WESTERN NEVADA COLLEGE
PSY 102 -- Personal and Social Adjustment
Spring 2016
(Revised 1/23/16)



This syllabus is a general guide for the course, and may be changed during the
semester.
The date of the revision is located under the course title to make it easier to determine if
you have the latest version of the syllabus.
I will send out an e-mail to the class announcing any revisions.
Course Description
Focuses on understanding and applying psychological principles
and theories to personal development and human relationships.
Instructor
Ron Marrujo, M.A., MFT, LADC
Contact
Office: Fallon Campus, Getto Hall
Phone: 775.423.7565
Fax: 775.423.8029
e-mail: wncclasses@gmail.com



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. I am very pleased to
be able to offer this course to WNC students. 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 strategies and techniques 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.
2
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:

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 (APA) style manual.
II. How the Course is Organized
The class is organized into topics, with each topic lasting one week.
**All assignments are due by the last date in the “Dates” column below.
Dates
Topics & Assignments
Week 1
Topic: Getting Started and Adjusting to Modern Life
Jan 25 – Jan 31
Getting started activities include -- syllabus quiz, reviewing and
working through the writing and self-understanding report
guidelines, how to access and use Canvas, understanding quizzes
documents, rubrics, and other mechanics of the class issues.
 You must complete the Syllabus Quiz before you can
submit any other work
Week 2
Topic: Adjustment and What It Means (Chapter 1)
Feb 1 – Feb 7
Quiz 1, Written Report 1, Apply Psychology, Gratitude Journal
3
Week 3
Topic: Theories of Personality (Chapter 2)
Feb 8 – Feb 14
Quiz 2, Written Report 2, Self-understanding
Week 4
Topic: The Self and Values (Chapter 6)
Feb 15 – Feb 21
Quiz 3, Written Report 3, Apply Psychology, Core Values
Week 5
Topic: Stress and Its Effects (Chapter 3)
Feb 22 – Feb 28
Quiz 4, Written Report 4, Self-understanding
Week 6
Topic: Coping Processes (Chapter 4)
Feb 29 – Mar 6
Quiz 5, Written Report 5, Apply Psychology , Positive Self-talk
Week 7
Topic: Psychology and Physical Health (Chapter 5)
Mar 7 – Mar 13
Quiz 6, Written Report 6, Self-understanding
Week 8
Topic: Social Thinking and Social Influence (Chapter 7)
Mar 14 – Mar 20
Quiz 7, Written Report 7, Self-understanding
Mar 21 – Mar 27
Spring Break
Week 9
Topic: Interpersonal Communication (Chapter 8)
Mar 28 – April 3
Quiz 8, Written Report 8, Apply Psychology, Communication Skills
Week 10
Topic: Friendship and Love (Chapter 9)
April 4– Apr 10
Quiz 9, Written Report 9, Apply Psychology, Friendship
Week 11
Topic: Marriage and Intimate Relationships (Chapter 10)
Apr 11 – Apr 17
Quiz 10, Written Report 10, Self-understanding
Week 12
Topic: Gender and Behavior (Chapter 11)
Apr 18 – Apr 24
Quiz 11, Written Report 11, Self-understanding
Week 13
Topic: Careers and Work (Chapter 13)
Apr 25– May 1
Quiz 12, Written Report 12, Apply Psychology, Goal Setting
4
Week 14
May 2 – May 8
Topic: Psychological Disorders (Chapter 14) Quiz 12, Written
Report 13, Apply Psychology, Understanding a Disorder
Week 15
Topic: Psychotherapy and Positive Psychology (Chapters 15 & 16)
May 9 – May 15
Quiz 14, Written Report 14, Self-understanding
Week 16
Topic: Final Reflections Across the Course (no assigned chapter)
May 16 – May 22
No Quiz
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 use 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.
Some assignments require using word processors and other fairly common procedures.
I have put together some short explanations of how to do things like convert pdf files to
word processing files, etc., for those who are not familiar with these computer skills in
the “FAQ resources” document in the course.
5
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
(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.
Weekly Podcasts. Each week includes a podcast from the instructor to introduce the
topic being covered for the week. My purpose in providing the podcast is to share my
professional thinking about some of the topics covered each week. Podcasts frequently
introduce additional materials to offer other perspectives on important topics.
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. Activities are scheduled throughout the course and are 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.
6
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,
Recommended Activities. Recommended Activities are included in this course to give
students the opportunity to do things without being graded. Some recommended
activities are short practice quizzes or reviews of key terms while other activities are
opportunities to explore topics that we do not have the time to cover in depth.
Weekly Quizzes. All quizzes are open-book and untimed.
Psyched Café Discussion Board. The purpose of this open discussion board is to
allow members of the class to bring up topics, raise questions, or make comments
throughout the semester.
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 PSY102” 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
through identifying the best examples of applications of concepts, theories, and
principles.
7
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/discussions provide a way to learn by completing activities and
participating in class. Grading of class activities is based on participation in the
discussion of the activity. 15 class activities/discussions are planned for the semester
(the first week will be largely instructional). Each activities/discussions is worth up to 10
points for a total of 150 points. If fewer class activities/discussions are used, points will
be adjusted accordingly.
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 each of the 14 topics covered in the class,
but students need to complete just seven (7) of these assignments. 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
8
Started module for the course. As the reporting guidelines explain, learning to use selfassessments requires a blend of objective reporting, careful interpretation, and critical
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. The last SelfUnderstanding assignment occurs during finals week and everyone is required to
complete it to reach the total of seven (7) self-assessment assignments. Each SelfUnderstanding Report is worth up to 20 points. The total possible for SelfUnderstanding Reports is 140 points.
There are some important rules that we need to follow to make this process work:




