WHAT DR. DANYLUCK TEACHES
Courses on the science of connection, identity, and health.
Overview of Teaching Philosophy
Psycho-physiological Methods
PSYC 4001 A/PSYC 5804
Dr. Danyluck teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at Carleton University. His courses explore the science of relationships, identity, and well-being. His teaching draws on social and health psychology, as well as psychophysiology to equip students with both conceptual depth and advanced methodological skills. Course topics range from Indigenous mental health and psychophysiological methods to group dynamics, discrimination, and interpersonal processes. He also teaches a social psychology honours seminar that prepares students to design, conduct, and communicate original research, with broad training in experimental methods and critical inquiry.
Psychophysiology is the scientific study of psychological, social, and behavioural phenomena as revealed through physiological processes in living organisms (Cacioppo, Tassinary, & Berntson, 2017). This course introduces students to how activity in the heart, lungs, skin, hormones, muscles, and sexual system reflects psychological states and processes. Students gain hands-on experience across the full research pipeline — from data collection and processing to statistical analysis and scientific writing. Graduates of this course develop advanced, highly marketable skills that are rarely acquired before postdoctoral or faculty training.
Physiological Synchrony
PSYC 4001 A/ PSYCH 5209 F
Have you ever experienced a moment of “chemistry” with a stranger, or watched a team move as if they shared a single mind? These moments may reflect physiological synchrony — mutual shifts in arousal that occur between people during social interaction. This course explores how synchrony arises across relationship types (e.g., romantic partners, friends, strangers) and social contexts (e.g., conflict, cooperation), and how it relates to outcomes such as friendship interest, team performance, and relationship quality. In addition to surveying current findings, students will critically examine the theoretical and methodological challenges facing this area of research. The course emphasizes open questions and offers conceptual and technical tools for advancing the science of synchrony, including physiological recording, data analysis, and model evaluation.
Social Psychology Honors Seminar
PSYC 3100 A
This seminar prepares students to design, conduct, and communicate their honours thesis research. Grounded in social psychology, the course builds core competencies that extend across subfields. Students gain experience in formulating research questions, developing hypotheses, designing ethical studies, analyzing data using statistical software, and writing APA-style reports. Emphasis is also placed on oral presentation and peer feedback. By the end of the course, students will be equipped with the skills needed to complete a rigorous independent project and contribute meaningfully to psychological science.
Indigenous Mental Health
PSYC 4001 H
Group Dynamics and Intergroup Relations: The Psychology of Conflict, Cooperation, and Harmony
PSYC 3104
First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and other Indigenous communities in Canada continue to face disproportionately high levels of psychological distress, often rooted in ongoing colonial systems and histories. This course reviews contemporary research on Indigenous mental health and resilience, while placing that research within a decolonial framework. Students will critically assess the assumptions and tools of psychological science, exploring their relevance — and potential harms — in Indigenous contexts. Course topics include discrimination, stress, and cultural healing, as well as alternative approaches promoted by Indigenous peoples themselves. The course also draws from adjacent fields (e.g., anthropology) to examine how broader systems of power shape mental health and well-being.
This course explores the psychological processes that shape interactions within and between social groups. Topics include social identity, stereotyping, prejudice, intergroup emotions, and collective action. The course focuses on how these processes can lead to misunderstanding and conflict — and on how they can be leveraged to promote cooperation and more equitable group relations. Students will engage with both foundational theories and recent research, with opportunities to connect course material to real-world issues.
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1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Canada K1S 5B6
THE CUSP LAB 