PSYCHOLOGY
243: PERSONAL ADJUSTMENT AND WELL-BEING
A. Course Description: This is a
three-credit reading course in wellness psychology that emphasizes personal choices
and responsibility in protecting and preserving your total health. It
integrates information from biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and
religion. Also, information will be drawn from other areas of human
understanding, such as personal experiences, the humanities, and the arts. For
psychology majors it counts towards the Abnormal/ Clinical/Personality group.
B. Course Objectives: This course can be a capstone course for
senior psychology majors because it reviews many topics in psychology. The
material is to provide a very personal understanding of what current positive
or wellness psychology considers as important factors in adjustment and
assertive behavior when changes in our life occur. The topics are broad,
touching upon most of the important aspects of our human existence. This course
is personal-growth oriented, designed to help you understand yourself and
relationships for more effective living and loving.
C. Textbook:
Brown, F. M..Adjustment and Wellbeing. Vols. 1 and 2 (in manuscript
form, published by ProCopy).
It is
available for purchase in two volumes at the Student Book Store, College
Avenue. Volume 1, Chapters 1-7 will be available Tuesday, Aug. 27. Volume 2,
Chapters 8-14 will be available midway in the semester.
D. Reading Assignment: With two
exception, the reading assignments will cover about 15 pages per class!
The two exceptions are about 25 pages.
Therefore, you are expected to complete the reading assignments before
class. Each chapter begins with an in-depth outline of the material, and ends
with a summary section of the main points. The outline is intended to be the
basis for any in-class note-taking to supplement your reading. The chapter
topics will form the basis for the day's discussions and lectures. Since all of
the basic information is contained in the chapters, the lecture/discussions
will supplement the assigned readings. You will be given every opportunity to
ask questions about the assigned readings at the beginning of each class
period.
E. Course Evaluation.
Total
points for this course will be 400, of which an additional 50 points can be
acquired through bonus-credit activities (see section F.).
1.
Exams. (400 points) There will be four exams including the last one during
the final exam, each counting 100 points. The exam questions will be multiple
choice and will cover reading assignments, supplemental materials, take-home
do-it-yourself handouts, and any in-class exercises or demonstrations. In keeping with the general University
grading system, each exam's minimum grades are follows:
A
95+ A- 90.0 B+ 88.7 B 83.4 B- 80.0 C+ 75 C 70 D 60 F<60
There will be
grade adjusting if the top 5 grades do not average an A grade, 95%. Then
the difference between the actual top 5 grades’ average and 95% will be added
to each score. After each exam the University Testing Service will send your
grade to your psu.edu access account address.
Any
questions you have about your test grade must be resolved within one week
after receiving it. Please see your TA first because your exams will be in her
office. Any further questions I will take care of.
The final
grades out of 400 points possible will be distributed with the same percentages
as the exams, as follows:
A 380 A- 360 B+ 352 B 336 B- 320 C+ 300 C 280 D 240 F< 240
F. Bonus
Credit (up to 50 points). These will be added to the exams-score total
at the end of the semester.
a.
Attendance: (25 points)
Although attendance is not required, for two or less absences (excluding major
illness, family emergencies, or official University business) you will be
rewarded by having 25 bonus points added to your total basic exam scores. In
all fairness to those who show up on time and stay, people who are regularly
late or leave before class is over will not be given bonus attendance points.
Each person is responsible to the class TA
for their attendance record. Because interruptions are disruptive, please
“take care of business” before coming into class so that you don’t have to
leave and come back, except of course for emergencies. If you know you must be
late for class or must leave early for a good reason, please think ahead and
notify your TA so that your attendance is not in question. And please, no
cell-phone calls during class -- totally tacky, or what!
b.
Participation: (25 points): Since this class is designed to be
interactive rather than just lecture, you can earn another 25 points by various
types of class participation:
1) “One-minute
papers” - these will be written extemporaneously on the topic under
discussion at the end of class
or from the assigned reading, at the beginning of class. On some occasions a
paper may be just your opinion, rather
than graded right or wrong. As a University student, you will be expected to
write complete sentences
with correct spelling and grammar.
2) Answering
questions in class - this is a way of consolidating information. Even if
you don’t quite know the answer,
it’s okay to be wrong, for that is learning as well. No one is required
to share anything personal, but may
want to check out their views on issues.
3) Home-work
assignments - turning in
assignments on time will be counted as active participation. If you miss class, up
to two absences, you can still turn the assignment in the next class period. But, this
means that if you
miss, it is your responsibility to
check and see if any assignments were given. Turning any assignment in after
that will not count.
G. Honors Credit: It can be given for this course. The
work can be a term paper using the format of the American Psychological
Association Publications Manual (4th edition, 1994 or more recent), the
topic of which is agreed upon in consultation with me. It also can be a series
of abstracts on a given topic.
H. Students
with Certified Disabilities: Penn State encourages
qualified persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and
activities. If you anticipate needing any type of accommodation in this course
or have questions about physical access, please tell me as soon as possible.
Students who have a disability will be permitted to tape record the class,
with permission by the instructor.
I. Policy on Plagiarism: This section is required by University policy. Cheating of any kind is not acceptable by the University and is considered a serious offense that is immediately punishable. This includes signing someone else’s attendance record; turning in someone else’s homework as your own; receiving and giving information by any means whatsoever during a test, as well as just "looking around" at another's test. To minimize exam cheating in this course, different exam forms are used for students seated next to each other. Also, all examinations will be proctored by observers to maintain fairness in testing. The consequences of any cheating for all involved can range from no bonus credit, an F exam grade, failing the course, or being expelled from the University. To protect the exam standards and promote grade fairness in this large class for all of you, this policy must be enforced. I hope that you agree.