| Introduction to Psychology PY 101-004, Fall 2001 Meets MWF 10:00-10:50 in Gordon Palmer Hall, Room 232 Instructor: Xavier Sonnerat Office: Gordon Palmer Hall, Room 174 Office Hours: TBA. Please feel free to make appointments or see me after class Phone: 348-5083 (This is the Psychology Main Office; please leave a message) Mailbox: in the Psychology Main Office, Gordon Palmer Hall Room 348 Email: xav_son_psy@hotmail.com (best way to get in touch with me) Website: http://www.oocities.org/xavsonnerat/PY101 Required Text: Baron, R. A. (2001). Psychology (5th edition). MA: Allyn & Bacon. You may also want to visit the website related to this book to help you prepare for class and exams at http://www.psychplace.com/baron/login.html Other text designed to help you: Seta, C. E., & Seta, J. (2001). Study Guide Plus for Baron. MA: Allyn & Bacon. Additional readings may be assigned in class throughout the semester Course Description and Objectives: This course will introduce you to psychology as a scientific discipline. Psychology is composed of many sub-fields, each designed to study a particular aspect of behavior and cognition. Thus, although the most well known kind of psychology is probably counseling, in this class we will also discuss the biological bases of behavior as well as current theories on memory, thinking, intelligence, human development, perception, motivation, and social/cultural influences. Many students become overwhelmed when they realize how broad the field of psychology is. Therefore, one of the main goals of this course is to integrate knowledge gained from the sub-disciplines of psychology into a larger picture of human thought and behavior. Another important goal of the class is to understand how what you read in your book relates to your everyday experience of the world, and how you can use your newly acquired knowledge to become better human beings and improve your quality of life. Finally, using the scientific method to study complex behaviors does not guarantee that “facts” introduced in your book represent an accurate picture of reality. Therefore, special emphasis will be placed on thinking critically about the research on which current knowledge is based, and questioning the assumptions held by researchers and practitioners. By the end of the semester, you should have acquired the necessary skills to incorporate large amounts of diverse information into a global understanding of human thoughts and behaviors. Moreover, we will further develop your ability to think critically and creatively about complex issues, thus helping you in many aspects of your life. Course Format: This is your class. True learning can only occur by processing new information actively. In other words, passively listening to a lecture and taking notes does not lead to a good understanding of information. Therefore, time spent lecturing will be minimized in this class. Your book and other assigned readings will provide you with basic “factual” information, and class time will be used to discuss this material, compare different points of view, integrate the information with prior knowledge, participate in activities that illustrate important concepts, and put these concepts into practice when possible. Your role in building a good learning environment is crucial. You will be expected to have read all assigned materials prior to class and to share your thoughts, ideas, and experiences with the class in an open-minded fashion so that we can all learn from each other. You will also be expected to come to class with questions regarding what you read, so that we can spend time going over concepts that are difficult to understand, and focus on issues that the class thinks are most important. Course Requirements: 1. Attendance Attendance will not be formally taken. However, it would be a mistake not to attend every class, as, due to the class format discussed above, you would miss many important aspects of the course. Although reading the book is necessary to learn information, it is in no way sufficient to gain a satisfactory understanding of the material. The exams will be structured to test your understanding of psychological processes and your ability to apply this knowledge. Not attending class will prevent you from participating in discussions and activities, which could greatly impair you. If you were to miss class for any reason, it will be your responsibility to see me and inquire about what was done in class and whether you missed an assignment. You should also ask your classmates for their notes. Please warn me in advance if you know you are going to miss a class. 2. Research Requirement The Department of Psychology requires that all PY 101 students obtain 3 research credits by participating in studies conducted by faculty members and graduate students. Each study has been accepted by the Internal Review Board to assure that it does not represent any danger for the participants. It is often the case that students find these studies fun and interesting, as it gives them an opportunity to see what kind of research is being done in the field, as well as useful insights into the use of research methods to test various hypotheses in psychology. The number of credits you can obtain by participating in a given study is generally determined by how long it takes. You may therefore opt to participate in one long study for 3 credits, or three short studies for 1 credit each. To sign-up for these studies, please visit the