Adolescent Development
Psychology 437
Fall, 2008
Dr. Kim LindseyClass location: MRF, 340
Office: Seeley G. Mudd #529Class time: T-Th 11:00 am to 12:20 pm
E-mail: (Best way to reach me.) Please always note “Psych 437” in the subject line so your e-mail does not get lost.
USC Blackboard: I will communicate with the class through blackboard. Please make sure you check it a few times a week. TA’s office hours information, lecture information, announcements and grades are also posted on BB.
TA Contact Information:
Mylien Duong:
Mylien will post on Blackboard her separate e-mail address set up just for the papers. Please note “Psych 437” in the subject line of all your correspondence.
Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 1 to 2 pm.
You can also make an appointment. To make an appointment, please e-mail me (checked daily) or see me after class.
Textbooks:
Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach. By J. J. Arnett (Required).
Readings onAdolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach. By J. J. Arnett. (Required). Prentice Hall Publishers.
Companion Websites: (optional study guide for text).
Attendance and participation in lectures: Please make sure you attend class. Over 50% of the lectures will contain material that is not covered in the text or that expands on the information in the book. I try very hard to make classes informative, applicable to your life experience and hopefully enjoyable! (My theory is if you're awake, you'll remember more! …You're welcome to bring your coffee!) If you have to miss class for some reason, please make sure you get notes from someone who has attended that class. You will be responsible for all material presented in class as well as in the 2 books. I will be showing videos from time to time that will expand on what is covered in class. I will also be showing excerpts from films that portray aspects of adolescence that are controversial or that deal with adolescence in other cultures or countries.
Note: I frequently give extra credit opportunities in class.
Students have found that these EC points can make a substantial difference in their grades.
Course description and objectives: Adolescent Development 437 will focus on development of youth from pre-adolescence to late adolescence, and emerging adulthood from historical and cultural points of view as well as theoretical and practical perspectives. Critical thinking based on research in this field will be emphasized. The influence of heredity, culture, family and peers will be considered as contexts within which adolescents develop. Common adolescent problems as well as adolescent psychopathological disorders will be discussed. The practical application of theory and research based evidence to your own personal growth and developmental journey will be a major focus of the class. Within this context, aspects of the emerging field of “Positive Psychology” will be considered.
There are many possible reasons for taking this class. Some of you may be planning careers in clinical psychology, academic research or in various fields that serve children, adolescents and young adults, as well as their families. Others of you perhaps plan on being parents some day, or are already parents, and want to learn as much as you can about the healthy (and unhealthy) development of children and adolescents. Others of you have siblings you’d like to “figure out”! Some of you may simply be researching your own path of self-discovery. All of these, and more, are valid reasons to studying adolescent development. If there are specific issues you are interested in and wish to have addressed, please let me know early in the semester and I will try to incorporate them into the lectures.
My classes tend to be very interactive. Class discussions on topics presented are the norm and I encourage your comments and concerns.
EXAMS: There are three exams including the final. The final exam is not cumulative.The dates of these exams are indicated in the Class Schedule, which is posted on Blackboard. Please note the dates on which exams are scheduled and contact me in advance if you have a problem being present. You should receive approval from me prior to missing anexam. However, if you become ill or have an emergency shortly before the exam, you can leave a message with psych department secretary, Maria(213-740-2203). If the illness or emergency is severe enough to prevent you from taking the exam, I will pro-rate your remaining exams. Please note that failure to follow these procedures will result in a "0" on the exam. This can severely affect your grade.
Preparing for exams should be a process that is spaced out over time, not massed together in a single study session. This is common sense, but also is supported by psychological research. The on-line study guide is helpful and you might use it to take practice tests. As you read the text, it is very important to compare the text material to your lecture notes for that topic. This helps you organize the material from both lecture and text into a coherent whole.
Reading Assignments and Papers
Please read the textbook chapter we are covering before you come to class.
You will be turning in a critical evaluation of journal articles in the Reader every few weeks. Please make sure you are up to date on your readings. I will be giving extra credit points in class for answering questions on the reader. The major points of all the articles in the reader will be included on the exams.
1. The Companion Reader has several articles that expand on the material in each of the chapters of the textbook and follow the same sequence. The articles focus on research in the field of adolescence and will give you a chance to look more in depth at many different areas of investigation. Perhaps they may spark an idea for an area of research that might interest you in the future!
Choose ONE article in the Reader for every 2 chapters(look at the Blackboard and class schedule for details) and write a short, one-page paper answering a question that will be posted in advance on Blackboard. n Please note that grades on these papers are based on CRITICAL THINKING! Please don't just rephrase the author’s conclusions. If you do no more that this (and do it well), you will typically only get a score of 10 or 12 on your paper. If you have never read journal articles, this may seem difficult at first. As you get used to reading the articles and thinking about them critically, you will find that they get easier and indeed enjoyable. These short papers take the place of a term paper.
