Psychology 2990A-650 Summer Distance 2019
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: At least 60% in a 1000 level Psychology course
Unless you have either the requisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enroll 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.
0.5 course
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Matthew Maxwell-Smith
Office and Phone Number: SSC 7440
Office Hours: (by appointment only)
Email: mmaxwel3@uwo.ca
Course Website: https://owl.uwo.ca
If you or someone you know is experiencing distress, there are several resources here at Western to assist you. Please visit: http://www.uwo.ca/uwocom/mentalhealth/ for more information on these resources and on mental health.
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 Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 519-661-2111 ext 82147 for any specific question regarding an accommodation.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
(required):
Hazlewood, D., & Janes, L. (2017). Topics in applied psychology. 5th Edition. Pearson Custom
Publishing.
***Please be sure to purchase the fifth edition of this text!***
Additional Readings (required):
Additional readings (1-2 readings per week) have been prepared for each topic. The additional readings will be available as PDF files from the course website. The readings for each topic will be available at least one week prior to that topic's listed date on the Psychology 2990A (650) Schedule. The material from these additional readings will be tested on the exams.
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES
This course covers a number of 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.4.1 STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
After successfully completing this course, you should be able to:
- Describe theories, research methods and findings regarding a wide range of topics in applied psychology, including sports psychology, consumer psychology, forensic psychology, engineering psychology, environmental psychology, health psychology, and psychology applied to the courtroom and the classroom. Measured through exams.
- Apply theoretical principles and research findings covered in this course to everyday examples. Measured through online discussions with colleagues.
Locate and critically evaluate information. Measured through online discussions.
5.0 EVALUATION
Student evaluation will be based on 3 exams and participation in online discussions.
|
Component |
% of final grade |
|
Exam 1 |
20% |
|
Exam 2 |
30% |
|
Exam 3 |
35% |
|
Online Discussions |
15% |
|
Total |
100% |
5.1 Exams:
Students must complete 3 exams. Exams will last for 90 minutes and will consist of multiple choice questions. The exams are not cumulative. Please see the Psychology 2990A (650) Schedule for a list of topics and readings covered on each exam.
All exams will be closed book -- no books, notes, calculators, cell phones, dictionaries, or aids of any type will be allowed. Please bring a couple of pencils, a good eraser, a watch, and your student identification to the examinations.
5.2 Discussions (3 x 5%): Discussions
There will be 3 online discussions (each worth 5% of your final grade). Receiving a good mark will require creative, insightful posts that show accurate knowledge of the textbook material, elaborate on information posted earlier in the discussion, and involve a meaningful dialogue with classmates. Your grade will be earned based on the quantity and quality of your contributions to these discussions. A successful student in online education is one who takes an active role in the learning process. You are therefore encouraged to participate actively in the discussions to enhance your learning experience throughout the course.
Discussions will be graded for the quality and content of your contribution. Examples of quality posts include:
- providing additional information to the discussion
- elaborating on previous comments from others
- presenting explanations of concepts or methods to help fellow students
- presenting reasons for or against a topic in a persuasive fashion
- sharing your own personal experiences that relate to the topic
- providing a URL and explanation for a topic you researched on the Internet
You are strongly encouraged to respond to other students’ postings in addition to replying to students who have responded to your post. For each discussion, you will be assigned a grade out of 4 based on your discussion posts. Grades will be assigned as follows:
0 = Incomplete (no posting, question not answered)
1 = Unsatisfactory (minimal contribution, few if any responses to other students)
2 = Satisfactory (discussion topic addressed, minimal contribution to discussion)
3 = Excellent (posting meets all criteria, provides a valuable contribution to discussion)
4-5 = Outstanding (posting(s) go beyond basic requirements, present additional information from outside the textbook, and interact well with the other students)
Discussions will take place during the following weeks:
|
|
Start Date |
End Date |
Topic |
|
Online Discussion 1 |
May 20 |
May 26 |
Psychology and Health |
|
Online Discussion 2 |
June 10 |
June 16 |
Psychology and the Workplace |
|
Online Discussion 3 |
July 15 |
July 21 |
Psychology and the Environment |
Each discussion will be open for 7 days: from 12:01am on Monday until 11:55 pm the following Sunday. Once the discussion closes, no more posts can be made. Please post early in the week to avoid last-minute problems, and always back up your work (screenshots of your forum posts are ideal), as “technical difficulties” is NOT an acceptable excuse for missing a discussion deadline.
Please note: participation is a key element in this course, and some of the topics covered involve sensitive issues. Therefore, it is important that we foster and maintain an atmosphere of respect and civility. All class members have a role in creating this atmosphere by responding to comments with interest, and allowing all students to participate. When a student’s behaviour is not consistent with the above, one of the instructors will contact the student privately. Penalties may be applied to excessively rude or insensitive posts. If a student’s behaviour continues to be disrespectful, s/he will be removed from the discussion.
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 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE
Exam 1 is tentatively scheduled for Saturday May 25th, 2019 (time to be announced) and will cover all of the material in Part 1 of the course.
Exam 2 is tentatively scheduled for Saturday June 22nd, 2019 (time to be announced) and will cover all of the material in Part 2 of the course.
Exam 3 will be held sometime during the final exam period (July 29th – August 1st, 2019; date and time to be announced) and will cover all of the material in Part 3 of the course.
