Central Connecticut State University

Central Connecticut State University New Britain, CT.

Fall Semester, 2009

Lifespan Development

Psychology 236 TR 11:00-12:15 FD001

Instructor: Carolyn R. Fallahi, Ph. D. Office: Marcus White #216 Office Phone Number: 860-832-3114 Email address: [email protected] Class web site: www.psychology.ccsu.edu/fallahic/

Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8:50-9:50 Monday 5:00-6:45 p.m.

Text (required): Santrock, J. W. (2007). A topical approach to life-span development (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Primis supplement.

Please note: The 2 required books for this course are being sold as a package and individually at the CCSU bookstore & the Other bookstore. You can either buy these books new, used, or as a package without any binding. While the package without any binding costs significantly less, you cannot return this at the end of the semester in order to get cash back as you can with the bound books.

Course Objective: Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Identify the major theories in human development. 2. Define the scientific method and the research methodologies which are used by Developmental Psychologists. 3. Demonstrate knowledge of the effects of the environment on physical, cognitive, social and affective development. 2

4. Demonstrate knowledge of factors involved in the interaction of heredity and environment on development. 5. Identify the stages of growth and their effects on the individual. 6. Understand special topics in lifespan development, e.g. violence, divorce, attachment, etc.

Instructional Methodology:

Class sessions will consist of lectures presented by the instructor. These lectures will incorporate opportunities for questions and discussion. Students will be asked to engage in group activities and discussions during class time. Power point presentations will be available on the class website. Make it a point to familiarize yourself with our website! Remember: the address is www.psychology.ccsu.edu/fallahic. If you do not have access to the internet at home, you can use the computer center in the basement of Marcus White. It is your responsibility to check for updates, changes in the syllabus, and new information provided to you on our class website.

Grading System: Final grades are available on the web at www.ccsu.edu. Grades will be evaluated as follows for each semester hour of credit.

Grade Points out of 100 Description

A 93-100 Excellent A- 90-92 Excellent B+ 87-89 Good B 83-86 Good B- 80-82 Good C+ 77-79 Average C 73-76 Average C- 70-72 Below Average D+ 67-69 Poor D 63-66 Poor D- 60-62 Poor, lowest passing F 59 or below Fail

Evaluation Criteria: There will be three examinations during the semester and one comprehensive final examination. You may choose to not take the final if the first three exams yield a grade that pleases you. Otherwise, you may take all four exams and drop the lowest exam grade. Further, should you miss an exam for whatever reason, that exam will count as the one grade that 3 you are dropping. There will be no makeup exams. There will not be any exceptions to this policy. Please plan accordingly. As part of your graded assignments, there will be several in-class quizzes given throughout the semester. The quizzes will be announced at least 1 class period before the quiz. At this point I cannot say how many quizzes will comprise your grade. There will be the opportunity to drop 1 quiz for any of the following reasons, e.g. bad grade / did not take the quiz because you were not in class. The quizzes range from 15-25 points. At the end of the semester, I will drop your lowest quiz grade and reduce the quiz grades by 20 points for ease in calculating your grade. There are no make ups for quizzes for any reason. As part of the Lifespan course, students are expected to participate in six psychology experiments. You must sign up for the experiments through the psychology department’s sona website. In order to do this, please go to http://CCSU.sona-systems.com. Once you are at this website, you must register & receive a confirmation from sona. If you experience any difficulty with this, please e-mail me. It is important that you register. If you do not register & you complete the experiments, I will not receive notice of your completion. All sona credits & problems must be completed by December 1st at 3:00 p.m.. Once we are past this deadline, I will no longer intervene to help you with your credits. Through sona, you have the ability to monitor how many credits you have received. It is up to you to monitor this and check for accuracy. For each credit you receive through sona, that will be equivalent to 5 points. Those who object to being a participant in a psychology experiment can opt for a research paper. If you choose the research paper assignment, you must clear this with me ahead of time. Please schedule an appointment or stop by during my office hours to discuss this option. This assignment will be worth 30 points. The deadline for the research paper option is December 1st, at 3:00 p.m. Your grade will be based on three examinations worth 300 points, numerous in-class quizzes, and the psychology experiment portion worth 30 points. Examinations will be approximately 70% from lecture material and 30% directly from the assigned readings. There will be material from the book on each examination that I have not covered in class.

