Joanie Connors, Ph.D.
314 North Pinos Altos St.
Silver City, NM 88061
jconnors@highstream.net
Description: This course will review
the psychological causes of self-deception. The course overview will include
the psychophysiological causes, the ego-protective causes and the social
shaping that lead to the inability to see yourself as you really are.
Goals: To understand the variety of
psychological processes that make people blind to their own faults and
mistakes, therefore unable to learn from experience.
Content:
1.
What is self-deception?
a)
Adaptive functions of self-deception
b)
The 3 parts of self-deception: biological forces,
ego buffers and social/interpersonal shapers of our behavior
c)
Dangers of self-deception
2.
Part I: Biologically based self-deception Forces
against awareness
a)
Habituation processes being asleep
b)
Pain and attention
c)
Salience of negative information
d)
Fear & resistance to change homeostasis
e)
Cognitive dissonance
3.
Part II: Ego buffers Self-protection
a)
Self-serving biases - blindness to our own faults
b)
Self-justification
c)
Overconfidence & vanity
d)
Selective memory and denial
4.
Part III: Socially based self-deception being
shaped by other people
a)
Family of origin imprinting whats normal?
b)
Ways we judge and blame problems on others
c)
Deviance & conformity
d)
Group think
e)
Unrealistic expectations
f)
Power biases & domination hierarchies
5.
Part IV: Becoming aware
a)
The power of awareness
b)
Creating aware and healthy relationships
c)
An aware society
Evaluation:
Attendance/Participation 100 points
Journal/Knowledge of Readings 100 points
Problem Presentation 100 points
Solution Presentation 100 points
Final Exam 100 points
TOTAL 500 points
Grading Scale:
500-460 points A
459-425 points B
424-400 points C
399-350 points D
349 & lower F
Academic Honesty:
Academic dishonesty involves acts which compromise
the integrity of the educational process, such as cheating on tests,
plagiarizing (copying from another) written assignments, and taking credit for
work done by another. Grades and degrees earned by dishonest means devalue
those earned by all students.
Disabilities: Any students with
physical challenges (disabilities) who might be aided by changing seating
arrangements or other aspects of the course, please
inform me at the beginning of the class, and I will do what I can to
accommodate you.
Class
Bargh, J. A., & Chartrand, T. L. (1999). The unbearable
automaticity of being. American Psychologist, 54, 462479.
Goleman, Daniel (1986). Vital Lies, Simple
Truths: The Psychology of Self-Deception.
Wilson, Timothy D. & Dunn,
Journal Assignment:
Students are to keep a weekly journal throughout
the semester. Journal pages are to be divided in half with a vertical line on
each page. The left half of the page will be used to define class topics as
described in the readings (or in the student presentations) that week. The
right half is to reflect on and describe examples you have witnessed in your
own life and in those around you of that kind of self-deception. Length of
journal is one page per topic if handwritten, and half page per topic if typed
(100+ words per side weekly).
Journal entries are to be shown to the instructor
at the beginning of each class and complete journals will be due by the last
class and returned at the final exam.
Problem Assignment: Students are to pick a psychological, family,
community or social problem which can be traced to self-deception and prepare a
5 minute presentation to the class on it. Each presentation should include a
handout with basic information and 3 references about the problem.
Solution Assignment:
Students are to address the same problem from the previous assignment and suggest
ways to decrease the influence of self-deception on that problem. The student
will prepare a 5 minute presentation to the class with a handout describing
their solutions and 3 references about their solutions.
Class Schedule:
Session 1: Overview, What is
self-deception?
·
The adaptive functions of self-deception
·
The 3 parts of self-deception: biological forces,
ego buffers and social/interpersonal shapers of our behavior
·
The dangers of self-deception
o
Read Wilson & Dunn
Session
2: Part I: Biologically based self-deception Psychophysiological forces
against awareness:
·
Pain and attention
·
Read Goleman, chapter automaticity
o
Read Bargh & Chartrand
Session
3: Biologically based self-deception continued
·
Fear & resistance to change homeostasis
·
Salience of negative information
o
Read Myers, chapter 2, pp 37-55
Session 4: Part II: Ego buffers
Self-protection
·
Self-serving biases - blindness to our own faults
·
Self-justification & cognitive dissonance
o
Read Myers, chapter 2: pp 55-76
Session 5: Ego buffers continued
·
Overconfidence & vanity
·
Selective memory and expectations
o
Read Goleman, chapters 2 & 3
Session 6: Part III: Socially based
self-deception being shaped by other people
·
Family of origin imprinting whats normal?
·
Ways we judge and blame problems on others
o
Read Goleman, chapter (part) 5
o
Read Myers, chapter 3: pp 77-118
Session 7: Socially based self-deception
continued
·
Roles
o
Read Myers, chapter 5
·
Deviance & pressure to conform
o
Read Myers, chapter 6
Session 8: Socially based self-deception
continued
·
Group think
o
Read Psychologists for Social Responsibility
website material
·
Power games, biases & dominance
hierarchies
o
Read Myers, chapter 9
Session 9: Part IV: Dealing with
self-deception
·
Problems caused by self-deception
o
Student presentations of problems
o
Discussion
Session 10: Dealing with self-deception
continued
·
Problems caused by self-deception
o
Student presentations of problems
o
Discussion: How to know that self-deception is
happening
Session 11: The power of awareness
·
Recognizing self-deception
o
Student presentations of solutions
o
Discussion
Session 12: Creating
aware and healthy relationships
o
Student presentations of solutions
·
Discussion, awareness in relationships
Session 13: An
aware society
·
The role of the media
·
Playing an active role as a citizen
o
Student presentations of solutions
Session 14: Open book final exam. Class feedback.