Course Syllabus

PSY 3230 | ADULT DEVELOPMENT AND AGING

Department of Psychology
3 Credit Hours
Class Meets: Monday and Wednesday 8:05-9:25 AM in room 301 BUS C

This syllabus is not a binding legal contract. The instructor may modify it when the student is given
reasonable notice of the modification.

Instructor:

Office: BEH S 609

Kris Oldroyd

Office Hours: By appointment (Note: This does

not mean that I dont want to see you. It means
that I want to keep my schedule as free as
possible in order to accommodate as many of
you as I can. Please come see me if you have
any questions or concerns! Except on Tuesdays.
Tuesdays so dont work for me)

Email: (Best way to get a hold of me)

kris.oldroyd@psych.utah.edu
Phone: (801) 587-9470

Teaching Assistant:
Christian Ruske
christiantruske@gmail.com

Required Materials:

Bjorklund, Barbara (2015). The Journey of Adulthood, 7th Ed. Pearson Learning (This is an online text
It can be purchased for $85 here: https://console.pearson.com/enrollment/rldhj3. When you order
the online version of the text you will be given the option to purchase a three-hole punched, hard
copy for $5.

Albom, M. (1997). Tuesdays with Morrie: An old man, a young man, and lifes greatest lessons. New
York, NY: Doubleday.

Additional readings and video links, posted on the class website.

Course Description:
What if I told you that taking this course could add 7 years to your life? # Whaaat?!? Its true. Well
talk about how and why during the first session of class. Then, we will spend the rest of the semester
discussing the many other aspects of the adult life span, the longest segment of the human life cycle.
Even if you are not old yet, this is relevant to you because now that the average life expectancy of

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persons in the United States has reached 80+ years, most of you can expect to spend 55 or more years
in this stage of development!
This course surveys cognitive, social, physical and personality development, covering the years from late
adolescence to late adulthood, with an emphasis on the psychological aspects of development. This
class is a forum for considering a variety of theoretical and practical questions, including the following:
What are the implications of various theories of adulthood for how we define "development,"
"maturity," and "wisdom"? Are there common features of the adult trajectory that apply across the
diversities of gender, class, and ethnicity? What are adults' actual developmental capacities, and how do
they square with the mental demands of modern life? Can we, and should we, intentionally seek to
foster development in adulthood?
During this course you will gain a background in the field of adult human development, including an
overview of the theoretical foundations lifespan development, theories of aging, and perspectives on
positive aging. This course will also explore basic and applied research in optimal human functioning and
adaptive processes across the adult lifespan.

Course Objectives:
By the end of this semester you should be able to:

Understand the foundations of adult development and aging, spanning the life periods of early,
middle, and late adulthood. This will be done through careful study of research and theory, as well
as through hands-on activities (Learning Outcome 1)
Be able to articulate how development is embedded within physical, social, and cultural
environments (Learning Outcome 2)
Demonstrate skills in written, oral, and creative expression as assessed through papers, discussions,
and class activities (Learning Outcome 4)

Learning Outcomes for Psychology BS/BA Degree:

This course is designed to meet the following learning outcomes for the BS/BA Psychology
degree:
Goal #1: Students should demonstrate fundamental knowledge and comprehension of the
major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and empirical findings to discuss
how psychological principles apply to behavioral problems. Students completing Foundation
courses should demonstrate breadth of their knowledge and application of psychological ideas
to simple problems; students completing a baccalaureate degree should show depth in their
knowledge and application of psychological concepts and frameworks to problems of greater
complexity.
Goal #2: The skills in this domain involve the development of scientific reasoning and problem
solving, including effective research methods. Students completing Foundation courses should
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learn basic skills and concepts in interpreting behavior, studying research, and applying
research design principles to drawing conclusions about psychological phenomena; students
completing a baccalaureate degree should focus on theory use as well as designing and
executing research plans.
Goal #4: Students should demonstrate competence in writing, oral, and interpersonal
communication skills. Students completing Foundation courses should write a cogent scientific
argument, present information using a scientific approach, engage in discussion of
psychological concepts, explain the ideas of others, and express their own ideas with clarity.
Students completing a baccalaureate degree should produce a research study or other
psychological project, explain scientific results, and present information to a professional
audience. They should also develop flexible interpersonal approaches that optimize information
exchange and relationship development.

