Psychology 381 provides comprehensive coverage of normal aging across the physical, cognitive, social, and psychological dimensions as well as the role of the environment and how it fits with the aging individual. The course concludes with a discussion of end-of-life issues and the important concept of successful aging. This course is particularly suited to students with career interests in nursing, medicine, and allied health fields, social work, and clinical psychology. Moreover, coverage of the normal aging process and of issues related to work and retirement make this course beneficial to students who plan careers in the public sector (business, service industries, retail). As our society continues to age, students who plan careers in business and service industries will increasingly have contact with the older worker and consumer where knowledge about the aging process will be of direct relevance. Finally, the course is attractive to students who seek to enhance their understanding of their own and others’ development across the lifespan.
Outline
Unit 1 - Concepts, Methods, and Theories
Unit 2 - Physical Aging
Unit 3 - Cognitive Aging
Unit 4 - Social Aging
Unit 5 - Mental Health
Unit 6 - Environment
Unit 7 - End-of-Life and Successful Aging
Evaluation
To receive credit for PSYC 381, you must complete the course quizzes, a research paper, and an examination. You must achieve a composite course grade of at least D (50 percent) and a grade of at least 50 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Unit Quizzes (7 at 5% each)
35%
Literature Review Paper
30%
Final Exam
35%
Total
100%
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Cavanaugh, J. C. and Blanchard-Fields, F. (2015). Adult Development and Aging (7th ed). Stamford CT: Cengage Learning. (eText)
Unit study guides, a student manual, and an assignment manual are available online on the course website.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
The challenge requirement for PSYC 381 is a written invigilated examination and research paper. To receive credit for the PSYC 381 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on the examination and obtain a composite mark of at least D (50 percent).
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.