PSY 236: Personality Psychology Online
d2l.msu.edu
Summer Session 1, 2015
Monday, May 18 - Thursday, July 2
Section: 730
3 credits
INSTRUCTORCarol Tweten
Office: 244C Psychology
Phone: 701-212-3039 (email is MUCH better)
Email: twetenca@d2l.msu.edu- through the D2L email system (I will try to respond to your email in a timely manner, within 24 hours, but an immediate response is not guaranteed. I may not reply to email sent after 5pm.)
Online Office Hours: 10am-12pm Tuesdays or by appointment (with 24 hours advance notice) Skype Username: cmtweten (Skype appointments require 24 hours advance notice)
About Me: I am a second year graduate student in the Social/Personality Psychology PhD program. My research interests include personality measurement and how personality changes over time. I earned my Master’s in Social Psychology from University of Northern Iowa before coming to MSU last year. Originally from Fargo, ND, I graduated from Concordia College - Moorhead with Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Communication Studies. I am more than happy to talk to you and provide resources about career options using your psychology degree!
My teaching philosophy is that every student can learn and that everyone is unique. If you cannot learn through the way I teach, then I must teach the way you can learn. If you need help, ask for it.
CONTACTING ME
If you have a question about the course, go through this four-step process:
1) Check the syllabus! Often the answer to your question is in this very document. You'll save us both a lot of time checking here first.
2) There is a discussion forum on the D2L site for our course called the "Class Lounge." I encourage you to post questions here that you think other students may be able to answer for you. Another student may see it and happen to know the answer (especially if it is 2:00 am!). I will do my best to respond to questions posted in this forum within 24 hours. I will periodically check-in on the Class Lounge.
3) I will move questions that are of general interest to the FAQ section so that it is easy to find later. Check here before emailing me.
4) If it is a personal question (such as about a grade) or you have not gotten an answer through the Class Lounge discussion, contact me by directly by emailing me through the D2L email system, not through MSU email. Just open up an email and in the to line begin typing my name, Carol Tweten. My D2L email (twetenca@d2l.msu.edu)should pop up. I will respond right away during the online office hours and within 48 hours, Monday through Friday, at
other times. I may not respond on the weekends.
I will also be hosting online office hours (listed above). During this time, I promise to be online and available to respond quickly to your emails or chat through the D2L instant messaging system.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
I'm not a total newbie when it comes to technology, but by no means am I an expert. If you have technical problems with the D2L system, you should use the MSU helpline at (800) 500-1554 or (517) 355-2345 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Put these numbers in your cell phone and write them down on a paper by your computer. If they are only in D2L and you can't get into D2L, then you have a problem!
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Michigan State's description of this course:
"Theories of personality, assessment techniques, and research on personality functioning and individual differences in interpersonal behavior. Emphasis on normal behavior."
My description of the course:
Pretty vague, right? Well, broadly this online survey course is designed to introduce you to the field of personality psychology. We'll go over in more detail what exactly Personality Psychology is in the first part of the course. To give you a general idea right now, Personality Psychology is a broad area of research that addresses basic questions about why people differ from one another and why they exhibit their characteristic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. You are expected to achieve a broad understanding of the important concepts of personality psychology, including basic questions about how personality can be studied, the basic units of personality that exist, and the processes by which personalities develop and affect behavior and outcomes. Throughout the course, we will try to make links between personality theories and other areas of psychology.
COURSE DESIGN
The course will be held entirely online through the Desire2Learn (D2L) course management system here at MSU. There will be NO face-to-face classes or tests. All assignments will be submitted via D2L, and all exams will be administered via D2L.
The course is divided into four sections, each with an exam at the end. On D2L, you will find a folder for each section that includes audio-recorded PowerPoint lectures as well as any
supplemental materials, assignments, and exams for that section. More information about the class materials is provided below and a timelines is provided in the class schedule.
At the beginning of each lecture you will also be given goals. These goals are meant to help you pinpoint the main point of each lecture. In other words, they will tell you what the main thing you should learn from that lecture. Use these goals to help you review for exams.
