PSY 101 (Section 002): Introductory Psychology
Syllabus
Spring Semester, 2015: Tuesday & Thursday 10:20am – 12:10pm, B115 Wells Hall
4.0 Credit Hours
Instructor: Dr. Jonathan Weaver
Office hours: Wednesday 10:30am – 2:30pm (or by appointment) in Psychology 252A
E-mail address: [email protected]
Graduate TA: John Kubinski [email protected] (OH: Tuesday 5pm-7pm in C2 Wilson [South
Neighborhood] and Wednesday 6pm-8pm in G32 Hubbard [East Neighborhood])
Undergraduate TA: Megan Drake [email protected] (OH: Monday 2pm-4pm in Giltner 358)
Undergraduate TA: Drew Herzoff [email protected] (OH: Monday 12pm-2pm in Giltner 358)
TEXTS & MATERIALS: There is one required textbook.
Myers, D.G. (2012). Psychology (Tenth Edition or Tenth Edition with DSM-5 Updates). New
York, NY: Worth Publishers.
OR
NOTE: This is the book for the course. If you have a different book (including an earlier edition
of Myers), return it, and get this book.
Finally, we will be using the I>CLICKER device (see www.iclicker.com for general
information) in the class. This is a device which will permit you to record your answers to miniquiz questions in class. Each student must have his/her own I>CLICKER (or I>CLICKER2 or
I>CLICKER+, but not the WEB>CLICKER). They are available (new or used) in local
bookstores, and can also be purchased new (amazon) or used (eBay) on the Internet.
To register your I>CLICKER go to www.iclicker.com and click on “Register” at the top
of the page. Complete the fields with your first name, last name, student ID, and remote
ID. Your student ID should be your MSU email. In the section for student id, you should
write your MSU netid including @msu.edu. For example, the instructor’s email address
is [email protected] so he would enter this entire address under student id. Again, your
student ID should be your MSU email. DO NOT list your A-PID. The remote ID is the
series of numbers and sometimes letters found on the bottom of the back of your
I>CLICKER remote. If you cannot read the bar code on the back of your clicker, please
see me. Also, even if you registered your I>CLICKER last semester, you need to
register again this semester. If you’re using a used clicker, there is no need for the
previous owner to unregister. If you make a mistake registering just register again – the
correct information will take precedence.
We will use them every day in class, and you are responsible for bringing your
I>CLICKER daily.
COURSE WEBPAGE: On D2L (https://d2l.msu.edu/). This page will provide you with the
notes for the lectures, grades, and other important class information.
COURSE OVERVIEW:
The purpose of this course is to give you a broad introduction to psychology. The scientific
investigations that make up psychology as a field are broad and far-reaching, and this class is
your first step toward a greater understanding of yourself and the world around you.
COURSE GOALS:
• To explore the field of psychology. The study of psychology is both broad and, sometimes,
complicated. In this course, you will be exposed to a variety of areas of interest within the field
of psychology, as well as the research methods employed to investigate these areas.
• To learn the skills associated with scientific study and critical thinking. Whether or not you
choose to continue studying psychology after the introduction that you will receive in this class,
there are a number of basic scientific and thinking skills that will serve you well regardless of
your area of study. These skills are an integral part of the psychological sciences, and you will
learn to employ them in understanding the nature of psychology.
• To apply the knowledge and skills gained in this course to everyday life. Unlike most other
sciences, psychology is unique in its obvious relationship to our everyday lives. Studying
psychology directly benefits you with a better understanding of yourself, others, and the world
around you.
EVALUATION CRITERIA:
Exams: Four exams will be given in class. There will be no final/cumulative exam. Your three
best exam scores will account for 85% of your final grade. Your lowest exam score will be
dropped. The exams consist of multiple-choice questions.
Make-up exams will only be given in case of a documented scheduled conflict, such as a
religious holiday or required participation in a university-sanctioned event. In case of a
scheduled conflict on an exam date, you must submit documentation at least two weeks in
advance of exam day. Absence from an exam for any other reason – including illnesses, family
obligations, job interviews, vacations, or unexpected events – will result in a grade of 0 for that
exam (but remember that your lowest exam grade will be dropped).
