Introduction To Psychology Psychology 101 001 Spring, 2009 Carroll Hall

Introduction to Psychology Psychology 101 001 Spring, 2009 Carroll Hall 111 Mon and Wed 10:00-10:50 Instructor: F. Charles Wiss, Ph.D. Email: [email protected] Office phone: 962-0032 Office hours: Davie 232 Wednesday 11:00-12:00 and by appt. Graduate Student Teaching Assistants: Anna Agranovich [email protected] Office: 206B Howell Hall Office hours: M,W 11-12 (Grading Laura A, Laura K, Katie and Te’Era’s sections)

Daniel Peterson [email protected] Office: Davie 361B Office hour: M 11-12 (Grading Adam and Chrystal’s sections)

Recitation Leaders: Laura Andrews (611,612) [email protected] Katie Frazer (604,607) [email protected] Chrystal Gray (605,606) [email protected] Laura Kurtz (609,610) [email protected] Adam Miller (602,603) [email protected] Te’Era Southerland (601,608) [email protected] Course description: What could be more important and interesting to learn about than people? At least that's what I thought when I began studying Psychology back when computers only existed in science fiction novels and the Internet was something fishermen used. And I still think that. In this course we will present a broad, general survey of the vast field that is Psychology. Because the field is so vast, we will not cover everything, and we will not be able to go into a lot of depth on any particular topic—that will be the work of later psychology courses, if you choose to take them. The main goals of this course are to acquaint you with the different areas contained within psychology, to provide you with some of the major concepts of each area, and to teach you how to think like psychologists. By this, I do not mean that you’ll walk around figuring out what’s wrong with all of your friends and then present them with a large bill for telling them. Actually, only a small subset of psychologists does this, and it’s not a good way to make or keep friends. I do mean that you’ll learn to think more critically and scientifically about what makes people think, feel, and behave in the ways that they do. I hope that you’ll work hard, learn a lot, and find much of what is covered interesting. Required textbook: Psychology: Themes and Variations, Briefer Version Seventh edition (2008, 2005) Wayne Weiten, Thompson Wadsworth Class Format/ General Info: Many people have an assumption that an Introductory Psychology course should be pretty easy. This one is not. In some ways, it is actually more difficult than some of the 500 level courses I teach. This is partly due to the fact that there is a LOT of information to master in this course. It is also due to 1

the fact that I really want students to leave this course having mastered the basic concepts of the many subfields of psychology. Please don’t make the mistake of believing that you can do well in this course by using common-sense. Much of what science has taught us about how people work is counter-intuitive. The class will consist of large lectures twice a week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, and smaller Recitation sections meeting once per week. You must be registered for a Recitation section in order to receive credit for the course. Some of what I lecture on will be in the book. Some of the material I present will not be in the book. You will be responsible for everything that is presented in class, and there will be test questions on material that’s not in your book. (In other words, if you want a good grade you have to come to class and either take notes or have a very good memory). I will not go over everything in the book that I expect you to know. You will be tested on material from the assigned reading that was not touched on at all in class. (In other words, you also have to read the book). I’ve been told on many occasions that I’m a fairly hard grader. Over time, I’ve come to believe these reports. You should too, and if you’re looking for a fairly easy class, there are probably much better options than this one. Expectations: You are expected to come to class and take notes on material as necessary. You are expected to do all of the assigned reading (preferably before the relevant class) and to master and memorize all the major concepts contained in it. The assigned textbook I think is a pretty good one. One advantage that it has, being the “Briefer” version, is that there is a little less overall reading to do than would be the case with most Intro Psyc texts. However, because of its’ condensed format, there isn’t a lot of “filler” –the text is pretty information-dense and most of what’s in the book is considered important. This is a relatively large class, so we will not be able to have too many full on discussions; however questions and comments during class are encouraged and will always be most welcome. Please try and word any comments you wish to share in a way that is respectful to all. Be polite. This means things like making every effort to arrive in class on time almost all the time, and staying until the lecture is over. (I know I’m going to). TURN OFF CELL PHONES BEFORE ENTERING CLASS. Please don’t read the paper, text your friends, or do other things that may be a distraction to those around you. Also, see above about being respectful. There is an experimental requirement for all PSYC 101 courses, designed to provide to all students taking their first course in psychology some knowledge of the procedures and conduct of psychological research. A principal aim of the requirement is for students to gain an appreciation of how psychology experiments work, while simultaneously acquiring new knowledge about areas of psychology that students may not encounter in their general PSYC 101 course. To satisfy this requirement, students must complete five hours of experimental work. This requirement can be fulfilled by participating in actual psychology experiments (Option 1) or by writing research critiques (Option 2). Students must be 18 or older in order to participate in experiments. Those under 18 may only do Option 2 (research critiques) unless they submit a consent form signed by a parent (available on the door of room 325 Davie Hall). More information about this requirement will be distributed in class and posted on Blackboard. Recitation sections: Recitation classes meet once per week and are considered an integral part of the course. These classes will provide the opportunity to learn in a smaller, more interactive environment. The recitations will involve active applications of the concepts discussed in class and the text, and will allow for review and clarification of the material. You will be considered responsible for any material presented or activities conducted during recitation. You will be graded on attendance and participation for recitation. A maximum of 25 points can be earned for participation and a maximum of 50 points will be assigned for attendance based 2

