Psychology 222

Psychological Adjustment

Winter, 2008

Textbook: Weiten/Lloyd, Psychology applied to modern life (8^th Edition)

(A Study Guide for this textbook is available; it is recommended, but not required.)

Companion Website: A student-learning center is available featuring online quizzes pertaining to your textbook, as well as interactive activities.  To get to the site, go to http://psychology.wadsworth.com. Click on “Adjustment” in the left-hand column.  Find your textbook (it should be the 3^rd one listed) and click on “Companion site” next to “Student.”  This will take you to a site where you will find quizzes, flashcards, and a glossary for each chapter of your textbook, plus a practice final exam.

Exam Schedule:  Each exam will cover lecture material since the previous exam plus select chapters from your textbook

Exam 1: February 14 (Thursday) {my Valentine’s Day present to you}

                        Chapters 3 & 6 + lecture material since January 15.

Exam 2: March 27 (Thursday)

                        Chapters 5, 7, & 8 + lecture material since February 19.

Exam 3: April 29 (Tuesday)   

Chapters 10 & 13 + lecture material since April 1.

An exam missed for legitimate reasons must be made-up the same week it is given. If you are unable to take an exam at the regularly scheduled time, contact me prior to the exam date and arrange a time to make it up.  Exams not made up by the deadline will be substituted for by the final exam (see below).

The final exam will be given on Saturday, May 3 at 9:30 a.m. (It is against my religion to be on campus at 8:30 on a Saturday morning.)  The final exam is not required.  This optional final exam, worth the same number of points as each of the three mid-term exams, will cover material only from textbook on the seven chapters covered on the midterm exams (3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, & 13).  By restricting the final exam only to textbook material, you are not adversely affected again by having missed a class.  Textbook material is available equally to everyone.  The final exam can be used to replace your lowest exam score (or an exam that you missed).  If your score on the final exam is lower than each of your three mid-term exams, it will not be used.  In other words, taking the final exam cannot hurt you.

Extra-credit quizzes:  Nine 10-question quizzes on textbook material only will be given during the semester.  Quizzes will be given promptly at 10:00 a.m. on scheduled days.  If you are not taking the quiz on a given day, you need not show-up for class until 10:15.  If you get 10 out of 10 correct on a quiz, you will receive two (2) extra-credit points; if you get 9 correct, you will receive one (1) extra-credit point; if you get 8 correct, you will receive one-half (½) extra-credit point.  Thus, it is possible to earn 18 extra-credit points over the course of the semester, which is a significant amount.  These extra-credit points may be used to raise your grade at most one level.  For example, if you earn sufficient extra-credit points, your grade can be raised from a B to a B+ or from a B+ to an A-.  No matter how many extra-credit points you earn, they cannot be used to raise your grade two levels (e.g., from a B to an A- or from a B+ to an A).  There are no make-ups for extra-credit quizzes. 

Extra-Credit Quiz Schedule:

Jan. 22 (Tues.): Ch. 1

Jan. 29 (Tues.): Ch. 2

Feb. 5  (Tues.): Ch. 4

Feb. 21 (Thur.): Ch. 14

Feb. 28 (Thur.): Ch. 15

Mar. 6  (Thur.): Ch. 16

April 8 (Tues.):   Ch. 9

April 15 (Tues.): Ch. 11

April 22 (Tues.): Ch. 12

Grade Distribution: 

A                     93-100%                                        

A-                    90-92.99%

B+                   87-89.99%

B                      83-86.99%

B-                    80-82.99%

C+                   77-79.99%

C                     73-76.99%

C-                    70-72.99%

D+                   67-69.99%

D                     63-66.99%

D-                    60-62.99%

Grade Insurance: Rounding-up extra-credit project:

I do not round-up when calculating grades (89.99% is a B+, not an A-).  If you complete this project and are within 0.5% of the next higher grade, I will round-up.  Doing this project will not help you unless you are within 0.5% of the next higher grade.  Granted, not many of you will fall 0.5% or less from the next grade, but each semester a few students do.  This is your opportunity to protect yourself in case you turn out to be one of those few students. (Please do not ask me to raise it by more than 0.5% as I will reject your request which will make you sad and cause me to be very distressed.) 

This project consists of two parts: (1) a Journal and (2) Homework:

Journal: The primary purpose of the journal is to encourage you to connect the facts, concepts and principles that you acquire from the course to your personal experiences.  In this journal, you will relate personal experiences that are pertinent to the topics covered in the book or in class discussions.  You will focus on describing your feelings about what you are reading, experiencing, and thinking.  Be as graphic and descriptive as you can.  

To get started, buy an 8 1/2 by 11 inch bound notebook.  You need to write one entry each week (beginning with the first week of the semester) that is approximately one page in length.  A journal entry for a specific week should be completed by class-time on Thursday.  Hence, if I collect journals on a Thursday, I will expect an entry for that week; if I collect journals on a Tuesday, I will not expect an entry for that week. 

Begin each entry on a separate page, date each entry, and underline the course concepts used.  Journal entries can focus on past, current or future course material.  Bring your journal to class each day; it will be collected every few weeks. Credit will be given only to those students who keep a Journal from the first week of the semester to the last week, and who turn it in at the time it is requested.  If you miss class, it is your responsibility to get me your journal the day it is due.  

Journal entry options: Pick something out of a chapter in your textbook or something we have covered in class.  If you can’t find something from the topics currently being covered, feel free to use previous topics or topics we have not yet gotten to. These entries can take several forms:

(1) Relate course content (from text or lecture) to personal experience, or to the experience of a friend or relative. (2) React to course content; i.e., give your opinion about something. (3) Relate course content to something that appeared in the media (e.g., a movie, a TV show, a newspaper). In all your entries, be personal and be specific.  Don’t summarize the book or the lectures as I have read the book and been to class and, therefore, do not need a summary.  Tell me what you are thinking.  If the connection of your entry to the course is not obvious, make the connection clear.  Your journal will not be seen by anyone other than your instructor.  Acceptability of the journal will be based on whether you adhere to the guidelines.

Homework: Periodically, I will give you an exercise/homework assignment designed to increase positive well-being/adjustment.  You will carry out the assignment the week it is assigned and write it up in your journal.  This homework assignment will substitute for that week’s journal entry.