PSYC 2513 Personality Psychology Summer 2016

Transcription

1 SYLLABUS PSYC 2513 Personality Psychology Summer 2016 Instructor: Dr. Corey J. Columb Section # and CRN: P Office Location: Don K. Clark Building, Room 220 Office Phone: Address: cjcolumb@pvamu.edu Office Hours: M W 12:00-1:00pm Mode of Instruction: Face To Face Course Location: Don K. Clark Building Room 240 Class Days & Times: M R 9:30am-11:50am Catalog Description: This course presents a foundation for the understanding of psychological traits and mechanisms within a person that are organized and relatively enduring and that influence one s interactions with and adaptations to the environment (3 credit hours). Prerequisites: Co-requisites: Required Texts: None None McAdams, D. P. (2008). The Person: An Introduction to Personality (Fifth Edition). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: Recommended Texts: Course Outcomes At the end of this course, the student will: 1. Become a consumer of knowledge 2. Learn to think critically, both generally and with regards to scientific and popular personality tests and research 3. Develop an understanding of some of the most often studied individual differences in personality 4. Become familiar with the measures used to test for differences in personality 5. Learn about the history of the scientific study of personality Learn how to read psychological articles Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: 1 Students will be able to identify and articulate many of the basic tenets and principles of Personality Psychology. 2 In an informed and effective manner, students will be able to differentiate and discuss such key aspects of personality. 3 Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of descriptive, correlational and experimental research methodologies. 4 Students will be able to articulate knowledge of the leading models of altruistic behavior, and discuss various ways in which self and others stand to benefit from prosocial interaction. 1 Program Learning Outcome # Alignment Core Curriculum Outcome Alignment Communication Critical Thinking Empirical and Quantitative Skills Social Responsibility

2 Course Requirements & Evaluation Methods Please note that all students will be required to complete both objective and written sections of the UG3P, an instrument designed to meet the core curriculum standards of critical thinking, communication skills, empirical and quantitative skills and social responsibility as specified by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The UG3P will be made available during the first week or so of classes and again at the end of the semester, once all instruction has been completed. Students are required to take the UG3P each time that it is given. There will be strict time limitations for completing the test both at the beginning of the semester and at the end. Although content of the UG3P will be addressed during the course of the semester, scores received on the instrument will, at no time, count toward a grade for the course. Severe penalties will be imposed for failure to take the UG3P each time that it is made available. READINGS: McAdams. (2008) will be our primary text. There are also journal articles that are posted on ecourses for you to read, as well as a few other external links or readings that I thought were appropriate for the course that is also found on ecourses. You are expected to complete the required reading from the textbook and/or supplementary sources before you arrive in class. Each test will have questions taken from the readings on topics that will not be covered in the lectures. LECTURES: Each test will have questions taken from the lecture on topics that will not be covered in the readings. I will NOT post PowerPoint slides, so take notes while I m teaching (this does not mean copy everything from my slides). You ll remember the material much better if you write notes in your own words. NOTE: I do not give out my PowerPoint slides. If you miss a class, you will need to contact another student in class for the notes. I will however be more than glad to meet with you to go over the slides/discuss the material you missed. OBJECTIVES: For each chapter/section I will post Objectives on ecourses. These are questions for you to answer on your own time and they are intended to serve as your study guide for the exams. You should answer these questions from notes taken from lecture and from the book. If you feel you can answer the objectives thoroughly (and in turn, study those answers) you should be relatively well prepared for the exam. All exam questions will be derived from the objectives. Consequently, if some topic/concept is not on the objectives, it will NOT be on the exam. ATTENDANCE: Prairie View A&M University requires regular class attendance. Excessive absences will result in lowered grades. Excessive absenteeism, whether excused or unexcused, may result in a student s course grade being reduced or in assignment of a grade of F. Absences are accumulated beginning with the first day of class. If you miss a test, you can make it up during the make-up session (see below). Course Procedures GRADING: 500 total points (3 Exams X 100 Points each) = 300 Points (5 Pop Quizzes X 20 points each) = 100 Points (4 Reaction Papers X 25 Points each) = 100 Points Grade Criterion A 90% to 100% B 80% to < 89.99% C 70% to < 79.99% D 60% to < 69.99% F Below 60% Grades will be posted on ecourses. If you want to calculate how you are doing throughout the semester: Grade (so far) = Points earned (so far) / Points possible (so far) *100%. 2

