Dear student:

Welcome to Open College's Introduction to Psychology (PSY 2012)!

The purpose of this website is to explain how Open College courses work and to provide you with the information you will need to complete this course. I recommend that you visit this website throughout the semester.

Doug Andrews

ORIENTATION INFORMATION               

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is an applied psychology that emphasizes the understanding of principles of effective human behavior and their application in the areas of personal awareness, interpersonal relations, communications, and work/career development. PPE 1005 is a required course for the Associate of Science degree.

GENERAL INFORMATION

This course is designed for students who prefer not to attend, or who are unable to attend traditional classes. In some ways it is a better course through Open College since the course allows you to study at your convenience. However, this method of learning is not without drawbacks. Interaction with me is not as easy as it would be in the traditional classroom setting. Spontaneous discussion and instant feedback are more difficult to achieve. You must call or visit my office if you need assistance my number is on the Course Calendar. Or 305-237-3123 is the general Open College number. If my line is busy you can hold for an answer, or if I am unavailable my phone will ring to the general office number. BUT, remember you must CALL if you have a PROBLEM!!

More importantly, success in this type of course requires considerable self-discipline, particularly when it comes to completing the lessons. Once you get behind it becomes extremely difficult to complete your work in time for the required exam. It will be necessary for you to set a rigid schedule for yourself. Each individual's study habits vary, but I expect that at least 12 hours of study time per week will be necessary to achieve a grade of "C," or better. I have given you some guidelines for scheduling on your Course Calendar.

The amount of correspondence involved in the course requires the use of a computer mailing list to correspond with you. Your address will be up-dated once a week from the College's master student record system. If your address changes you must change it with the Office of Registration.

COURSE MATERIALS

Study materials are available at any of the Miami-Dade campus bookstores. You will need to purchase the textbook, Essential Elements for Effectiveness, by Abascal, Brucato, Stephenon, & Brucato.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

You are required to complete the midterm and final examinations, the writing project and the four homework assignments discussed below. The exams are given on campus; information concerning this is shown on your Course Calendar, and you will receive by mail specific times, dates, and room numbers.

ASSIGNMENTS

Assignments are four homework assignments that you must submit as part of your grade. You must complete these short essay questions and mail them to my office in the envelopes provided in the packet. Assignments may also be delivered to the Open College office during regular office hours: Monday through Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is not necessary to see me to deliver assignments. My class schedule often takes me out of my office but the Open College staff will accept assignments.

The dates on the Course Calendar are requirements unless otherwise stated. Please do your best to meet these dates so you will not be penalized for submitting later work. I do accept work late but it will result in the loss of points.

EXAM REVIEW SESSION

One week prior to the exams review sessions will be conducted on Wolfson Campus, which is most accessible to a majority, of the students. I encourage you to attend. (Call the Open College office if you have not received the dates by two weeks prior to the date on the Course Calendar.) In addition there will be an exam review sheet mailed to your home.

EXAMS

You should work at a pace that allows you to be ready for the announced examination schedule. This course is organized to reduce your visits to campus, but you must remember that you will be required to attend the exams. You need my permission to take a make-up exam if you fail to attend one of the scheduled exam sessions.

GRADING CRITERIA

Your final grade will be based upon the total number of points you have accumulated during the term. Points will be given for homework assignments, the project, and the two exams. Refer to the Grading Criteria below to determine how points are awarded.

GRADING SCALE

 WITHDRAWALS AND INCOMPLETES

Occasionally a student is unable to complete the course on schedule and requests an incomplete. To be eligible for an incomplete, you first must have earned at least a score of 70% on assignments up to and including the first two homework assignments and the midterm, and meet the deadline for requesting an incomplete. Incomplete grades must be negotiated with me during office hours. If an incomplete is not cleared by the end of the following semester, the grade will be automatically changed to a failure (F). Do not register again if you are granted an incomplete.

Students planning to withdraw from the course must officially complete a drop card and submit it by the established deadline.

For administrative details or missing materials, call Open College at 305-237-3123, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, or 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday.

I hope this course will prove to be a rewarding and meaningful one for you. Please call me if you need assistance with the subject matter, or any other aspect of this course.