All Exams will begin at 10:20am. You may arrive late, but no more exams will be handed out
after the first student completes the exam. All Exams must be turned in by 12:10pm. During
exams, you will only be permitted to have pencils and erasers at your desk. Please leave
refreshments or other materials zipped up in your book bag or do not bring them at all. Turn off
cellular phones – or, anything that makes noise – and please do not wear hats. Once the exam has
begun, there will be no talking or disruptions. Leaving the room is reserved for emergency
bathroom breaks only.
Mini-quizzes: During every class meeting, I will pose a number (usually 5-10) of multiple
choice questions that you will be able to answer using your I>CLICKER device. Here’s how this
will work. Each day you will get a certain % of these questions correct – your Quiz% for the day.
Excluding the first week of class (1/13 and 1/15) and days on which exams will be given, there
are 24 class meetings. Therefore, you will have 24 such Quiz% scores. I realize that it may
sometimes be necessary for you to unavoidably miss a class, or there may be some days where
you find it hard to grasp the material. To make allowances for such occasions, I will drop your
lowest six Quiz% scores. Thus, how many of the Mini-quiz points you receive will be
determined by your highest 18 Quiz% scores. Mini-quiz questions will determine 10% of your
course grade.
If you forget your I>CLICKER or if your batteries are dead, you cannot obtain credit for that day
of class. Excused or unexcused absences also will not receive credit for that day of class.
Please understand that in a class of over 600 students, there will be at least one person who
forgets their clicker or batteries each day and I simply cannot give credit in these circumstances.
Please do not ask! Also, please note that recording answers using anybody’s I>CLICKER
but your own constitutes providing false information to the Instructor and is a violation of
class and University rules.
Research Experience: Research is an important part of psychology. To truly understand
psychology, you must understand the research methods employed by psychologists in the field.
You will receive 1 credit for each 30 minutes of research participation. In order to complete
your research education experience, you must complete 14 research participation credits (7
hours) by joining the Human Participation in Research (HPR) pool and participating in actual
experiments. Your HPR participation will be worth 5% of your final grade. For more
information, see the handout at the end of this syllabus. HPR credits must be earned before
noon on May 1st, 2015. Students under 18 are ineligible for HPR experiments. Contact Leslie
Baldwin ([email protected]), the HPR Student Coordinator in Room 262, Psychology
Building, if you are under 18 in order to learn about non-HPR options for fulfilling your research
education requirement or if you have any questions about HPR. NOTE: Your instructor has
nothing to do with HPR. Therefore, he cannot answer your questions about logging into HPR,
the available experiments, what to do if you no-show to an experiment, etc.
Extra Credit: You may accumulate an additional 7 credits (3.5 hours) for 2.5% extra course
points. You will receive course points for up to 21 research credits.
Alternative to Research Experience: If you do not wish to participate in experiments, you may
write a research based paper that I have designed for this situation (14 pages for 14 credits, 21
pages for 21 credits). If you prefer this option you will have to make arrangements with me by
3/26/15. I will then give you the specifics of the paper. This option will be gone after 3/26/15.
GRADING:
Your final grade will be based on the following course percentage points:
Requirement
Top 3 Exam Scores
Top 18 Mini-Quiz Scores
Research Experience
Total
Extra Credit
% of final grade
85%
10%
5%
100%
+2.5% potentially
The grading scale is as follows:
Percentage
89.50 – 100
84.50 – 89.49
79.50 – 84.49
74.50 – 79.49
69.50 – 74.49
64.50 – 69.49
59.50 – 64.49
0 – 59.49
Grade
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.0
I will adhere to these cut-offs. Extra credit is the only way to increase your point total if you are
concerned about falling on the wrong side on one of these cut-offs.
Policy on grade changes: At the end of the semester, if you believe that I made an error in
calculating your grade, please let me know. I will check your grade, and I will change it if I have
made an error. This is the only circumstance under which I will change a grade. Under no
circumstance will I “bump up” your grade, or give you a special extra credit opportunity. I never
do this, so please don’t ask. There will be no exceptions.
To calculate your grade at the end of the course:
1. Take the average of your 3 highest exam percentage scores and multiply the average by .85 to
obtain your course percentage points earned for exams.
2. Take the average of your 18 highest mini-quiz percentage scores and multiply by .10 to obtain
your course percentage points earned for mini-quizzes.
3. Take the number of research credits you accumulated (up to 21, but you divide by 14) and
convert them into a percentage (e.g., 14/14 = 100%); multiply by .05 to obtain your course
percentage points earned for research participation.
