WESTERN NEVADA COLLEGE
Psy 102--Personal and Social Adjustment
Spring 2016 jump start This syllabus is a general guide for the course, and may be changed
during the semester.
I will also send out an e-mail to the class announcing any revisions.
Course Description
Instructor
Contact
Focuses on understanding and applying psychological principles
and theories to personal development and human relationships.
Debbie McBride, MA, CDVC, PADC
Office: Fallon Campus, Pinon Hall Office 5.
Friday by appt. 9:30-10:30am
Phone: 775.636-3941
e-mail: deborah.mcbride@wnc.edu
Psy 102 has no course prerequisites. Students should have college-level writing skills. The
course transfers as PSY 102 to all Nevada colleges.
Welcome to PSY 102: Psychology of Personal and Social Adjustment. The purpose of
this course is to learn about principles of psychology by applying them to your life. We
will be covering a wide range of topics that affect our lives: identifying and coping with
stress, health, personal relationships, communication skills, career and work choices,
and so on.
This course is designed to blend three important elements to maximize your learning.
First, you will get to learn some new information about topics important to coping with
modern life. Second, you will learn how psychologists measure important concepts and
how to increase your skills at evaluating objective feedback. Third, you will apply
psychological principles by trying out a strategy or technique for self-improvement.
Textbook: (required): Weiten, W., Dunn, D. S., & Hammer, E. Y. Psychology Applied to
Modern Life, 11th ed. Belmont CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. ISBN: 1-285-45995-0. There
are many sources for this text, including the college’s bookstore and the publisher’s site:
www.cengage.com, where you can get an e-text version. You can also sign up to have access
to free resources from the publisher’s web site for this course. However, the web site tends to
urge you to purchase some premium features. Please be aware that I am not going to be using
their premium materials and you do not need to purchase any materials beyond the textbook.
I.
Course Objectives
Course objectives are what each student is expected to learn about psychology. Psy
102 objectives reflect the recommended outcomes from the American Psychological
Association for undergraduate education. Upon completion of the course, students are
expected to demonstrate they can:
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Identify important terminology, concepts, and principles from the range of topics
important to personal and social adjustment.
Use and evaluate self-improvement strategies and activities.
Provide insights into their own behavior and mental processes.
Write quality essays and assignments based upon the American Psychological
Association’s style manual.
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II. How the Course is Organized
The class is organized into topics, with each topic lasting one week.
Dates
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Topics & Assignments
Topic: Meet and Greet.
Getting Started and Adjusting to Modern Life
getting started activities, include syllabus quiz, reviewing and
working through the writing and self-understanding report
guidelines,
Topic: Adjustment and what it means (chapter 1)
Quiz 1, Written report 1, apply psychology, gratitude journal
Topic: Theories of Personality (Chapter 2)
Quiz 2, Written Report 2, self-understanding
Topic: The Self and Values (Chapter 6)
Quiz 3, Written Report 3, apply psychology, core values
Topic: Stress and its effects (Chapter 3)
Quiz 4, Written Report 4, self-understanding
Topic: Coping Processes (Chapter 4)
Quiz 5, Written Report 5, apply psychology , positive self-talk
Topic: Psychology and Physical Health (Chapter 5)
Quiz 6, Written Report 6, self-understanding
Topic: Social Thinking and Social Influence (Chapter 7)
Quiz 7, Written Report 7, self-understanding
Topic: Interpersonal Communication (Chapter 8)
Quiz 8, Written Report 8, apply psychology, communication skills
Topic: Friendship and Love (Chapter 9)
Quiz 9, Written Report 9, apply psychology, friendship
Topic: Marriage and Intimate Relationships (Chapter 10)
Quiz 10, Written Report 10, self-understanding
Topic: Gender and Behavior (Chapter 11)
Quiz 11, Written Report 11, self-understanding
Topic: Development and Expression of Sexuality (Chapter 12)
Quiz 12, Written Report 12
Topic: Careers and Work (Chapter 13)
Quiz 12, Written Report 12, apply psychology, goal setting
Topic: Psychological Disorders (Chapter 14)
Quiz 13, Written Report 13, apply psychology, understanding a
disorder
Topic: Psychotherapy and Positive Psychology (Chapters 15 & 16)
Quiz 14, Written Report 14, self-understanding
Topic: Final Reflections across the course (no assigned chapter)
No quiz,
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III. Technical Skills Required for this Course
If you are new to online learning, the first place to visit is the WNC online learning page
link http://www.wnc.edu/wnconline/ for help and information.
