Principles of Psychology—PSY 1010 Section 009 Spring 2015 – Instructor: Ryan Corser, M.S. Teaching Assistant: Michelle Burns General Information Class Time: TR, 9:30‑10:45 a.m. Office: University Hall 5009 Classroom: Wolfe Hall 1201 E‑mail: [email protected] Office Hours: TR 2‑4 PM or by appointment Office Phone: (419) 530‑5963 UH 5006 – M 4:30‑5:30 p.m. & R 3:30‑4:30 p.m. Course Overview: Psychology is the scientific study of the mind, brain, and behavior. This course is designed to help you gain an appreciation of the scientific basis of the entire discipline of Psychology. You will learn about what psychologists study, how they study it, what they know (or don’t know), and the difficulties in understanding behavior. This is a General Education Social Science Core course and there are no prerequisites. Required Text & Materials: Lilienfeld, S. O., Lynn, S. J., Namy, L. L., & Woolf, N. J. (2014). Psychology: From inquiry to understanding (3rd edition). New York: Pearson. You must have access to myPsychLab for this course because assignments and exams will be completed through this resource. Virtually the entire course will be contained in MyPsychLab, but you will enter MyPsychLab through the UT Blackboard (BB) course site. To log‑on to the course Blackboard site visit: https://blackboard.utdl.edu/ and enter your UTAD username and password. You will have two weeks of free access to MyPsychLab starting the first day of class. You will need a fast Internet connection to do the homework (Never use a phone modem). Firefox and Safari are the best browsers for use with Blackboard and MyPsychLab. Do not use Internet Explorer. Make sure you “Tune up your browser” before starting any activities in MyPsychLab. If you have additional trouble, click on Learner Support for help. Time Commitments for this Course This course is comparable in content and effort requirements to a standard classroom course. As for any 3‑hour course that lasts a full 15 weeks, expect to spend about 9‑12 hours per week reading the textbook, going through the online media materials (paying special attention to those that are specifically assigned), gaining confidence with the dynamic study modules, and studying on your own if you want to get the highest grade of which you are capable. 1 Course Promises/Learning Objectives ‑ Based on the UT Core and American Psychological Association Undergraduate Learning Goals and Outcomes, you will: I. Demonstrate fundamental knowledge and comprehension of major concepts, theoretical perspectives, historical trends, and empirical findings in the following content areas of psychology: a. theory and research representing each of the following four general domains: 1. learning and cognition 2. individual differences, psychometrics, personality, and social processes, including those related to sociocultural and international dimensions 3. biological bases of behavior and mental processes, including physiology, sensation, perception, comparative, motivation, and emotion 4. developmental changes in behavior and mental processes across the life span b. the history of psychology, including the evolution of methods of psychology, its theoretical conflicts, and its sociocultural contexts c. relevant levels of analysis: cellular, individual, group/systems, and culture d. themes, persistent questions, & enduring conflicts in psychology 1. the interaction of heredity and environment 2. variability and continuity of behavior and mental processes within and across species 3. free will versus determinism 4. subjective versus objective observations 5. the interaction of mind and body II. Identify and critically evaluate different theoretical perspectives and research methodologies used to understand human behavior. a. Recognize major perspectives of psychology (e.g., behavioral, biological, cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic, and sociocultural). 1. Compare and contrast major perspectives 2. Describe advantages and limitations of major theoretical perspectives b. Recognize different research methods used by psychologists. 1. Describe how various research designs address different types of questions and hypotheses 2. Articulate strengths and limitations of various research designs 3. Distinguish the nature of designs that permit causal inferences from those that do not III. Demonstrate how psychological principles apply to your life (e.g., develop effective study strategies) a. Demonstrate self‑regulation in setting and achieving goals 1. Regular and spaced study sessions in the form of recall practice quizzes b. Assess your own performance accurately 2. Use feedback from quizzes and study plan to realistically assess own knowledge. 2 Course Expectations: This course will only fulfill these promises if you promise the following in return: 1. To attend class. Course material will be presented through a combination of lectures and exercises requiring active participation. You must be present and on time. You will receive points for participation and attendance in this course. 2. To read the assigned materials. You should complete the assigned readings prior to each class because they provide you the necessary “road map” for each class. This background knowledge will help you learn the course concepts and obtain the most benefit from classroom instruction. 3. To complete the required exams and assignments in a timely fashion. The assignments provide you with both informal and formal opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge of the course material. You will get the most of the course if you turn in your work on time. See late policies below. 4. To be respectful to your other classmates and your instructor. Try to remember to have your cell phones off during class. Also, texting during class will not be tolerated. Please make sure any other electronic devices (e.g., iPad, laptop, etc.) are being used only for activities that are assisting in learning (e.g., note taking). If for any reason I feel you are being a disruption to the class you may be asked to leave. Course Components Assignments: I. Pre‑tests, post‑tests, & chapter exams a. Before reading each chapter, complete the chapter’s pre‑test located under “Study Plans & Course Content.” After finishing the pre‑test, read the chapter carefully and take notes about key concepts and terms. Then complete the post‑test for that chapter. Your goal is to score at least 70%; you will have 2 attempts to reach this score and receive for full‑credit. Pre‑test and post‑
tests are graded for completion. b. A day or two later complete the Chapter Exam. These are used to help you study for the main exams. c. All pre‑tests, post‑tests, and chapter exams are due two days before a mid‑term exam. Although these are due just before the exam, complete these assignments as you read each chapter; avoid cramming. Like the post‑
tests, you may take each chapter exam twice and you will be able to see the correct answers after the second attempt. For chapter exams, your highest score will be recorded. d. Late Policy: For chapter exams, there is a late penalty of 20% per day, no excuses. If you think you might be busy or called in to work, complete the chapter exams at least once before the due date. Pre‑tests or post‑tests completed after the due date will not be accepted. 3 II.
