PSY 103, F2015: Toward Self Understanding

TTh 9:30 10:45 AM.

Instructor: Lyn Stein, Ph.D. Teaching Assistant (TA): TBA

Office: CPRC Bldg., 49W Office: TBA.
Phone: 874-4261 Phone: Main number 874-4224
E-mail: LARStein@uri.edu E-mail: TBA@my.uri.edu
Office Hours: Tu 8-9 AM, by appt. Office Hours: TBA

Text: Weiten, W., Dunn, D. & Hammer, E. (2012). Psychology applied to modern life: Adjustment in the 21st
century (10th Ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning.

Various official web-sites exist for this book with beneficial resources for students. Search the publishers
website; this info is likely also found listed in your text.

Description and Goals: The purpose of this course is to provide information about personality development,
personal and social behavior, and adjustment reactions. The major goals are to enhance students self-awareness
and understanding and to promote practical skills for effective personal and interpersonal functioning. The
course will require students to critically evaluate the information that was presented within the classroom,
consider the meaning across contexts and cultures, and assess the real world implications.

This course covers Gen Ed, Social/Beh Sci. Students will1) Identify facts, vocabulary, definitions, terms,
concepts and people; 2) Ask questions or frame hypotheses relevant to a task; 3) Collect information relevant to
address a task; 4) Apply concepts to address a task; and 5) Evaluate support for claims and justify conclusions.
This course also covers Writing Effectively. Students will1) Demonstrate mastery of skills needed for
writing tasks using page limits; 2) Adhere to rules of grammar, spelling and logic in written work; 3)
Demonstrate understanding of purpose and audience in writing tasks; 4) Attend to feedback to improve writing;
and 5) Demonstrate understanding, in writing, of subject matter as explained by psychology.

Management: Classes include lecture and discussion. The class is intended to be interactive to the degree possible;
therefore, when appropriate substantial student participation in all class discussions is expected. The syllabus, class
announcements, course assignments, study guides, due dates, helpful websites, and more will be presented during
classes and may be found on the class website (TA will provide class website address). On the website, information on
any changes to the schedule or other important course information may be posted by the instructor or TA.
Announcements may also be made in class. Please make a habit of checking the website at least once per week.

Attendance is not taken; however, attending class will largely assist your grade in that you will experience lectures,
participate in in-class activities, participate in small-group discussions, have an opportunity to ask questions, and so
forth. It is anticipated that students will conduct themselves in a responsible and considerate manner, and that
disruptive behavior will rarely if ever occur; please see University policy on troubling student behavior (Division of
Student Affairs, 2010). Students are expected to adhere to University standards for academic integrity (see below).

Exams: There will be 3 non-cumulative exams throughout the semester. Each exam will consist of 50-60
multiple-choice questions. Questions on the exam will be written to reflect the content presented in the text and
class lectures. If a student misses an exam or exams for any reason, he/she will take the make-up exam or
make-up exams during the final exam time. Your enrollment in this course indicates you have read the syllabus
and grading policy, understand it, asked questions as needed, and agree to it.

Final Exam: There is no final exam, but make-ups will be provided during the final exam period (see above).
Showing up for the final exam period will be required only for those students who miss one or more of the
previously scheduled non-cumulative exams (Exams 1-3). If a student attends all 3 of the previous exams,
s/he will not show for the final exam period. If students are missing any exams after the final exam period, they
will be provided a score of 0 for each missed exam.
Experiential Projects (EPs): Students are required to complete 3 experiential projects. Details of the EPs
are provided in a separate document (to be provided on the course website or in class). EPs are out-of-class
assignments designed to allow students to apply classroom concepts to the real world, to study the meaning and
applications to their own lives and the lives of others, and to help students develop skills for effective personal
and interpersonal functioning. Upon completion of an EP, a student will complete a 1 page journal entry.
Journal entries must be typed in Times New Roman 12-point font, single-spaced, have 1 inch margins on all
sides (students name and project name and number must be placed within the 1 inch header), be written in
complete sentences, use proper spelling and grammar, and be responsive to the topic. No hand written journal
entries will be accepted. Journal entries will be due 9/XX, 10/XX, and 11/XX. Journals may not be e-
mailed to the instructor or to the TA hard copies must be handed in on the assigned due dates (no later
than noon). Be sure to clearly label all journal entries with the experiential project number and title.

Grading: Exams will be worth 25% each (total of 75% of final grade). The 3 experiential journal entries will
each be worth 8.33% (total 25% of final grade). It is anticipated that grades will be determined as follows: 90-
100=A; 80-89=B; 70-79=C; 60-69=D; lower than 60=F.

Extra Credit: 2 formal opportunities will be presented to write extra credit papers (ECs). They are each worth 2
points towards the final grade. Thought questions (TQs) may be periodically offered; these will each be worth
about 1 point towards the final grade. In addition, students can earn up to 5% towards their final grade during
small group (SG) discussions. Additional details will be provided in class.