4. Sum the percentage points earned for each. This sum is the total number of course points you
earned. See the grading scale for your course grade.
For example, say you earned the following:
E1 = 88%; E2 = 75%; E3 = 92%; E4 = 95%; Highest 18 mini-quizzes = 93%; HPR = 18
You would drop Exam 2 (75%) and find the average of Exam 1, 3, and 4 ((88% + 92% + 95%)/3
= 91.67%). Take 91.67% x .85 = 77.92.
Take 93% x .10 = 9.30
Take 18/14 = 128.57%. Then 128.57% x .05 = 6.43
Sum = 77.92 + 9.30 + 6.43 = 93.65, which is a 4.0 Grade.
CHEATING: Any student caught cheating on a test will receive a zero for that test, and be
reported to the University.
MSU policies on academic honesty: Article 2.3.3 of the Academic Freedom Report states that
"The student shares with the faculty the responsibility for maintaining the integrity of
scholarship, grades, and professional standards." In addition, the Psychology Department adheres
to the policies on academic honesty as specified in General Student Regulations 1.0, Protection
of Scholarship and Grades; the all-University Policy on Integrity of Scholarship and Grades;
and Ordinance 17.00, Examinations. If you decide to write a paper for this course instead of
participating in experiments, you may NOT submit a paper you completed for another course for
this assignment. Students who violate MSU academic integrity rules may receive a penalty
grade, including a failing grade on the assignment or in the course. See also:
https://www.msu.edu/~ombud/academic-integrity/student-faq.html
In short, please do not do it.
POLICY ON RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES: If you anticipate being absent from class due to
a major religious observance, please provide notice of the date(s) to me, in writing, by the second
class meeting.
NOTE TAKING AND RECORDING: You are encouraged to take notes on the lecture and are
permitted to tape-record class sessions for your own purposes. However, you are not permitted to
take notes or tape-record for purposes of sale and distribution, no matter how financially
lucrative my lectures might be.
E-MAIL POLICY: E-mail is the best way to get a hold of us (Dr. Weaver, John, and Megan).
However, please use the following guidelines when e-mailing one of us:
• First, ask yourself this question: “Can this question be answered by looking in the
syllabus or looking on the D2L course site?”
• Second, ask yourself this question: “Can this question be answered by looking in the
syllabus or looking on the D2L course site?”
• Please address the e-mail properly (i.e., Hi Megan; Hello Dr. Weaver).
• Refer to the course (PSY 101), so we know who you are.
• Proof read your e-mail. Is your question conveyed clearly with correct grammar and
spelling? Did autocorrect make it sound super weird?
• Please sign your e-mail with your full name, so we know who you are. We can’t wait to
get to know all of you, but [email protected] makes it hard for us
to know who you are.
• Use PSY 101 in the subject line that makes it clear you are a student in this course
asking a question. This helps to prevent e-mails from going directly to the junk folder.
• Be polite.
Check your e-mail regularly! During the course, we will e-mail you from time to time with
announcements and reminders. Please read these e-mails as soon as you receive them, and please
check your e-mail regularly.
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: Students with disabilities should contact the Resource
Center for Persons with Disabilities to establish reasonable accommodations. For more
information, call 884-7273 (voice), 355-1293 (TTY), or visit http://rcpd.msu.edu. If you require
accommodations for exams, please notify the instructor as soon as possible. It is also your
responsibility to reserve a spot for each exam at the RCPD office.
ACADEMIC ASSISTANCE: This is a university and you are expected to produce college level
work. If you have any trouble with assignments or the material covered in class, please make an
appointment to speak with me. Additionally, the university has resources to assist students, such
as the Campus Tutorial Center, the Campus Writing Center, Adult Student Services, and more. A
lot is expected of you, but the university wants to help you to produce your best work.
DISCLAIMER: As the instructor, I reserve the right to make any changes that I deem necessary
to the details and/or policies listed in this syllabus. This includes adjusting the schedule
according to the pace of the course and the needs of the students. Check D2L regularly to keep
up with the topics. You will be given notice of any changes.
Dr. Weaver’s four rules for a happy, productive class:
1) Turn off cell phones. 2) Show up to lectures on time.
3) Ask questions. 4) Be courteous of other people.