3 EXAMS: There are three unit multiple-choice exams worth 100 pts each. Exams will cover both lecture and readings. Without studying from both, you won t do well on the exams. My exams are primarily applied questions, rather than definitions, terms, etc. Thus, understanding the material (rather than merely memorizing it) is key to getting a good grade in this class. Consequently, cramming prior to the test won t be a particularly effective means of studying. Rather, reading assigned materials before class and then coming to lecture will be the most effective method of learning and understanding the material to help you study for and pass my exams. The exams will be given during regular class time throughout the course of the semester. Exam 3 will be given during final exams week (See Course Schedule for date and time). Exam 3 will be the same type of test (50 multiple choice questions). It will not be cumulative. You ll receive an automatic zero on any test for which you are absent (this zero will only be replaced in the gradebook if you make-up the test). Quizzes: There will be six pop quizzes given randomly throughout the semester (and no, I will not tell you when they are, so please don t ask). These quizzes will often be given at the beginning of class, and will be on both the information lectured on from the previous class and the readings that were assigned for that day (therefore, it is important for you to come into class prepared every day, knowing what the readings were about). I will drop the lowest quiz grade, so if you do poorly on one or miss one for whatever reason you have that to help you. If you do have a legitimate reason for being absent that day (illness, death in family or family emergency, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holiday, or official University activities), you can make it up the next class as long as you bring proper documentation. The quizzes collectively will be worth 20% of your grade Reaction Papers: You will need to write four reaction papers based on the journal articles (NOT the book readings, NOT the Nisbett chapter, and NOT the Busch, Milrod, & Sandberg (2009) reading). These reaction papers should be turned in online by the beginning of class. I plan to be having class discussions on the articles that we read and you will be tested on the articles, so even if you choose not to write a paper on the article, you still need to do the reading. Your reaction papers may be useful to have in front of you as a reference during the discussions, so I recommend having them easily accessible either electronically or in paper form. The reaction papers collectively will be worth 20% of your grade. See the section below for more information on how to write your reaction papers. Exam Make-up Policy: Occasionally circumstances will arise that require students to miss a test. If you miss an exam for a legitimate reason (i.e. a reason that is sanctioned by the university) you can make up the exam within that week if you provide proper documentation. Otherwise, anyone can make up a missed exam during the final exam time (in addition to taking the final exam). I have this policy for two reasons: not to penalize people who have a legitimate reason for missing an exam, and to give those who missed an exam for reasons that are not sanctioned by the University a chance to make up the exam. This policy is NOT designed to make life easier for students who want to schedule other events during exams or who want to skip exams when they represent a minor inconvenience (you shouldn t be doing that). While everyone should definitely take advantage of this policy (take a make-up! There should be NO ZEROS for missed exams at the end of the semester!), you are still responsible for making plans to take the exams on the originally scheduled dates. The average grade on makeup exams is lower! When you take a make-up, time has passed since learning the original material and you have to keep up with the current work while also trying to study for the make-up test. If you choose to use these make-up sessions for reasons other than their intended purpose, you may do so, but that is your personal decision and you take responsibility for the consequences. 3