COURSE WEBSITE AND ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY
The course can be accessed by going to d2l.msu.edu. You will be asked to enter your MSU log-in and password. Look under the "My Courses" section and select Psychology 236 to access all of the class materials. You will also turn in assignments and take your exams through this D2L site. Please be aware that technology failures will NOT be accepted as excuses for late or missing assignments or exams. Since we all know that technology can be temperamental, please allow yourself enough time to turn-in assignments and take exams, and alert me BEFORE deadlines if you have technical issues.
This course requires a high-speed internet connection. It also requires various software programs to see/hear all of the course material. You need to be on a computer that allows downloads of free browser plug-ins so that you can watch movies and listen to lectures. This means that many public library computers are not appropriate unless you have verified that they have the necessary
software. D2L is supported by most of the major internet browsers, including Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, and Safari. However, you should double and triple check that materials are accessible well in advance of assignment and exam due dates in case you experience technical difficulties.
If you do encounter a problem during a test or activity, report it as soon as possible to the 24 hour MSU HELP Line at (800) 500-1554 or (517) 355-2345. They will log the problem and in turn, report it to me. These technical problems should be reported immediately (maximum within 6 hours). Keep the D2L help numbers by your computer in case there is a problem. Occasionally, there are planned service outages in order to update the software. These are reported in the "News" sidebar on the MSU D2L homepage and you should keep these in mind when scheduling your coursework.
Because this course is completely online, you will need to make sure that you will have consistent access to the Internet throughout the course. Vacations don't fit in well with accelerated summer courses, regardless of whether they are face-to-face or online. Remember that each week of an accelerated session is equivalent to two week of a regular semester! If your internet plans fall through during a vacation then you may miss turning in an assignment or taking a test. These sorts of problems will not be excused! This course is NOT self-paced. There ARE due dates for various assignments. Other than the fact that this course is online, it is structured much like a face-to-face class.
Study Abroad programs may or may not fit in with Summer Session courses depending on their departure dates. MSU has over 250 programs! The Study Abroad faculty cannot take responsibility for ensuring that students have reliable internet connections in order to take exams and finals for online classes. In addition, the timing of our final exam is NOT changed to accommodate various departure dates for Study Abroad. Study Abroad faculty members are unlikely to allow a change in your departure time to accommodate the final exam schedule established by the registrar's office. Whether Summer Session courses fit with a particular Study Abroad program depends on the timing of the program and the availability of high-speed internet at the program site. As with face-to-face classes, there will be no accommodations for exams or assignments due to conflicts with
vacations and travel. You will need to research your particular program and decided if it is feasible! Other Tips:
• Learn how to clear the cache and cookies on your browser-that often resolves many problems!
• During a test, NEVER have D2L open in another browser - D2L may register "YOU" in one browser and as a "GUEST" in the other. This can cause significant problems for you.
PREREQUISITES
The only prerequisite for the course is Psychology 101. In other words, you should have a basic understanding of the major theoretical perspectives and influential findings in the broad field of psychology. You DO NOT need to have prior knowledge about statistics or research methods. In the first section of the course, we will go over everything you need to know related to those topics in order to understand the research covered in the course.
READINGS,LECTURES,&SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALSRequired Text:
The Personality Puzzle, 6th Ed., by David C. Funder, published by Norton.
The textbook is NOT optional. There will be questions on the exams that are only covered in the textbook, and not in the online lectures. To do well in the course, it is absolutely necessary to do the assigned readings. The corresponding reading assignment from the textbook for each lecture is listed in the class schedule.
Textbook Website:
Pieces of the Personality Puzzle is a useful companion website to your textbook. This website features learning aids and exercises, practice quizzes, and activities relevant to each of the chapters in the text. It's a really good way to help you learn the material and to find out about the newest research on a particular area of interest. http://www.wwnorton.com/college/psych/personality-puzzle5/
Online Lectures:
All of the lectures for each of the four sections will become available in the appropriate folder on D2L at the beginning of the time periods listed below in the class schedule. The lectures are PowerPoint presentations with audio narration. You will need access to speakers or headphones to properly view them. In general, each lecture corresponds to one textbook chapter, but some of the longer chapters are broken down into two or more lectures. You are encouraged to take breaks, complete assignments, or look up additional resources after viewing each lecture, rather than rushing through them all at once. As with the textbook reading, some exam questions may be drawn from material that was only covered in the lectures and not in the reading. Bottom line, you MUST do BOTH!
