PSYC 3312: Social & Personality Development

PSYC 3312: Social & Personality Development

Spring 2018

Class Time:Class Location:

T & TH 9:30am- 10:50amLS 118

Class begins January 16, 2018

InstructorsEmailOffice Hours

Vivian Ta, S 504, By Appointment Only

Wyn Taylor, S 413, By Appointment Only

Description of Course Content: Content includes psychological research and theories pertaining to the effects of age onpersonality, individual differences, and social development. Topics include emotional development, achievement, sex/gender differences and development, and extra-familial influences on social and personality development.

Student Learning Outcomes:Students will learn the fundamental concepts and principles involved in social and personality development including: classical theories of development, emotional development and temperament, intimate relationship formation, self and social cognition development, sex/gender-role development,aggression and antisocial conduct, altruism and moral development, the family, extra-familial influences, and current perspectives/directions in social and personality development.

Required Textbook: Social & Personality Development, 6thEdition By: David Shaffer, Wadsworth Publishing, ISBN: 978-0-495-60038-1

Other required materials:

• You will need four (4) 882-E scantrons and a pencil for the exams
• You will need to bring note-taking material to each class

Blackboard: The use of Blackboard is required in this course. Please check Blackboard regularly. Your instructors will use Blackboard to post announcements, grades, updates to the syllabus, additional class materials, and other relevant content. Course grades will be posted on Blackboard only. You must have a valid UTA user IDand password to access Blackboard.

Blackboard website:

Exams: There will be a total of four(4) exams. Each exam will consist of 50 multiple-choice/true-false questions. Each exam is worth 100 points and (each test question is worth 2 points). All exams will be administered at 9:30amon dates scheduled below (except for the final exam). Please do not be late.

Scantrons (882-E) are required for all exams.

Missed Exams: All missed exams must be taken on May 3, 2018.

Attendance:Attendance will be recorded ten (10) [TWE1]times during the semester. Each attendance check will be worth 10 points toward your course total. RThere is no attendance requirement for this course. However, regular class attendance and participation are strongly encouragedaged. for the following reasons: (1) it is important to attend class in order to not miss the pop quizzes; (2) questions from exams and quizzes may come from lecture material that is not covered in the textbook; (3) attending class will improve your comprehension of relevant topics, which is related to making higher grades in this course; (4) attending class is key to making this course interesting and meaningful to you.

Grading: Grades will be calculated on a point system, out of a total possible 500 points. Students are expected to keep track of their own performance throughout the semester; keep track of your performance using the grade tracker below.

While attendance is not mandatory, attendance will be taken for statistical purposes. Your instructors may also refer to attendance logs if, and when, you discuss your class progress with the instructors. Students who miss a class for any reason or miss a portion of a class due to tardiness or early departure will still be held accountable for all of the material that is covered during those sessions, including material covered in lecture that is not in the book. [Office2]

Grading Policy: Your course grade will be determined as follows:A = 90% or above;

B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%; D=60-69%, F = below 60%

4 Exams (100 points each; 400 points total)

10 Attendance checks (10 per attendance check; 100 points total)[Office3]

500 points total

If you are having difficulty with the class material, please talk to your instructors about your situation. Please do this in an appropriate time frame; do not wait until after the final to discuss or dispute your quiz/exam/overall grade. Although the instructors will do their best to ensure that all grades are accurate, it is your responsibility to verify with your instructors that the percentages you have earned are accurate. If you are near the border of a grade boundary (e.g., between a B and an A), this is especially important. Grade changes will not be made based on your failure to verify percentages before the final grades are issued. Grades will not be bumped. Do not ask to be bumped to the next letter grade up if you are near the letter grade boundary, especially if you have not taken advantage of extra credit opportunities.

Students are expected to keep track of their performance throughout the semester and seek guidance from available sources (including the instructor) if their performance drops below satisfactory levels; see “Student Support Services,” below.

Expectations for Out-of-Class Study: A general rule of thumb is this: for every credit hour earned, a student should spend 3 hours per week working outside of class. Hence, a 3-credit course might have a minimum expectation of 9 hours of reading, study, etc.

