Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.—In partnership with the International Institute and its Office of Study Abroad, Mississippi State University’s Department of Psychology is offering a “Psychology of Evil” course that will be taught in Germany and Poland during the 2018 Maymester.
Designed for upperclassmen and graduate students, the three-week course taking place May 5-25 will explore “the ingredients that fuel collective human atrocities like the Holocaust,” said MSU Associate Professor of Psychology Colleen Sinclair.
“The goal of psychological science is to understand human nature. Sometimes, this requires attempting to make sense of behaviors that appear utterly senseless,” Sinclair said. “Events like the Holocaust linger in our memory as we struggle to understand why and how such inhumanity could prevail, especially on such a massive scale.”
Sinclair said the new course integrates 70 years of social science research in psychology, communication, history and sociology, among other fields.
“By studying some of the darkest pages in human history, students can emerge with an understanding of how the toxic mix of destructive leaders, susceptible followers, dangerous speech and conducive environments unleashes the dark side of human nature,” Sinclair explained.
Students must have completed Introduction to Psychology, be in good junior standing and possess at least a 2.5 GPA to participate in the “Psychology of Evil” study abroad course.
The deadline to register is Feb. 16, 2018, with a $150 non-refundable fee due at time of application. Space is limited, so interested students are encouraged to register as soon as possible online at https://tinyurl.com/PsychologyofEvilMaymester2018.
For more course information, visit https://psychofevil.weebly.com or contact Sinclair at 662-325-9166 or csinclair@psychology.msstate.edu.
Learn about MSU’s Department of Psychology at www.psychology.msstate.edu; International Institute, www.international.msstate.edu.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.