The lectures were prepared and recorded by Professor Rich Lucas. Dr. Lucas is a professor here at Michigan State University (and my advisor), as well as of one of the foremost researchers in the
field of Personality Psychology and current Editor-in-Chief of the top academic journal in the field, Journal of Research in Personality. So, I promise you that he knows what he's talking about and these lectures are worth your time. Although Dr. Lucas will be providing the main course content, personality is my major area of research and I have extensive training in the subject matter. I am therefore more than capable of answering any questions you may have or providing additional information you may want.
Supplemental Materials:
In addition to the textbook readings and online lectures, some sections have supplemental
materials. Be sure to check the section folder in D2L for these materials. Sometimes these materials will be short news articles, and sometimes they will be short video clips. Either way, you should read or view them and expect to see a few questions based on these additional materials on the exam for that section.
EXAMS AND ASSIGNMENTS
COURSE ORIENTATION
• Before you do anything in this class, you should go through the Course Orientation and complete the orientation checklist and complete the orientation quiz.
• Once you complete the quiz with a score of 85% or higher, and complete the Orientation Checklist, the content for the first section will be available in D2L. • To receive full points for the Orientation assignment, you must complete the
Orientation Checklist, obtain a score of 85% or higher on the Orientation Quiz, submit to the practice dropbox, post in the practice forum, and send me a practice email.
• The password is FUNDER.
EXAMS
• There will be four exams, one at the end of each of the four sections. • The dates for each exam are listed below in the class schedule.
• Each exam will be open for 24 hours starting at 6pm and closing at 6pm the following evening.
• Exam times are eastern daylight savings time (East Lansing, Ml time). Be sure to convert to your time zone correctly!
• Each exam will be worth 100 points, or 20%, of your final grade.
• The final will NOT be cumulative and will only cover material since the third exam. • Content:
o The exams will consist of 45 multiple choice or other objective questions.
o The exams will cover material from the corresponding part of the course: textbook readings, online lectures, supplemental materials, etc.
o The exam is open book and open note. However, all work must be completed on your own.
o You will have 45 minutes to answer 45 questions. So even though it is open book/note, you must know the material very well to finish in time.
• Accessing Exams:
o You can access your exam in the "Exams" folder and click on the current exam. Exams will only be accessible during the specified times in the syllabus.
o You must stay in the exam and not exit it at all, or close the exam and come back to it.
o Do not go to folders in the course or different folders in D2L because that can cause technical problems. You should have your notes from these other sites downloaded. o During a test, NEVER have D2L open in another browser - D2L may register you as
"YOU" in one browser and as a "GUEST" in the other. This can cause significant problems for you.
• Exams are timed:
o D2L will automatically time the exams. The exam will end after 45 minutes or at the end of the time scheduled for the exam, whichever comes first. D2L will allow you to continue taking the exam, but I will be able to tell when your time was up and you will only receive credit for answers submitted before the deadline!
o Example: The exam ends Friday at 6pm. You realize at 5:30pm on Friday that you never took the exam. Unfortunately, to have the 45 minutes that are available for the exam, you DO have to log in by 5:15pm. If you log-in at 5:30pm then you will have only 30 minutes to tack the exam. You will be able to complete the entire exam, but you will only be graded on questions that are completed before time expires. Bottom line, the exam is over at 6pm, regardless of when you logged on to take the exam. This is why is important that you convert the time to your own time zone!
• Exam Structure:
o The exam method used in this course is called "single-question, no backtrack." This means that only one to three questions are delivered at a time. You will make a decision about that question set, answer that question set, and submit the question set. Then the next question will be presented. You will not be able to go back to previous questions. This method enhances test security. This means that you may not be able to use the popular test-taking strategy of answering all the questions that you know and then going back to the tough ones. However, because the exams are open-book/note, many students find that those questions about which they had doubts are the ones that they want to look up in the book. They just need a quick look to refresh their memories and then they can proceed with confidence. • Exam Feedback:
o After each exam, you will have the chance to review your answers and see what you got wrong. Review will start two days after each exam at 6pm and end three days later at 6pm. After that, you will no longer be able to review your answers.
o If you have a dispute with an exam answer, there is a written complaint procedure. You must alert me within 3 days of receiving your exam score that you have a dispute. I will give you a form to fill out. You must fill out the form, return the form, and then set up a time to talk to me.