This course uses the online learning platform called Canvas. Canvas is very user
friendly and a Canvas Student Orientation is available on both the WNC online link
(shown above) and within the online class. The Canvas Student Orientation includes
links to “how to do” information for things like taking quizzes, posting on discussion
boards, etc. Canvas also provides 24/7 online help for students.
Students need to know how to do their computer and browser settings to run Canvas.
You can find out how to prepare your computer to run Canvas, what browsers work with
it, and so on by clicking on this link
http://guides.instructure.com/s/2204/m/4214/l/82542-what-are-the-basic-computerspecifications-for-canvas
There are some basic computer skills needed for this course. Everyone will need to
download and use adobe reader and the PowerPoint reader (unless you already have
PowerPoint capability on your computer). Adobe reader is a free program and can be
found at http://get.adobe.com/reader/
Some browsers automatically open up a free PowerPoint reader. If not, students can
download a free PowerPoint reader for PCs at http://www.microsoft.com/enus/download/details.aspx?id=13 A free reader for Macs is available on the Internet.
Electronic Submission of Work. All work should be submitted in WNC Online
(Canvas). While many assignments are submitted by typing directly into a submission
area in the course, some assignments may require attaching a document. If an
attachment is used, the only formats that will be accepted are Word (.doc or .docx), a
pdf file, or any rich text file (.rtf).
IV. Methods and Materials for Psy 102
This is an overview of the general materials and their linkage to the major methods used
for this course. Details on the specific methods and materials are available for each
week by looking for the section of the course called “Modules,” opening the module for
the week, and then clicking on the first document in the module, “Introduction &
Resources.” In addition to the assignments for the week, students will find links to
various activities and materials on the weekly “Introduction & Resources” page.
Textbook. This is the primary source for the material for the course. The textbook for
this course does an admirable job of providing a range of perspectives and information
on the topics of personal and social adjustment while making the information pertinent
to daily life and clear to entry-level students. The class usually covers one chapter each
week. In addition to core information, the text also provides informal self-assessments
and some of the formal self-assessments used for one type of assignment in the class
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(Self-Understanding Reports). It is critical that students have a copy of the text. Details
on the textbook are available on the first page of the syllabus.
PowerPoint Slide Shows. The textbook publisher provides a PowerPoint slide show
for each chapter in the text, which I modified slightly. These slide shows provide a good
summary of the material covered in the chapter.
Written Assignments (Reports). The major purpose of these assignments is to
provide the type of “hands-on” experience that helps students learn how to apply
psychological principles and concepts to their lives. These assignments also allow the
inclusion of material from sources outside of the textbook to offer different perspectives
on some of the topics.
Class Activities and recommended activities. Designed to provide interesting ways
to interact with the course material and other people in the class. I often include some
additional materials to what is covered in the text as part of the activity for the
discussion. All class activities involve participating in a discussion with others in the
class.
Extra Credit Materials. There are extra credit opportunities that are tied to specific
content in the course. The activities are typically easy to complete and add an
opportunity to learn more about a specific topic. Some of the extra credit activities
provide links to various online resources and other materials,
Weekly Quizzes. All quizzes are open-book and untimed.
V. Grading Procedures
Grades are determined by three types of activities designed to help student meet the
course objectives and learning outcomes: quizzes, class activities, and writing
assignments.
Writing in Psy 102. All writing in Psy 102, including discussion postings and written
reports is expected to demonstrate college-level writing skills and apply principals from
the American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines designed for this class.
Quizzes
Quizzes provide the major tool to meet the first course objective— Identify important
terminology, concepts, and principles from the range of topics important to personal and
social adjustment.
A short (20 points) quiz is given on the assigned reading each week. Each quiz is
comprised of 20 multiple-choice questions. Students who are used to very easy
multiple-choice questions should make sure to review the document called:
“Understanding Quizzes in Psy 102” located in the FAQ Resources table in the course
before taking the first quiz. The document describes the types of multiple-choice test
questions in this course. These questions vary from identifying facts and definitions
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through identifying the best examples of applications of concepts, theories, and
principles.
