PSYCH 243 Introduction to Well-being and Positive Psychology. Applying psychological knowledge to develop and maintain effective personal adjustment and well-being and positive social relations.

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Overview

PSYCH 243 consists of 17 individual Lessons. The first Lesson acquaints you with the course materials and procedures, and it is not graded. Lesson 8 is the mid-course exam and Lesson 17 is the final exam. For the remaining lessons, you will engage in the following activities, typically in the order listed below:

• Read the learning objectives for the lesson.
• Complete the reading assignment listed in the course schedule.
• Read the lesson commentary
• Review the learning objectives to insure that you have achieved them.
• Complete an activity assignment and submit to your instructor a written report on the activity according to the instructions given. This writing assignment will be graded.

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Course Objectives

The overall objective of this course is to learn how to make your life more satisfying and meaningful. Your will become familiar with theories and research on ways to make life satisfying and meaningful and will try out some of these ideas by applying them to your own life. This general objective can be broken down into three more specific objectives, namely, learning how to:

• avoid and escape negative states such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, anger, and self-defeating behavior
• deal effectively with the normal demands of everyday life (have good relationships with others, cope with stress, organize yourself, set and accomplish goals, etc.)
• improve yourself beyond mere normality (become more creative, increase awareness, and develop a higher quality life).

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Required Course Materials

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.

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Library Resources

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

• access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
• borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
• get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
• much more.

You can view the Online Students' Library Guide for more information.

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and services. Once you have a Penn State account, you will automatically be registered with the library within 24–48 hours. If you would like to determine whether your registration has been completed, visit the Libraries home page and select  My Account.

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Technical Requirements

World Campus Technical Requirements
Operating System	Windows 2000/XP or Vista, Mac OS X 10.2 or higher (10.3 or higher recommended)
Processor	1 GHz or higher
Memory	256 MB of RAM
Hard Drive Space	500 MB free disk space
Browser	Mac OS X: Firefox (current version) Windows: Firefox (current version) Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State web sites. Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching, we do not recommend using Internet Explorer 6 as your browser.
Plug-ins	Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe] Flash Player [Download from Adobe]
Additional Software	Microsoft Office iTunes/Quicktime
Internet Connection	Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer	Access to graphics-capable printer
DVD-ROM	Required
Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers	Required
Monitor	Monitor (Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution)

If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Outreach Helpdesk.

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Course Schedule

Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.