4 Excused Absences: If you have an excused absence, you may make up your exam at another scheduled time. BUT for an absence to be considered excused, there are three requirements. 1.) You must let me know ahead of time that you will be missing the exam this can be something as simple as an sent to me before class starts. (Understandably, there are extreme emergencies in which you may not be able to contact me beforehand. These will be handled on a case by case basis. Point is, if you can contact me ahead of time, do so). 2.) Your absence must fall under the category of excused. Excused absences include documented illness, deaths in the family and other documented crises, call to active military duty or jury duty, religious holy days, and official University activities. These absences will be accommodated in a way that does not arbitrarily penalize students who have a valid excuse. If you re not sure if an absence will be considered excuse, please feel free to ask me. 3.) If asked, you must provide documentation to verify the absence. Once your absence has been deemed excused, we will set up a time (outside of class time) for you to make up that exam. If you miss that rescheduled make up period (unless due to another excused absence), you will be given a zero on your exam/quiz and you will have to make it up during the final exam time after taking the final exam. If you prefer not to set up a time with me and would rather make up your exam after taking the final exam, you can do so. Unexcused Absences: If you are not attempting to have your absence be considered excused, then I don t require you to contact me or let me know why you missed. Again, if you are fine with your absence being considered unexcused, you do NOT need to contact me about the absence. If you miss an exam, you can take it during the final exam time slot after taking the final exam, as outlined above. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Civility: I expect students to act civilly at all times. This means respecting yourself, other students, and me. Uncivil behavior will not be tolerated. Examples of uncivil behavior include, but are not limited to, ringing or vibrating cell phones, excessive tardiness, sleeping, talking when another student or I am talking, wearing headphones, checking your or playing on the internet during my lectures, disrupting the class in any manner, becoming physically or verbally aggressive, breaking student code of conduct rules, etc. Copyright Statement: Some of the materials in this course are possibly copyrighted. They are intended for use only by students registered and enrolled in this course and only for instructional activities associated with and for the duration of the course. They may not be retained in another medium or disseminated further. They are provided in compliance with the provisions of the Teach Act. General policy: 1. Students must make every effort to attend all lectures and remain for the duration of each lecture. 2. All cell phones and media devices must remain on silent mode and out of sight during lecture. 3. Make-up examinations will be considered only in cases of medical or other very serious emergencies. Formal documentation of the emergency will be required. The following will not be considered for make-up examinations as a matter of course: 4

5 Child care problem Transportation problem Mix-up on exam date Psychosocial stressors 4. Students must make every effort to be on time for evaluation and lecture. 5. Open textbooks are not encouraged during lecture. 6. No sleeping or excessive, unrelated talking during lecture. 7. Gentlemen must remove hats during lecture. 8. Disrespectful and/or disruptive behavior of any sort will not be tolerated during lecture. 9. Erasure mistakes on scantrons will not be adjusted. Instructions for Writing your Reaction Papers Each paper you select to write about should be one of the journal papers that are being read for the course (see the General Course Outline below for a list of papers). It should be submitted at the beginning of class the day the reading is due. Once you have chosen and carefully read an article from one of the above journals, write a 2 page paper (double-spaced, with one-inch margins, 12 point font Times New Roman) answering the following questions about the described experiment(s). Papers should be two FULL pages in length (you may use a third page if necessary). The first page should be focused on summarizing the article, demonstrating full understanding of the content (see items 1-4 below). The second page should be focused on your critical assessment and reaction to the paper (see items 5-7 below; note you do not need to cover all three for this portion, but you need to go in significant depth to make your points). Credit will be awarded based on the content and writing of the papers, so be sure to answer the questions to the best of your ability. This means that you will be assessed not only on the content of your papers, but being able to effectively communicate your points. In other words, you will need to use proper grammar and sentence structure. Additionally, you are not allowed to use quotations in your paper. Again, you will need to write four reaction papers based on the journal articles (NOT the book readings, NOT the Nisbett chapter, and NOT the Busch, Milrod, & Sandberg (2009) reading). 1. What is the purpose of the research? According to the article, what background research had been conducted in this area? What are the hypotheses? 2. What type of research method was used (e.g., description of subjects, what materials were used, and procedures). Please do this for two studies (you do not need to do it for every study if there are 3 or more, but try to pick studies you think were important for the overall journal article). 3. Identify the independent variable(s) & dependent variable(s) 4. What were the main results? How do the results of the current studies support and extend the literature reviewed in the introduction? 5. How does the research relate to topics that (a) you ve learned in your course OR (b) apply to your everyday life experiences (be specific)? 6. What critiques do you have about the article? Were there any problems with the design of the studies? What do you think they could have done better? Did the researchers address them? (Try to go beyond what the researchers say in the article! Not surprisingly, researchers do not always point out all the flaws in their own research.) If you do not have any critiques, what did the researchers do particularly effectively in this article, and why do you think these are important? 7. What experimental question did this article raise for you? That is, if you were going to conduct an experiment on the topic of this article using it as background information, what question would you want to explore? Briefly describe how you would explore your question experimentally. Why would your experiment be important? 5

