Center for Distance and Independent Study
Psychology 4830: Psychology of Women

Welcome

Course Introduction

The psychology of women is a fascinating topic that is relevant to everyone, male or female, gay or straight, conservative or liberal. More than half of the people alive today are female, and I believe everyone can benefit from the systematic scientific study of issues relevant to women. In completing this course, you will gain a new perspective on women, a more critical eye when reading scientific research and consuming popular media, and an improved ability to express yourself in writing. I know that is a lot to accomplish, but I believe these are all skills any college graduate should have. After completing this course, I want you to be ready to go successfully and thoughtfully into the world when you graduate.

You will find this course interesting and challenging. I believe that this material is important, but a broader goal of this class is to encourage you to think critically and express yourself in writing. So, while this course is not technically "writing intensive," writing is part of the foundation of this class. After all, knowledge isn't worth much if you aren't able to effectively communicate it to other people.

A major theme in this class will be how women are portrayed in the media. Everyday we are exposed to a barrage of images purporting to show how women are, or how they should be. These images are often deeply distorted and even damaging. The effects of exposure to media portrayals of women is a fascinating topic, in part because we are so used to the media that we no longer see it for what it is. Its effects are insidious. Understanding the way in which women are portrayed is important because girls and women are socialized through the media. If the messages telling women how to be are unhealthy and unrealistic, what effect does this have on women and girls? What effect does it have on men? 

Note: This course contains illustrations and images that are graphic in nature.

Catalog Description: Overview of current theories and research relating to the psychology of women. Topics include gender stereotyping, psychological sex differences, achievement motivation in women, and women and mental health. Prerequisite: PSYCH 1000.

Time Limit for Course Completion: 9 months. All assessments must be submitted and graded within this time.

Course Keycode: 2294

Textbooks/Materials

Required Textbooks and Other Materials

• Crawford, M. (2006). Transformations: Women, gender and psychology. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.
• Wolf, N. (2002). The Beauty Myth. New York: Harper Perennial. First published 1991 by William Morrow and Company.
• You will need three magazines marketed to women or adolescent girls such as Woman’s Day, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, US Weekly, or Seventeen. Other titles are acceptable and date of publication does not matter.

Additional Reading

• Recommendations for supplemental reading and other resources are included within the lessons.

How to Study for This Course

Read the books. You are responsible for learning the material in the textbook, the supplementary text, and the lessons. Some material only appears in the books, some only appears in the lessons, and some material overlaps. Everything is fair game for exams, and you won’t be able to do well in the class by only reading my lesson commentaries.

Reading once is not enough. You should plan on closely reading each chapter and lesson at least two times and going back to read sections you don’t understand more frequently. In an independent study course there is no lecture; therefore, you are responsible for reviewing material until you understand it.

Write while you read. Many students find it helpful to take notes on the book and the lesson commentaries, and to use these notes to help them organize concepts and study for exams.

Pay attention to the objectives. I only list something as an objective at the beginning of a lesson if I think it is especially important. The things I think are especially important are very likely to show up on exams.

Spend time on the exercises. Make sure to complete all exercises that appear throughout each lesson. While it's true that these don't count toward your final grade, you will find that the exams and progress evaluations will be very similar to the exercises.

Look for concepts that pop up more than once. I mentioned earlier that everything is fair game for exams, but you'll notice some concepts are mentioned many times in the lesson, textbook, and exercises. If something is mentioned several times you're especially likely to see it again on the exam.

If you got it wrong, make sure to get it right. When you are taking progress evaluations, study questions or self-tests, make sure to go back to items that you got wrong. Find out why your answer was incorrect and why the other answer was correct. Sometimes students have a hard time with one type of question. If this is happening for you, it's best to figure it out before the exam. Remember, the questions on the exams will be similar to the questions you find in the lessons and progress evaluations.

Express yourself in writing. Thinking critically and expressing yourself in writing is a big part of this course. Make sure to put some effort into your message board posts, papers, and essay answers. Even though this is not a writing class, the quality of your writing counts in your grade. Take time to think about what you are saying and to run spell check.

Ask for help. If you find that there are concepts that you are struggling with understanding, don’t hesitate to contact CDIS and they will put you in touch with someone who can help explain the material.

Additional Study Hints

About the Course Developer

Erin Hunt-Carter grew up in a small city in the Midwest. After high school she attended Eastern Michigan University and spent two years majoring in biochemistry. During her sophomore year, she took an introductory psychology course on a whim, and was hooked. Erin changed her major and began working as a research assistant. During college she also spent time as a crisis counselor at a local suicide hotline and crisis center.

After college, Erin married and began graduate studies at the University of Missouri. She received her master’s degree in 2002. Erin is primarily interested in biological mechanisms that contribute to the etiology of substance use disorders, especially alcoholism. Erin has published several papers and presented research findings in the area of addictions at several regional and international conferences. Her teaching experience includes one year of teaching undergraduate Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, a course that she also authored for CDIS. Erin has also worked as a teaching assistant. Along with her research and teaching, Erin has worked as a therapist in the community.

Currently, Erin is completing her doctoral studies at the University of Missouri. She lives with her husband, son, and daughter, two dogs, and one naughty cat. After completing her doctoral studies, Erin plans to become a professor.

Technical Specifications

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