All quizzes are available online. Students may take the weekly quiz at any time during
the week it is available. There are no time limits for the quiz and each quiz may be
taken twice, with the highest score being the score that is entered for the quiz. Students
are encouraged to use the text and other materials to complete quizzes.
Fourteen (14) quizzes will be given this semester. However, the lowest two (2) quizzes
will be dropped automatically. The total possible for the 12 quizzes is 240.
Class Activities
Class activities provide a way to learn by completing activities and participating in online discussions. Grading of class activities is based on participation in the discussion
of the activity. Five activities are graded. Seven activities are planned for the semester,
but students need to complete only five of these activities. Each activity is worth up to
10 points for a total of 50 points.
Written Assignments
One written assignment is required each week. The nature of the written assignment
depends on the specific course objective the assignment is designed to address.
Apply Psychology. The “use and evaluate self-improvement strategies and activities”
course objective is the basis for the Apply Psychology assignments. Developing skills
at using and evaluating self-improvement strategies and activities takes practice. Each
Apply Psychology assignment will require students to use a strategy, technique, or
activity that psychology considers to be an important tool for self-improvement. Part of
the assignment will require evaluating the effectiveness of the activity or strategy. The
short written report includes a description of what was done when using the strategy or
activity and the evaluation of its effectiveness.
There is an Apply Psychology assignment for 7 of the topics covered in the class. Each
Apply Psychology Report is worth up to 20 points, for a total of 140 points for this
portion of the course. Detailed instructions on what to do and how to complete each
report are provided in the assignments.
Self-Understanding. The third objective of the course focuses on illustrating insights
into your own behavior and mental processes. Developing self-insight and selfunderstanding involves being able to use feedback from self-assessments in a
productive way. Each of the self-understanding assignments will require students to
take, score, interpret, and draw conclusions for several self-assessments. Students
illustrate they have gained insights into their own behavior and mental processes by
using a specific reporting format for the Self-Understanding Report. This reporting
format is explained in the, “Self-Understanding Report Guidelines” located in the Getting
Started module for the course. As the reporting guidelines explain, learning to use selfassessments requires a blend of objective reporting, careful interpretation, and critical
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thinking about the results and the quality/purpose of the assessment in order to draw
good conclusions.
Students need to complete seven (7) Self-Understanding Reports. Each SelfUnderstanding Report is worth up to 20 points. The total possible for SelfUnderstanding Reports is 140 points.
Extra Credit
Extra credit is based on completing short assignments set up across the semester. All
extra credit assignments must be completed during the time period that the assignment
is available. A total of 10 points for extra credit is possible.
Getting Started
Each person is required to complete a Syllabus Quiz for the course that is worth 10
points
Grading of Quizzes, Tests, and Assignments. In most cases, all submitted work is
graded within five working days (i.e., Monday – Friday) after the deadline for it. On rare
occasions, it could take up to seven days after a deadline to complete the grading and
post the grades.
Grading of written reports. Grading of the two types of written assignments is based
primarily on three things: Did the written material address all of the questions or issues
as directed in the instructions? Did the person demonstrate good critical thinking and
reflection in covering the material? Was the material written at a level expected of
college students? I do not grade any material on whether the person "liked" or "agreed
with" the material. The success (or failure) of an Apply Psychology activity does not
impact a grade because I think it is just as beneficial to find out what strategy or
technique does not work as it is to find one that does work.
All writing assignments are graded with a rubric (grading guide) and comments. The
rubric is available as part of the instructions for each assignment as an aid to students.
Grading of Class Activities. All class activities are grading using a standardized rubric
to grade the discussion of the activity. A copy of the rubric is located in the Getting
Started Module for the course and is also attached to each class activity.
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Final Grade
The table below depicts how each of the elements of the course contribute to the final
grade.