6 Syllabus Change Policy: Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice. Any changes will be announced in class and on ecourses. Course Schedule Unless otherwise stated, all Chapters/Pages refer to Fifth Edition of our assigned text Date Topic Chapters, readings or Dates 07/12/16 Intro to Personality Psychology pt 1 Chapter 1 07/13/16 Intro to Personality Psychology pt 2; Reading articles 07/14/16 Traits and Taxonomies pt 1 07/18/16 Traits and Taxonomies pt 2; Personality over time 07/19/16 Evolutionary Perspectives pt 1 07/20/16 Evolutionary Perspectives pt 2; Social Learning and Culture pt 1 07/21/16 Social Learning and Culture pt 2 07/25/16 Exam Chapter 4 p , Chapter 5; TED talk: Cain; Kauff, Asbrock, Thorner, & Wagner (2013) Chapter 3, p ; Chapter 4 p & Chapter 2; Maner, Gailliot, Rouby, & Miller (2007) Chapter 3; Leung & Cohen (2011) 07/26/16 Genetics and Personality pt 1 Chapter 6; Fraley et al. (2013) 07/27/16 07/28/16 08/01/16 08/02/16 Genetics and Personality pt 2; Psychoanalytic Approaches Motives pt 1 Motives pt 2; Cognitive Topics pt 1 Cognitive Topics pt 2 08/03/16 Exam 2 Chapter 7 p ; Busch, Milrod, & Sandberg (2009) (not eligible for reaction paper) Chapter 7 p ; Pryzbylski et al., 2014 Chapter 8 p ; Sullivan, Landau, & Rothschild (2010) Nisbett Chapter 2 (PDF) (not eligible for reaction paper) 08/04/16 Emotion and Personality Chapter 10; Tsai et al. (2007) 08/08/16 08/09/16 Disorders and Personality Approaches to the Self pt 1 08/10/16 Approaches to the Self pt 2; Social Interaction pt 1 08/11/16 Social Interaction pt 2 08/12/16 Final Exam: Same Classroom, not cumulative Chapter 4, p ; Lee, Gregg, & Park (2013) Chapter 8 p ; TED talk: Gopnik; Johnson, Richeson, & Finkel (2011) TED Talk: Schwartz; Wang, Ku, & Galinsky (2014)

7 All lecture and exam dates are approximately planned and subject to change. Instructor Responsibilities Prepare assignments, discussions, and lectures. Facilitate an effective learning environment. Evaluate and provide prompt feedback on exams. Student Responsibilities Attend class and participate in class discussions. Read assigned chapters prior to lecture. Complete all evaluation procedures. Ask for help when there is a question or problem. Keep your copy of this syllabus. Take the UG3P at the beginning and at the end of the semester. Rigorous discussion of the concepts, theories, methods, and ideas presented in this course is expected. Interaction with the instructor and with peers is essential to the learning process. 7

