Office
HoursTuesday
& Thursday 12:30-1:30, and by appointment
Email
addressmballewpsych@yahoo.com
Course
DescriptionPsychology
and Human Problems examines the problems humans face during the course
of their lifetime. This course covers the psychological reasons for human
reactions to everyday situations and provides significant research findings.
Finally, this course offers effective strategies for helping the student
apply psychological knowledge to personal issues and problems encountered
in daily living.
PrerequisitesIntroductory
Psychology (PSYCH 1113)
Required
TextPsychology
Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century, 7th
Edition.
(Weiten, W. & Lloyd, M.) Publisher Thomson/Wadsworth.
Course
Websitewww.geocities.com/mballewpsych/humanproblems.html
On
the course website you will find an outline of lecture notes for the chapter(s)
we will be covering that week. Spaces are provided for you to take notes
during the class. Extra credit opportunities will be posted on the website.
Also, you can find a copy of your course syllabus. For some chapters, I
will also try to provide links to sites on the web that will expand on
the information presented in class.
AccommodationsOklahoma
State University complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students with disabilities
who need assistance should do the following:
1.Talk
to your instructor after class or during office hours about your disability
or special needs related to coursework.
2.Contact
Student Support Services and ask to speak to the ADA Officer.
DisciplineAny
student creating a disruption will be dismissed from class that day. Evidence
of cheating of ANY KIND is call for immediate dismissal and a ZERO for
the exam or assignment. Plagiarism on any writing assignment will result
in a ZERO on the paper.
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Exams
and Assignments
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1.4
Exams
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100
points (each)
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2.Group
Project
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80
points
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3.Project
Presentation
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20
points
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4.Individual
Project
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50
points
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5.Class
Participation
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50
points
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6.Extra
Credit
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20
points (max.) added to final total points
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Grading
Scale
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A
= 600 540 total points
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B
= 539 480 total points
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C
= 479 420 total points
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D
= 419 360 total points
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F
= 359 0 total points
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Class
ParticipationAttendance
will be taken randomly throughout the semester. Each attendance will be
worth 1 3 points, for a total of 30 points. Students are responsible
for material covered in class and must obtain the notes from another student.
Because part of the material for the exams will only be presented in class,
attendance is highly recommended.
There
will be two class debates during the semester focusing on
current psychological topics. For each debate, students will be required
to prepare a one page typed paper (Double Spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman
font, 1 margins on all sides) summarizing both sides of the debate topic.
These papers will be worth 5 points each. Active participation in the debates
will also be worth 5 points each, making the class debates worth a total
of 10 points each.
ExamsFour
exams are scheduled for the course. The final is NOT comprehensive
and will only cover new material presented after the previous exam. Exams
will consist of various formats such as multiple choice and matching. Each
exam will be worth 100 points. Exams will cover materials from the book
and lecture. Make-up exams will only be given under extenuating circumstances
(i.e., doctors notes, death in the family). Make-up exams are given at
the instructors convenience.
Group
ProjectEach
student will participate in a group project related to psychology. Groups
will consist of 2 students. The projects will involve observing or
interacting with people in the community and writing a report
relating your observations and experiences to the material you have learned
in class and from the book. For example, if interested in gender differences
in social behavior you could observe a behavior such as door opening (i.e.
opening and holding a door for another person). If interested in the development
of elderly citizens you could visit a nursing home or assisted living center
and interact with elderly residents (this option would require approval
by the institutional director). All projects MUST be approved by the instructor
prior to beginning them. Each group will develop an observational
data sheet, and these sheets must accompany the final paper (these
sheets are not included in the length of the paper). Each group will be
required to spend at least 4 hours observing/interacting
in the setting you have chosen. Each group member must participate in at
least 2 of these hours. In your paper you should describe the major concept
investigated, how it was investigated, where the observation occurred,
what you observed and learned, and how the project related to the information
you learned in the course. Each group will also be required to obtain
at least 1 article from a psychological journal (e.g. Journal of
General Psychology) that addresses your area of interest and incorporate
this information into your paper.
Reports
must meet the following guidelines:
1.Typed
in 12 point, Times New Roman font.
2.Double-spaced
with 1 margins on all sides.
3.Be
at least 6 pages, but no more than 8 pages in length (including the title
page, abstract page, and reference page). The body of the paper must be
3 5 pages in length.
4.Contain
6 sections: Title Page, Abstract, Introduction, Method, Conclusion/Discussion
and References (consult APA Guide to Psychological Writing).
If
the minimum page length and requirements specified above are not met points
will be automatically deducted. Project ideas are due on September
5th. You may turn in ideas before this date. This should
consist of a summary of the project you plan to complete, including where,
when, and what you will be doing. These summaries will not be graded but
will be used to judge the appropriateness of the project. However, if the
summary is not turned in on time 3 points will be deducted from the project
grade. If the instructor deems the project unacceptable the student group
will have to select a different project and have it approved by the instructor.
If at any time you decide to change your topic you need to consult with
the instructor. Papers are due on November 19th.
Late papers will be penalized 5 points per day. The instructor will look
over drafts of the paper and provide feedback on the strengths and weaknesses
of the paper up to one week before the due date.
Project
PresentationEach
group will give a brief 5-minute presentation of their project.
This component will be worth 20 points. Each group member is expected to
equally contribute to the presentation. Groups will need to sign up for
a day to present. Note that some dates for presentations are before the
due date for the paper.
Individual
ProjectEach
student will be required to pick a personal behavior they would like to
change. This could include a behavior they would like to decrease (e.g.
smoking) or a behavior they would like to increase (e.g. study time). Students
must turn in a ½ page typed summary of their project to the instructor
prior to beginning the project. This summary should include a definition
and description of the specific behavior, the manner in which this behavior
will be measured, personal goals for behavior change, and potential ways
the student plans to change the behavior. This project will be easier to
conduct if students pick easily measured behaviors (e.g. cigarette smoking
can be measured by number of cigarettes smoked and study time can be measured
by number of hours spent studying during a given period). A recording sheet
must accompany the summary. Recording sheets may be based on a daily or
weekly schedule, depending on the behavior. Project summaries are
due on August 27th. After the instructor approves
the project, students will use their recording sheet to obtain a base rate
of the behavior. A copy of the base rate recording
is due on September 10th. Students will
use their recording sheets to monitor the specific behavior throughout
the semester. Students must monitor their behavior at least 8 times (randomly
spaced throughout the semester) using their recording sheets. Each
student will be required to write a brief report summarizing the project.
This report should include a definition and description of the behavior,
why this behavior was chosen, how the behavior was measured, original goals
for behavior change, a summary of the base rate of behavior, descriptions
and discussion of the ways the student attempted to change the behavior,
and a brief summary of the outcome. This paper should be at least one page
(typed, 12 point Times New Roman font, 1 margins on all sides) but no
more than 3 pages in length. Copies of all recording sheets must accompany
the report. The report is due on December 3rd.
Extra
CreditExtra
credit can be earned in two ways. Throughout the semester extra credit
can be earned by participating (as a subject) in research sponsored by
the Psychology Department. You will be made aware of these opportunities
as they arise. Students will receive 3 points for each hour of research.
The second way to earn extra credit is to participate in extra credit assignments
announced in class and posted on the web page. There will be many extra
credit assignments throughout the semester. Students may earn up to 20
total extra credit points, and these points will be added to their final
total accumulated points.
Important
DatesLast
day to drop with no grade August 26th
Thanksgiving
Break November 28th December 1st
Finals
December 9th 13th
The
materials contained in this syllabus are subject to change. If a change
is necessary, the instructor will announce changes in class and post the
changes on the course website.