What textbook
is used in PY432?

Students in Dr. Snell's on-campus section of PY432 are required to use the personality textbook described above.  Visit the above website to obtain more information on this personality textbook:  Boeree, C. G.  (2006).   Personality Theories.   http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/perscontents.html .

Course Description: This course is designed to provide students with a critical overview of personality theory, research, assessment, disorders, and therapy. The course will take a scientific approach to the study of personality. This means that we will devote a good deal of attention to current theoretical and research approaches. Classic theories of personality will also be covered. This is primarily a course on the varieties of “normal” personality functioning rather than aspects of abnormal psychology. Students will have several opportunities to complete examples of personality measures during the course.

Course Objectives:  The major objective of this course is to give students a detailed understanding of the nature and dynamics of human personality. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

• Think analytically and critically about personality.

• Define the basic units of personality and understand the basic processes associated with these.

• Evaluate and understand research pertaining to personality and personality processes.

• Understand the role of personality in thinking and behavior.

• Understand their own personality and other people’s personalities.

• Understand the relative effects of “nature” (innate or inborn influences) and “nurture” (socialization and learning influences) on personality.

• Apply their learning to cope better with stressful situations.

Course Topics:    Major course topics include the Basic Units of Personality (traits, cognitions, & motives); Personality Development & Change; the Unconscious and Unconscious Processes; the Development & Nature of the Self; Personal Goals and Life Tasks; Emotions, Stress, & Coping; Personality Disorders, Change, & Therapy; and Personality Research & Assessment Approaches.

Specific Course Requirements:  Students will need to know how to use a word processor (preferably Microsoft Word or WordPerfect) and an Internet browser (Microsoft Explorer) in order to access and complete course materials and requirements.   In addition, students will need to have an email account.

What about  access to Kent Library?

The Kent Library is available to all students enrolled in Southeast Missouri State University. In order to gain access library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support), you have to be enrolled at Southeast and you have to have a Southeast e-mail account (you will use your email Username/Password to log into the Kent Library website (http://library.semo.edu). 

Normally, during the course of the semester, there should be no changes that will be needed in the course syllabus.  However, the instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the "Announcements" webpage (see link on the course menu).

• Locus Of Control Inventory
• Assertiveness Inventory
• All About You (based on OCEAN dimensions)
• Extraversion- Introversion Inventory
• Type A Personality Test
• Personality Type Test
• Personality Colors Test
• The IPIP-NEO
• 50 Item Five Factor rating form
• Big 5 personality test

This is  course in psychology where we will study human behavior and experience from a psychological perspective and we will apply psychological principles to the understanding of human behavior, thought, and feelings.  

This does not mean, however, that the course is self-paced.  It is not.  The instructor will set deadlines for you to accomplish various activities and to turn in work electronically.  Access to the course web site will be controlled so that you will not be able to work substantially ahead of schedule. In general, the instructor will limit your access to future assignments and quizzes to one week in advance of the deadline date for when all assignments for a particular week should be submitted.

An outline of the course appears in the Course Schedule/Content Page.  The assignments and deadlines for the first week appear in the row at the top of the large table.  Be sure to complete the assignments that are required for each week.

This course will require time and thought from you.  So be prepared; this class will require a great deal of writing.  Dr. Snell has a specific set of expectations for you.  The course objectives (shown below) generally define those expectations:

          This is not a self-paced class; assignment and quizzes are scheduled for completion at particular times and deadlines will apply.  Submission of late work may result in no point value for the work---so make sure you do not fall behind (if you fall behind, contact me quickly so Dr. Snell may help you).  In addition, Dr. Snell will limit your access to future activities so that you will not be able to work ahead by a significant amount.  The reason for this limitation is so that all of the students in PY432 will be at the same point in the course at the same time.  Participation in discussion activities, for example, will be more meaningful if we all are dealing with the same content and issues at the same time.  

1. All University regulations regarding course conduct will be followed throughout the term.

2. You are responsible for all material in the text and assignments, unless otherwise informed by Dr. Snell.

3. Permission to do missed assignments/quizzes is not automatically granted.  

4. You are encouraged to contact the instructor on any material which is unclear, prior to quizzes and written assignments.

5. The course outline is tentative.  There may be a necessity to make certain changes because of class composition and progress.  You will be notified if there is a change made in the course outline.  

6. Each student is responsible for all material provided to the class.  If for any reason you miss an activity, you need to contact Dr. Snell as soon as possible.

7. Late assignments will not be accepted, except in extraordinary circumstances.

8. ALL STUDENTS MUST OBTAIN AND USE A UNIVERSITY EMAIL ACCOUNT FOR THIS COURSE.  The course software is set-up to access and use University email accounts for students.  There is no cost for the University email account.  All PY432 students MUST have a UNIVERSITY e-mail account (click here)!  Once you have a university account, click here at least once per day to read your university email messages.

