Psychology of Stress - Psy 334-001
Spring 2002
Instructor:
Dr. Rhonda Swickert
Office: Bell Building, Room 313 Phone: 953-5046
Office
Hours: T 8 – 9:30 and W 1 – 2:30 Email address: swickertr@cofc.edu
Text: Controlling Stress and Tension, 6th ed. by Girdano, Everly, and Dusek
Assigned Readings (Access at Robert
Scott Small Library)
Course Description: This course will examine the influence of stressors on physiological and psychological processes. Both theoretical models and empirical findings will be discussed. Examples of topics to be covered include the influence of stressful life events on the individual, the relationship between personality variables and the experience of stress, and stress management techniques.
Course
Outline
DATE TOPIC CHAPTER
*These
dates are tentative and may be subject to change by the instructor.
January
9/11 Introduction to
Stress 1
14/16 Research Methods
18/23 Systems of the Body 2
25/28 Models of Stress 3
30 Reading 1
1 Exam
1
4 Assessment of
Stress
6/8 Environmental Sources of Stress 7
11/13 Reading 2-3
15/18 Cognitive Systems and
Stress 4
20/22 Reading 4
25/27 Personality and Stress 6
Reading 5
1 Personality
and Stress (continued)
4-8 Spring Break!!!
13/15 Posttraumatic Stress 10
18 Stress
Management : Psychological Approaches 14
25/27 Stress
Management : Physical Approaches 12, 13, 17
29
1/3 Stress
Management: Conclusion Reading
6
5-19
Group presentations
22 Review
May 4 Final Exam (8:00 – 11:00 a.m.)
Attendance Policy
Students are expected to come to all classes. However, if a student is absent from class
they are still responsible for all content presented during the class.
There will be
three examinations for this course. Each
exam will be comprised of multiple choice, matching, and essay items. Exams 1 and 2 will be worth 50 points each. The final exam will be cumulative and will
be worth 75 points. The student is
strongly encouraged to take each exam when it is given. If you do miss an exam you will be
responsible for making up the test. The
Make-up Exam Day is scheduled for April 24th. Only
one test will be allowed to be made up - no exceptions. Make
up exams will be made up of essay items.
Periodically
throughout the semester you will be given written assignments that cover the
reading material (book and journal articles).
These assignments may require you to work independently or in teams of 2
to 3. These questions will require you
to apply your knowledge and understanding of stress psychology. The assignments will vary in the points that
they are worth. The total number of
points available for these assignments is 30 points.
You will be
required to give an oral presentation to the class. Oral presentations will be made in teams of
2. You may select whom you would like to
work with as well as the topic that you would like to present. Potential topics for the oral presentations
are listed below. The deadline for team
composition as well as selection of the topic title is January 25th. This presentation is worth 40 points.
Work Stress Spirituality,
Stress, and Health
Type C Personality Stress and
Overcrowding
Physical Exercise and Stress Sense
of Coherence
Humor and Stress Cognitive
Restructuring
Stress and Aging Family
Stress
Hardiness Dissociative
Disorders
EMDR Dissociative
Amnesia
Positive Psychology Dissociative
Fugue
Dissociative
Identity Disorder
You should
plan on giving a twelve-minute presentation on the topic that you have
selected. You will be graded on two
major criteria: Content of the presentation (70%) and creativity of the
presentation (30%). Regarding the
content of the presentation, you should provide a succinct review of the theory
as well as a discussion of the relevant empirical tests of the theory. Also, you should provide a handout (1 to 2
pages) for your classmates (and teacher) that summarizes the information that
you are presenting and generate 6 multiple choice items that assess information
that is discussed in your presentation.
Regarding the creativity of the presentation, you are encouraged to
utilize strategies to present the information in an interesting format. For example, try to think of demonstrations
or hands-on assignments that will get the audience involved in the learning
process. Also, try to utilize different
mediums to present the information (e.g., a short video-tape segment, pictures,
web cites, etc.).
Extra-credit
Periodically
throughout the semester you will be given extra-credit assignments that cover
the reading material (book and journal articles). The assignments will typically ask you to
summarize the information contained within the article or chapter and then to
apply this information in some way (e.g., provide analysis of strengths and
weaknesses of the article, develop an experiment that would extend the work
discussed in the article). Assignments
will be worth varying amounts but the cumulative point value of these assignments
is 8 points.
Grade Distribution
Exam 1 50 A 221 - 245
Exam 2 50 B+ 218 - 220
Final Exam 75 B 196 – 217
Written
Assignments 30 C+ 193 - 195
Presentation
40 C 172 - 192
D 147 - 171
Total Points 245 F 146 or below