• Make-up Exams:
o Because you are able to take exams at any time on the assigned day, make-up exams will only be given under extreme circ*mstances, such as in the case of serious illness, or substantial personal or family loss. In either case, appropriate official documentation (e.g., doctor's excuse, death certificate, police report etc.) will be
required. Medical certificates or physician's notes must include the statement "[your name] was unable to write the test on [date(s)] for medical reasons." This
documentation must show that the physician was consulted on the day of the term test, or the next day. A physician's statement merely acknowledging a report of illness is NOT acceptable. You can submit this documentation via email or fax to (517) 353-1652 with the subject line "PSY 236 Missed Exam Documentation." o Arrangements for makeup tests must be made no later than 6:00 pm on the day after
the end of the regularly scheduled exam. Make-up exams must be taken within three days after the close of the regularly scheduled exam. Make-up exams will be 45 minutes in length and consist of entirely short-answer essay questions. Students who miss an exam without satisfying these conditions will receive a grade of zero for that exam.
o I want to be clear that I am not trying to just make it difficult for you to make up an exam. If you are seriously ill, injured, or have other serious issues that would interfere with an exam, I understand and want to make every effort I can to
accommodate your situation. This requirement of official documentation for make-up exams is simply to ensure fairness and prevent abuse of this policy.
PAPERS
• The paper assignments will require you to apply some principles from the class to phenomena that occur outside of the class.
• There will be 2 papers worth 25 points each, or 50 points total.
• Instructions and the dropbox for each of the papers will be available in the D2L folder labeled "Papers."
• Papers must be turned in to the D2L dropbox by the time and date specified on the schedule. Late papers will not be accepted.
COURSE ACTIVITIES
• For each section of the course, you will have the opportunity to participate in course
activities. These activities are designed to allow you some hands-on experiences with some of the concepts and tools we will talk about in class.
• There will be 4 course activities worth 5 points each, or 20 points total.
• Most of the activities will require you to reflect on an experience, so there is no right or wrong answer. Your grade will depend on whether you demonstrated completion of all parts of the activity as described in the instructions.
• Course surveys will be available in the D2L folder labeled "Course Activities." • Course activities must be completed by the time and date specified on the schedule.
Late activities will not be accepted.
COURSE DISCUSSION
• For each section of the course there will be a discussion question that you will be asked to respond to on a D2L discussion forum. Questions will be about the material from the corresponding course section.
• All of the members of the course have been divided into 10 teams of 6 people. You will only participate in discussions with the 5 other people in your group.
• There will be 4 course discussions worth 5 points each, or 20 points total.
• Access to the discussion questions will be available in the folder labeled "Discussions" under the forum labeled "Group # Discussions."
• To receive full credit for the discussion, you must write your own response to the question and respond to at least 2 other students' responses. This means for each discussion, you are required to write 3 posts.
• Your discussion posts will be graded on how thoroughly you addressed the discussion question, the thoughtfulness of your response, and grammar and spelling.
• You must respond to the course discussion by the time and date specified on the schedule. Late posts will not be graded. Keep in mind that you may need to come back several times in order to complete all 3 required posts.
EXTRA CREDIT
• You will have the opportunity to earn up to 20 points of extra credit, or 4%, of your final grade by participating in studies as a research participant in the Department of Psychology Human Subject Pool (HPR).
• Information about the extra credit is available in the "Extra Credit" folder on D2L. • You may earn up to 10 HPR credits (where 1 credit is assigned for each half-hour of
participation) which will be worth 2 course points each. Example: If Sally does 8 experiment credits, 16 points will be added to her score in PSY 236.
• The final day to participate in HPR is Th. 7/2 at 5pm.
• If you do not wish to participate in research, there is an alternative extra credit assignment available on D2L (due to the D2L dropbox by 6pm on Fri. 7/3).
