Psychology 2035B 001
Understanding Yourself and Others
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
WESTERN UNIVERSITY
LONDON CANADA
Department of Psychology
2022-2023
Psychology 2035B Section 001
Understanding Yourself and Others
- CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
This course examines ways in which recent research findings in psychology may be applied in the individual's life. Emphasis on psychology as an empirical science and on avenues of self-understanding and personal growth. Topics include: personality, stress and coping, person perception, interpersonal communication, friendship and love, sexuality, vocational development.
Antirequisite: Psychology 2050.
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. If you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.
Prerequisite: N/A
Lecture Hours: 3
Course Weight: 0.5
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Elizabeth Kelly
Office: SSC 7440
Office Hours: Monday 6-7pm and by appointment
Email: ekelly6@uwo.ca (include course #PSY2035B in email subject line)
Teaching Assistant: TBA
Time and Location of Classes: Monday 7-10pm (SSC 2050)
Delivery Method: In-Person
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness @Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ 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 contact Accessible Education at aew@uwo.ca or 519-661-2147.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Weiten, W., Dunn, D. S., & Hammer, E. Y. (2018). Psychology applied to modern life in the 21st century (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage.
- The textbook is REQUIRED.
- The textbook can be purchased from the publisher’s website or university bookstore.
- The textbook is available in eTextbook and printed formats.
- Purchase of associated MindTap software is an option but is NOT required for course completion.
- Other course information and materials, such as announcements, instruction documents, lecture slides, assignments, and grades, will be posted on OWL.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES
This course will provide an overview of the study of psychology and how it can be applied to our everyday lives to better understand ourselves and others.
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
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Depth and Breadth of Knowledge. - Define and describe the key theoretical concepts and research programs in psychological areas relevant to understanding the self and others. |
Lectures Textbook readings Class discussions Class exercises Assignments |
Exams Assignments |
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Knowledge of Methodologies. - Identify various tools, techniques, measurement methods, and research designs used by psychologists to produce evidence-based theories and concepts grounded in empirical findings. - Recognize the complexity involved in conducting psychological research on human affect, behaviour, and cognition. |
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Exams Assignments |
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Application of Knowledge. - Apply course concepts to develop strategies to interact with others, modify one’s own behaviours, and cope with daily personal experiences. - Relate course concepts to real-world events and current social problems. |
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Assignments |
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Communication Skills. - Identify the main aspects, barriers, and styles involved in the communication process and learn to promote assertive communication with others. - Discuss major theoretical concepts, describe empirical research studies, and debate perspectives on relations of course material to societal issues and avenues for personal improvement. |
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Exams Assignments
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Awareness of Limits of Knowledge. - Evaluate the strengths and limitations of psychological theories, research methods, and empirical findings. - Reflect on gaps in the literature and critique claims. - Acknowledge that the field of psychology is constantly evolving due to new discoveries and methodologies, and that there are still many unanswered questions in the course topics examined. |
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Exams Assignments |
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Autonomy and Professional Capacity. - Practice the skills required to manage one’s own learning and gain experience engaging in interactive academic activities with others. - Utilize course material to increase self-understanding, promote greater understanding of others, and form positive habits for daily living. |
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Assignments |
5.0 EVALUATION
The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4.0 and are considered necessary for meeting these learning objectives. Evaluation in this course is based on three exams and ten weekly assignments.
Exams
The course is divided into three sections and there is an exam after each section. Exam questions are multiple-choice format. The content of all exams is non-cumulative. The exams test material from textbook chapter readings and lectures. Each exam is 30% of the final course grade.
Assignments
The purpose of assignments is to motivate students to actively engage with course content regularly. Assignments are designed to offer students a variety of learning experiences and intended to provide various opportunities to interact and connect with classmates, as well as to facilitate the development of a broad range of skill sets. Each assignment builds on what is covered in the textbook for the corresponding week.
Each assignment usually requires approximately one page of written work as well as the engagement in an interactive activity (e.g., summary of reading of supplemental material, internet or library search, OWL Forum post and responses, minutes from Zoom discussion, thought paper outlining a research idea, review of self-help tool/practice, participation in a psychology experiment, description of a past experience as it applies to a course topic, reflection on the completion of a scale assessing an individual difference variable or psychological construct, recommendations for a case study, etc.).
There are ten assignments. Each assignment is 1% for a total of 10% of the course grade. Assignments are posted on OWL weekly and due the following week throughout the term. Students therefore have one week to complete each assignment. Assignments are developed to help students prepare for class discussions and exercises, and are assessed for completion, thus there is an immediate 50% late penalty applied when marking assignments submitted after their deadline.
More information about assignments including content, written submission requirements, evaluation, and late penalties is provided on an assignment general instruction document posted on OWL.
5.1 POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK
Students who are unable to write an exam must submit documentation ASAP to their Academic Counsellor to be granted approval for academic consideration. See section 11.0 for university policy on academic accommodation. Students who miss an exam should also contact the instructor via email (ekelly6@uwo.ca) immediately to report their absence and register for the make-up exam.