 Sincerely,

 Doug Andrews

2002-1 COURSE CALENDAR   U          P

 Psychology of Personal Effectiveness, PPE 1005 - OPEN COLLEGE

GRADING CRITERIA

Your final grade will be based upon the total number of points you have accumulated during the term. Points will be given for the two exams, the Assignments, and the project.

Course Competencies          

1. The student will explore theoretical perspectives regarding personal effectiveness by:

a. Describing an overview of the major theoretical approaches to personality and human behavior.

b. Analyzing the theory of self-concept and the factors involved in its development, relating this to personal behavior.

c. Distinguishing the causes and characteristics of high and low self-esteem and the relationship of these to behavior.

d. Discovering the holistic nature of humankind including the cognitive, emotional, social, spiritual, and physical influences on behavior.

2. The student will learn to manage stress by:

a. Demonstrating knowledge of stress, its sources, and the physical, psychological and behavioral outcomes.

b. Applying effective stress management theory.

c. Demonstrating effective self-management in the use of resources such as time, money, and personal assets.

3. The student will understand the theories of healthy and successful relationships by:

a. Describing how theses theories apply to family, friends, social groups, work teams, and culturally diverse groups.

b. Practicing effective verbal and nonverbal communication.

c. Applying effective listening skills

d. Applying theories related to assertive behavior.

e. Practicing conflict resolution skills and analyzing the process.

4. The student will understand the changing nature of the world of work by:

a.       Exploring future occupational and academic trends.

b.       Using knowledge and skills of personal and interpersonal effectiveness to achieve career related goals.

c.       Valuing diversity in the workplace.

5. The student will understand the role of personal responsibility in workplace success by:

a. Describing the characteristics of effective employees and their responses to performance assessment and varying leadership styles.

b. Demonstrating understanding of the necessity for policies and procedures in the workplace.

c. Demonstrating knowledge of job satisfaction, including intrinsic and extrinsic work motivations.

d. Describing factors which interfere with effective job performance such as alcohol and drug use; sexual harassment; racial, gender, and age discrimination; and violations of ethical and moral standards.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS      1 - 4          

Consult your Activities Schedule for the date you should place these assignments in the mail. (There are deadline dates published on your Activities Schedule FAILURE TO MEET THE DATES WILL RESULT IN THE LOSS OF POINTS.)

You should write short essays to answer the questions for each chapter immediately after reading the chapter. BUT DO NOT MAIL THE CHAPTERS SEPARATELY!

I prefer to have these assignments type written, however, if you must hand write your answers please skip every other line and write on one side only of the paper; I will advise you when I return the first assignment if you will need to skip lines on the other assignments.

You must submit completed assignments or suffer a loss of points.

This assignment is unrelated to the course project.

 Assignment 1 

Chapter 1 Study Questions 

1.  What is a paradigm shift and how is the phenomenon important?

2.  Why are paradigms (in science and in everyday life) so resistant to change?

3.  Describe the process of reframing and how it could be useful in your life.

4.  Describe several (at least 3) strategies for creating reframes.

Chapter 2 Study Questions

1. What are the characteristics of a proactive student?

2. What are the three areas that you need to focus on in order to increase your proactivity?

3. Describe the three steps of cognitive restructuring.

4. How does optimism differ from repeating positive affirmations to yourself?

Chapter 3 Study Questions

1. What should self-worth be based upon?

2. Describe the characteristics of the parenting style that is most conducive to fostering positive self-esteem in the child.

3. What do the authors suggest you do to avoid repeating the same mistakes over and over?

4. Summarize the key attitudes for maintaining self-esteem according to Heidi Schleiffer.

Assignment 2

Chapter 4 Study Questions

1. Distinguish between eustress and stress

2. Explain the Yerkes-Dodson Law and its implications in performance situations.

3. What is stress sensitization?

Chapter 5 Study Questions

1. What is the benefit of adopting the witrzessing stance?

2. Describe the stress hardiness attitudes and how they contribute to stress resilience.

3. Describe the warrior's stance.

4. What is progressive muscle relaxation and how does it work?

Chapter 6 Study Questions

1. What is the purpose of examining the goal of your goals?

2. Describe the steps for securing your goals.

3. Summarize the attitudes necessary for successful practice of mindfulness meditation.

Chapter 7 Study Question 

1. Define the 80/20 rule.

2. Describe two main time wasters and how to counteract them.

3. According to Steven Covey, what kind of masks (in terms of their relative importance and urgency) help us be proactive?