Evaluation Methods:
There are no examinations in this class. Instead, your grade will be based on the following:
Quizzes: will be done on Canvas and are due Sunday nights at 11:59 PM. There will be 15 quizzes total,
however only your best 12 quiz scores will contribute to your grade. The remaining 3 quizzes may be
skipped entirely or dropped from your grade. There are 20 items on each quiz, 10 from the weeks
reading and 10 from lecture. You will have 30 minutes to complete each quiz. Be sure to complete the
quiz in time or it will be locked! Because I am allowing you to drop 3 quiz scores NO late quizzes will be
accepted. If you cannot get the quiz done in time, simply count it as one of your dropped quiz scores.
In class Activities: Some class periods will include an in class activity that will be worth 5 points. If you
miss a class period you cannot make up an in class activity, however, as with quizzes, your lowest scores
will be dropped. Twelve in-class activities will be offered throughout the semester and only ten will
count toward your grade.
Discussions: In lieu of in-class activities the online section of this course will participate in online
discussions. These discussions will mimic the in-class activities as much as possible. As with in-class
activities, each discussion will be worth 5 points. If you miss a discussion, you cannot make it up.
However, as with quizzes, your lowest scores will be dropped. Twelve discussions will be offered
throughout the semester and only 10 will count toward your grade.
At Home Assignments: During the semester you will be asked to complete eight at home assignments
(ten will be offered). These activities are designed to illustrate class materials and give you the
opportunity to place them within a real-world context. Assignments will be described in detail on the
class website.. Due dates for each of the thought papers are clearly listed on the syllabus.
Final paper: During the semester, we will be reading Tuesdays with Morrie. This book contains many life
lessons, taught by Dr. Morrie Schwartz and recorded by Mitch Albom. For your paper, please write
about the lesson that resonated the most with you. Read sections of the textbook about related topics,
and find one peer-reviewed research article that talks about this topic. For example, Morrie talks about
regrets. If you find this topic of interest, then you would search the textbook for information about how
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people deal with regrets, and you would find one research article about this topic. The final paper (due
December 11) should be 4-6 pages long (double spaced) and should include references to at least one
relevant, peer-reviewed research articles. Detailed instructions will be posted on Canvas.
The following table shows evaluation methods and their corresponding weight within overall final
grades.

Evaluation Method

Weight

Quizzes

35%

In Class Activities

10%

At Home Assignments

35%

Final Paper

20%

The following table shows point totals and their corresponding letter grades.
Letter

Percentage

93% and Above

A-

90-92%

B+

87%-89%

84%-86%

B-

80%-83%

C+

77%-79%

74% 76%

C-

70%-73%

D+

67%-69%

64%-66%

D-

60% 63%

Below 60%

Late Assignments:
Late quizzes and papers will not be accepted. If you miss the due date for a quiz or an
assignment it will count as one of the assignments to be dropped from your final grade. Final
papers will be docked one full letter grade for each day that it is late.

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Extra Credit:
You can earn 3% extra credit (added to your final grade) by:
1) Doing one extra at home assignment (8 out of 10 are required)
2) 3 hours of research participation: Detailed information regarding how to participate in
research can be found at
https://www.psych.utah.edu/research/files/participant_instructions.pdf
Please note: You may only do ONE of the extra credit options. You may not do both and get 6%
credit added to your final grade.

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Class Schedule
Fall 2015

Date

Topic/Description

Reading

Assignment

August 24

Course overview; Attitudes

(Lecture 1.1)

toward aging

Chapter 1

Quiz #1 due at

August 26

How old is old?

(Lecture 1.2)

Defining age
Defining Development

August 30

midnight
Assignment #1
August 31

Controversies in Developmental

Online Reading #1

(Lecture 2.1)

Psychology

September 2

Controversies in Developmental

Online Reading #2

(Lecture 2.2)

Psychology Part two

September 6

Quiz #2
Assignment #2

September 9

Models of Development

(Lecture 3.1)

September

Online Reading #3

Assignment #3

13, 2015
September 14

Quiz #3
Models of Development

Online Reading #3

September 16

Biological theories of aging and

Text Chapter 2

(Lecture 4.2)

disease: Why and how do we age?

