Main Content
Syllabus
PSYCH 412 Adolescence (3 credits)
Physical, cognitive, and personality development during adolescence. Prerequisite: PSYCH 100
"When I was fourteen, my parents were so ignorant I could hardly stand to have them around.
But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much they had learned in seven years.”
Course Description
What is adolescence and when does it begin? When does it end? Is this period really a time of storm and stress and are fights with parents normative and healthy? Do you think having a job during high school is beneficial for growth or is there not enough time for truly just “being a teenager” and developing our identity? Is peer pressure necessarily a bad influence and does this mean they no longer listen to their parents’ advice? In this course we will examine and challenge such questions related to the study of adolescence, primarily through three main trajectories: the biological, cognitive, and social transitions that take place during this unique developmental time period.
Prerequisites: Please note that PSYCH100 (Introductory Psychology) is a prerequisite for taking this course. Additionally, while a link will be provided outlining the APA style for writing papers, it is highly suggested that you are familiar with this approach before taking this course.
Objectives
After taking this course, students should have acquired the following skills and/or met the following goals:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the major biological, social, and cognitive changes associated with adolescence and emerging adulthood
- Gained insight into the significant misperceptions often portrayed about the time period of adolescence
- Critically evaluate and integrate information from empirical research within the field of adolescence
- Apply their knowledge of adolescence to real-life experiences and reflect on their own personal growth and development during this time period
- Enhance understanding of adolescent behaviors, needs, motives, and feelings to be more effective in dealing with this population in the future
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.
This course requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. You can access these materials by selecting Library Resources in your course navigation, or by accessing the Library E-Reserves Search and search for your instructor's last name.
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 must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Requirements
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
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| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Expectations
Students are expected to manage their time wisely in order to maintain an appropriate pace to complete all of the requirements before listed deadlines. This is especially true in regards to the interview paper as this assignment has multiple components that often take students a significant portion of the semester to complete. Additionally, students are expected to have read and outlined articles, the lesson and the textbook prior to completing discussion boards. These discussions are designed specifically to integrate and reflect on the knowledge you’ve gained from these resources. By going over the required readings ahead of time, you’ll be more informed and have more that you can contribute to posts and responses.
Late Policy
This is a semester-based course with deadlines. Students are expected to complete work by posted deadlines. Please check the course schedule for the times and dates that assignments are due in this course (times are listed in Eastern Time in North America). Please contact your instructor to discuss legitimate and unavoidable situations that may cause lateness (such as illness, injury or family emergency). If you know that you are going to miss a deadline, please contact your instructor in advance of that deadline to discuss an extension (or if you are not able to contact the instructor before the deadline, as soon as you are able). Decisions regarding extensions will be made at the discretion of the instructor on a case-by-case basis.
In the absence of a legitimate and unavoidable situation, late work will be accepted at the discretion of the instructor and will be penalized up to 10% of the total assignment points for each day of lateness. Ufnless there is a legitimate and unavoidable situation that causes prolonged lateness, work more than 1 week late will not be accepted.
Grading
- Lesson Quizzes: Just about every week an open-book/open-note quiz (but not open-friend) will be posted on ANGEL. These quizzes are designed to test your knowledge of the material presented in the lesson and text readings that week. Availability to complete each quiz lasts from the morning of the first day of the lesson until 11:59 pm Eastern Time the last day of the lesson (see the course schedule for dates). You will have 20 minutes to complete the 10 questions for each quiz. The format of these questions will be in multiple-choice. Each quiz will be worth 15 points and there will be a total of 12 quizzes across the semester. Thus together, your quizzes equal 180 points or roughly 37.5% of your grade.
Please note: once you’ve logged in and started the quiz the timer continues to run. Thus for example, you cannot save your responses one night and decide to return later to complete the remaining items. Also, while you have up until late the last night of the lesson to complete the quiz, I would highly suggest taking it earlier, just in case you run into computer issues such as internet access complications or computer crashes.
- Article Reflections: Students will also be required to complete a series of 6 article reflections from a contemporary journal. These articles will be provided to you via the ANGEL website under the “resources” tab. The goal of these articles is to expose the student to empirical application of concepts and theories presented in the lessons. Each article reflection will require the student to respond to a series of questions related to issues raised in the reading. Each article reflection will be worth a total of 20 points. Thus, article reflections equal a total of 120 points and 25% of your total grade. Article reflections are due by 11:59 p.m. the last day of the lesson they are assigned.
- Discussion Boards: Over the semester, I will post a series of 5 discussion questions on the message board related to the materials to be covered in the corresponding lesson. These questions are designed to allow students to reflect on their own personal experiences and integrate them with what has been found in research. Students are expected to post an initial response to these questions (roughly 2-3 paragraphs usually) as well as at least 1 additional substantive response either to my own remarks or other students’ posts in the class. Again, simply agreeing or disagreeing with another student isn’t substantive, you’ll need to rationally explain why you agree or disagree. Your original post is due by 11:59 p.m. the fourth day of the lesson (Thursdays if all lessons of the semester start on a Monday, Saturdays if all lesson of the semester start on Wednesday) while your reply must be completed by 11:59 p.m. the last day of the assigned week’s lesson. See the course schedule for dates. You will be graded on the thoughtfulness of your responses and your effort in getting involved in an appropriate manner in discussions.
- Time Management Assignments: Two time management assignments (5 points each) will also be required during the semester to help keep students on track with completing the Interview Paper, which is a comprehensive assignment.