Lesson	Week	Activity
1: Getting Started 2: Introduction to Positive Psychology: Learning by Doing	Week 1	Before you begin your assignments please complete the Academic Integrity Form located under the "Activities" link. Read Lesson 1 Commentary Complete Lesson 1 Activity: Practice Using the Course Tools Read Chapters 1 & 2, Primer in Positive Psychology Read Lesson 2 Commentary Begin Lesson 2 Activity: Three Good Things
3: Happiness: Survey of Theories; Pleasure	Week 2	Submit Lesson 2 Activity: Three Good Things Read Lesson 3 Commentary Watch ABC 20/20 Video: Happiness—How to Find It, Understand It, and Achieve It Read Chapters 3 & 4, Primer in Positive Psychology Read Chapter 27, How I Found Freedom Submit Lesson 3 Activity: Happiness Profile
4: Happiness: Freely Choosing What You Desire	Week 3	Read Lesson 4 Commentary Read Chapter 1, 2 & 3 How I Found Freedom Submit Lesson 4 Activity: Identity, Intellect, and Emotions
5: Happiness: Changing Limiting Thoughts	Week 4	Read Lesson 5 Commentary Read Chapters 2, 3 & 4 Thoughts & Feelings Submit Lesson 5 Activity: Changing Limiting Thoughts
6: Happiness: Developing Attitudes of Acceptance	Week 5	Read Lesson 6 Commentary Read Chapters 5, 6 & 7 Wanting What You Have workbook (Electronic Library Reserve) Submit Lesson 6 Activity: Cultivating Compassion, Attention, and Gratitude
7: Balancing Self- and Other-Interests and Freedom	Week 6	Read Lesson 7 Commentary Read Chapters 5-9,17 & 18 How I Found Freedom Submit Lesson 7 Activity: Balancing Self-Interest with the Interests of Others
8: Mid-Course Exam	Week 7	Review for Mid-Course Exam Complete the Mid-Course Exam on ANGEL
9: Positive Thinking, Relaxation, and Wellness	Week 8	Read Lesson 9 Commentary Read Chapters 5 & 9, Primer in Positive Psychology Read Chapter 5, Thoughts and Feelings Watch Video, The Secret - 1st 20 Minutes Submit Lesson 9 Activity: Evaluating Claims About Optimism, Visualization, and Health
10: Managing Negative Feelings: Worry, Depression, and Anger	Week 9	Read Lesson 10 Commentary Read Chapters 6,7,13,17, Thoughts & Feelings Submit Lesson 10 Activity: Managing Negative Feelings
11: Useful Rules for You	Week 10	Read Lesson 11 Commentary Read Chapter 15, Thoughts & Feelings Read Chapters 4 & 28 How I Found Freedom Submit Lesson 11 Activity: My Rules
12: Character Strengths and Values	Week 11	Read Lesson 12 Commentary Read Chapters 6 & 7, Primer in Positive Psychology Submit Lesson 12 Activity: Using Signature Strengths in New Ways
13: Interests and Abilities	Week 12	Read Lesson 13 Commentary Read Chapter 8, Primer in Positive Psychology Submit Lesson 13 Activity: Maximizing Satisfaction at Work and in Recreation
14: Close Relationships	Week 13	Read Lesson 14 Commentary Read Chapter 10, Primer in Positive Psychology Submit Lesson 14 Activity: Love Without Control Dramas
15: Male-Female Communication; Marriage; Families	Week 14	Read Lesson 15 Commentary Read Chapter 11, Primer in Positive Psychology Read Chapters 19, 20, 21 & Afterword, How I Found Freedom Submit Lesson 15 Activity: Explaining Problems Arising from Different Communication Styles
16: The Future and the Meaning of Life	Week 15	Read Lesson 16 Commentary Read Chapter 12, Primer in Positive Psychology Submit Lesson 16 Activity: Meanings of Life
17: Final Exam		Review for Final Exam Complete the Final Exam on ANGEL

Lesson Activities should be submitted to the DropBox no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time Zone on the last day of the Lesson week.

Exam Information

The exams are unproctored and open-book, open notes. But students are expected to do their own work. If a student receives help from any other individual during the test, this will be considered a violation of academic integrity.

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.

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Grading

Assignments have two completely separate purposes: (1) to allow students to achieve their own personal self-development goals; and (2) to allow grades to be assigned. I do not especially like assigning grades in this course. I am more concerned that the course assignments help students achieve their own self-development goals. However, I do realize that grades are important to many of you in your educational career; furthermore, the university requires that grades be assigned.
Your grade in the course will be based on the total number of points earned on 14 Lesson Assignments and two multiple-choice examinations. The final exam will focus on material from the second half of the course, but because some general principles from the first half of the course continue to apply in the second half, and because understanding ideas in the second half of the course depends on knowledge  from the first half, retaining knowledge from both portions of the course is necessary for doing well on the final exam.
The point breakdown for graded assignments is as follows:

• 14 writing assignments at 15 points each = 210 points
• Mid-course exam, 45 questions at 1 point each = 45 points
• Final exam, 45 questions at 1 points each = 45 points
• Total points for course = 300

A letter grade will be assigned as follows:

Points	Percentage	Grade
276-300	92-100%	A
270-275	90-91.7%	A-
264-269	88-89.7%	B+
246-263	82-87.7%	B
240-245	80-81.7%	B-
234-289	78-79.7%	C+
210-233	70-77.47%	C
180-209	60-69.7%	D
0-179	0-59.7%	F

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If you are prevented from completing this course for reasons beyond your control, you have the option of requesting a deferred grade from your instructor. For more information, please see "Deferred Grades" on the World Campus Student Policies Web site.

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Academic Integrity

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Accommodating Disabilities

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Additional Policies

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Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.

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