• You may only do one or the other! You can either participate in HPR or complete the alternative assignment. Do not do both!
• DO NOT rely on extra credit to save your grade! See me early in the term to improve your grades on assignments and exams!
GRADING
Your final grade will be calculated by adding together the points that you earn on the four exams, two assignments, two papers, four course activities, four course discussions, and extra credit.
Assignment/Exam Possible Points Percentage
Exams (4) 400 (100 each) 80%
Papers (2) 50 (25 each) 10%
Course Activities (4) 20 (5 each) 4%
Course Discussion (4) 20 (5 each) 4%
Course Orientation 10 2%
I will assign numerical grades based on the total number of points you earn according to the following scheme:
Grade Point Points Percentage
4.0 450-500 90-100% 3.5 425-449 85-89% 3.0 400-424 80-84% 2.5 375-399 75-79% 2.0 350-374 70-74% 1.5 325-349 65-69% 1.0 300-324 60-64% 0.0 299 or less 59% or less
I will firmly adhere to these cut-offs. I round up to the nearest percent (e.g., 84.5% rounds up to 85% and equals a 3.5, but 84.4% rounds down to 84% and equals a 3.0). I do not fit to a "curve" or "bump up" grades. Extra credit is the only way to increase your point total if you are close to a cut-off. I will not negotiate grades with you, but I will do everything I can to help you put in the
necessary work to achieve the grade you desire. Talk to me early and often to make sure you are on track to get the grade you want!
COURSE CLIMATE
In order for this course to function optimally, we both have parts to play, and when we each do our part, everyone benefits.
As the instructor, I promise to always do my very best to select interesting and thought-provoking course material. I will prepare course materials to the best of my abilities, and I will make decisions about the course according to the learning goals I have outlined here. I will act fairly - holding every student to the same high standard and providing equal opportunities for success.
As student, you promise to:
• Participate diligently in the class and to always contribute to the best of your abilities. • To never cheat or act dishonestly.
• Not ask me to grant you special privileges that aren't available to the rest of your classmates, in order that I may adhere to my promise to be fair and just to all of you. • Refrain from mocking, embarrassing, intimidating or mistreating fellow students in any
way. We want an environment where everybody feels free to ask question and make comments which relate to the material. Don't discourage anybody from participating. • Use mutual respect and civility in any communication between students, and between
students and the instructor.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Article 2.3.3 of the Academic Freedom Report states that "The student shares with the faculty the responsibility for maintaining the integrity of scholarship, grades, and professional standards." The
Department of Psychology adheres to the policies on academic honesty as specified in General Student Regulations 1.0, Protection of Scholarship and Grades; the all-University Policy on Integrity of Scholarship and Grades; and Ordinance 17.00, Examinations. For extensive details see SpartanLife: Student Handbook and Resource Guide and/or the MSU Web site
http://www.vps.msu.edu/SpLife/rule32.htm. Examples of cheating in this course include:
• Having another student provide academic assistance or coaching during an online quiz or test.
• Having another person take a quiz or test for you.
• Copy questions or answers from your online exam and share them with another student. • Copy questions or answers from your online exam and posting them on a website for others
to view.
• Get questions or answer from students who have already taken an exam you are scheduled to take.
• Collaborate with other students on projects or assignments without my permission. Unfortunately, as online courses have become more popular, online cheating as become more common. There are student-based websites that seem to foster and promote academic dishonesty. Please be advised that these sites are known to us instructors, and we are updated on their content on a regular basis by honest students and others concerned with academic integrity. You are not authorized to use the "all MSU" web site or any other student-based website to complete any course work.
Ignorance or misunderstanding of the honesty policy will not serve as an excuse for academic dishonesty. Scholastic dishonestly will be prosecuted to the fullest extent in the class. That means you get a 0.0 in the class and a letter is sent to the dean of your college and to the dean of the College of Social Sciences about the incident.
