 10 10
Preparation for final exam 1 15 15
Preparing assignments 1 3 3
Preparing presentations 1 3 3
Reading 10 3 30
Web Search and Library Research 4 3 12
Midterm 1 2 2
Final 1 2 2
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 181

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10PO.11PO.12PO.13
LO.154454
LO.254454
LO.354454
LO.454454