Professor Debbie Bicket
bicketd@evangel.edu
865-2815 x7391
Office: Bldg 25, room 202J
Office hours as posted
887-4898 (home)
AA
MENTAL HEALTH
EVANGEL UNIVERSITY
Syllabus and Schedule
Course Description
This course is a study of the normal personality, with emphasis on the psychology of
adjustment and healthy personal development.
Course Objectives
This course is intended to:
1. Introduce students to the components of mental health.
2. Introduce students to the obstacles and barriers to psychological adjustment.
3. Challenge students to analyze their own mental health and adjustment, and make
appropriate changes.
Specific Objectives
Upon successful completion of the course, the student should be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Define stress and explain its effects
Identify potential coping processes
Describe the differences between self-concept, self-esteem, and identity.
Describe the components of interpersonal communication.
Describe the development of friendships, love, marriage/intimate relationships,
sexuality, and forgiveness.
6. Identify gender similarities and differences and the development of gender roles.
7. Describe models of career choice and development.
8. Identify categories of psychological disorders and possible treatment options.
Required Textbook
Weiten, W. and Lloyd, M.A. (2003). Psychology applied to modern life (7th ed.). United
States: Wadsworth.
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Course Requirements
These things are expected:
1. Good attendance. There is a direct correlation between good attendance and good
grades. (See text, p. 24.)
2. Participation in class discussions. Your opinions are valued. If you have a
borderline grade, good class participation may provide the motivation for me to
bump you up to the next grade.
3. Completion of all reading as assigned.
4. Responsibility for all material covered in class in addition to material in textbook.
If you are absent, it is YOUR responsibility to check with someone to find out if
the schedule has changed or if you missed any key information.
5. Honesty, integrity, self-disclosure, self-exploration, and a willingness to learn and
grow are critical to success in this course.
6. PROOFREAD your work. I am not your proofreader. Frequent mechanical
and/or grammatical mistakes may result in an assignment being docked one letter
grade or being returned to you for corrections and therefore, being counted late.
7. Completion of all homework assignments on time is expected. Late homework
will be docked 10 points per day late.
ASSIGNMENTS
1. Three exams worth approximately 50 points each are scheduled. You are
expected to take all exams on the scheduled days. If an emergency arises on an
exam day or when an assignment is due, you must notify me PRIOR to class. If
an exam is excused, it must be made up before the next class period by contacting
me, or the secretary in Behavioral Sciences (ext. 7227). The exam may not be
identical to the one given in class.
2. You will be required to design, implement, and evaluate a Personal Behavior
Modification Program. We will discuss this in class, but the technique we will
follow is explained in-depth on pages 118-123 in your text.
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3. You will need to design a current, up-to-date résumé, using pages 358-360 in your
textbook as a guide.
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MENTAL HEALTH SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS
NOTE: The activities listed should be completed before the class meets. They will be
due the night the class meets.
CLASS #1
1. Read chapters 1, 2, and 3 before coming to class.
2. List, in rank order, approximately 5 factors that you think are important for your
own happiness.
3. Write a ½ to one page paper answering the following:
a. What has been the most stressful experience in your life to date?
b. What did you learn from the experience?
4. Come prepared with an idea or two of something you would either like to change,
like breaking a bad habit (i.e. nail biting, poor eating habits, road rage, etc.) or a
good habit that you would like to incorporate into your life (i.e. regular exercise,
more time with God, regular study time, being on time for daily activities, etc.)
We will begin discussion of a Behavior Modification Plan in the first class.
5. Answer the following questions from chapter 3. Please number
and type your answers.
Be brief, but thorough. Simple definitions are appropriate for some questions.
1. Explain the nature of stress and discuss how common it is.
2. Describe three types of conflict and discuss typical reactions to
conflicts.
3. List three categories of negative emotions commonly elicited by
stress.
4. Describe the fight-or-flight response and the three stages of the
general adaptation syndrome.
5. Explain the concept of coping.
6. Discuss the evidence on how stress can affect cognitive
functioning.
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7. Discuss the prevalence, symptoms, and causes of posttraumatic
stress disorder.
8. Discuss how social support moderates the impact of stress.
9. Describe the hardiness syndrome and how it influences stress
tolerance.
10. Discuss how optimism and conscientiousness are related to stress
tolerance.
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CLASS #2
1. Read chapters 4, 5, and 6.
2. Answer the following questions for each chapter. Each chapter’s answers
should be numbered and typed on a separate page by chapter.
3. Keep record of your activity on your Baseline Time Log.
4. Discuss in a ½ to one page paragraph, some things that happened to you
during childhood, both positive and negative, that could have affected the
development of your self-esteem.
5. Be prepared for an exam over chapters 5,6,7 and 8.
6. Turn in Steps 1, 2, 3, the Contract, and the Baseline Data Time Log for
your Behavior Modification Plan.