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE
|
Week |
Topic |
Readings |
|
PART 1 |
||
|
May 6-12 |
Psychology and the Law |
• Chapter 1 in text • Bornstein & Greene (2011) |
|
May 13-19 |
The Psychology of Police Investigations |
• Chapter 2 in text • Porter et al. (2000) |
|
May 20-26 Online Discussion 1 |
Psychology and Health |
• Chapter 3 in text • Glock et al. (2013) |
|
EXAM 1: Saturday, May 25, 2019 (time & location TBA). |
||
|
PART 2 |
||
|
May 27 - June 2 |
Sports Psychology |
• Chapter 4 in text • Caldwell & Burger (2011) • Frank & Gilovich (1988) |
|
June 3 - 9 |
Psychology and Education |
• Chapter 5 in text • Jackson & Moreland (2009) |
|
June 10 - 16 Online Discussion 2 |
Psychology and the Workplace |
• Chapter 6 in text • Latham & Baldes (1975) |
|
June 17 - 23 |
Psychology and the Workplace |
• Chapter 13 (2011) |
|
EXAM 2: Saturday, June 22, 2019 (time & location TBA). |
||
|
PART 3 |
||
|
June 24 - June 30 |
Consumer Psychology (Part 1) |
• Chapter 7 in text |
|
July 1 - 7 |
Consumer Psychology (Part 2) |
• Dijksterhuis et al. (2006) |
|
July 8 - 14 |
Engineering Psychology |
• Chapter 8 in text |
|
July 15 - 21 Online Discussion 3 |
Psychology and the Environment |
• Chapter 9 in text • Steg & Vlek (2009) |
|
July 22 - 28 |
Military Psychology |
• Chapter 10 in text • Lim & Klein (2009) |
|
EXAM 3: During the Final Exam Period (July 29 – Aug 1, 2019). Exact time and location TBA. |
||
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
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://westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?Command=showCategory&PolicyCategoryID=1&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
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
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 Calendar References
No electronic devices, including cell phones and smart watches, will be allowed during exams.
Answers to "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQs)
As we proceed through the course, students often have questions that could affect their progress. To facilitate your progress, I’ve provided answers to some of these Frequently Asked Questions. Please feel free to contact me if you have any other questions.
FAQs PRIOR TO EXAMS
Q: Can I use an older version of the textbook?
A: The lectures and exams are built around the newest version of the textbook. I always recommend that students use the newest version of the textbook so they don’t miss any material that might be on exams.
Q: I don't have access to this course from OWL. What should I do?
A: If you don't have access, then you are not officially registered in the course. It's possible that you registered late (in which case I can add your name to OWL if you send me your UWO email "username" [the part before @uwo.ca]). This will give you access to the course website, but it does NOT ensure that you are officially registered in the course! Therefore, please check the Registrar's website to ensure that you are officially registered. We cannot submit final grades if students are not officially registered in the course.
Q: I'm experiencing problems with OWL. Can you help?
A: It's best to ask the experts at the ITS Support Centre (SSB 4100; 519-661-3800; http://itshelp.uwo.ca).
Q: Are the exams cumulative?
A: No.
Q: What textbook chapters and other readings will be covered on the upcoming exam?
A: See the "6.0 TEST AND EXAMINATION SCHEDULE" section above.
Q: How much detail do we have to remember from the textbook and readings?
A: I try to avoid asking questions that focus on the smallest details. Nevertheless, some of the exam questions will focus on specific details, so be sure to read the textbook carefully.
Q: Do we have to know material in the textbook "Figures"?
A: Yes. The Figures are designed to supplement the textbook material (e.g., by providing a graphic depiction of research findings, or a visual representation of basic concepts/ideas). As such, they will help you understand the material.
Q: I can't write the exam at the scheduled time, and want to write the makeup exam. When is it scheduled? Will it be the same format?
A: As indicated on the course syllabus, makeup exams are granted under a limited set of circumstances and must be supported by proper documentation (see the Psychology Department's website for additional information regarding documentation). Documentation must be approved by your Academic Counselor/Dean's office. After the documentation is received and approved, a makeup exam will be scheduled. At that time, we will also discuss the exam format. In the meantime, it is your responsibility to ensure that the documentation is submitted as soon as possible.
FAQs DURING EXAMS
Q: Can I ask questions during the exams?
A: To be fair to all students, NO questions will be allowed during the exams. I cannot help you define any "concepts" or "words" on the exams. I cannot discuss what you remember from the textbook or the lectures (because some questions are designed to test your memory of this material). I cannot tell you whether the "reasoning" behind your chosen answer is correct, because that's the same as telling you whether or not your answer is correct. Obviously that's not something we should discuss during the exam! I cannot help you decide what to do if you think two options are correct (except to tell you to choose the best option). Note that we CAN discuss these issues AFTER the exams, but we cannot discuss them during the exams.
Q: Does the time allowed for the exams include filling in the scantron, or do we get extra time for this?
A: You DO NOT get extra time! When the exam ends, your scantron will be removed and blank answers will be recorded as incorrect answers. See previous question.
FAQs AFTER EXAMS
Q: When will the exam grades be posted?
A: As soon as possible. Check your uwo.ca email inbox or the course web site for notices and please be patient.
Q: I missed the exam. Can we simply re-weight my final grade?
A: No. Students must demonstrate their mastery of all material in the course. If you receive permission from your Dean's office, then you will be given an opportunity to write a makeup exam. Otherwise, you will receive a zero on the exam. See the next question.
Q: I missed the exam. When can I write the makeup?
A: As indicated on the course outline, you cannot write a makeup exam until you receive permission from your Dean's office. Documentation is required. Please see the course outline for further details, and submit the documentation as soon as possible. If you miss the makeup, it is possible that you will not be given another opportunity to write it (and a grade of zero will be recorded).
Q: I missed the makeup exam. What should I do?
A: This is a very serious situation. You should contact your Dean's office as soon as possible if there is anything that is preventing you from writing exams and makeup exams at the scheduled times. Please ask the Dean's office to contact me.