PSY 101:002 Course Schedule for Spring 2015
DATE
Tuesday: 1/13
Thursday: 1/15
LECTURE TOPIC
Overview & Introduction to Psychology
Thinking Critically with Psychological Science
Prologue
Chapter 1
Readings
Tuesday: 1/20
Thursday: 1/22
Thinking Critically with Psychological Science
The Biology of the Mind
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Tuesday: 1/27
Thursday: 1/29
The Biology of the Mind
Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Tuesday: 2/3
Thursday: 2/5
Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity
Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Tuesday: 2/10
Thursday: 2/12
Exam 1
Developing Through the Life Span
Chapter 5
Tuesday: 2/17
Thursday: 2/19
Developing Through the Life Span
Learning
Chapter 5
Chapter 7
Tuesday: 2/24
Thursday: 2/26
Learning
Thinking and Language
Chapter 7
Chapter 9
Tuesday: 3/3
Thursday: 3/5
Thinking and Language
Chapter 9
Exam 2
Tuesday: 3/10
Thursday: 3/12
Have a SAFE and fun
Spring Break!!!
Tuesday: 3/17
Thursday: 3/19
Sensation and Perception
Memory
Chapter 6
Chapter 8
Tuesday: 3/24
Thursday: 3/26
Memory
Intelligence
Chapter 8
Chapter 10
Tuesday: 3/31
Thursday: 4/2
Intelligence
Emotions
Chapter 10
Chapter 12 (pp. 458 – 475)
Tuesday: 4/7
Thursday: 4/9
Exam 3
Personality
Chapter 13
Tuesday: 4/14
Thursday: 4/16
Personality
Social Psychology
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Tuesday: 4/21
Thursday: 4/23
Social Psychology
Psychological Disorders
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Tuesday: 4/28
Thursday: 4/30
Psychological Disorders
Chapter 15
Exam 4
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY--DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
Participation in Psychological Research: Information for Students
As part of your psychology course, you are encouraged to participate in research projects
conducted or supervised by the faculty of the department. The purpose of such participation is to
give you some direct experience with real experiments and to give you a better idea of how the
work of psychology is actually carried out. Participation is a course requirement for all sections of
PSY 101.
SPECIAL NOTE: Students under 18 years of age may not participate in any HPR
experiments. Special options have been created for students under 18 to meet the 14 credit
participation requirement. Contact Leslie Baldwin ([email protected]) the HPR Student
Coordinator, if you are under 18 and want to learn more about these options.
Steps in Research Participation: Registering as a Participating Student
The purpose of this handout is to go over some of the things you will need to know before
participating in psychological research. The first step is registering. This, like nearly all your
scheduling activities is handled through a site on the Internet/World Wide Web. Its address is:
http://psychology.msu.edu/HPRSystem/
***If you have participated in the HPR in previous semesters you
will need to create a new account. ***
You can access it using standard Web browsers (such as Netscape, Firefox or Microsoft Explorer).
This will bring HPR main page. Click on the Participant button. The first time you visit this page
you must create your account. Click on the button that says Create an account - you will be
directed to the page that says Enter the Account Creation ID. This semester your Account
Creation ID is psych2015 – in the box used to enter the access code, type it just like this (in lower
case), then click on Enter. You will now see the registration page where you should provide all the
requested information. Once your account is created, you will be able to log directly into the
system with your user ID and MSU e-mail address. Please make sure you fill out all the fields in
the registration form. Registrations with incomplete fields will not be able to view the available
studies.
Among other things you will be asked to select the course and section number to which you wish
to have your participation credits credited. It is CRITICAL that you select the correct course and
section number. If you select an incorrect course or section, the credits that you earn through
participation will NOT be relayed to the proper instructor and will not be counted in calculating
your course grade. If you are enrolled in more than one participating class you will disperse
the credits you earn between the classes (credits cannot be shared) on the “My Schedule”
page on your HPR account.
During some semesters, experimenters may want to get some background information on those
participating in their experiments. They do this by having students answer Global Questionnaires.
The more of these that you fill out, the more experiments you will be eligible to participate in. So,
after registering, you should click on the Answer Global Questionnaires button and see if any are
posted.
Signing-up for research: You can sign up for experiments 24-hours a day on the Web site. To do
so, get to the Student Menu (following the procedure described above). Then, to see a list of all
experiments that are currently recruiting participants, click on the Sign up for an Experiment
button and follow the indicated directions. Please make sure you read the participant task and
any restrictions for the experiment you are signing up for.