Each person is allowed to write only one report for each week—either a SelfUnderstanding or an Apply Psychology report. While everyone may decide to
complete the second report for his/her own personal use, this second report
cannot be turned in for a grade.
Each person may turn in only the maximum number of reports for each type of
report. In other words, grades are based on the seven Self-Understanding
Reports assigned and the seven Apply Psychology reports assigned.
Extra assignments for each type of written report cannot be used to “make-up”
missing assignments for the other type. For instance, if a student does 10 apply
psychology reports, only the first eight will be counted and the two “extra” apply
psychology reports cannot be used as extra credit or instead of two selfunderstanding reports.
I will verify that students have submitted the correct number of assignments at
the end of the semester and use the rules outlined in the syllabus in determining
the final points for the semester.
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 before submitting
assignments for the first week. This is worth 10 points.
9
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.
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 (35% of total grade)
Class Activities
150 (22% of total grade)
Self-Understanding Reports
140 (20% of total grade)
Apply Psychology Reports
140 (20% of total grade)
Getting Started (Syllabus Quiz)
10 (1% of total grade)
Extra Credit
10 points (1% not included in total points)
Total Points for Semester Grade
690
10
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
Percentage
Grade
621 - 690
90 - 100%
A
607 - 620
88 - 89%
B+
552 - 606
80 - 87%
B
538 – 551
78 - 79%
C+
483 - 537
70 - 77%
C
469- 482
68 - 69%
D+
414 - 468
60 - 67%
D
<413
<60%
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
(cheryl.pawluk@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 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 the Canvas
course. Unless I identify a change through email to the class, and this rarely occurs,
students should plan to turn in all assignments by the due date.
11
Make-up Policy for Quizzes. 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 Apply
Psychology 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. Because the class activities involve live
discussions, students may make-up the points missed by giving a 5-7 minute
speech/presentation based on a topic contained in the chapter that was discussed. The
speech/presentation must be a minimum of 5 minutes long to receive the points.
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.
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.
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.
12
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.
All written assignments should reflect each student’s thinking and work.



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.
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:

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.

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.
13

There is a difference between a spirited discussion and an out-and-out rant. Be
spirited. Try to avoid rants.

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.

I think of each class as unique. I think of the class as our class; not my class, not
your class, but our class. There are few things in life I enjoy more than 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. If anyone feels he or she is getting behind or is a bit
lost, do not hesitate to bring it to my attention in person or by email, or a phone
call. This is especially true if something in the class is not working for you.

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
14
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.
WNC also has a range of counseling services and support, financial aid, student health
insurance, a student center with a small gym on the Carson Campus, and an active
student government. Ask your instructor or visit the College's web site
http://www.wnc.edu/studentservices/ (Carson Campus phone: 775-445-3267) for more
information about these or other support services. Finally, while the use of the online
WNC library services is not required for this course, please be aware that our college
has a great online library service. You can find out more about finding materials online
by visiting the library's web site at http://library.wnc.edu/
Academic tutoring, including writing help, is available on both the Carson Campus and
Fallon Campus through the Academic Skills Center. This center provides some writing
help for online students and can be reached at http://www.wnc.edu/studentservices/asc
The phone number for the skills center is 775-445-4260.