Psychology 2990A-001
Applications of Psychology
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
1.0 CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
The purpose of this course is to acquaint students with some of the ways in which psychological evidence and techniques can be applied to the practice of law, business, education, the health sciences, etc.
Prerequisite: A mark of at least 60% in 1.0 credits of Psychology at the 1000 level
Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
3 lecture hours, 0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Graeme Haynes
Office: SSC 7440
Office Hours: Fri. 9:30 A.M. – 11:30 A.M., or by appointment
Email: ghaynes@uwo.ca
Teaching Assistant: Rachel Plouffe
Office: TBA
Office Hours: Tues. 1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M.
Email: rplouffe@uwo.ca
Time and Location of Classes: Tues. 7:00 P.M. – 9:30 P.M., SSC 2050
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Mental Health@Western
http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also wish to contact Student Accessibility Services (formerly known as Services for Students with Disabilities) at 519-661-2147.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Schneider, F. W., Gruman, J. A., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2016). Applied social psychology (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Additional Readings (required):
Additional readings have been prepared for some topics. These readings will be made available as PDF files on the course website at least one week prior to that topic's listed date on the Psychology 2990A Schedule. The material from these additional readings will be tested on the exams.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course covers various areas of applied psychology, including sports psychology, consumer psychology, forensic psychology, engineering psychology, environmental psychology, health psychology, and psychology applied to the courtroom and the classroom. The intent of this course is to expose students to the use of psychology in a wide range of occupations. Whether you choose to pursue a professional career in these areas, or are simply curious about these areas in your everyday life, it is hoped that you will discover how the scientific study of human behavior can be used to enhance your understanding of these areas.4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Lectures are intended to complement the textbook. Thus, I will present some material that is not in the book, and will be tested on the exams. Class attendance will significantly increase how much you get out of this course. I post the lecture slides AFTER we have finished a chapter, so if you miss a class and want the notes right away, it is recommended that you obtain notes from a classmate. I will be happy to answer specific questions about class notes once you have obtained them.
I expect that each of you will respect your classmates and me by arriving to class on time, ready to listen and participate. Please turn off your cell phone ringers when you arrive to class, and be sure to put away all other personal devices (e.g., iPods). Devoting class time to non-academic activities such as watching videos or listening to music is disruptive and creates a negative impression of the students engaging in such activities.
In addition, a growing research literature strongly demonstrates that inappropriate use of technologies during classes negatively impacts students’ ability to learn material. As such, students are kindly requested to turn off their device WiFi during lecture. Give yourself the best chance to do well and to be engaged!
In a class this large, some students will be unaware that their private conversations are distracting to other students. If you feel that students are distracting your attention from the material, then you should ask them to be quiet. If you feel uncomfortable doing this (or if the problem persists), then please see me and I will make an announcement to the class and/or arrange to meet privately with the students.
During class, you are encouraged to ask questions about concepts that are unclear; I’m also happy to answer questions during the 5-minute break or at the end of the lecture. Outside of class, I encourage you to meet with me during office hours (or set an appointment) to discuss any questions or concerns. E-mail is the best way to contact me outside of class.
4.2 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
~ identify major concepts and theories in applied psychology (including examples);
~ interpret the results of research that has examined these concepts and theories; and
~ apply these concepts and theories to professional (and everyday) life.
Measured through exams
5.0 EVALUATION
To ensure fairness, please be aware that final grades in this course are based exclusively on students’ performance on the three exams. Exams may not be rewritten, nor will the exams be reweighted in calculating final grades. Grades will not be adjusted on the basis of need or a subjective evaluation of effort, and students will not be able to improve their marks by completing additional assignments.
Students are responsible for material assigned in the textbook, as well as material covered in lectures. Note: “lecture material” includes films, demos, and anything else presented during class time.
The First Exam (October 1), worth 30% of the final grade, will cover material from September 10 through September 24. The Second Exam (October 29), worth 30% of the final grade, will cover material from October 8 through October 22. The Final Exam (during the Midyear Exam period in December: December 8-19), worth 40% of the final grade, will cover material from November 12 through December 3.
Make-Up Exams: Tests must be written on the scheduled dates unless you have a legitimate excuse recognized by the university administration (see Section 9). Valid reasons include medical or compassionate reasons, and must be substantiated by proper documentation (e.g., a medical certificate, which will be verified by the Office of the Dean). A student who misses a regularly scheduled exam for other reasons, or who cannot justify a claim, will be assigned a 0 for the exam.
Although the Psychology Department does not require instructors to adjust their course grades to conform to specific targets, the expectation is that course marks will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level and 2000-level courses
72% 2190-2990 level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows Western's grading guidelines, which are as follows (see http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
6.0 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
|
Date |
Value |
|
|
Midterm #1 |
Oct. 1 (during classtime) |
30% |
|
Midterm #2 |
Oct. 29 (during classtime) |
30% |
|
Final Exam |
Dec. 8-19 |
40% |
Note 1: There will be no lecture after the exams.
Note 2: You must go to your assigned room! Room assignments will be announced in class, and posted on the course website a few days before each exam. Please do not contact the department secretaries for this information!!
Note 3: Electronic devices (e.g., cell phones, dictionaries, ipods/earbuds) are NOT permitted during exams. Please leave these devices at home or in your book bag.
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
|
Date |
Topic |
Read |
|
Sept. 10 |
Intervention and Evaluation |
Chapter 4 |
|
Sept. 17 |
Psychology and the Law |
Chapter 11 |
|
Sept. 24 |
The Psychology of Police Investigations |
Reading on website |
|
Oct. 1 |
Midterm # 1 |
|
|
Oct. 8 |
Psychology and Health |
Chapter 8 |
|
Oct. 15 |
Applying Psychology to the Media |
Chapter 7 |
|
Oct. 22 |
Sport Psychology |
Chapter 6 |
|
Oct. 29 |
Midterm # 2 |
|
|
Nov. 5 |
No class: FALL READING WEEK |
|
|
Nov. 12 |
Consumer Psychology |
Reading on website |
|
Nov. 19 |
Workplace Psychology |
Chapter 10 & 14 |
|
Nov. 26 |
Psychology Applied to Understanding the Dark Triad |
|
|
Dec. 3 |
Psychology and the Environment |
Chapter 13 |
|
December 8-19 (TBA) |
FINAL EXAM |
8.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com http://www.turnitin.com
Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
9.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR MEDICAL ILLNESS
Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
The full policy for consideration for absences can be accessed at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/Academic_Consideration_for_absences.pdf
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation:
http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:
- Submitting a Self-Reported Absence form (for circumstances that are expected to resolve within 48 hours);
- For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation. The self-reported absence form may NOT be used for absences longer than 48 hours; coursework/tests/exams/etc., worth more than 30% of the final grade; or exams scheduled in the December or April final-exam periods: http://counselling.ssc.uwo.ca/procedures/medical_accommodation.html
Students seeking academic consideration:
- are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;
- are encouraged to make appropriate decisions based on their specific circumstances, recognizing that minor ailments (upset stomach) or upsets (argument with a friend) are not normally an appropriate basis for a self-reported absence;
must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hours after the end of the period covered by either the self-reported absence or SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence
10.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar web site: http://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca
Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:
http://psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/student_responsibilities/index.html
- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct
- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations
- Policy on Attendance
- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines
- Policy for Assignments
- Short Absences
- Extended Absences
- Documentation
- Academic Concerns
- 2019-2020 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.
Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute lecture notes, wiki material, and other course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