Vista Information: At any point, you can check your grades via the Vista system. In order to do that, please go to www.ccsu.edu. Click on the “central pipeline” option. The secure login for CCSU box will come up. Put in your bluechip ID number & password. Click on the blackboard vista hyperlink and choose our course. If you need any computer help concerning pipeline, please contact our help desk at 860-832-1720. 4

Please note, I will only use Vista for secure feedback on grades. All of our class information will be posted on my website at www.psychology.ccsu.edu/fallahic.

Extra Credit: Due prior December 1st, you may choose to participate in extra psychology experiments in order to earn an extra 5 points each which will be added to your accumulated points. In addition, opportunities to attend events related to psychology themes will be made available to students throughout the semester. For each program attended, students will provide a one-page summary and a one-page reaction to the event in order to earn 5 points/event. This must be typed or I will not accept it. Finally, the research paper option also applies to extra credit. You can also “mix and match” – utilizing a combination of all three options to get your desired extra credit! There will only be a possible 30 extra credit points available in total.

Withdrawal Policy: If you choose to withdraw from this course because you feel that you are not doing as well as you would like, please speak with me prior to completing the paperwork. It is not unusual that the first examination is somewhat lower than students would like to see. Come and speak with me first before withdrawing and I will talk with you about a plan to help you get the grade you want. If you decide to stop attending my class without officially withdrawing, you will receive an automatic “F” on your report card.

Class Attendance Policy: Class attendance is an integral part of the college experience. The faculty of this university believes that regular class attendance is necessary for a student to derive the maximum benefit of the learning experience and to achieve academic progress. All students are expected to come to class regularly and be on time. Students who miss class are responsible for the material. Please seek out a fellow student for the notes. Chronic absenteeism will negatively affect your grade. A large part of my examinations come from lecture material.

Disability Statement: Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact Natalie Stimpson-Byers, Coordinator for Student Disability Services at 241 Copernicus Hall (860-832-1957). Ms. Stimpson-Byers will meet with you privately to discuss your specific needs. She will need a copy of the accommodation letter from Student Disability Services in order to arrange your class accommodations. Contact Student Disability Services, room 241, Copernicus Hall, if you are not already registered with them. Student Disability Services maintains the confidential documentation of your disability and assists you in coordinating reasonable accommodations with your faculty. Please note: If your disability requires additional time, these arrangements must be made by you with Natalie Stimpson-Byers. You can have your exam or quiz proctored at Student Disability Services, but you need to make the 5 arrangements and let me know about the arrangements at least 4-5 working days prior to the assignment.

Violations of Academic Integrity: Violations of academic integrity will be seen as a serious matter resulting in disciplinary action by this university. Violations of academic integrity include: cheating on exams; plagiarism; unauthorized assistance from another, etc. Please familiarize yourself with CCSU’s academic integrity policy and do not put yourself in the position to have to deal with this.

Excessive Talking or Disruptive Behavior: Given that this is a large lecture class, excessive talking or disruptive behavior cannot always be monitored closely by the professor. If I have to speak with you personally about your behavior or other students complain that you are being disruptive, you will be asked to leave the class. If this occurs more than once, you will be turned into the judicial officer for disciplinary action. Disruptive and rude behavior will not be tolerated.

Course Schedule: This is a rough outline of our course schedule. This is subject to change based on the needs of the class & the instructor.

Date Topic

August 31 Fall semester begins; First day of class Introduction to Lifespan Development

Reading: Santrock chapter #1 Homework: Make sure that you can access our website at www.psychology.ccsu.edu/fallahic

September 2,4 Research in Developmental Psychology September 14 Reading: Santrock chapter #1 Week of Homework: Website homework on research methodology. Be prepared to go over homework during the next class. This homework is not collected or graded, but gives you experience & expertise on the type of questions that will appear on exam 1.

August 31- Add/Drop Period September 8

September 7 Labor Day Holiday – No Classes

September 9, 11 Research Continued 6

September 21 Nature/Nurture; The Evolutionary Perspective; Week of Reading: Santrock chapter #1

Teratogens & the Prenatal Environment Reading: Santrock chapter #2 Please note: You are responsible for readings in your book on the prenatal environment. I will not be lecturing on this topic.