The short papers will be due on the assigned Thursdays during class. (The due dates are noted in the class schedule posted on Blackboard.) Since the papers are assigned ahead of schedule, I will expect you to turn them in on time. You and I both know that the computers freeze, the printers run out of ink, the puppy gets hungry…on the mornings that projects are due, so please take this into account and START EARLY! If you know you will be out of town for sports etc., make sure you turn your paper in early or get one of your colleagues to turn it in for you. The due dates are clearly noted in the class schedule. There will be 2 points deducted for every day (including weekends) the paper is late with a maximum total of 10 points deducted. If for some unforeseen reason you still have a problem printing out your paper the morning it is due, please make sure you come to class anyway. You will have until 2pm to turn in your paper to your TA in her office in SGM, so that should give you time to print it out and turn it in without any late point deductions.
Please e-mail your TA a copy of your paper by the due date as a “stamped” record of it being completed. Please note that your TA will only grade the HARD COPY of the paper you turn in, not the e-mailed version(her printer runs out of ink too!). The e-mailed version is only to verify that you have completed the paper in case it gets “lost”.
Please don't e-mail me your papers. Your TA is responsible for grading these papers.
Please, DO NOTput your papers in my box!!! They can get lost.
These short papers will take the place of a term paper. Think of them in this light.
You will have 2 points deducted for each day the papers are late, for a maximum total 10 points off. That means, if you do a “perfect” paper, but it’s 5 days late, you will get a score of “10”. If you are late on your paper, it still makes sense to turn it in, as you won’t lose all the points and they will make a difference in your final grade.
Since you will have been reading your chapters and articles each week for the short papers, exams should be a breeze!
How much each exam/assignment contributes to the final grade:
Exams (100 points each x 3) ...... ….…………………….……………...300
One-page papers on Companion Reader articles (20 points each x6)………………..….120
Total points possible…………………………………………………………………...…...420
Grading scale: Grades for exams are not curved.
Although grades on the papers aren’t strictly curved, your papers will be compared with others in the class. As I mentioned above, grades for papers are based on critical thinking elements. Please don't just rephrase the conclusions. Again, if you do no more that this, (but do this well) you will typically only get a 10 or 12 on your paper. (Full points: 20) You need to put thought into your papers. The specific elements expected from a critical thinking paper will be posted on Blackboard. Please make sure you read this carefully before you chose your first article and write your first critical evaluation.
Final Grades: An A is from 92.5 to 100% of the total possible points. An A- is from 89.5 to 92.4. (I round up, for example, at 89.5 and at 92.5.) If you get a 92.4, your grade will be an A-. I'm generous in the round ups, so please don't ask that it be rounded up any further. A B- is and 79.5 to 82.4, a B is an 82.5 to an 86.4, a B+ is an 86.5 to an 89.4 of the points, etc. Since I do give several extra credit opportunities during the semester, (and “round up”) I will not deviate from this scale. Please make sure you come to class and take advantage of the extra credit assignments. They really make a difference at the end of the semester. Trust me on this!
If you miss a significant amount of material due to illness before week 12 of the class, contact me, or your TA, to arrange make-up assignments. Remember that exams cannot be made up, only pro-rated with a valid excuse. If you miss coursework due to illness after week 12, you may be eligible for an incomplete but you need to see meand fill out an agreement in order to get this approved.
Please come in during office hours or make an appointment to talk with me if you are having any problems in the class! I’m here to help you in any way I can, but I can’t do that if I don’t know there is a problem. PLEASE, don’t wait till the last few weeks of class when it’s typically too late to help.
Note on Academic Integrity: Students should follow all guidelines about plagiarizing and cheating given out by the University (e.g., in the "SCampus" booklet). To put it simply, just don't do it! Violations will be punished according to USC rules. If you have questions about academic integrity, consult “SCampus” or two publications by the Office for Student Conduct, entitled, “Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism” and “Understanding and Avoiding Academic Dishonesty.” They make clear what does and does not constitute plagiarism or cheating.
Note on disability accommodations: Students requesting academic accommodations based on a disability are required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP when adequate documentation is filed. Please be sure the documentation is delivered to the Director of Disability Services as early in the semester as possible. DSP is open Monday-Friday 8:30 – 5:00. The office is in Student Union 301 and their phone number is (213) 740-0776.
CLASS SCHEDULE AND DUE DATES FOR ASSIGNMENTS CAN BE FOUND ON BLACKBOARD FOR PSYCH 437
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU CHECK BLACKBOARD AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK. YOUR TA AND I FREQUENTLY POST ANNOUNCEMENTS AND WILL INFORM YOU BY THIS MEANS OF ANY CHANGES.
PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL INFO POSTED ON BLACKBOARD!