Distribution of Points for Psy 102
Source of Points
Total Points
Quizzes
240 (41% of total grade)
Graded Class Activities
50 (9% of total grade)
Self-Understanding Reports
140 (24% of total grade)
Apply Psychology Reports
140 (24% of total grade)
Getting Started
10 (2% of total grade)
Extra Credit
10 points (not included in total points)
Total Points for Semester Grade
580
The final grade is based on a point system. The points required for each grade are
shown in the Semester Grade Table.
As you might notice, I give "plus" but no "minus" grades. This is a deliberate
choice that reflects my view that "carrots" work better than "sticks." I want to
acknowledge those who work hard and achieve more than a basic grade (C, B,
etc.). However, I think that putting a minus sign after a letter grade because the
person was at the lower end of the percentile (e.g., 71% or 72% = C-, etc.) is not
very productive.
Semester Grade
Total Points
522 - 580
510 - 521
464 - 509
452 - 463
406 - 451
394 - 405
348 - 393
<348
Percentage
90 - 100%
88 - 89%
80 - 87%
78 - 79%
70 - 77%
68 - 69%
60 - 67%
<60%
Grade
A
B+
B
C+
C
D+
D
F
VI. Course Policies
Communication and Grading. Unless I am off-campus for specific meetings or
conferences, I am available Monday through Friday through my e-mail
(deborah.mcbride@wnc.edu). I rarely check e-mail over weekends or on official
college holidays. During the work week, I usually respond to questions from students
within 24 hours of receiving e-mail. Please note that correspondence after 3 p.m. on a
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Friday is usually not answered until the following regular business day (usually a
Monday).
Due Dates and Make-up Policy. The official due dates are available in this syllabus
and in the course. Unless I identify a change through email to the class, or during class
session, students should plan to turn in all assignments by the due date.
Make-up Policy for Quizzes. As two quizzes are automatically dropped, there are no
make-ups allowed for missing quizzes.
Make-up Policy for the Self-Understanding Reports. Students may make-up one SelfUnderstanding Report. In order to use a make-up, students need to:
1. Contact the instructor either before or on the due date and request a make-up.
2. Complete the assignment and submit it within one week of the original due date.
3. The last two Self-Understanding assignments (Self-Understanding for Weeks 15 and
16) may not be made-up; they must be submitted on time to receive credit.
Make-up Policy for the Apply Psychology Reports. Students may make-up one
ApplyPsychology Report. In order to use a make-up, students need to:
1. Contact the instructor either before or on the due date and request a make-up.
2. Complete the assignment and submit it within one week of the original due date.
3. The last Apply Psychology Report may not be made-up; it must be submitted on time
to receive credit.
Make-up Policy for the Class Activities. students are not allowed to make up any class
activities.
Late Submission for Written Assignments (Self-Understanding and Apply Psychology
Reports). Once a student has used all of his/her make-up options, it is possible to turn
in an assignment late. However, there is a penalty for submitting late assignments. I
take four points off the total score earned by the student for each day the assignment is
late. No late submission is allowed for the Final Self-Understanding report for Week 16.
Late Submission for Quizzes. Students may turn quizzes in after the due date, but
there is a penalty for late quizzes. Five (5) points are deducted for each day the quiz is
late. Each partial day counts as one day. For instance, since all quizzes are due at
Sunday, midnight, if a quiz is turned in on Tuesday, it is penalized as being late by two
days and 10 points are automatically deducted for the late penalty.
Late Submission for Class Activities. As class activities involve interacting with
members of the class, students are not allowed to submit class activities after the
deadlines given for each activity.
Extenuating Circumstances. When it comes to missing course deadlines for
assignments and quizzes, what about medical emergencies or other extenuating
circumstances? I handle this on a case-by-case basis. My general approach is to try to
work with students if there is a short term major medical crisis or a major crisis.
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Students who experience an emergency situation need to contact me in advance to see
if arrangements can be made. Of course, if the extenuating circumstance prohibits
meeting the prior contact requirement (as in the student being hospitalized for an
emergency), the prior contact requirement is waived. However, this does not guarantee
that the student may make-up the missed work.
Academic Honesty. I am a strong supporter of academic honesty and integrity as
explained in the policy approved by the College: http://www.wnc.edu/policymanual/3-45.htm The first violation of academic integrity will result in a zero for the assignment,
quiz, or activity and the person will be required to complete a tutorial and pass a
certification test on plagiarism before any subsequent work is accepted. While it is up
to students to be familiar with the academic honesty and integrity policy, here are some
general guidelines of acts of academic honesty.