MyPsychLab Media assignments and simulations a. For each chapter, I have selected a few assignments that review and enrich the material we cover in class and the book. In the assignment calendar, you will find videos with short quizzes, review activities, and simulations. Watch all the assigned videos (they are 2‑7 minutes long), do any of the assigned simulations, and take any associated quizzes. You will have two opportunities to take these so you can get a perfect score. If you miss any questions the first time, re‑do the assignment and try again. You will be given the correct answers for any you miss after the second attempt. b. Late Policy: Late homework assignments will be accepted, but receive a 20% deduction for every day they are late. Exams: There will be four mid‑term exams and one cumulative final. Each mid‑term exam covers material presented over 4 textbook chapters. You are not allowed to use your textbook or notes on exams. Exams will have time limits, but there will be sufficient time to complete all the questions. On exam days, you have the option of taking the exam in class (starting @ 9:30 am) or in a designated computer lab in University Hall. To take the exam, you must bring a laptop or tablet compatible with MyPsychLab. If you take the exam in the testing lab, arrive at least 40 minutes before the testing lab closes and bring your student ID. Missed Exam Policy: If you miss an exam, you can make it up but there is a penalty of 20% for every day that it is late. If you must take an exam late because of a death in your family or your own illness, you will not be penalized if you document your reason. The best approach is to prepare early so that you can take the exam a little early in case you get called to work or something else unexpected happens. If, because of extraordinary circumstances, you are allowed to retake an exam, the second score will be the one recorded and the first score is automatically erased. Research Participation: As part of the learning requirement for this course students are required to participate in research being conducted within the department. The purpose of this research participation is to give students exposure to how the science of psychology is conducted. By participating in research a student should gain a better understanding of the research process through which psychology advances its knowledge of the human brain/mind. To receive full credit in participation a student must complete 4 hours of research participation. You will be given an incomplete in the class if you do not complete your research participation. If you do not wish to participate in research, an alternative assignment is available. A complete explanation of research requirements are included at the end of the syllabus and are available on MyPsychLab. 4 Evaluation 1. Exams 80% 2. Assignments & Attendance 20% a. Pre‑tests, post‑tests, chapter exams, and MyPsychLab assignments Grading Scale* A = 92.5 ‑ 100% B‑ = 80 ‑ 82.49% D+ = 67.5 ‑ 69.99% A‑ = 90 ‑ 92.49% C+ = 77.5 ‑ 79.99% D = 62.5 ‑ 67.49% B+ = 87.5 ‑ 89.99% C = 72.5 ‑ 77.49% D‑ = 60 ‑ 62.49% B = 82.5 ‑ 87.49% C‑ = 70 ‑ 72.49% F = 59.9% and below *The percentage is determined by dividing your total points by the total points possible on assignments/participation and exams, respectively. Assignments and attendance are given a weight of 20% and exams are given a weight of 80%. W ‑ if you withdraw from the course after the end of the drop period. IN ‑ Incomplete grades are only assigned in extraordinary circumstances beyond the student’s control and only if the student has completed at least 10 exams with a passing grade. Under no circumstances will a student be allowed to retake an entire course in order to complete this course. Not Attending ‑ Failure to do assignments and take exams will be reported to the registrar and such non‑attendance may affect your financial aid. Academic Integrity Academic dishonesty will be enforced in accordance with the University of Toledo’s policy found here: http://www.utoledo.edu/dl/students/dishonesty.html Any form of academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism and cheating, will not be tolerated. Failure to adhere to academic honesty standards may result in a failure for that work or greater punishment depending on the severity. Student Disability Services If you are a student that needs additional classroom or testing accommodations (e.g., extra time to complete an exam), please contact UT’s Office of Accessibility at 419.530.4981 or visit their site at http://www.utoledo.edu/offices/student‑disability‑services/ Special arrangements for exams or other resources must be made through the office