8 How Do I Do Well in This Class? Take notes and be an active participant in lecture Use objectives as a framework for note-taking and studying Never hesitate to ask questions! (I d rather have a discussion than listen to myself talk) Come to me (as soon as possible) if you are struggling Read assigned materials prior to the class they are assigned for OTHER ISSUES THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: Please cooperate with me and your fellow students to create an environment that fosters learning and communication. Eliminate disruptions to the learning environment that distract me and other students from the class including: talking while others are speaking, reading unrelated material in class, ringing/buzzing of cell phones or otherwise behaving rudely. Be sure to put your phone on SILENT (NOT VIBRATE) or turn it off before class begins. CAN I COME TO CLASS LATE? I understand that on rare occasions it might be necessary to either arrive to class late or to leave early. I do prefer that you come to class (rather than not attend at all) on those occasions. However, make every effort to avoid this if possible. On those occasions when it is necessary, please do so with as little disruption to the class as possible (e.g., take a seat near the door and enter/depart quietly). WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I DO POORLY ON A TEST? Come to me as soon as possible. DO NOT wait to talk to me at the end of the semester if you have done poorly on a test. If you performed poorly on Exam 1 and use the same study strategies for Exam 2, there will likely be little difference in your performance across the two tests. If you wait until the end of the semester there is very little I can do as far as advice about how to improve your grade. WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I VE ATTENDED CLASS AND READ THE ASSIGNED TEXT, BUT I STILL DON T UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL? Come see me! Don t wait! I want students to make use of my office hours to ask questions about psychology, even if those questions range outside the lecture material. Don t feel like you re imposing on my time. Come see me if you re struggling. Even if you re not, and you just want to discuss the class material further, feel free to stop by. If you have questions about graduate school, I d be happy to lend my thoughts. I like talking to students about psychology! Office hours are the most under-utilized resource available to students! WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO CONTACT YOU? See me after class or come to my office hours. If it can t wait, contact me by . In the subject heading of your , always include PSY2513. Always include the history of our exchange in your latest message, whenever that history relates to your current concerns. 8

9 Student Support and Success John B. Coleman Library The library and its partners have as their mission "to provide resources and instructional material in support of the evolving curriculum, as a partner in Prairie View A&M University's mission of teaching, research, and service" and to support the University's core values of "access and quality, diversity, leadership, relevance, and social responsibility" through emphasis on ten key areas of service. It maintains library collections and access both on campus, online, and through local agreements to further the educational goals of students and faculty. Center for Academic Support The Center for Academic Support (CAS) offers Tutoring via peer tutoring. The services include workshops (i.e., Save My Semester, Recalculate Your Route), seminars (i.e., Tools You Can Use: TI-84), group review sessions (i.e., College Algebra Topic Reviews, GRE Preparation), group study opportunities (i.e., TSIA, HESI, Study Break, Exam Cram), and test-taking strategies (How to take Notes, Study Buddy, 5 Day Study Guide). The Tutoring Center is a nationally certified tutoring program through the National Tutoring Association. The peer tutors are trained and certified by the coordinator each semester. Location: J.B. Coleman Library COMPASS The Center for the Oversight and Management of Personalized Academic Student Success (COMPASS) is designed to help Prairie View students in their second year and beyond navigate towards graduation by providing the following services: Academic Advisement, Targeted Tutorials for Personalized Learning, Campus- Wide Referrals, and Academic & Social Workshops. Location: J.B. Coleman Library Writing Center The Writing Center provides student consultants on all aspects of the writing process and a variety of writing assignments. Writing Center consultations assist students in such areas as prewriting, brainstorming, audience awareness, organization, research, and citation. Location: Hilliard Hall 121 University Rules and Procedures Disability statement (See Student Handbook): Students with disabilities, including learning disabilities, who wish to request accommodations in class should register with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) early in the semester so that appropriate arrangements may be made. In accordance with federal laws, a student requesting special accommodations must provide documentation of their disability to the SSD coordinator. Academic misconduct (See Student Handbook): You are expected to practice academic honesty in every aspect of this course and all other courses. Make sure you are familiar with your Student Handbook, especially the section on academic misconduct. Students who engage in academic misconduct are subject to university disciplinary procedures. Forms of academic dishonesty: 1. Cheating: deception in which a student misrepresents that he/she has mastered information on an academic exercise that he/she has not mastered; giving or receiving aid unauthorized by the instructor on assignments or examinations. 2. Academic misconduct: tampering with grades or taking part in obtaining or distributing any part of a scheduled test. 3. Fabrication: use of invented information or falsified research. 4. Plagiarism: unacknowledged quotation and/or paraphrase of someone else s words, ideas, or data as one s own in work submitted for credit. Failure to identify information or essays from the Internet and submitting them as one s own work also constitutes plagiarism. 9

