Psychology and the Challenges of Life Adjustment and Growth 12th edition
Exams and Quizzes
Each week will culminate in a quiz on the material covered during that week of instruction. There will be two essay exams: Midterm in Week 4 and Final in Week 8.
Rubric for Discussion Board Posts
Discussion board posts are worth up to 25 points per week and will be graded according to the following guidelines:
10 points for answering the initial post prompt completely
5 points for correct citation, reference, and use of APA style
5 points for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
5 points for a response post which is focused in nature and is at least 100 words in length
Guidelines & Expectations
Turnitin
What It Is
Turnitin is an online service which provides originality checking. Turnitin encourages best practices for using and citing other people’s written material. Turnitin’s proprietary software compares the paper’s text to a vast database of 20+ billion pages of digital content (including archived Internet content that is no longer available on the live Web) as well as over 220 million papers in the student paper archive, and 110,000+ professional, academic, and commercial journals and publications
How It Will be Used in This Course
All written work submitted within the classroom, with the exception of weekly discussion posts, will be checked for plagiarism
Submitting to Turnitin
Assignments will be submitted to Turnitin using the submit button associated with the assignment
Guidelines and Rubric for Final Paper (approximately 2,100 words)
Theme
Select one character from one of the following films (not one from each film)
Tangled, (2010), Walt Disney Pictures, (DVD)
Winter’s Bone, (2010), Lionsgate, (DVD)
American Beauty, (1999), Paramount, (DVD)
Purpose
This paper is your opportunity to apply what you have learned from this course through analyzing:
How the character coped with adversity
How his/her sense of self was important to his/her coping
What kind of coping mechanisms the character used to deal with stress
Content
This course focuses on human adjustment (healthy and unhealthy) to the challenges of the environment, and each of these films has at least two characters (a male and a female) from which you may choose.
Course text: discuss and use material from three different chapters of the textbook. You can choose any three chapters and concepts you consider appropriate
Outside resources: use three references, other than your text, which deal with the concepts or ideas regarding the psychology of the character you have chosen
Structure (include labels for each section)
I. Title Page (centered)
Title of film
Name of character featured in paper
Word count
Grading value: 5 points
II. Summary
Summarize the movie plot and explain why you think it has anything to do with adaptation to a challenging environment or situation
Suggested length: 1 page
Grading value: 20 points
III. Character
Identify the character you have selected and explain the reasoning behind your choice. What is his/her stressful situation? What is the conflict?
Detail how you understand or make sense of the stress/challenges/adversity that this character is facing. What is he or she going through that makes life difficult?
Suggested length: 2 pages
Grading value: 30 points
IV. Theory
Describe how the character you have chosen tries to adapt or adjust to the challenges facing him/her. What defense mechanisms does he/she use? What is his/her sense of self? How does he/she handle stress? Is this healthy or unhealthy? How is his/her sense of self important to his/her ability to cope?
Suggested length: 3 pages
Grading value: 40 points
V. Reaction
Verbalize, in some detail, why you did or did not like the film
Suggested length: 1 page
Grading value: 5 points
VI. Grammar, Spelling, APA Style
Paper is written according to APA format and style
In-text citations are in APA format
Reference list is in APA format
Use of quotations is minimal
Effective use of paraphrasing
Paper is free from spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure errors
Grading value: 15 points
Additional Notes
Papers will be submitted to Turnitin using the submit button in week 7
Due Week 7, Sunday, 11:59 p.m. ET
Late papers will be accepted at the discretion of the instructor and subject to a late penalty
Overview of the three movies
Tangled, (2010), Walt Disney Pictures, (DVD). Based on the Rapunzel myth. The characters, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, each have to negotiate the challenges of adolescence and separation from their families
Winter’s Bone, (2010), Lionsgate, (DVD). Contains an unforgettable portrayal of a young Ozark woman trying to track down her missing father. The film is centered on drug use and methamphetamine production in the Arkansas countryside. Highly acclaimed at Sundance (Grand Jury Award for Best Drama), the film also received a number of Academy Award nominations. Jennifer Lawrence (she’s 20) as Ree Dolly and John Hawkes as her uncle (Teardrop) both received acting nominations, and either one would be a great character to look at. Ree is one of the deepest, most well-developed characters in a movie in a long time. The end of the film is as powerful as anything you are likely to see on film
American Beauty, (1999), Paramount, (DVD). Winner of five Oscars in 1999: Best Picture, Best Actor (Kevin Spacey), Best Director (Sam Mendes), Best Original Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. This movie is about an older man having a midlife crisis. Please be aware that this film is heavy on sexual themes and includes some graphic violence. There is sex and nudity in this film, and it is full of symbolism and social implications. The great thing about this film is that there are six characters (three female and three male) who are developed deeply enough for you to write about
APA Citation Style
Using APA citation style is an important part of paper writing. When used correctly, it:
Provides a path back to the original piece of work
Adds credibility to your paper
Limits the possibility of accusations of plagiarism
These exercises present variations on books, journal articles, and entries in a reference work. They have been designed to help you identify the important elements of a reference, which include:
Author
Publication date
Title
Page numbers
Publisher information
Electronic sources
Pay attention to the following features:
Typeface (regular or italics)
Punctuation
Order
There are three parts to this activity. Click each link to begin.