Dates : Topics: Chapters:

9/XX10/XX Introduction & modern life 1-6
Theories of personality
Stress and its effects
Coping processes
Psychology and physical health
The self
EXAM 1

10/XX11/XX Social thinking and influence 7 - 11

Interpersonal communication
Friendship and love
Marriage and intimate relationships
Gender and behavior
EXAM 2

11/XX12/XX Development and expression of sexuality 12 - 16

Careers and work
Psychological disorders
Psychotherapy
Positive Psychology
EXAM 3

12/XX Final Exam (alternate: 12/XXsee URI schedule). See details of final exam above.

Remember: Non-cumulative exams 1-3 will be held during class time in the classroom. The location of the
final will be announced (check URI web-site info re finals).

Note: The above calendar, policies, and assignments are subject to change in the event of extenuating
circumstances or by mutual agreement between the instructor and the students. If any of the info on this syllabus
is out of date or incorrect, please e-mail the instructor immediately about the specific problemthanks!
Important Resources and Information:

The Academic Enhancement Center (AEC at www.uri.edu/aec): This is a challenging course. Success
requires that you keep pace with the work, understand course concepts, and study effectively. The AEC is a
great place to do this. Here you can work alone or in groups, and tutors and professional learning specialists are
available to help you to learn, manage your time and work, and study well. Contact them for current hours.
Services are free, and no appointment is needed. Call for complete information at 874-2367, or just stop by the
center on the fourth floor of Roosevelt Hall.

Disability Services for Students (http://www.uri.edu/disability/dss/): Any student with a documented disability
is welcome to contact me as early in the semester as possible so that we may arrange reasonable
accommodations. As part of this process, please be in touch with Disability Services for Students office at 330
Memorial Union. 874-2098.

Bias Response Team (http://www.uri.edu/brt/): Each member of the URI community has the responsibility to
foster an environment of acceptance, mutual respect and understanding. If you are a target or a witness of a
bias incident, you are encouraged to contact the URI Bias Response Team where you can find help.

URI Policies on Plagiarism and Cheating

University Manual (http://www.uri.edu/facsen/): Published by the Faculty senate, this is the official manual of
the University. Chapter 8, Academic Regulations, includes Regulations for Students. The section on
Academic Requirements (http://www.uri.edu/facsen/8.20-8.27.html) covers academic honesty and disciplinary
actions that may be taken as a result of violations. To view the manual in its entirety, follow the link for the
University Manual on the left side of the main page.

URI Student Handbook (http://www.uri.edu/judicial/htmlStart.html): Published by the Office of Student Life, this
handbook describes the rules and regulations pertaining to students. The first section covers academic honesty
in written work and on exams, outlines the instructor's responsibilities, and describes consequences.

Students are expected to be honest in all academic work. A students name on any written work/quiz/exam is
regarded as assurance that the work is the result of the students own independent thought and study. Work
should be stated in the students own words, properly attributed to its source. Students have an obligation to
know how to quote, paraphrase, summarize, cite and reference the work of others with integrity. Examples of
academic dishonesty: Using material, directly or paraphrasing, from published sources (print or electronic)
without appropriate citation; Claiming disproportionate credit for work not done independently; Unauthorized
possession or access to exams, communication during exams, use of anothers work, or preparation of work for
another student; Taking an exam for another student; Attempting to alter grades; Use of notes or electronic
devices to gain unauthorized advantage during exams; Falsifying facts/data/references; Aiding anothers
academic dishonesty; Submitting the same paper for more than one course without prior instructor approval.

General Information
J. Gibaldi, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 7th Ed., 2009. An entire chapter addresses
fundamental issues of academic honesty for a generation that has come of age amid Napster lawsuits and
professional journalistic scandals. Plagiarism is defined in detail, along with examples of instances when source
documentation is not needed and examples of copyright infringement. There is a section on evaluation of
Internet resources for quality information. Check the URI library regarding how to access it.

R A Harris, The Plagiarism Handbook: Strategies for Preventing, Detecting, & Dealing with Plagiarism.
2001. Harris, an English professor, explains how to deal with plagiarism in the classroom, and includes a section
for creating institutional policies regarding plagiarism. Multiple appendices provide tools for educating students
and lists search engines useful for locating source documents. Check the URI library for how to access it.

Plagiarism: What it is and how to Recognize and Avoid it. This short site, created by Indiana Universitys
Writing Tutorial Services department, defines plagiarism and gives examples of unacceptable and acceptable
paraphrasing. Find it at: http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml

There are also various tools to assist in avoiding, detecting, and dealing with plagiarism that can be located on
the internet. As always, it is important to be mindful of the sources of such sites.