10 Nonacademic misconduct (See Student Handbook) The university respects the rights of instructors to teach and students to learn. Maintenance of these rights requires campus conditions that do not impede their exercise. Campus behavior that interferes with either (1) the instructor s ability to conduct the class, (2) the inability of other students to profit from the instructional program, or (3) campus behavior that interferes with the rights of others will not be tolerated. An individual engaging in such disruptive behavior may be subject to disciplinary action. Such incidents will be adjudicated by the Dean of Students under nonacademic procedures. Sexual misconduct (See Student Handbook): Sexual harassment of students and employers at Prairie View A&M University is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Any member of the university community violating this policy will be subject to disciplinary action. Attendance Policy Prairie View A&M University requires regular class attendance. Excessive absences will result in lowered grades. Excessive absenteeism, whether excused or unexcused, may result in a student s course grade being reduced or in assignment of a grade of F. Absences are accumulated beginning with the first day of class. Student Academic Appeals Process Authority and responsibility for assigning grades to students rests with the faculty. However, in those instances where students believe that miscommunication, errors, or unfairness of any kind may have adversely affected the instructor's assessment of their academic performance, the student has a right to appeal by the procedure listed in the Undergraduate Catalog and by doing so within thirty days of receiving the grade or experiencing any other problematic academic event that prompted the complaint. Disability statement (See Student Handbook): Students with disabilities, including learning disabilities, who wish to request accommodations in class should register with the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) early in the semester so that appropriate arrangements may be made. In accordance with federal laws, a student requesting special accommodations must provide documentation of their disability to the SSD coordinator. 10

11 TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS Minimum Recommended Hardware and Software: Intel PC or Laptop with Windows 7; Mac with OS X; Smartphone or ipad/tablet with Wi-Fi High speed Internet access 8 GB Memory Hard drive with 320 GB storage space 15 monitor, 800x600, color or 16 bit Sound card w/speakers Microphone and recording software Keyboard & mouse Most current version of Google Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer or Firefox Note: Be sure to enable Java & pop-ups Participants should have a basic proficiency of the following computer skills: Sending and receiving A working knowledge of the Internet Proficiency in Microsoft Word (or a program convertible to Word) Proficiency in the Acrobat PDF Reader Basic knowledge of Windows or Mac O.S. Netiquette (online etiquette): Students are expected to participate in all discussions and virtual classroom chats as directed. Students are to be respectful and courteous to others on discussions boards. Foul or abusive language will not be tolerated. Technical Support: Students should go to if they have password issues. The page will provide instructions for resetting passwords and contact information if login issues persist. For other technical questions regarding ecourses, call the Office of Distance Learning at Communication Expectations and Standards: s or discussion postings will receive a response from the instructor, usually in less than 48 hours. Urgent s should be marked as such. Check regularly for responses. Discussion Requirement: Online courses often require minimal to no face-to-face meetings. However, conversations about the readings, lectures, materials, and other aspects of the course can take place in a seminar fashion. This will be accomplish by the use of the discussion board. The exact use of discussion will be determined by the instructor. It is strongly suggested that students type their discussion postings in a word processing application and save it to their PC or a removable drive before posting to the discussion board. This is important for two reasons: 1) If for some reason your discussion responses are lost in your online course, you will have another copy; 2) Grammatical errors can be greatly minimized by the use of the spell-and-grammar check functions in word processing applications. Once the post(s) have been typed and corrected in the word processing application, it should be copied and pasted to the discussion board. 11