For course components worth 1% of the total course grade (i.e., assignments), academic accommodation will not be considered. Note however that the evaluation of assignments is structured such that students can submit late work and/or not complete tasks occasionally and still do very well on this course component.
Exams cannot be re-written, evaluative course components cannot be re-weighted, nor can extra bonus work be provided.
5.2 PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT GRADING POLICIES
The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level to 2099-level courses
72% 2100-2999-level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines, which are as follows (see: https://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
Note that in the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.
Policy on Grade Rounding: Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assessment within the course.
6.0 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
|
Course Component |
Weight |
Date and Time |
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Exam #1 |
30% |
Feb. 6th (7-9pm) |
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Exam #2 |
30% |
Mar. 13th (7-9pm) |
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Exam #3 |
30% |
Apr. 13-30 (TBA) |
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Assignments |
10% (1% X 10) |
Weekly Monday (7pm) |
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
The course structure follows the textbook chapter sequence. Topics are covered in the order listed on the schedule. Any changes will be announced ASAP on OWL. Lecture slides and assignments are posted on OWL weekly Monday evenings before class. Students therefore always have seven days to complete each assignment from the time of posting until the due date the following Monday at 7pm.
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Week # |
Date |
Topic |
Textbook |
Assignment |
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1 |
Jan. 9 |
Overview and Introduction |
Ch. 1 |
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2 |
Jan. 16 |
Theories of Personality |
Ch. 2 |
1 |
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3 |
Jan. 23 |
Stress, Its Effects, and Coping Processes |
Ch. 3 & 4 |
2 |
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4 |
Jan. 30 |
Psychology and Physical Health |
Ch. 5 |
3 |
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5 |
Feb. 6 |
Exam #1 - Ch. 1-5 |
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6 |
Feb. 13 |
The Self |
Ch. 6 |
4 |
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7 |
Feb. 20 |
Winter Reading Week (no class) |
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8 |
Feb. 27 |
Social Thinking, Influence, and Communication |
Ch. 7 & 8 |
5 |
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9 |
Mar. 6 |
Friendship, Love, Marriage, and the Family |
Ch. 9 & 10 |
6 |
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10 |
Mar. 13 |
Exam #2 - Ch. 6-10 |
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11 |
Mar. 20 |
Gender and Sexuality |
Ch. 11 & 12 |
7 |
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12 |
Mar. 27 |
Careers and Work |
Ch. 13 |
8 |
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13 |
Apr. 3 |
Psychological Disorders and Psychotherapy |
Ch. 14 & 15 |
9 & 10 |
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TBA |
Apr. 13-30 |
Exam #3 - Ch. 11-15 |
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8.0 Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.
With this, we respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers. We acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples (e.g. First Nations, Métis and Inuit) endure in Canada, and we accept responsibility as a public institution to contribute toward revealing and correcting miseducation, as well as renewing respectful relationships with Indigenous communities through our teaching, research and community service.
9.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence are described at the following link: https://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 offences. 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 will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
10.0 POLICY ON THE USE OF EXAM PROCTORING SOFTWARE
If a remote proctoring service is used, the service will require you to provide personal information (including some biometric data). The session will be recorded. In the event that in-person exams are unexpectedly canceled, you may only be given notice of the use of a proctoring service a short time in advance. More information about remote proctoring is available in the Online Proctoring Guidelines. Please ensure you are familiar with any proctoring service’s technical requirements before the exam. Additional guidance is available at the following link: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/onlineproctorguidelines.pdf
* Please note that Zoom servers are located outside Canada. If you would prefer to use only your first name or a nickname to login to Zoom, please provide this information to the instructor in advance of the test or examination. See this link for technical requirements: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us
11.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES
Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
https://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
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:
- 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.
https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html
Students seeking academic consideration:
- are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;
- must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hoursafter the end of the period covered SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence
Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.
12.0 Contingency Plan for Return to Lockdown: IN-Person & Blended classes
In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence or any other event that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online, as determined by the course instructor.
13.0 STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE
In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honour the following rules of etiquette:
- please “arrive” to class on time
- please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
- please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
- to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
- In classes larger than 30 participants please turn off your video camera for the entire class unless you are invited to speak
- In classes of 30 students or fewer, where video chat procedures are being used, please be prepared to turn your video camera off at the instructor’s request if the internet connection becomes unstable
- Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting
The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:
- If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
- Please remember to unmute your microphone and turn on your video camera before speaking.
- Self-identify when speaking.
- Please remember to mute your mic and turn off your video camera after speaking (unless directed otherwise).
General considerations of “netiquette”:
- Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
- Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
- Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
- Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.
Note that disruptive behaviour of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.
14.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca
Psychology Undergraduate Program: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/index.html
If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf
Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).
Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos 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 any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
Policy on the Recording of Synchronous Sessions: Some or all of the remote learning sessions for this course (if scheduled) may be recorded. The data captured during these recordings may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers (name displayed on the screen). The recordings will be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The recordings may be disclosed to other individuals participating in the course for their private or group study purposes. Please contact the instructor if you have any concerns related to session recordings. Participants in this course are not permitted to privately record the sessions, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the student has the prior written permission of the instructor.