upon the formula listed below. If you think there is a possibility that you may miss multiple recitation sections, you may wish to enroll in a section of 101 that does not include this requirement. Recitation Attendance Grading: Number of Absences Points 0 or 1 50 2 or 3 40 4 30 5 15 6 or more 0 Papers: There are 2 papers required for this course. Each is intended to hone your abilities to critically evaluate psychological research. The 2 paper assignments are essentially the same, it is my hope that you will use the feedback provided on your first paper and refine your abilities when writing the second. For the first paper you are to summarize a research study presented in a scholarly psychology journal, critique that research (i.e. discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the research), and discuss how that research is relevant to the daily life of you or someone you know. The article you review MUST come from one of the journals listed on the Paper Guidelines document posted on Blackboard. Please note that there is a link on Blackboard taking you to a webpage set up for this course to assist you with your research and citation formatting. The first paper should be about 4 pages long. For the second paper, the assignment is basically the same, except you are to use two research articles and the paper should be about 6 pages long (the second paper should be on a different topic, utilizing different research articles). The first paper is worth 75 points and the second paper is worth 125 points. The due dates for these papers vary depending on which section you’re in. See the schedule below for your due dates. All papers are to be submitted electronically to www.turnitin.com . Instructions for paper submission along with necessary passwords will be posted on Blackboard. There will be a 5 point per day deduction for papers not submitted on the due date. Detailed expectations for the paper, as well as grading criteria, will be presented in class and are posted on Blackboard Exams: All exam questions will be multiple-choice, fill in the blank, matching, etc. Exam #1 will cover material presented in class and Chapters 1-5 in your textbook. Exam #2 will cover material presented in class and Chapters 6-11 in your text. The final exam will focus on material covered since Exam #2, and will also include some cumulative questions (no more than 35% of the exam) addressing concepts from the whole course. No make-up exams will be given and no excuses for missing an exam short of being in the hospital at the time of the exam will be accepted. Grading: Your grade will be based upon the following components: Recitation Attendance and Participation................................ 75 points Paper 1................................................................................... 75 points Paper 2……………………………………………………… 125 points Exam #1................................................................................. 175 points Exam #2................................................................................. 200 points Final Exam............................................................................. 350 points

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SCHEDULE Date

Reading

Jan 12 Jan 14 Jan 19 Jan. 21 Jan. 26 Jan. 28 Feb. 2 Feb. 4 Feb. 9 Feb. 11 Feb. 16 Feb. 18 Feb. 23 Feb. 25 Feb 25 March 2 March 4 March 4 March 9&11 March 16 March 18 March 23 March 25 March 30 April 1 April 1 April 6 April 8 April 13 April 13 April 15 April 20 April 22 April 27

Introduction/Course Overview History of Psychology Chap. 1 No Class – MLK Day What is Psychology? /Scientific Approaches part 1 Library research/Paper assignment Memory Chap. 7 Memory Scientific Approaches part 2 Chap. 2 Biological Bases Chap. 3 Sensation and Perception Chap. 4 Sensation and Perception EXAM #1 Consciousness Chap. 5 Consciousness Paper #1 due for Laura A., Katie, and Adam’s sections [611,612,604,607,602,603] Learning Chap. 6 Learning Paper #1 due for Laura K., Chrystal, and Te’Era’s Sections [605,606,609,610,601,608] NO CLASS! SPRING BREAK Motivation Chap.9 Emotion Personality Chap. 11 Personality EXAM #2 Stress and Coping Chap. 12 Paper #2 due for Laura A., Katie, and Adam’s sections [611,612,604,607,602,603] Psychological Disorders Psychological Disorders Chap.13 Psychological Disorders Paper #2 due for Laura K., Chrystal, and Te’Era’s Sections [605,606,609,610,601,608] Treatment of Psychological Disorders Chap. 14 Social Behavior Chap. 15 Social Behavior Last Class

May 6

(Wednesday) FINAL EXAM AT 8:00 a.m.

**Please note – There is a chance that this schedule will be modified. Announcements will be made in class.

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