September 20

Quiz #4

Lecture (4.1)

Assignment #4
September 21

Secondary Aging:

(Lecture 5.1)

Diabetes and Alzheimers

Text Chapter 3

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September 23

Is Aging A disease that Can be Cured

(Lecture 5.2)
September 27

Cynthia Kenyon TED

Talk

Quiz #5
Assignment #5

September 28

Cognitive Functioning:

(6.1)

Declines

Text Chapter 4

September 30

Cognitive Functioning:

Text: Chapter 4

(6.2)

Positives

October 4

Quiz #6
Assignment #6

October 5

Personality

Text: Chapter 8

(7.1)
October 7

Personality

Text: Chapter 8

(7.2)
October 10

Quiz #7
Assignment #7

October 11-18 Fall break

October 19

Social Roles and Relationships

Text: Chapter 5

(8.1)
October 21

Social Roles and Relationships

Text: Chapter 6

October 25

Quiz #8

October 26

Work and Career (Christian Guest

Text: Chapter 7

(91)

Lecture)

October 28

Retirement

Text: Chapter 7

Quiz #9

(8.2)

(9.2)
November 1

Assignment #8
November 2

Motivation

Online Reading #4

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November 4

Moral and Spiritual Development

Online Reading #5

Quiz #10

(10.2)
November 8

Assignment #9
November 9

Stress, coping, resilience

Text Chapter 10

November 11

Stress, coping, resilience

Text Chapter 10

November 15

Quiz #11

November 16

Mental Health Issues and Treatment

Online Reading #6

November 18

Mental Health Issues and Treatment

Online Reading #6

November 22

Quiz #12
Assignment #10

November 23

Quest for Meaning

Chapter #9

November 25

Quest for Meaning

Chapter #9

November 29

Quiz #13

November 30

Death and Dying

Text Chapter 11

December 2

Death and Dying

Text Chapter 11

December 6

Quiz #14

December 7

Successful Aging

Text Chapter 12

December 9

Successful Aging

Text Chapter 12

December 13

Quiz #15
All extra credit due
today
Final Paper due today

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Policies and Procedures

Technology in the Classroom:
Out of respect for your fellow students and the instructor, please turn off your cell phones prior
to class. The use of laptops for note taking and completion of in-class activities is encouraged.
Important Dates:
First session classes begin Monday August 24, 2015

Last day to add and drop classes is Friday September 4.

Last day to withdraw from first session classes is Friday, October 23. A "W" will appear on
your transcript for these courses.

Last Class: Wednesday December 9, 2015

Holidays: Labor Day, Monday September 7, 2015
Fall break October 11-18, 2015.

The University of Utah Academic Calendar

http://www.sa.utah.edu/regist/calendar/datesDeadlines/deadlines.htm

Student Support & Accommodations

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Statement
The University of Utah seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people
with disabilities. If you will need accommodations in the class, reasonable prior notice needs to be given
to the Center for Disability Services, 162 Olpin Union Building, 581-5020 (V/TDD). CDS will work with you
and the instructor to make arrangements for accommodations. All information in this course can be
made available in alternative format with prior notification to the Center for Disability Services.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

All students are expected to maintain professional behavior in the classroom setting, according to the
Student Code, detailed in the Student Handbook. Students have specific rights in the classroom as
detailed in Article III of the Code. The Code also specifies proscribed conduct (Article XI) that involves
cheating on tests, plagiarism, and/or collusion, as well as fraud, theft, etc. Students should read the
Code carefully and know they are responsible for the content. According to Faculty Rules and
Regulations, it is the faculty responsibility to enforce responsible classroom behaviors. Students have
the right to appeal such action to the Student Behavior Committee. For Student Rights and
Responsibilities, see http://www.regulations.utah.edu/academics/6-400.html

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Department of Psychology Undergraduate Academic Misconduct Policy

The Department of Psychology has a zero tolerance policy for academic misconduct. Academic
misconduct includes cheating, plagiarizing, research misconduct, misrepresenting ones work, and
inappropriately collaborating. This applies to any work students turn in for evaluation or course credit.
Definitions can be found in the Student Code at http://www.regulations.utah.edu/academics/6-
400.html
If you are suspected of academic misconduct, the process proceeds according to the rules found in the
Student Code, University Policy 6-400(V). If you are found responsible for misconduct, consequences
range from failure on the assignment to dismissal from the program, consistent with both University
and Psychology Department Policy.

Minor offenses (plagiarism in written work) include failure to use citations correctly, because of lack of
understanding of proper procedures for crediting ideas, rather than intention to cheat (with no evidence
of lifted/stolen text. Major Offenses include:
1. Cheating on a test, quiz, problem set, or other independent work
2. Plagiarism in written work: Copying any quantity of text from another source or another student
without quoting and citing the copied text.
3. Plagiarism in written work: Flagrant misuse of citations, such that a student clearly attempted to
represent ideas that were not his/hers as if they were, even if the ideas were presented in the
students own words.
Both minor and major offenses will have consequences, as outlined in the full Psychology Department
Policy (which you can find here in PDF format).
[Optional:] Assignments turned in on Canvas will be screened using Turnitin, and the above policy will be
followed when misconduct is found.

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