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Canyon College

COURSE SYLLABUS: PY582 - Psychological Assess. I: Intelligence & Cognition

Course Title:	PY582 - Psychological Assess. I: Intelligence & Cognition
Department:	Social and Behavioral Sciences
Instructor:	David S. King, PhD, E-Mail - Vita

Course Description

This course provides an intensive overview of all aspects of psychological assessment. Topics addressed include (but are not limited to): history of assessment, ethics, norms, reliability, validity, developmental assessment, and assessment of intelligence. Projective instruments and personality instruments are not addressed, as these topics are covered in PY584 and PY586, respectively.

Required Texts  Online Bookstore

Gregory, R. J. (2007). Psychological testing history, principles, and applications (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
ISBN-13: 9780205468829

Course Outcomes

In addition to the objectives below, the successful student will formulate and pursue specific learning objectives for this course. What are you most interested in? What aspects of assessment do you find most challenging and pertinent? How can you best apply a mastery of psychological assessment to current of future interests, goals, or employment? What accomplishments in this class will fuel your future vocation or avocation in the field of psychology?

Students who have successfully mastered this course will be able to:

1. Discuss thoroughly the meaning of the concept of psychological assessment.
2. Discuss the challenges inherent in psychological assessment and understand the methods and techniques used to reduce the negative impact of these challenges.
3. Internalize the course material and integrate the course material into the discipline of psychology.
4. Write an original paper, founded on scholarly literature reviews, which demonstrate the student’s mastery of the subject matter.

Method

Learning in this course will be prompted by reading the text, completing online quizzes, and writing a scholarly paper (the final exam). Please note that the final exam is scheduled for Unit 8 and represents a substantial task. It is recommended that you do not wait to start on the paper, but begin formulating ideas for it early in the course. Contact the professor immediately if you have any questions regarding the final paper.

Assignments

Unit 1:

Required Reading: Topics 1A, 1B, 2A, and 2B in the text. Also read Section 9, Assessment, of the APA Code of Ethics.
Narrative: The text provides an excellent overview of psychological assessment. These early topics in the text provide a historical foundation for the topic. The importance of ethics in the field of assessment cannot be overstated.
Assignment: complete the online quiz.

Unit 2:

Required Reading: Topics 3A and 3B.
Assignment: complete the online quiz.

Unit 3:

Required Reading: Topics 4A and 4B.
Assignment: send the instructor an e-mail with the proposed topic of your final examination. Include a brief (one paragraph) description on how you plan to address the topic you have chosen.
Assignment: complete the online quizzes.

Unit 4:

Required Reading: Topics 6A and 6B.
Assignment: complete the online quiz.

Unit 5:

Required Reading: Topics 7A and 7B.
Assignment: complete the online quiz.

Unit 6:

Required Reading: Topics 9A and 9B.
Assignment: complete the online quiz.

Unit 7:

Required Reading: Topics 10A, 11A, and 12A.
Assignment: complete the online quiz.

Unit 8, Final Examination:

Required Reading: None.
Written Assignment: For the purpose of demonstrating your mastery of the course material, write a scholarly paper of at least six full pages. Select one assessment instrument (you may select from any assessment instrument that was reviewed in the required reading from the text). Thoroughly analyze, critique, and evaluate the instrument.

NB: The text and this course address many major psychological instruments. There are others. If you would like to write your final paper on an instrument not reviewed in the text, you may do so with advance permission of the professor. However, do not select an instrument which assesses intelligence, personality, or is a projective instrument, as these are the focus of other courses.

Grading:

The letter grade of D represents understanding of the subject matter no better than the average, fairly-well educated person who has not taken this course.

The letter grade of C represents minimal understanding of some of the subject matter, perhaps stronger than the average “man-on-the-street,” but not adequate to suggest comprehension of the subject.

The letter grade of B represents solid mastery of the course material, typical of Master’s level students.

The letter grade of A represents complete mastery of the course material, exceeding the level of many Master’s level students.

This course consists of 7 quizzes, each worth 100 points.
The final examination is worth 400 points.
The total number of points available is 1100.

Grading Scale

990 – 1100	= A
880 – 989	= B
770 – 879	= C
660 – 769	= D
659 and below	= F

Student Success

The student’s success is a jointly-held responsibility. The instructor is responsible for providing clear subject-matter instruction, prompt responses to inquiries, and fair grading. Students are responsible for pursuing the subject matter, applying themselves to the acquisition of knowledge, doing solid scholarly work, and engaging the professor whenever needed.

General Course Policies

1. This is a 500 level course, which means it is designed for Master’s-level students. As such, students are expected to approach the course from a scholarly perspective with the goal of mastering the information.
2. This course is designed to be completed in eight weeks (one unit equals one week)
3. Academic honesty is essential. Cite sources for ideas not your own.
4. The final paper is to be completed in accordance with the APA style manual. Although the APA manual goes far beyond how to cite a source and build a reference list, doing these things correctly is essential. The APA manual is a good investment. There are also several good online guides to APA style which you can easily find through a search engine. If you have questions about APA style, ask before you submit your paper.
5. Only count that actual text of your papers and essays to meet the required page lengths. In other words, a six-page paper has six full pages of your prose. The cover page (not required but you may use one), reference list, tables or charts, and appendices do not count as pages. Margins, fonts, and font sizes are to be in accordance with APA guidelines. The number of references required in your paper is the number necessary to give proper credit for ideas not originally yours.
6. The minimum length given for the final paper is just that: a minimum. You are encouraged to develop your thoughts fully so as to increase your learning and mastery of the course material.
7. Prior to the beginning of Unit 8, you are encouraged to send preliminary outlines or drafts of your final examination for review.
8. Please submit your final exam via e-mail attachment as a Microsoft Word file. Ensure you have an up-to-date anti-virus program active on your computer before sending any e-mails to the instructor.
9. The Internet is a wonderful source of information. The Internet is also populated with a lot of misinformation. Choose your sites carefully to ensure that information you gather online is valid. For example, Wikipedia is not a reliable, scholarly source of information. Your scholarly efforts are not limited to Internet websites. You are encouraged to utilize online libraries and brick-and-mortar libraries.
10. Your required reading for this course excludes topics 5A, 5B, 8A, and 8B from the text. However, reviewing these topics may be helpful to your understanding of psychological assessment. Consider these topics recommended but not required reading.
11. The professor is available to you by e-mail. Responses to inquiries will be prompt. Try to plan ahead and avoid last-minute crises.