Evil

So what did you learn?

In reflecting on your experience, I hope you feel that you have learned how psychological science helps answer questions about human nature and the good and evil it embodies.  Even more so, I hope you find that you have learned something about yourself, about the influence on your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and most importantly the ways you can leverage your learning to the benefit of yourself and those around you.

Revisiting the learning outcomes we set out to achieve, take a moment to think about how you would demonstrate your success if our final was an oral exam:

• • Provide scientific evidence that evil has both physiological and social causes that interact with each other.

  • Analyze case studies of good and evil acts and explain the underlying psychological theories and research findings that inform your analysis.

  • Apply psychological principles to design and execute interventions to reduce evil and increase faith in humanity among strangers in your community.

What do you want to learn more about?

We have only scratched the surface of theory and research related to different aspects of evil, so if we could add another unit onto the resources and the course, what questions would it help you answer?  You've practiced using the online tools to locate scientific papers, so you now have the means to explore the research yourself.  If you have a resource that you think I should consider including on this site, please send it to me at evil@umd.edu

Join me online!

You are now part of a broader community, so please consider joining us on Facebook @evilumd and share your stories and any resources you think I should consider including on this site.