4. What kind of irrational beliefs contribute to procrastination?

Assignment 3

Chapter 8 Study Questions 

1. Describe the barriers to going for a win-win outcomes.

2. Give an example of a situation where you would be well advised to not try for a win-win outcome.

3. What is the relationship between your perception of a situation, the meaning you give to it, and anger?

4. Describe the initial steps that are helpful for working through anger.

Chapter 9 Study Questions 

1. How does assertiveness differ from passivity and aggression?

2. Identify the four steps for assertive communication. Why is step three optional?

3. Explain empathic assertion.

4. What are three important nonverbal behavior that should accompany your assertive responses to maximize your effectiveness?

Chapter 10 Study Questions 

1. What is Transpersonal Psychology?

2. What is the value of learning to juggle as a means of learning about balance?

3. Describe an attitude of gratitude.

Chapter 11 Study Questions

1. What is the historical progression of technological change?

2. Compare the role of manager to the role of leader.

3. Outline the ideal process for a performance review.

4. Describe three strategies you could use to reduce stress in the workplace.

Assignment 4

Chapter 12 Study Questions 

1. Discuss how family background is an influential factor in career choice.

2. Describe three ways that you can get information about yourself.

3. Describe to a friend how to prepare for a job interview.

4. What do the 5C's for Interviewing mean?

Chapter 13 Study Questions 

1. Describe the behavior of someone with a need for power.

2. Discuss a "trigger" that sets you off in a positive mood.

3. Why are "people skills" so important in the workplace?

4. Describe a "trigger" either positive or negative you have identified for a person in you family.

Chapter 14 Study Questions

1. Compare internal and external locus of control

2. Discuss why people in helping professions burn out easier than some other professions.

3. Discuss the quid pro quo in sexual harassment and give two examples.

4. Discuss factors that are the basis of discrimination according to the Equal opportunity Guidelines besides race, sex, religion, and age.

WRITING PROJECT         

Project objectives:

v                  To see how personality tests reflect their theoretical base,

v                  To help you gain insight into yourself,

v                  To meeting College writing across the curriculum requirement.

Assignment:

Complete the personality inventories on the following pages of the textbook: 24, 31-32, 39, 86, & 162. (Photocopy the assessment instrument and attach the completed copy to the end your answers to the questions below.) Write an essay for each assessment activity answering the following questions. Your essays will comment on the concept assessed, the accuracy of the assessment, and how you feel about yourself.

For each personality inventory address the following questions in your essay:

v      Explain why the concept assessed is significant for effectiveness

v      Cite three real life things about yourself that you feel support the validity of the assessment results with regard to yourself.

v      Check your assessment results with two people who know you well and report their view of how well the results describe you. Identify how long the person has known you and their relationship to you.

v      Identify and describe a behavioral situation that the assessed concept should predict about you.

v      Do the assessed results match your view of yourself? Is this part of your personality acceptable to you? Explain why or why not. If you are not pleased with this part of your personality, what could you do to change it?

Instructions for submitting your work:

I prefer to have this paper typed double-spaced, and expect it to be one double spaced page in length for each personality inventory. If you do not type, I will accept it in neat handwriting. (Hand-written papers should be one and one-half to two pages in length for each Personality inventory. Write on only ONE SIDE of the paper.)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: * * * YOU CAN LOSE POINTS FOR THE FOLLOWING:

Submit your paper, stapled in the upper left-hand corner only, please no folders or binders!

Failure to address the questions above for each personality inventory will result in the loss of points.

Failure to include completed assessment activities will result in the loss of points.

Papers submitted with postmarks after the due date will have points deducted for each day past the due date. Papers maybe personally delivered to the Open College office, but delivery after the due date will result in a loss of points for each day past the due date. CONSULT YOUR COURSE CALENDAR.

Your essay should reflect correct English usage and style. I will deduct points from papers containing numerous English errors.

You should submit your paper according to the due date printed on the COURSE CALENDAR.