- Interview Paper: Finally, you will be required to complete one major project over the course of the semester, which will be worth 120 points. This interview paper is a gathering of three interviews from individuals representing various age cohorts. The purpose of the project is to expose the student to multiple individual experiences to adolescence based on age as well as compare and contrast these perspectives with their knowledge of adolescence and personal experiences. See the course schedule for the due date. A detailed outline of the assignment will be posted on ANGEL along with a narrated power point presentation on the requirements.
Grade Distribution:
| Assignment | Points Possible | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Lesson Quizzes (x12) | 180 points | (approximately 37.5%) |
| Article Reflections (x6) | 120 points | (approximately 25%) |
| Discussion Boards (x5) | 50 points | (approximately 10.5%) |
| Time Management Assignments (x2) | 10 points | (approximately 2%) |
| Interview Paper (x1) | 120 points | (approximately 25%) |
| Total | 480 Total Points | 100% |
Grading Scale:
| Letter Grade | Percentage Range | Point Range |
|---|---|---|
| A | = 93-100% | 446-480 pts. |
| A- | = 90-92.9% | 432-435 pts |
| B+ | = 86-89.9% | 412-431 pts. |
| B | = 83-85.9% | 398-411 pts. |
| B- | = 80-82.9% | 384-397 pts. |
| C+ | = 76-79.9% | 364-383 pts. |
| C | = 70-75.9% | 336-363 pts. |
| D | = 60-69.9% | 288-335 pts. |
| F | = 0-59.9% | less than 288 points total |
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
| Lesson 1: Introduction to Adolescence | |
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| Lesson 2: Biological Transitions: Part I | |
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| Lesson 3: Biological Transitions Part II | |
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| Lesson 4: Cognitive Transitions Part I | |
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| Lesson 5: Cognitive Transitions Part II | |
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| Lesson 6: Social Transitions | |
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*While much of the material from Social Transitions can be found in Chapter 1, there is no "best fit" chapter for this content and some of the concepts may be located in other chapters of the textbook. |
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| Lesson 8: Peer Groups | |
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| Lesson 9: Schools Part I | |
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| Lesson 10: Schools Part II | |
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| Lesson 11: Adolescence Work | |
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| Lesson 12: Leisure | |
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| Lesson 13: Intimacy | |
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| Lesson 14: Sexuality | |
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| Lesson 15: Psychosocial Problems | |
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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.
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.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
Accommodating Disabilities
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University’s educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities, including World Campus. The Disabilities and Accommodations section of the Chaiken Center for Student Success website provides World Campus students with information regarding how to request accommodations, documentation guidelines and eligibility, and appeals and complaints. For additional information, please visit the University's Student Disability Resources website.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
Additional Policies
Course Communication Tools
The purpose of course communication tools is to provide students with a quick method for contacting faculty, teaching assistants, and other students of the class, in regards to course related questions, comments, and concerns. Please note that, according to University policy AD95/AD96, course communication tools may not be used as a method for emailing unauthorized content including but not limited to: solicitation for businesses, advertisements, selling or distributing personal or class materials, transmitting offensive, obscene, or harassing materials, chain letters, news posts, or other forms of “spam” email. Doing so will be considered a violation of course and/or University policies, and might also violate the student code of conduct and the expectations expressed in the Penn State Principles. Resulting penalties might include the suspension or termination of system access, as well as disciplinary or academic sanctions. When appropriate, information about violators will be passed on to University Police Services. If you have any questions in regards to whether or not a particular email you wish to send would violate University policies, please check with your instructor before sending messages to others through the University system.Privacy
In order to protect your privacy, course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. In addition to the instructor, a teaching assistant or college administrator may be provided access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. World Campus technical staff may also be given access in order to resolve technical support issues.For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
Reporting Bias
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.
Mental Health Services
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
Veterans and Military
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Student Responsibilities and Conduct
- Students are responsible for online course content, taking notes, obtaining other materials provided by the instructor, taking tests (if applicable), and completing assignments as scheduled by the instructor. As a general rule, students should plan on logging into the course at least three times per week and spending at least three hours per course credit per week on the course, e.g., if the course is three credits, the student should plan on spending at least 9-12 hours per week on the course, just as they would in a residence course.
- Students are responsible for keeping track of changes in the course syllabus made by the instructor throughout the semester.
- Students are responsible for monitoring their grades.
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Students must contact their instructor (and teammates when working on any collaborative learning assignments) as soon as possible if they anticipate missing long periods of online time due to events such as chronic illnesses, death in the family, business travel, or other appropriate events. The instructor will determine the minimal log on time and participation required in order to meet course responsibilities. In the event of other unforeseen conflicts, the instructor and student will arrive at a solution together.
- Requests for taking exams or submitting assignments after the due dates require documentation of events such as illness, family emergency, or a business-sanctioned activity.
- Conflicts with dates on which examinations or assignments are scheduled must be discussed with the instructor or TA prior to the date of the examination or assignment.
- Students are responsible for following appropriate netiquette (network etiquette) when communicating with their instructor and classmates. For reference, see the Academic Success Kit.
- Behaviors that disrupt other students’ learning are not acceptable and will be addressed by the instructor.
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For severe and chronic problems with student disruptive behavior, the following will be applied for resolution:
- Senate Committee on Student Life policy on managing classroom disruptions: Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
- Penn State Values.
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.