9. The username/password for this course is the same as your UNIVERSITY email account.

1.    Weekly Quizzes:   Students will be required to take online weekly quizzes over the assigned chapters in the text.  Quiz questions will ask students to apply and/or to integrate textbook information to relevant human situations.  Each quiz can be taken twice (the highest of the 2 grades will count as your exam grade).  After you have taken as assigned exam over a particular chapter, you will receive feedback regarding your total score.  If you are satisfied with your grade when you take a quiz for the first time, then there is no reason to take it a second time.  Quizzes are to be taken on the announced date.  Each quiz is scheduled for 45-60 minutes.  MAKE-UP QUIZZES ARE NOT GIVEN.   IMPORTANT:  In order to be able to take the assigned quizzes, you must first download a "special" web browser.  To download the "UTest Browser," visit the following web site shown below.  After downloading the "UTest Browser," be sure to install it on the computer that you will use for this course (click here to go to the download site).  If you encounter a problem taking the weekly quizzes, be sure to contact the University computer personnel (see the info listed below).

2.    PowerPoint Presentations:  All of the students in Dr. Snell's PY432 course are required to participate in a group activity where the group members develop a PowerPoint presentation.  The topics for these PowerPoint presentations will be assigned by Dr. Snell (go to the grade web site to read more specific information about your topic).  On the "official" due date, PY432 students will "upload" the PowerPoint presentation to the PY432 website, using the "DropBox" link on the main menu.  A grade will be determined by Dr. Snell for all students. THIS ASSIGNMENT IS DUE BY WEDNESDAY OF WEEK # 8.  Additional information can be obtain by clicking here (click here).  Your grade will be based on the following considerations (the project is worth a total of 50 points, 10 points for each of the following):

3.    Weekly "RESPONSE" Assignments:     In order to apply and analyze information from the text, Dr. Snell will ask you to complete several online written assignments for the assigned chapters.  Some of these assignments ask you to examine the text material in relation to your own experience or to go out and find relevant information from resources on the web (or other places).  Be sure to follow the correct instructions for posting your RESPONSE.  If you post your RESPONSE in the wrong location, you will receive no credit for the assignment.  Similarly, make sure that you use the correct "title" for this assignment.  For each RESPONSE, you must use at least 5 sentences that average 10 words per sentence (and try to write more than this if you want to earn an "A" in this course).  After you post your RESPONSE, be sure to re-visit the assignment later on to ensure that your posting is actually there (if it is not there, then re-post the assignment).  If there is not posting for you, then Dr. Snell will not have anything to grade for you, and you will receive a grade of "0" for the assignment.  So, double-check to be sure that your assignment was successfully posted.  Dr. Snell will provide individual feedback on the RESPONSE assignments; to see your personal feedback, re-visit the assignment after Dr. Snell has posted the grades.  NEVER DIRECTLY QUOTE ANY MATERIAL FROM ANY SOURCE; INSTEAD, WRITE YOUR "OWN" WORDS.  Each of the RESPONSE activities will be worth 10 points.

4.    Weekly "COMMENTARY" Assignments.  Each week, after you have posted your own RESPONSE, you will be required to provide a COMMENTARY on someone else's RESPONSE.  Be sure to follow the correct instructions for posting your COMMENTARY.  If you post your COMMENTARY in the wrong location, you will receive no credit for the assignment.  Similarly, make sure that you use the correct "title" for this assignment.  For each COMMENTARY, you must use at least 5 sentences that average 10 words per sentence (and try to write more than this if you want to earn an "A" in this course).  After you post your COMMENTARY, be sure to re-visit the assignment later on to ensure that your posting is actually there (if it is not there, then re-post the assignment).  If there is not posting for you, then Dr. Snell will not have anything to grade for you, and you will receive a grade of "0" for the assignment.  So, double-check to be sure that your assignment was successfully posted.  Dr. Snell will provide individual feedback on the COMMENTARY assignments; to see your personal feedback, re-visit the assignment after Dr. Snell has posted the grades.  Each of the COMMENTARY activities will be worth 10 points:

5.    Weekly "FORMAL" Assignments.  Each week, you will also be required to complete a FORMAL assignment.  Be sure to follow the correct instructions for posting your FORMAL .  If you post your FORMAL assignment in the wrong location, you will receive no credit for the assignment.  Similarly, make sure that you use the correct "title" for this assignment.  For each FORMAL assignment, you must use at least 5 sentences that average 10 words per sentence (and try to write more than this if you want to earn an "A" in this course).  After you post your FORMAL assignment, be sure to re-visit the assignment later on to ensure that your posting is actually there (if it is not there, then re-post the assignment).  If there is not posting for you, then Dr. Snell will not have anything to grade for you, and you will receive a grade of "0" for the assignment.  So, double-check to be sure that your assignment was successfully posted.  Each of the weekly FORMAL assignments will be worth 10 points:

Writing Assignments Rules:  Students will be required to submit several written assignments for the course.  Treat these assignments as formal in nature (versus informal and casual).  These written assignments must be submitted to the PY432 website by the due date shown on the course schedule (by midnight of that date).  NO POINTS will be given if your work is NOT submitted by you on time!   NEVER EMAIL AN ASSIGNMENT TO DR. SNELL; INSTEAD, POST THEM AT THE PY432 WEBSITE.  ALSO, pay special attention to the following grading rules that apply to all of your writing assignments (avoid these mistakes in your writing):

Never email an assignment to Dr. Snell.  All assignments MUST be posted at the website for the course--NO EXCEPTIONS!  If you choose to, you can do your assignments in MS Word, and then copy/paste them into the course website (and then click "submit").  After you have completed an assignment, always return to the website for the assignment to verify that your assignment is actually there.  If your assignment is not there, you will receive a grade of zero.   BE CAREFUL:  some students have had their assignments erased when they used the "SPELL-CHECKER"!  Perhaps you should avoid using the "online spell-checker" until you receive some email message from Dr. Snell.  

In order for you to have one place to go to know what is required of you, I have designed the Weekly Schedule/Activities Page to show you  all of the activities (exams, video assignments, non-video assignments, PowerPoint discussions, and PowerPoint commentaries) that are required in this class and the date(s) when they are to be submitted.  My hope is that this type of design will be helpful to you and will enable you to keep up more easily in this course.  

PY432 students will be able to check on their confidential grades by using the PY432 website (simply click on the "grades" button, and log-in with your Username and Password).  Dr. Snell usually grades all assignments and quizzes on Monday of the following week (and he usually posts new grades by Monday evening).  There are no "extra credit" activities in this course.  Final course grades will be based on the total number of points that you earn on the following graded activities: 
 

Final grades will be based on the scores for (1) the weekly quizzes, (2) the weekly RESPONSE assignments, (3) the weekly COMMENTARY assignments, (4) the weekly postings to the group PowerPoint website, and (5) the PowerPoint presentation itself.  The following score ranges will be used to determine final grades:
 

the CSTL Help Desk
at (573) 651-2298 (8:00AM-5:00PM on M-F)
 (support@cstl.semo.edu)
or
the Information Technology Help Desk
at (573) 651-4357 (8:00AM-5:00PM on M-F)
(helpdesk@semo.edu)

You are expected to complete all assignments/quizzes before the official due date (as shown on the course schedule).  There is NO university requirement that professors allow students to do any "male-up" activities (except when students are involved in an official University activity sponsored by the President's office).  Late assignments/quizzes will only be accepted with "3rd party" printed documented information about why the activity was completed in a "late" fashion.  If students can have a 3rd party person (e.g., doctor, nurse) provide Dr. Snell with an "excused" explanation for any "late" work, then they might be permitted to submit assignments late (after the specified deadline), with the following additional restrictions: 
           1.     All "late" assignments will have a 50% reduction in the graded value of the work.
           2.     No assignment will be accepted one week (i.e., 7 days) after the deadline for the activity.
           3.    No assignments will be accepted after the last official day of class (i.e., after the last week).

Is an online
course like
PY432 for you?

Students who tend to be most successful in an online course are those individuals who are self-directed and self-motivated in their learning and study habits.  How well would an online course like PY432 fit your circumstances and lifestyle? To find out, provide a response to each of the following 10 questions. Answer honestly ­ no one will see this but you!

2. Feeling that I am part of a class is:
a. Not particularly necessary to me.
b. Somewhat important to me.
c. Very important to me.

Scoring:

       Add 3 points for each "a" that you indicate, 2 for each "b," and 1 for each "c." If you scored 20 or more, an online course is a real possibility for you. If you scored between 11 and 20, an online course may work for you, but you may need to make a few adjustments in your schedule and study habits to succeed. If you scored 10 or less, an online course like PY432 may not be the best current alternative for you; talk to your counselor or advisor.
 

Explanations:

1. Online students sometimes neglect their courses because of personal or professional circumstances. Having a compelling reason for taking the course helps motivate the student to stick with the course.
2. Some students prefer the independence of online courses; others find the independence uncomfortable and miss being part of the classroom experience.
3. Online  courses give students greater freedom of scheduling, but they can require more self-discipline than on-campus classes.
4. Some people learn best by interacting with other students and instructors. Others learn better by listening, reading and reviewing on their own. Online courses provide less opportunity for "live, face-to-face" group interaction than on-campus courses.
5. Online courses require you to work from written directions.
6. It may take longer to get comments back from your instructor in an online class.
7. Online courses require at least as much time as on-campus courses. Most students surveyed say that online courses are as hard or harder than on-campus courses.
8. Most people who are successful with online courses find it difficult to come to campus on a regular basis because of their work, family or personal schedules.
9. Online printed materials are the primary source of directions and information in online courses.
10. Students who do well in online courses are usually comfortable contacting the instructor as soon as they need help with the course.

(This questionnaire is adapted from "Are Telecourses for Me?" from PBS-Adult Learning Service, The Agenda, Spring 1994.)

 
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