September 28 Brain Physiology; Aging; Life Expectancy Week of Reading: Santrock chapter #3

September 16- September 28 Last time to withdraw from this course with a “W”

September 28 Cognitive Development; Piaget; Vygotsky Week of Reading: Santrock chapter #6

October 5 Examination #1 (Please remember to bring #2 pencil Monday with erasers. Also, bring your student ID #).

October 7, 9 Learning & Memory October 12 Intelligence; Mental Retardation; Gifted and Talented Week of Reading: Santrock chapter #7 & #8 Primis: Is Spanking Detrimental to Children? Homework: On our website, you will have a chance Practice classical conditioning & operant conditioning problems. Please be prepared to review the homework in class.

October 19 Language and Genie Week of Reading: Santrock chapter #9

October 26 Emotional Development, Parenting, & Other Week of Relationships Reading: Santrock chapter #10, 14, & 15 Primis: Does Maternal Employment Have Negative Effects on Children’s Development? Primis: Should Same-Sex Couples be Able to Marry? Primis: Can Lesbian and Gay Couples Be Appropriate Parents for Children?

November 2 Examination II (Please remember to bring #2 pencil 7

Monday with erasers. Also, bring your student ID #).

October 4, 6 Identity & Personality Development November 9 Reading: Santrock chapter #11 Week of Primis: Are Repressed Memories Real? Readings not covered in class: Trait theories & the Big Five Factors of Personality.

November 16 Gender & Sexuality Week of Divorce Reading: Santrock chapter #12 Readings not covered in class: sexually transmitted Infections. Divorce Primis: Does divorce Create Long-Term Negative Effects on Children’s Development? Primis: Are Fathers Essential for Children’s Well- Being?

November 23 Moral Development & Prevention of Violence November 30 School Violence & Violence in the Media Week of Death & Dying Reading: Santrock chapter #13 & #17 Primis: Does Violent Media Cause Teenage Aggression? Primis: Is Viewing Television Violence Harmful for Children? Primis: Does Media Violence Cause Aggression? Primis: Do Milgram’s Obedience Experiments Help Explain the Nature of the Holocaust? Primis: Does the Stanford Prison Experiment Help Explain the Effects of Imprisonment?

Santrock Readings (not covered in class): Kubler & Ross’ stages of dying.

November 25-29 Thanksgiving Recess – No Classes

December 1 (3:00 p.m.): Sona deadline & Research paper deadline.

December 7 Examination III (Please remember to bring #2 pencil Monday with erasers. Also, bring your student ID #).

December 9 Last day of class – Review for Final Examination. 8

December 10 Last day of Fall Semester Classes.

December 11 Reading Day

December 12-18 Final Examinations

Final Examination Schedule to be announced.

** Please note – this schedule may change based on the needs of the class and/or the instructor.

Fall, 2009: Research Requirement/Extra Credit for Psychology 236 Students (via the Research Participation System)

There is a research requirement for this course that may be fulfilled in either (or both) of two ways: 1. participation in faculty/student research projects, 2. writing library research papers on a topic of psychology. This requirement is intended to broaden your knowledge of the methods of psychology and to give you "hands on" experience related to psychological research. All students must register at http://CCSU.sona-systems.com to receive credit for their research participation. You must speak with Dr. Fallahi personally if you choose the research paper option. See details below.

**Requirement: 6 "UNITS" of research activity for Psy236. The deadline for research participation is December 1st at 3:00 pm. The deadline for papers is also December 1st at 3:00 p.m.

Any credit earned beyond the required 6 units may be used as extra-credit. Details follow.

Option 1. Research Project Participation. Faculty and advanced students in psychology conduct research in their areas of interest. In order for the research to be conducted, we request that volunteers participate. Often Psychology students serve this role. You get to see exactly how our research is conducted, and you are a valuable resource for us as well. All research conducted with people at CCSU is reviewed by an Ethical Review Board as to its acceptability, no questionable research is allowed. You are guaranteed confidentiality and anonymity. You are entitled to full and complete information about each study in which you participate. You must be at least 18 years old to participate (if under 18 you need written parental permission). [NOTE: RESEARCH PARTICIPATION IS NOT REQUIRED. If for any reason you do not wish to participate in research projects you do not have to. You may earn your required units (and extra credit) by option #2.]