Extra Credit: Students can earn up to 10 extra credit points via the options below (i.e., students can complete both options to earn 12 extra credit points)

Option 1: Worth 5 points.Participate in 4 5 credit hours of research in the psychology department subject pool (i.e., SONA). Experiments have varying credit hours. The deadline for this option will be announced at a later time, although it is typically the last day of classes. Refer to Blackboard for further information to create your SONA account and sign-up for studies.

NOTE:No extra credit will be given for anything less than 4 SONA credit hours.

Option 2: Worth 5 points. Two research articles will be posted in Blackboard. Choose one article and write a 3-page summary/reaction paper. Briefly summarize the study (hypothesis, methods, results, implications), discuss how it relates to a topic discussed in class, and describe how it can be used to improve life in society (professionally, academically, etc.). All papers will be analyzed using SafeAssign.Plagiarism (> 40% match) will not be tolerated under any circumstances and instances of plagiarism will be forwarded to the Office of Student Conduct (see “Academic Integrity”.The paper is due no later than Friday, May 4th, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. The papers must be turned in as a Word document electronically via Blackboard.

NOTE: No extra credit will be given for anything less than a 3-page paper.

No more than 10 extra credit points will be given under any circumstances.No other extra-credit opportunities will be offered under any circumstances.

Drop Policy:Students may drop or swap (adding and dropping a class concurrently) classes through self-service in MyMav from the beginning of the registration period through the late registration period. After the late registration period, students must see their academic advisor to drop a class or withdraw. Undeclared students must see an advisor in the University Advising Center. Drops can continue through a point two-thirds of the way through the term or session. It is the student's responsibility to officially withdraw if they do not plan to attend after registering. Students will not be automatically dropped for non-attendance. Repayment of certain types of financial aid administered through the University may be required as the result of dropping classes or withdrawing. For more information, contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (

Disability Accommodations: UT Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of all federal equal opportunity legislation, including The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), The Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAAA), and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. All instructors at UT Arlington are required by law to provide “reasonable accommodations” to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of disability. Students are responsible for providing the instructor with official notification in the form of a letter certified by the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD). Students experiencing a range of conditions (Physical, Learning, Chronic Health, Mental Health, and Sensory) that may cause diminished academic performance or other barriers to learning may seek services and/or accommodations by contacting:

The Office for Students with Disabilities, 817-272-3364.

Counseling and Psychological Services, 817-272-3671.

Only those students who have officially documented a need for an accommodation will have their request honored. Information regarding diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining disability-based academic accommodations can be found at or by calling the Office for Students with Disabilities at (817) 272-3364.

Title IX: The University of Texas at Arlington does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, genetic information, and/or veteran status in its educational programs or activities it operates. For more information, visit uta.edu/eos. For information regarding Title IX, visit

Academic Integrity: All students enrolled in this course are expected to adhere tothe UT Arlington Honor Code:

I pledge, on my honor, to uphold UT Arlington’s tradition of academic integrity, a tradition that values hard work and honest effort in the pursuit of academic excellence.

I promise that I will submit only work that I personally create or contribute to group collaborations, and I will appropriately reference any work from other sources. I will follow the highest standards of integrity and uphold the spirit of the Honor Code.

UT Arlington faculty members may employ the Honor Code as they see fit in their courses, including (but not limited to) having students acknowledge the honor code as part of an examination or requiring students to incorporate the honor code into any work submitted. Per UT System Regents’ Rule 50101, §2.2, suspected violations of university’s standards for academic integrity (including the Honor Code) will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. Violators will be disciplined in accordance with University policy, which may result in the student’s suspension or expulsion from the University.

Electronic Communication: UT Arlington has adopted MavMail as its official means to communicate with students about important deadlines and events, as well as to transact university-related business regarding financial aid, tuition, grades, graduation, etc. All students are assigned a MavMail account and are responsible for checking the inbox regularly. There is no additional charge to students for using this account, which remains active even after graduation. Information about activating and using MavMail is available at I will only communicate with you via e-mail using your UT-Arlington e-mail account. Messages relevant to the class will be posted on Blackboard. Do not e-mail or call me to ask what materials will be or were missed in class. I strongly encourage you to get the e-mail and telephone number of at least one other person in class.