of accessibility and done so before the date of the exam or assignment date. If you need any help in contacting or arranging a meeting with the office of accessibility please see me. 5 Tentative Course Schedule Date Topic Assigned Reading 1/13 Psychology & Scientific Thinking Register for MyPsychLab 1/15 Ch. 1 1/20 Research Methods Ch. 2 1/22 Biological Psychology Ch. 3 1/27 1/29 Sensation & Perception Ch. 4 2/3 2/5 2/10 Consciousness Ch. 5 2/12 Learning Ch. 6 2/17 2/19 Memory Ch. 7 2/24 2/26 Cognition Ch. 8 3/3 3/5 3/9‑3/15 Spring Break 3/17 Intelligence Ch. 9 3/19 Human Development Ch. 10 3/24 3/26 Emotion & Motivation Ch. 11 3/31 Health Psychology Ch. 12 4/2 4/7 Social Psychology Ch. 13 4/9 4/14 Personality Ch. 14 4/16 4/21 Psychological Disorders Ch. 15 Exam Schedule Pre‑Test Exam 1 Exam 2 Exam 3 Submit Journal Articles for Approval if Writing Research Reports Exam 4 4/23 Treatments Ch. 16 4/28 4/30 Review 5/1 Research Reports Due by Fri 5/1 @ 5 pm 5/6 Final Exam (8 – 10 am) Cumulative *The policies and schedule outlined for this course are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. Frequently check the assignment calendar on MyPsychLab to see the most updated course schedule. 6 Psychology Research Exposure To introduce students to the research methodology of psychology, all students in Principles of Psychology (PSY 1010) at the University of Toledo must accumulate 4 units of research credit during the semester. Students failing to do so will automatically be given a grade of Incomplete (I) for the course. These 4 units of research credit may be obtained in any combination of two different ways: (1) participating in psychology experiments and (2) writing research reports. Students may be able to earn additional points (i.e., extra credit) by participating in additional research experiments or writing additional reports. The decision to offer any extra is under the discretion of the course instructor. Participation in Psychology Experiments: Students earn research credit based on the duration of each research session. For example: A session that lasts 30 minutes or less is worth one‑half (0.5) credit. A session that lasts between 31 and 60 minutes is worth one (1.0) credit. A session that lasts between 61 and 90 minutes is worth one (1.5) credit. And so on… To sign up for an experiment, you will need to login to the psychology department’s research sign‑up system on the internet (http://utoledo.sona‑systems.com/). To access your account, simply type in the user ID and password that were emailed to you at the beginning of the semester. If this does not work for you (e.g., if you’ve added the course after the semester began), you may need to request a new account on the bottom left hand of the front page. If it is necessary for you to miss an appointment because of illness or some other emergency, you must cancel your appointment at least 2 hours before the experiment. All cancellations must be done via the department’s research web page. If you miss a scheduled appointment without canceling or contacting the experimenter, your absence will be designated an “unexcused no show”. If you fail to show up (i.e., you are designated an “unexcused no show”) for 3 experiments, you will lose your privilege to sign up for additional experiments and be prompted to contact the system administrator. If an experimenter fails to show up for a session but you do, you will still receive credit for participating. If this happens, you must wait at least 10 minutes and then contact the Research Coordinator at: [email protected]. Writing Research Reports: Each report (worth 1 unit of research credit) will be based on a scientific article in a psychology journal that is pre‑approved by the instructor. Each paper should be no more than 2‑3 pages in length and will be judged on the basis of clarity, spelling, grammar, and content. You are to summarize and critically evaluate the article by:  Identifying the purpose of the study (why did the authors conduct this study)  Stating the hypotheses in the study  Summarizing in sufficient detail the method used (procedure, materials, and participants)  Reporting the results from the study and the general conclusions Empirical articles must be obtained through Google Scholar or PsycINFO. To locate PsycINFO, go to: OhioLINK Then, click the following links: Library Databases Listed by name, P‑Q Scroll down to PsycINFO 1967‑ (present) Empirical articles may be on any psychological topic you choose, but they must be an original scientific study (not a review article). Select a few before articles and submit them to me for approval by 4/21. Final research reports are due Friday, May 1st by 5 pm. 7