Part 1 – Identify the rules of each element
Part 2 – Put the elements in the correct order
Part 3 – Choose the properly formatted elements
Online Tutoring
In addition to your professor in this class, we have made arrangements for you to access an online tutoring service if you want to get extra help with math and writing. When you click on the link below, you will automatically be logged in to a website for the tutoring service, offered by Smarthinking. No account setup is necessary, and there is no additional cost to you for this service. You will see on that page that you have the option to schedule a session with a tutor, submit a question, or submit your writing for feedback.
www.smarthinking.com
Week 1
Psychology of Adjustment and Personal Growth: An Introduction
Have you ever wondered why some individuals handle stress better than others? This week discusses factors that affect how a person manages stress and environmental changes. We discuss a person’s ability to experience happiness in good or bad environments, and what can be done to improve our personality health.
After completing this lesson, you should be able to:
Define the concept of adjustment
Clarify the importance of cultural diversity in understanding this concept
Identify the way in which critical thinking helps adjustment
Recognize the scientific method as it applies to psychological research
Discover how psychologists study human adjustment
Explore the concept of personality
Visualize the major forces in personality theory: psychodynamic, learning theory, humanistic theory, and trait theory
Explore the way in which psychologists assess personality
Course Introduction
Take a few minutes to get to know W. Scott Whitacre, PsyD, who discusses the focus of each lecture and previews how psychological adjustment affects our lives.
After completing this lecture, you should be able to:
Predict the direction and content of the lecture series
Comprehend the way in which the lectures will enhance yet transcend the text
Restate issues of confidentiality and privacy as it relates to case presentations contained in the lectures
Human Diversity and Psychological Adjustment
Human diversity is all around us. It is important to have a basic awareness of a person’s cultural, religious, or racial background. This lecture discusses real situational examples and how knowing this information helped Dr. Whitacre turn a troubling situation into a positive experience.
After completing this lecture, you should be able to:
Appreciate the importance of human diversity in understanding psychological adjustment
Explore how our cultural and ethnic beliefs may influence how we react to a situation
Recognize why it is important for a “helping” professional to be mindful of these variations
Reading
Chapter 1: Psychology and the Challenges of Life
Technology, astrology, multitasking, and genes are just a few of the topics covered in this chapter. In addition to studying the psychological influence of these subjects, you examine how psychologists perform their research
Chapter 2: Personality
Explore and assess Sigmund Freud’s theory of personality, also known as psychodynamic theories. Participate in personality tests
Discussion
Paragraph 1
How and why is an appreciation of ethnic and cultural diversity important to psychology?
Paragraph 2
How does someone’s identification with a specific ethnic or cultural identity influence their social activity and adjustment?
Instructions
Write two paragraphs, one for each discussion question
Due Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET
Guidelines
Discussion board posts are worth up to 25 points per week and will be graded according to the following guidelines:
20 points for initial response distributed as follows:
10 points for answering the initial post prompt completely
5 points for correct citation, reference, and use of APA style
5 points for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
5 points for a response post which is focused in nature and is at least 100 words in length
Grade Value – 20 Points
10 points for answering the initial post prompt completely
5 points for correct citation, reference and use of APA style
5 points for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Discussion
Response Post
Instructions
Respond to one initial post by a classmate
Due Sunday at 11:59 p.m. ET
Grade Value – 5 points
5 points for a response post
Focused in nature
Minimum of 100 words in length
Quiz
Covers material from Week 1
Due Sunday at 11:59 p.m. ET
Open-book
Untimed
Can only be taken once and in one sitting
You must do your own work!
