COURSE SYLLABUS

                         Psychology 23--Personal and Social Adjustment

                                                        Fall 2003

                            Section 6344–Merced, Th 7:00-9:00 pm, S-102

 

OFFICE HOURS AND COMMUNICATION:

 

I am usually available in Science 131 (Upstairs Science offices) during the hour prior to each class meeting. I can also arrange to meet with you by appointment. Phone messages may be left with the Division secretary at 384-6073. You can e-mail me at newins.j@mccd.edu.

COURSE G0ALS: At the end of the course you will:

 

1.                  Understand how biology, development, cognitive factors, and environment affect adjustment;

2.                  Understand the impact of stress on health, behavior, and emotional functioning;

3.                  Be aware of major contributors to the field of psychosocial adjustment and their theories.

4.                  Develop basic critical thinking skills for understanding and evaluating information and claims about psychology and adjustment in the popular media;

5.                  Develop an intellectual curiosity about the psychology of mental health and adjustment.

 

COURSE STRUCTURE:

 

1.                  The course will follow the organization of the text. Twelve of the 16 chapters in the text will be required reading, and the remaining four will be extra credit. Staying current with the reading is expected and necessary for success in the class. Weekly quizzes will be given at the beginning of each class session on that week’s reading assignment.

2.                  Class sessions will consist of quizzes on the reading, brief lectures, videos, discussions, and small group activities.

3.                  There will be two  written assignments: an autobiography, and a critical decision paper. Specific guidelines and requirements will be distributed separately.

4.                  There will be four tests, each covering three chapters from the text. These are non-cumulative and worth 75 points each.  There is also a 75-point comprehensive final exam over all the assigned chapters. The lowest score of these five exams will be dropped. Don’t forget Scan-Trons!

 

POLICIES:

 

1.                  Participation and attendance: Credit will be earned each class meeting on quizzes and participation in group discussion activities. Missed quizzes and in-class activities cannot be made up. The lowest two quiz scores and in class activity scores will be dropped; thus you may miss two class meetings for any reason without penalty. I appreciate knowing if you will miss class, but plan on using your absence as one of the dropped scores. Note: I reserve the right to drop students who miss more than 3 class meetings, including exams.

 

2.                  Missed Exams/Make ups: As noted above, there is no provision for making up weekly quizzes or in class work. If you miss an exam, except for Exam #4, it may be made up during the scheduled final exam period at the end of the semester. If you want to take a test prior to its scheduled time, discuss this with me at least one week ahead of time. There are no other make up options.

 

3.                  Dishonesty/Plagiarism: Presenting others’ work as your own [plagiarism] or cheating on quizzes or exams is a serious academic offense and will result in consequences that can range from zero credit on an assignment or exam to failing the course. In written assignments, others’ work must be cited and presented in quotation marks if copied verbatim. Individual presentations of group work should always be in your own words and acknowledge the contributions of others, as appropriate. If you have questions about the “boundaries” of plagiarism, be sure to ask, either privately or in class.

 

4.                  Self-disclosure and privacy: Most of the content of the text and the material presented in class is likely to have personal relevance to most students. Disclosure of personal experiences and concerns related to course topics is welcome; however, no one should feel compelled to reveal anything about themselves that they wish to keep private.

 

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING:

 

Best 10 of 12 scores on chapter quizzes @ 10 points each                                            = 100 points

4 exams @ 75 points each                                                                                            = 300 points

Autobiography                                                                                                  =   40 points

Critical Decision paper                                                                                      =   50 points

In-class activities (6 @ 10 points each)                                                             =   60 points

TOTAL                                                                                                                       = 550 points

 

Course grades will be determined as follows:

A = 495+  (90%)

B = 440+  (80%)

C = 360+  (66%)

D = 305+ (55%)

F = <305

 

ADJUSTMENTS: The tests, quizzes, and assignments above, or their values, may be modified or canceled during the course of the semester as necessary or appropriate. In determining final grades, I may adjust the total points possible to a value between the actual points possible and the highest student score obtained, using the percentages described above to determine grades.

 

EXTRA CREDIT, up to a maximum of 40 points, may be earned by taking quizzes on the unassigned chapters at each exam, as scheduled. Extra credit quizzes may not be made up if missed. Each extra credit quiz is worth 12 points. In order to receive any extra credit points, you must score at least 7 points. Extra credit quizzes are not counted in the total possible points. Extra credit quizzes are the only way of earning extra credit.

 

TIME & PREPARATION: Success in transfer level courses requires substantial time and effort. It is important to balance the demands of this course with those of your job, family, other courses, and your personal life. Plan on spending at least 6 hours a week outside of class to prepare for this course.