Campus Carry: Effective August 1, 2016, the Campus Carry law (Senate Bill 11) allows those licensed individuals to carry a concealed handgun in buildings on public university campuses, except in locations the University establishes as prohibited. Under the new law, openly carrying handguns is not allowed on college campuses. For more information, visit

Student Feedback Survey: At the end of each term, students enrolled in face-to-face and online classes categorized as “lecture,” “seminar,” or “laboratory” are directed to complete an online Student Feedback Survey (SFS). Instructions on how to access the SFS for this course will be sent directly to each student through MavMail approximately 10 days before the end of the term. Each student’s feedback via the SFS database is aggregated with that of other students enrolled in the course. Students’ anonymity will be protected to the extent that the law allows. UT Arlington’s effort to solicit, gather, tabulate, and publish student feedback is required by state law and aggregate results are posted online. Data from SFS is also used for faculty and program evaluations. For more information, visit

Student Support Services: UT Arlington provides a variety of resources and programs designed to help students develop academic skills, deal with personal situations, and better understand concepts and information related to their courses. Resources include tutoring, major-based learning centers, developmental education, advising and mentoring, personal counseling, and federally funded programs. For individualized referrals, students may visit the reception desk at University College (Ransom Hall), call the Maverick Resource Hotline at 817-272-6107, send a message to , or view the information at

Emergency Exit Procedures:Should we experience an emergency event that requires us to vacate the building, students should exit the room and move toward the nearest exit, which is located in front of you. When exiting the building during an emergency, one should never take an elevator but should use the stairwells. Faculty members and instructional staff will assist students in selecting the safest route for evacuation and will make arrangements to assist individuals with disabilities. Student Support Services: UT Arlington provides a variety of resources and programs designed to help students develop academic skills, deal with personal situations, and better understand concepts and information related to their courses. Resources include tutoring, major-based learning centers, developmental education, advising and mentoring, personal counseling, and federally funded programs. For individualized referrals, students may visit the reception desk at University College (Ransom Hall), call the Maverick Resource Hotline at 817-272-6107, send a message to , or view the information at

Schedule

As the instructors for this course, we reserve the right to adjust this schedule in any way that serves the educational needs of the students enrolled in this course.

Week / Date / Chapter & Topic
1 / 1/16 & 1/18 / Ch. 1 Introduction
2 / 1/23 & 1/25 / Ch. 2 Classical Theories
3 / 1/30 & 2/1 / Ch. 3 Recent Perspectives
4 / 2/6 / Ch. 4 Emotional Development & Temperament
4 / 2/8 / Exam 1
5 / 2/13 & 2/15 / Ch. 5 Establishment of Intimate Relationships
6 / 2/20 & 2/22 / Ch. 6 Development of the Self and Social Cognition
7 / 2/27 & 3/1 / Ch. 7 Achievement
8 / 3/6 / Ch. 8 Sex Differences, Gender-Role Development, & Sexuality
8 / 3/8 / Exam 2
9 / 3/12-3/16 / Spring Break; No classes
10 / 3/20 & 3/22 / Ch. 9 Aggression and Antisocial Conduct
11 / 3/27 & 3/29 / Ch. 10 Altruism and Moral Development
12 / 4/3 & 4/5 / Ch. 11 The Family
13 / 4/10 / Speaker
13 / 4/12 / Exam 3
14 / 4/17 & 4/19 / Ch. 12 Extra Familial Influences I: TV, Computers, & Schooling
15 / 4/24 & 4/26 / Ch. 13 Extra Familial Influences II: Peers as Socializing Agents
16 / 5/1 / Ch. 14 Epilogue: Fitting the Pieces Together
16 / 5/3 / Last day of class: Make up exam day
17 / 5/10 @ 8-10:30am / Final Exam

[TWE1]Lets just do 10. My idea of giving them a day to burn complicates it and gives us another thing to do later.

[Office2]Wyn to update this

[Office3]For attendance do we want to do it like this? And then do one extra attendance check?