MENTAL HEALTH Chapter 4 Notes
1. Discuss the adaptive value of giving up as a response to stress.
2. Discuss the adaptive value of aggression as a response to stress.
3. Discuss the adaptive value of indulging yourself as a response to stress.
4. Discuss the adaptive value of negative self-talk as a response to stress.
5. Explain how defense mechanisms work.
6. Discuss the adaptive value of defense mechanisms, including recent
work on healthy illusions.
7. Discuss the merits of positive reinterpretation and humor as coping
strategies.
8. List and describe four steps in systematic problem solving.
9. Explain five common causes of wasted time.
10. Summarize evidence on the causes and consequences of procrastination.
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11. Summarize advice on managing time effectively.
12. Discuss the importance of managing hostility and forgiving others’
transgressions.
MENTAL HEALTH
CHAPTER 5 NOTES
THE SELF
1. Describe some key aspects of the self-concept.
2. Cite two types of self-discrepancies and describe their effects.
3. Distinguish between automatic and controlled processing.
4. Define self-attributions and identify the key dimension of attributions.
5. Explain how optimistic and pessimistic attributional styles are related to
adjustment.
6. Discuss three motives that guide self-understanding.
7. Describe four strategies people use to maintain positive feelings about the self.
8. Describe how individuals develop self-efficacy.
9. Explain why and when individuals engage in impressions management.
10.Cite some strategies people use to make positive
impressions on others. (5)
11.Explain how excessive impression management can
negatively affect adjustment.
12.Describe seven ways to build self-esteem.
13.Cite some strategies people use to make positive
impressions on others. (5)
14.Explain how excessive impression management can
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negatively affect adjustment.
15.Describe seven ways to build self-esteem.
MENTAL HEALTH
CHAPTER 6
SOCIAL COGNITION AND SOCIAL INFLUENCE
1. Cite the five sources of information people use to form impressions of others.
2. Define attributions and explain when people are likely to make them.
3. Explain how four important cognitive distortions operate.
4. Explain how “old-fashioned” and modern discrimination differ.
5. Summarize what Asch discovered about conformity.
6. Cite an important factor in resisting inappropriate demands of authority figures.
7. Explain the roles of persuasion and social influence in the Jonestown massacre
and similar incidents.
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CLASS # 3
1.
2.
3.
4.
Read chapters 7 and 8
Answer the questions for chapters 7 and 8 on separate, typed pages
Keep track of your Behavior Modification Plan on Time Log 1 for this week
Be prepared for an exam over chapters 5, 6, 7 and 8
MENTAL HEALTH
CHAPTER 7
INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
1. Discuss how interpersonal communication is important to
adjustment.
2. Discuss display rules and what can be discerned from facial
cues.
3. Summarize the characteristics associated with effective eye
contact.
4. Discuss the difficulty of detecting deception and the nonverbal
cues linked to deception.
5. List five suggestions for creating a positive interpersonal
climate.
6. Give five steps involved in making small talk.
7. Discuss cultural and gender differences in self-disclosure.
8. Cite four points good listeners need to keep in mind.
9. Describe five barriers to effective communication.
10. Describe five personal styles of dealing with interpersonal
conflict.
11. List six guidelines for coping effectively with interpersonal
conflict.
12. Read the blue section on assertive communication (pp. 204207).
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13. What information in this chapter did you find the most
interesting, or useful?
MENTAL HEALTH
CHAPTER 8 NOTES
1.
Describe the closest friend you have or had. What made this person so important or
special in your life?
2. Study figure 8.13 and the information on pp.228-229. What adult attachment style do
you think you lean toward the most, and explain why you chose that style.
3. Make a list of traits you look for in an intimate friend.
4. Make a list of traits you look for in a potential spouse.
5. Read all of chapter 8, through page 237. What information do you think is most
valuable?
Most surprising?
Most interesting?
What will you apply to your own life?
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CLASS #4
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Read chapters 9, 10, and 11
Complete Chapter 9 Notes
Complete Chapter 10 Notes
Complete Chapter 11 Notes
Keep track of your Beh. Mod. Plan on Time Log 2 for this week
Be prepared for a test over chapters 9,10, and 11
Work on your group presentation for class #6
MENTAL HEALTH
CHAPTER 9 NOTES
MARRIAGE AND INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS
Before you read the chapter, answer questions 1-7:
1. Why do you think people marry? (List at least 5 reasons)
2. Why do you think someone might remain single? (List at least 3)
3. What are some factors that might be predictors of marital success?
4. What are some reasons why people have children?
5. What are some reasons people might NOT have children?
6. What were the jobs/duties/roles of each of your parents? (i.e., who
helped with homework, housework (be specific as to who did
what), bills, etc.?
MOTHER’S duties
FATHER’S duties
7. In YOUR marriage, what roles/jobs/duties do you expect your
spouse to fulfill? What things do you think YOU should be
responsible for?
YOU
YOUR SPOUSE
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8. Read all of chapter 9, including p. 270, and answer the following:
9. Discuss the findings about children and divorce.
10. Discuss the incidence and consequences of date rape.
11. What are the reasons given as to why women remain in abusive
relationships?