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All written assignments should reflect each student’s thinking and work.
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If the student takes material directly from the text or another resource, the
material must be in quotes. Copying a complete answer directly from the text or
other source, including a web site, without putting quotes around the material is
plagiarism.
Copying from others or giving material to other students to copy is a violation of
academic honesty.
Working and studying with others is fine; however, the completed assignment
and quiz should not be a joint effort. Each completed assignment or quiz should
be unique to the person who submits it.
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Course Etiquette. Just as every classroom has rules for social conduct (e.g., be on
time), the online classroom has social rules. Students are expected to interact with
each other in a polite and appropriate manner. Some of the most important social rules
we will observe in this class are:
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Take the time to read what your classmates say in the discussion boards.
Everyone comes to this class with his or her own ideas, and each of us can learn
a lot from others.
Avoid sarcasm, ridicule, and humorous insults. This type of communication is
difficult to pull off in a face-to-face situation and almost impossible to pull off
electronically.
Give other people the benefit of a doubt when it comes to interpreting what the
person is saying. There are times when emails do not convey the intended or
appropriate intention. Please, always ask questions if something is unclear in any
correspondence.
We will be talking about some sensitive subjects in this class, and sooner or later
you will hear or read something that offends you or is at odds with your values.
Please keep in mind that I am not out to change your personal values. I require
that you learn the material; I do not require that you agree with it. I frequently tell
students that if they really dislike some idea, they need to work at understanding
it. I welcome an open and interactive forum in class-so we can respect and learn
from each other.
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There is a difference between a spirited discussion and an out-and-out rant. Be
spirited. Try to avoid rants. Avoid shouting rants where you type in all caps.
Show your respect for your opinions and the opinions of others by "owning" your
personal feelings or beliefs instead of making them into "statements of fact." If
you think something is wrong, say: "I think it is wrong to . . ." instead of "It's
wrong to. . ." If you don't like an assignment, simply say "I don't like this. . ." or "I
didn't get much out of. . .because. . .” Remember: The things you think are true
are just as likely to strike someone else as wrong, and assignments that did not
work for you may be very significant to someone else. Always use ‘I’ statements.
I think of each class as unique. I think of the class as our class; not my class, not
your class, but our class. I enjoy learning and helping others learn. I expect to
learn a lot this semester and have tried to create a structure to facilitate student
learning. I want everyone in the class to feel successful and will do all that I can
to bring this about.
One of the things that can derail a class faster than just about anything is a
failure in communication. I need to hear from each and every one of you on a
regular basis and you should expect to hear from me. If anyone feels he or she
is getting behind or is a bit lost, do not hesitate to bring it to my attention by
email, a phone call, or in class. This is especially true if something in the class is
not working for you. Please, feel you can always notify me with any concerns.
That is communication.
Materials in Psy 102 have been designed by the textbook publisher or the
instructor and are available to students in this course to help them learn about
psychology. Students may not copy, post, or use materials presented in Psy 102
for other purposes unless the student is given written permission from the
instructor or publisher.
VII. College Policies and Support for Students
W and F Grade Policy. WNC has policies regarding withdrawal and F grades.
1. Faculty are not allowed to issue a W grade.
2. Students who want to withdraw from the class must submit the request for a W to
the Admissions & Records office before the Friday that occurs at the end of the
8th week of instruction.
3. Students who do not formally withdraw from the class will receive the grade they
have earned based on the points accumulated for the course.
Student Conduct. All students enrolled in courses at WNC are expected to follow the
policies and procedures that govern student conduct. Details about these policies can
be found at http://www.wnc.edu/policymanual/3-4-4.php
Support for Students. WNC has a lot of support for students. Disability services are
for those who need special accommodations
(http://www.wnc.edu/studentservices/dss/index.php) (phone 775-445-4459 and ask for
Susan Trist or email susan.trist@wnc.edu ). I encourage any student needing to
request accommodations for a specific disability to please contact our Disability Support
Services office as soon as possible to make the correct arrangements.