Instructor: Dr. Kim Shifren
Office: 400A, Psychology Building
Phone: 410-704-6239
Fax: 410-704-3800
email: kshifren@towson.edu
Office Hours: Tuesday 10-12, Wednesday 2:10-3:10 pm, or by appointment (Please call my office to set up an appointment). I can also meet with students before and after class when needed. I will occasionally being doing evening advising for the department as well, so I will be available on additional evenings as well. As soon as I know when the evening advising sessions will take place, I will inform this class.
Required Textbook: Birren, J. E., & Schaie, K. W. (2006). Handbook of the Psychology of Aging (6th
Ed.). Academic Press.
Course Overview:
This course will expose you to both theory and research on older adults. The underlying theme throughout the course will be the interaction between aging, physiological changes, cognitive changes, psychological changes, and society. You will be exposed to the challenges that face older individuals. You will learn how books and audiovisual materials shape your own expectations about aging. You will learn how to critically analyze journal articles and compare and contrast them with regard to both theory and research on aging.
Course Requirements:
Examinations
There will be two take-home exams in this course. Each exam is based on the required readings for the course, both textbook and coursepack reading assignments. You will complete all work without assistance from others, but you may use the course textbook and coursepack to answer the questions. All information must be typed, single-spaced, and with APA style citations in text and on the reference page. The take-home exams are each worth 100 points.
Exam 1: Receive on Feb. 28; due on March 7
Exam 2: Receive on Apr. 25; due on May 2
Research Paper
You must select a topic from psychology of aging for your research paper. You must integrate both classic and recent theories and methods on aging into your paper. You are encouraged to include materials (properly cited) from the course text and any journal readings from class where appropriate in your paper. Papers must be typed and each paper should have 20 pages of text, a title page, abstract page, and reference pages. All information must be APA style. The paper is worth 100 points.
Choose Topic Feb. 14
Outline due March 14
Paper due April 18th (no negotiations, or extensions allowed)
Class Presentations
Four classes have been set aside for in-class presentations. You must prepare a 20 minute presentation based on your research paper topic. Include definition of aging issue, history of topic, theory and research methods used on topic as part of your class presentations. You should use powerpoint, transparencies,or slides for presenting your main points, and provide handouts with additional materials you want to include in your presentation. The class presentation is worth 70 points.
April 18 through May 9 are class presentation days
In-Class Journal Activities
You will occasionally be given journal articles to critically analyze for this class. You will work in groups of 3 or 4 to discuss these articles In your analyses you must include your critique of the theory, methods, and conclusions for the article. Provide details about strengths and weaknesses in theory, method, findings, and conclusions for the article. Each critique should be no more than one page. Each class activity is worth 10 points. There will be six class activities. The total points for the class activities is 60.
PENALTIES FOR LATE ASSIGNMENTS
Any course material handed in after the due date will lose 5 points per day, for each day the work is late. The only exception will be a written medical emergency. Car repairs, vacations, and other problems will not be a legitimate excuse for late work. If you cannot get to class to hand in the work at the assigned time, then please fax the materials to me at the fax number listed above on this syllabus. Thank you for your efforts to turn your materials in on time.
AT NO TIME WILL CHEATING OR PLAGIARIZING ON EXAMS OR PAPERS BE PERMITTED. ANYONE CAUGHT CHEATING WILL AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE AN F FOR THE COURSE AND THE INCIDENT WILL BE REPORTED TO THE DEAN.
ATTENDANCE POLICY: Unless there is a medical emergency, you are expected to attend this class on a regular basis and on time. If you are late to class, then please get the notes you have missed from a classmate. If you cannot attend this class, then please notify me of the reason you will be absent on a specific day. I will take attendance at random times throughout the semester, and I will occasionally give students the opportunity to earn extra credit points toward their lowest exam grade. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you attend this class regularly. If we have inclement weather, then please listen to the following radio and television stations for closings and delays: WBAL-AM/WIYY-FM (1090,98); WCAO-AM/WXYV-FM (600, 102.7); WTMD-FM (101.9); WMAR-TV(2); WBAL-TV(11), WJZ-TV(13). Overnight storms require a decision of cancellation or delay by Towson University officials by 6am of your scheduled class day. Be careful, drive safely at all times, and use your best judgment about whether the road conditions are safe for travel.
Grading Criteria
Exam One 100 points
Exam Two 100 points
Research Paper 100 points
Class Presentation 70 points
In-class activites 60 points
_____________________________________________
Total=430 points is maximum points you can obtain in this course
A=90% and up:
B=80%-89%
C=70-79%
Assignments
Jan 31: Week 1: textbook, Chapter 10; cognition and aging
Feb 7: Week 2: textbook, Chapter 4; cognition and aging
Feb 14: Week 3::textbook, Chapter 12; language; Choose topic for research paper-
Feb 21: Week 4: textbook, Chapter 15; emotions
Feb 28: Week 5::textbook, Chapter 16; personality; Receive Take-home exam one-(due March 7th)
Mar 7: Week 6: textbook, Chapter 18; mental health; Exam one due
Mar 14: Week 7::textbook, Chapter 17; attitudes toward aging; outline for your paper is due
Mar 21: spring break, DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE
Mar 28: Week 8::textbook, Chapter 5; health
Apr 4: Week 9: textbook, Chapter 21; autobiographical memory
Apr11: Week 10:textbook, Chapter 19; adaptive technology
April 18-May 9: Weeks 11-14 are class presentation days; Research papers due April 18
April 25: Receive Take-home Exam two (due May 2)
May 16: Week 15: overall critique of articles for class activities, general discussion of films and textbook on aging
Assignment due dates at a glance:
Choose topic Feb. 14
Exam 1 March 7
Outline March 14
Papers April 18
Exam 2 May 2
Presentations: April 18 - May 9