MENTAL HEALTH
CHAPTER 10 NOTES
GENDER AND BEHAVIOR
1. Read all of Chapter 10.
2. Discuss the three important points about gender stereotypes.
3. Summarize the research on gender differences in personality and
social behavior.
4. Summarize the research on gender and psychological disorders.
5. Define androcentrism.
6. According to the notion of androcentrism, our society tends to
favor “masculine” characteristics and behavior. Can you think of
examples in everyday life that support this notion? How might
androcentrism have developed in the first place?
7. Explain how reinforcement and punishment, observational
learning, and self-socialization operate in gender role socialization.
8. Describe how parents and peers influence gender-role
socialization.
9. Describe how schools and the media influence gender-role
socialization.
10.List five elements of the traditional male role.
11.Describe three common problems associated with the traditional
male role.
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12.List two major expectations of the traditional female role.
13.Describe three common problems associated with the traditional
female role.
14.Describe two ways in which women are victimized by sexism.
MENTAL HEALTH NOTES
CHAPTER 11
DEVELOPMENT IN ADOLESCENCE AND ADULTHOOD
1. Summarize the findings on early and late maturation in boys and girls.
2. Describe the cognitive changes that occur during adolescence.
3. Explain Erikson’s psychosocial crisis of adolescence.
4. Explain Marcia’s four identity statuses.
5. Discuss whether or not adolescence is a period of turmoil.
6. Discuss recent trends in adolescent suicide.
7. Discuss age-related changes in appearance and their psychological
significance.
8. Describe Kubler-Ross’s five stages of dying and the research findings
about the dying process.
9. Describe Ainsworth’s three attachment styles.
10. Explain how caregivers can promote secure attachment in their
infants.
11. Discuss issues related to the effective rearing of adolescents.
12. List five suggestions for more effective parenting.
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13. List five suggestions for the effective use of punishment.
14. Someday, you will be a parent. Maybe you are already. Will you
parent as YOUR parents did, or do you plan to make some changes?
A.) List two things you will never say to your own kids. B.) What are
some rules you wish your parents enforced? C.) Are there any rules
you think were unnecessary?
15.
ADOLESCENT MEMORIES:
Type a ½ to 1 page reflection of your middle school and/or high school
years. Was it a time of turmoil for you? How did you get along with your
parents? What did you fight about with them? How did you relate to
your peers? What were the biggest issues that you struggled with during
your teen years? What advice would you give to your parents now, about
parenting you?
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CLASS #5
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Read Chapters 12, 13, and 14
Complete Chapter 12 Notes
Complete Chapter 13 Notes
Complete Chapter 14 Notes
Keep track of your Beh. Mod. Plan on Time Log #3
Complete your résumé
Complete your presentation for class #6
Mental Health
Chapter 12 Notes
Careers & Work
1. Describe family and personal influences on job choice.
2. Cite several helpful sources of career information.
3. List some aspects of potential occupations that are important to know about.
4. Give five important considerations in choosing an occupation.
5. Summarize Super’s five-stage model of career development.
6. List six work-related trends.
7. Describe the relationship between education and salary.
8. Cite some of the problems that women and minorities face in today’s workplace.
9. Describe the prevalence and consequences of sexual harassment.
10. Define the work-family conflict and summarize the costs and benefits of the dualearner household.
11. Discuss strategies for targeting companies you would like to work for.
12. Describe several strategies for landing a job interview.
13. List some factors that can influence an interviewer’s rating of a job candidate.
14. List the do’s and don’ts of interviewing for jobs.
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Mental Health
Chapter 13
Development and Expression of Sexuality
Before reading:
1. List all the activities that you would consider cheating in a marriage.
Read the whole chapter and answer the following questions:
2. List four key aspects of sexual identity.
3. Discuss how families, peers, schools, and the media shape sexual attitudes and
behavior.
4. Discuss gender differences in sexual socialization and how they affect
individuals.
5. Summarize current thinking on the origins of sexual orientation.
6. Describe four common barriers in communicating about sex.
7. I would like for you to include one page of typewritten notes on information that
you found interesting, surprising, or informative, from this chapter.
MENTAL HEALTH Chapter 14 Notes
1.
Describe the Type A personality and evidence regarding its most toxic
element.
2.
Discuss possible explanations for the link between hostility and heart
disease.
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3.
Summarize evidence relating emotional reactions and depression to heart
disease.
4.
Summarize evidence linking stress and personality to cancer.
5.
Summarize the evidence linking stress to a variety of diseases and immune
functioning.
6.
Discuss the strength of the relationship between stress and illness.
7.
Describe AIDS and summarize evidence on the transmission of the HIV
virus.
8.
Read the sections on smoking, drinking, overeating, poor nutrition, and
lack of exercise.
9.
Explain the appeal of the “sick role.”
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Class #6
1. Be prepared to give a 20-30 minute group presentation to the class based on your
assignment for Chapter 15
2. Read Chapters 15 and 16
3. Type a ½ page synopsis for both chapter 15 and chapter 16 separately, including
only what you found to be the most interesting information in the chapter
4. Complete Step 5 of your Behavior Modification Plan
5.
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