Time: Tuesday 4:30 - 7:05 p.m.
Location: Columbine Hall, Room 317
Instructor: Daniel L. Segal, Ph.D.
Office and Phone: Columbine Hall # 4041; 262-4176
Office Hours: Wednesday 11-12 and also by appointment.
If you have any questions or comments regarding this syllabus,
please contact Daniel Segal at dlsegal@mail.uccs.edu. Also, if
these teaching materials are helpful to you, it would be appreciated
if you could let the author know. Thank you.
Required Text: Cavanaugh, J.C. (1997). Adult
development and aging (3rd edition). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
(Note that supplemental handouts will also be passed out over
the course of the semester.)
Course Description: This course is an overview of
gero-psychology covering such topics as the aging central nervous
system, cognitive aging, cultural contexts of aging, social aspects
of aging, relationships and sexuality, personal transitions in
later life, personality, mental health and disorders, psychotherapy
for the elderly, nursing homes, death and dying, and gero-psychology
in the future.
All students are expected to take regularly scheduled exams. Make-up
exams will only be offered under extenuating circumstances with
prior notification to the instructor and will be essay
format. Attendance at class is required due to many class discussions.
Your active participation will make class more interesting, informative,
relevant, and enjoyable.
Grading Criteria: Points:
Exam 1 100
Exam 2 100
Exam 3 100
Genogram 50
Family Aging Description 50
Annotated Bibliography or Book Report 100
Attendance (2 points X 16 classes) 32
532
Extra Credit: You may earn up to 10 points
extra credit by participating in research projects conducted
in the psychology department. You can learn what options are available
by checking the sign-up sheets on the bulletin board in Columbine
Hall, 4th floor. Hold the original credit slips to turn
in on the last day of class. Participate and have fun! Also, you
may earn extra credit points for answering correctly the optional
questions on Chapter 3.
Students with disabilities are to turn in their disability verification
letters within the first two weeks of class. For further information,
contact Student Support Services, MH 132, x3065.
| Date | Topic | Reading Assignment |
| 1/20/98 | Introduction and overview; Studying adult development and aging; Research methods | Chapter 1 |
| 1/27/98 | Diversity; Ageism | Chapter 2 |
| 2/3/98 | Longevity, health, and prevention
* TOPIC DUE: bibliography or book | Chapter 4 |
| 2/10/98 | EXAM 1 (Chapters 1,2,4; Optional items on Ch. 3 for extra credit). | |
| 2/17/98 | Information processing; Memory | Chapter 5 and 6 |
| 2/24/98 | Memory; Intelligence | Chapters 6 and 7 |
| 3/3/98 | Personality and social cognition | Chapter 8 |
| 3/10/98 | Relationships and sexuality | Chapter 10 |
| 3/17/98 | EXAM 2 (Chapters 5,6,7,8,10) | |
| 3/24/98 | NO CLASS- Spring Break | |
| 3/31/98 | Mental health, mental disorders, and intervention | Chapter 9 |
| 4/7/98 | Mental health continued
** Annotated Bibliography- DUE ** Book report- DUE | Chapter 9 |
| 4/14/98 | Work, leisure, and retirement | Chapter 11 |
| 4/21/98 | Death, dying, and bereavement ** Genogram- DUE ** Family Aging write-up- DUE | Chapter 13 |
| 4/28/98 | Bereavement continued; Elderly suicide | Chapter 13; Handouts |
| 5/5/98 | Looking toward the future; Careers in gerontology; Course wrap-up | Chapter 14; Handouts |
| 5/12/98 | Final Exam |
Description of Assignments: (You choose between option # 1 and
#2). Everyone does #3 and #4.
1. Annotated bibliography: I want you to learn what is
available in the library on the psychology of aging and how to
access it. Choose a topic related to psychological aging that
fascinates you. In the library, find six (6) journal articles,
book chapters, or books which address some aspect of your topic.
You may wish to use the hard copy or computer version of Psychological
Abstracts, ARLO, or PsychLit CD-ROM to help you find articles
on your topic. A special session on how to use the library will
be scheduled for those who want to build their searching skills.
Summarize each article on a separate sheet of paper with
the reference for the article written in APA format (see APA publication
manual, 4th edition) at the top of the page. Present the 6 article
summaries along with a 2-3 page (typed, double-spaced) summary
integrating your readings: What is/isn't known about your topic?
Controversies? Limits and strengths of research methods used to
study the topic? Impressions about state of the field? Future
research directions, or what should be done next to move the research
ahead? Topic due 2/3/98; Full annotated bibliography due 4/7/98.
2. Book report: Choose any book you want as long as it
is relevant to the Psychology of Aging. You can find books in
the Aging section at Barnes & Noble (or any bookstore) or
ask your instructor for advice (I have some neat ones in mind!).
Then, read the book.. Prepare a paper answering the following
questions: 1. What was the book about? 2. What did you think about
the book? 3. How does the book relate to material presented in
class and in your text? Does it support/contradict what you have
been learning? 4. How does the book add to your understanding
of the aging process or the psychology of aging? 5. How does the
book relate to you personally? Discuss any insights or knowledge
that applies to you or your family. The paper should include a
Title page with the book title, author, publisher, year of publication,
and your name. After the title page, there should be a minimum
of 4 full pages of text and a maximum of 5 pages. Topic due 2/3/98;
Full report due 4/7/98.
3. Genogram: To learn more about aging in your family,
I want you to create a genogram of the 3 generations that preceded
you. I will provide guidance and a handout of instructions on
how to make a genogram. Note that presentation counts! Creativity
counts. Poster boards are a fine starting point. Genogram due
4/21/98.
4. Family Aging Description: In the course of gathering
information for the genogram, you should also collect information
about how older people in your family age. I want you to
summarize whatever you can learn of the "family lore"
about the period of old age for your family members. You can write
about several older family members or concentrate on one particular
person. The write-up will include a Title page, and then a minimum
of 3 full pages of text. Some topics to consider include information
on when and how people retired, what family members enjoyed doing
in later life, how elders related to younger family members, how
the elder changed over their life span, what health and non-health
challenges did they face in old age, what were the living arrangements,
how very frail family members received care, how the elder feels
about getting older, and what has contributed to the sense of
wisdom in the older person. Family aging description write-up
due 4/21/98.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE TO BE TYPED (double spaced,
12 point font, 1 inch margins), AND TURNED IN ON TIME. Penalty
for late papers or projects is 5 points per day late. Make sure
to proofread, spell check, and staple your paper (no paper clips).
To direct comments about the information contained in these pages, please write to marsiske@ufl.edu