Sharing of answers will result in a zero for the quiz
Flashcards – Chapter 1
Covering Chapter 1 of text
Flashcards – Chapter 2
Covering Chapter 2 of text
Week 2
Stress and Health
We have all dealt with frustration in our lives. How does our reaction to frustration affect our health? This week explores the causes and management of stress.
After completing this lesson, you should be able to:
Define the concept of stress
Identify the way stress affects physiological functioning
Interpret the general adaptation syndrome (GAS)
Describe the way in which stress affects the immune system
Examine the way that stress affects daily life
Define psychological moderators of stress
Investigate common stress-related health disorders
Explore how you can assess your own stress level
Serial Self-Injurious Behavior
Can our response to situations actually harm us?
After completing this lecture, you should be able to:
Explore the importance of frustration tolerance in healthy psychological adjustment and coping with stress
Recognize the way in which this is part of our everyday lives
Discuss the way in which lack of frustration tolerance can have pathological, harmful consequences
Outline the way in which psychologists teach frustration tolerance
Reading
Chapter 3: Stress: What It Is and How to Manage It
What is the difference between healthy stress and unhealthy stress? This chapter discusses the many types of stress and how stress affects our physical and psychological state
Chapter 4: Psychological Factors and Health
Take a granular look at how stress affects the nervous system, various organs, and the immune system
Discussion
Paragraph 1
What is the general adaptation syndrome? List and define its three phases
Paragraph 2
Discuss something stressful about being an online student and anything from Chapter 3 in our textbook that might help manage this stress
Instructions
Write two paragraphs, one for each discussion question
Due Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET
Guidelines
Discussion board posts are worth up to 25 points per week and will be graded according to the following guidelines:
20 points for initial response distributed as follows:
10 points for answering the initial post prompt completely
5 points for correct citation, reference, and use of APA style
5 points for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
5 points for a response post which is focused in nature and is at least 100 words in length
Grade Value – 20 Points
10 points for answering the initial post prompt completely
5 points for correct citation, reference and use of APA style
5 points for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Discussion
Response Post
Instructions
Respond to one initial post by a classmate
Due Sunday at 11:59 p.m. ET
Grade Value – 5 points
5 points for a response post
Focused in nature
Minimum of 100 words in length
Quiz
Covers material from Week 2
Due Sunday at 11:59 p.m. ET
Open-book
Untimed
Can only be taken once and in one sitting
You must do your own work!
Sharing of answers will result in a zero for the quiz
Flashcards – Chapter 3
Covering Chapter 3 of text
Week 3
Healthy Behavior and the Self
This week discusses circumstances that affect how we “see” ourselves, how others see us, and finally, how we think others see us.
After completing this lesson, you should be able to:
Restate the importance of nutrition in managing stress
Recognize the importance of fitness in managing stress
Paraphrase the importance of healthy sleep patterns in managing stress
Describe how these guidelines are related to a healthy sense of self
Explore the concept of self and its relationship to healthy adjustment
Define self-concept and self-esteem
Report on the way in which identity and esteem are critical to healthy adjustment
Explore how prejudice and discrimination are related to a faulty sense of self-concept and poor self-esteem
Identity and Self-Esteem
Have you ever asked yourself, “Who am I?” or “Why am I here?” or “Do I like myself?” This lecture reviews what causes us to ask these questions and how these questions are addressed.
After completing this lecture, you should be able to:
Define the concept of identity
Define the concept of self-esteem
Explore the relationship between the two
Review a case presentation which exemplifies this idea
Discover strategies for correcting deficits in each
Interactive Exercise
Identity vs. Self-Esteem
This 10-question interactive exercise will test your knowledge of the difference between the terms identity and self-esteem.
Reading
Chapter 5: Developing Healthier Behaviors
This chapter will help us understand why healthy behaviors, both in activities and food, can lead to improved physical and psychological health
Chapter 6: The Self in a Social World
Do others see us the same way we see ourselves? What’s the importance of a first impression or our body language? Let’s explore these and many more factors in Chapter 6
Discussion
Paragraph 1
Who are you?
Paragraph 2
Why do you define yourself this way?
Instructions
Write two paragraphs, one for each discussion question
Due Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. ET
Guidelines
Discussion board posts are worth up to 25 points per week and will be graded according to the following guidelines:
20 points for initial response distributed as follows:
10 points for answering the initial post prompt completely
5 points for correct citation, reference, and use of APA style
5 points for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
5 points for a response post which is focused in nature and is at least 100 words in length
Grade Value – 20 Points
10 points for answering the initial post prompt completely
5 points for correct citation, reference and use of APA style
5 points for correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
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