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN RESEARCH PROJECTS: 9

You will use the on-line Research Participation Scheduling System at http://CCSU.sona-systems.com, a web-based experiment scheduling and tracking system. On your first visit you must register as a new user and obtain a password. To do this: 1. Click on New Participant, Request an Account Here. 2. Enter your name, e-mail address, and select a course for the recording of your credits as directed. 3. Be sure to enter an existing email address below. Your password and login information will be sent to that address in a few seconds. (The e-mail address you use must be a unique address, that is, no one else using the participant scheduling system can also be using the same e-mail address.) This logon information will be sent by someone called Research Participation System [[email protected]]. Do not mistakenly delete this message as “spam”. You can change your password under “My profile” after you log in.

After you receive your login and password by e-mail (this just takes a few seconds) return to http://CCSU.sona-systems.com

1. Enter your login and password. (You can change your password when you logon. You will not be able to sign up for experiments until you activate your account.) 2. From here you can sign up for experiments, change your password, view your appointments and credit, etc. You can cancel your appointment up to 2 hours before the scheduled time. 3. If you make an appointment, but do not show up (and did not cancel within 2 hours of your scheduled appointment), you will be penalized one unit for each appointment missed. No excuses. Do not sign up unless you intend to show up. Be sure to keep your scheduled appointments. 4. You may not participate in the same study more than once.

Option 2 The research paper alternative for earning experimental points is designed primarily for students who, for one reason or another, are not able or do not wish to participate in regular experiments.

If you choose, you may earn units through both methods (up to the maximum that your instructor sets). 10

If you decide to earn units through the research paper option, please follow these instructions:

A. Meet with Dr. Fallahi individually. She will help you find your articles and show you how the paper should be set up.

B. Choosing an article to read:

1. The idea is to do some in-depth first-hand reading about psychological research, beyond that covered in your textbook. Choose a recent article (within the last 5 years or so) from the American Psychologist or other psychology journal. The American Psychologist uses the least amount of technical language of any of the journals available in full-text from the CCSU library. If you prefer a more advanced article, you may look in any psychology journal. Hard copies of many journals can be found by visiting the library, however, for convenience, we suggest using full-text articles found by using PsycArticles or PsycInfo which is available on-line using the digital library resources found at: http://library.ccsu.edu/. Another good source for in-depth Psychological research articles in lay language is Current Directions in Psychological Science. Our library subscribes to this journal, however, it is not available “full text” by computer. You will actually have to find it on the fourth floor of the library.

B. What to write

1. The purpose of the report is to demonstrate that you have read and understood the research article. It should be an account in your own words of what you personally got out of the article. The report should be well-written, but does not have to be a completely polished term paper.

2. Any report that is entirely or partly copied word-for-word from an article is plagiarized. We check for this. This is not acceptable. You will not receive credit. Plagiarism is a serious offense that could lead to your expulsion from the University (see CCSU plagiarism policy at: http://www.ccsu.edu/AcademicIntegrity/UndergradAcadMisconductPolicy.htm

3. The report MUST BE word processed, spell-checked and double-spaced. We prefer that you save your document in Microsoft Word.

4. If acceptable, you will receive 1 unit for each page you write, but not more than 2 units for each article you read. As a general rule, 1 page = 200 words. Margins should be 1 inch.

C. Other details for submitting papers: 1. To receive credit you must include all of the following information at the top of your paper. a. Your name,your e-mail address, and the date b. Your Psychology instructor and class time 11 c. Your CCSU student ID number d. The author, title, and page numbers of the article you read e. The name and date of the magazine or journal f. YOU MUST INCLUDE A COPY OF THE ARTICLE .

2. KEEP A COPY OF YOUR PAPER FOR YOUR OWN RECORDS JUST IN CASE A DISCREPANCY IN RECORD KEEPING ARISES.

3. Submit: 1) your paper, preferably saved as a Microsoft Word document; and 2) a hard copy of the full article; to Dr. Fallahi:

Deadlines: December 1st at 3:00 P.M. is the last date that one can participate in research projects and psychology experiments.

If you have questions or concerns, you can contact: Dr. Fallahi at [email protected]. (860) 832-3114 Dr. Steven Horowitz at [email protected] (860) 832-3119 Dr. Rebecca Wood at [email protected] (860) 832-3106