USEFUL ACADEMIC RESOURCES
Learning Resource Center: The Learning Resource Center (LRC) is a self-paced individualized learning center that assists MSU students who want to improve their academic performance. Its goal is to help students develop the strategies and techniques necessary to become successful students. For more information see their website at www.msu.edu/user/lrc or call 355-2363. Writing Center: Assists students in person and online with brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing writing for courses across all disciplines. APPOINTMENTS ARE NOT
NECESSARY. Consulting sessions are available on a walk-in, first-come, first served basis. The Writing Center also is also available via a grammar hotline at (517) 432-3610 and on the internet at http://writing.msu.edu/resources/index.php.
OTHER IMPORTANT REMINDERS
Accommodations for Disabilities: If you are a student with a disability, contact the
an appointment with a counselor, call 353-9642 (voice) or 355-1293 (TTY).
Observing a Major Religious Holiday: You may make up course work missed to observe a major religious holiday only if you make arrangements in advance with the instructor. Participation in a required activity: To make up course work missed to participate in a required activity for another course or a university-sanctioned event, you must provide the instructor with ADVANCED NOTICE (at least one week prior to the exam/assignment due date) and WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION from the faculty member or the other course of from a university administrator.
Commercialized Lecture Notes: Commercialization of lecture notes and university provided course materials is not permitted in this course.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Week/Dates Su M Tu W Th F
1: 5/17-5/23
Section 1 17 18 First Day 19 20 22 23 Orientation
Due 6pm 2: 5/24-5/30 Section 1 24 Activity 1 Due 6pm 25 26 Discussion 1 Due 6pm 27 Exam 1 Available 6pm 28 Exam 1 Due 6pm 29 3: 5/31-6/6 Section 2 31 Activity 2 Due 6pm 1 Paper 1 Due 6pm 2 3 Discussion 2 Due 6pm 4 Exam 2 Available 6pm 5 Exam 2 Due 6pm 4: 6/7-6/13 Section 3 7 Activity 3 Due 6pm 8 9 10 11 12 5: 6/14-6/20 Section 3 14 15 16 Discussion 3 Due 6pm 17 Exam 3 Available 6pm 18 Exam 3 Due 6pm 19 6: 6/21-6/27 Section 4 21 Activity 4 Due 6pm 22 Paper 2 Due 6pm 23 24 25 26 7: 6/28-7/3 Section 4 28 29 30 Discussion 4 Due 6pm 1 Exam 4 Available 6pm 2 (Last Day) Exam 4 Due 6pm HPR Credits Due 6pm 3
Note. Exams only cover content from the associated sections. (e.g., Exam 1 is over content in Section 1.) See course layout below.
COURSE LAYOUT
Section 1
Research Methods & Basic Concepts (Weeks 1, 2)
Lecture Topic Reading Supplemental Materials
1 Introduction to Personality Psychology Chapter 1
2 Sources of Data Chapter 2 World’s Quickest
Personality Test
3 a/b Research Methods Chapter 3 Water, Water Everywhere; Mythbusters-Limits of Intuition; Paper Personality 4 a/b The Person-Situation Debate Chapter 4 Stanford Prison Experiment 5 Personality Testing & Its Consequences Chapter 5
6 Personality Judgments in Everyday Life Chapter 6 “Lie to Me” Articles #1,#2
Section 2
Personality Traits & Biological Approaches (Week 3)
Lecture Topic Reading Supplemental Materials
7 a/b Personality Traits Chapter 7
8 Anatomy & Physiology of Personality Chapter 8
9 Behavioral Genetics Chapter 9
Section 3
Psychoanalysis & Humanistic Theories (Weeks 4, 5)
Lecture Topic Reading Supplemental Materials
10 Basics of Psychoanalysis Chapter 10
11 Defenses & Slips Chapter 11
12 Psychoanalysis After Freud Chapter 12 13 Humanistic & Positive Psychology Chapter 13
14 Cultural Variation Chapter 14
Section 4
Behaviorism, Cognitive Approaches, & Disorders (Weeks 6, 7)
Lecture Topic Reading Supplemental Materials
15 Behaviorism & Social Learning Chapter 15 16 Perception, Thought, Motivation, & Emotion Chapter 16
17 The Self Chapter 17 Donnellan & Trzesniewski
Article
18 Disorders of Personality Chapter 18 This American Life: The Psychopathy Test