Canceling appointments: Experimenters have invested a great deal of time and money in
preparing an experiment. This goes to waste if you fail to keep your appointment. In such
cases, you can cancel your appointment 24 hrs prior to the start time by clicking on the button
marked View/Modify My Schedule at the Student Menu on the Web site and following the
instructions for canceling an appointment. (You need to know the name of the experiment and
the date/time you signed up for.) If it is after the 24 hour deadline you need to e-mail the HPR
student coordinator, Leslie Baldwin, ([email protected] ).
If you lost the appointment time and place: Sometimes, people mislay the date-time-location
information for an experiment they've signed up for. If this happens to you and you ever need to
check on your appointments (where you're supposed to be and when), you can always click on the
button marked View/Modify my Schedule at the Web site to get this information. You can save
yourself a lot of trouble by writing down all the information and keeping it in a safe place.
Reporting for a research appointment: Be sure to give yourself enough time to get to the
experiment on time, (Arriving 10 minutes before the experiment is to begin is suggested) If you
are late, you could find the experiment in progress and the door locked. On rare occasions, an
experimenter may not make his/her appointment with you because of unusual circumstances (e.g.,
a car breakdown, a personal emergency). If this happens contact Leslie Baldwin, the HPR student
coordinator in Room 262, Psychology Building or email her at: [email protected] to report it
(email is preferred).
Rights of Students Participating in Psychology Research
Participation must be voluntary/optional activities. First, it is Department, University, and
Federal policy that no student be compelled in any way to participate in research. If you
participate in research, it must be done voluntarily. Therefore, even in classes where research
participation is required, students must be offered one or more alternative activities to meet their
requirement. If you want to avail yourself of such an alternative activity, you may get information
from your professor. Note that on rare occasions there are more people interested in participating
in experiments than there are openings in the experiments. If this occurs this semester, additional
alternative activities will be provided later in the semester.
Participation should be educational. Second, participating in research should be a learning
experience for you. You have a right to obtain information about the experiments in which you
serve as a participant. You are entitled to have your questions about the experiment answered.
Also, at least five minutes of every experimental session must be devoted to teaching you
something about the experiment. You are entitled to receive a written summary of the experiment,
including the name and phone number of the person in charge of the experiment, whom you may
contact if you have additional questions.
The right to discontinue participation: Third, the Department of Psychology is highly
concerned that no study be conducted that would in any way be harmful to you. Even so, it is
possible that in rare cases you will feel uncomfortable about participating in a study for which you
have volunteered. Just remember, you always have the right to leave any experiment. You don't
have to explain or justify why you want to leave, and you can never be penalized for leaving.
The right to receive earned credits: Finally, if you do what you're supposed to do (sign up
properly, show up at the right place at the right time, etc.), you have a right to receive the credit
you've earned. So, for example, even if an experimenter has an equipment breakdown, you're still
entitled to receive credit for the time you've spent in the study. However, do not sign up for the
same study twice. Please remember that credit values are based on the time it takes to
complete a study, (1 credit equal to 30 minutes) and not the study itself. Credits are not
automatically awarded and it may take researchers a few days to collect their data and
record attendance. The HPR does not penalize participants for missing studies but we do
appreciate being notified if you cannot make your session. Participants are NOT penalized
for No Shows or if they cancel an appointment.
Reporting problems: If you ever encounter some problem or feel that your rights have been
violated, we want to know about it. Problems you have will be handled by Leslie Baldwin, the
HPR student coordinator, email address [email protected] or come to Room 262 Psychology
Building. They will be investigated and appropriate action will be taken. You will need to know
the name of the experiment and the date/time you signed up for.
Conclusions: We want to emphasize that negative experiences are very rare; most students who
serve as participants in research at Michigan State find their participation interesting and enjoyable.
When you serve as a participant in psychological research you're benefiting personally by learning
more about what the science of psychology is really about, but you're also benefiting many others.
Others like the psychologists who are working to get a better understanding of interesting and
important behavioral questions. Others like people who will benefit when that knowledge is
ultimately applied to everyday human problems like loneliness, depression, divorce, and selfdevelopment. And others like future generations of students. Who knows? Perhaps the research
you participate in this semester will be featured in future psychology textbooks, just as some of the
experiments you'll study this semester had their data supplied by previous generations of MSU
students. We hope and expect that you'll put as much in and get as much out of research
participation as they did.