following website: http://bama.ua.edu/cgi-bin/cgiwrap/%7Epsych/login.cgi Please note that if you do not show up for a study you signed up for you will be given a negative credit. You would thus have to make it up by participating in an additional study. If you know you cannot attend an experiment, you have to cancel it from the website, or call the Psychology Main Office (348-5083) at least one hour before you are supposed to show up (have the names of the experiment and experimenter handy if you call). If you do not obtain your 3 credits by the end of the semester you will be given an ‘incomplete’ for the course until you satisfy this requirement! This could have a negative impact on your scholarships or eligibility for various activities. Therefore, I advise you to complete your research credits early in the semester so that you can be sure that everything is in order on time. You will be given a receipt after each study you participate in. Keep these receipts in a safe place until you are sure you have been given your grade at the end of the semester. This will be your only proof that you satisfied this requirement! If for any reason you do not feel comfortable about participating in psychological research, you also have the opportunity to write 3 short papers to satisfy this requirement. If you were to choose this option, you would have to come talk to me to discuss the details of the assignment before September 21, 2001. 3. Reaction papers Reading the assigned chapters before coming to class is an essential part of the course. The book will familiarize you with the concepts we will explore in more depth in class and will provide very useful background information for discussion. To help you prepare for class and to get you to start thinking about the issues covered in the chapter you will have to write and turn in a 1- to 2-page paper (see format for writing assignments below) on the day we start talking about a specific topic. Your paper should address one or more of the following points: 1) what you found interesting and why, 2) how the information you just learned relates to your life, 3) how you will use your new knowledge to improve your attitudes/thoughts/behaviors, 4) what information you would like me to lecture on in class for greater understanding of a concept, 5) or what important questions/issues related to the chapter you would like to discuss in class. I will then use your comments and questions in the following class periods, thus making the class interactive instead of me lecturing on information you already mastered or have no interest in. You will have to turn-in 8 reaction papers of your choice throughout the semester, and I advise you to start doing so early. Papers will be graded on a 5-point scale; papers turned in late will be graded on a 3-point scale. 4. Exams A. Regular Exams Four exams will be given during the semester. Each of them will focus on materials covered in the assigned chapters. Exams will consist of multiple-choice items, short-answer questions, as well as essay questions designed to test your critical thinking skills and how well you can apply your knowledge to practical situations. Questions will focus on basic information covered in your book even if we did not talk about it in class, lecture materials, and major themes brought up in discussions. Details about how to study efficiently for these exams will be discussed in class at the beginning of the semester. Please feel free to see me if you have any concerns regarding the tests. B. Make-Up Exams If you know you are going to miss an exam, please see me as soon as possible so that we can make the necessary arrangements for you to take the test early. If you do not notify me of your absence early enough, or if you miss the exam altogether, you will be given the opportunity to take a make-up test consisting mainly of essay questions if and only if you bring me the written proof of an extreme case of emergency. If you do not do so, or if your excuse is not satisfactory, you will be given the option to take the make-up test but your score will be halved. If you miss the exam and do not take the make-up test you will be given a 0. C. Final Exam The final exam will be comprehensive and will consist mainly of multiple-choice items, though I may add an essay question. It will focus on information covered in the previous exams (presented differently, of course), and will thus test your global understanding of the psychological processes discussed throughout the semester. Students who have already shown mastery of the material by getting an A or A+ on each of the regular exams and also have a final average of at least 93 may choose not to take the final exam. 5. Activities/In-Class Exercises Throughout the semester you will have the opportunity to take part in several kinds of activities such as watching videos, designing small experiments, discussing key issues in small groups, and writing on critical thinking questions related to the materials presented in the book and discussed in class. Some of these activities or exercises may be graded on a {0, 1, 2} scale if I feel like you need some additional motivation to focus on the task. 6. Assignments for Extra Credit For those of you with additional eagerness to learn about psychology, or in need of improving their grade, extra-credit assignments may be given on an irregular basis. For the moment, I have two assignments in mind. You will notice that, although you have to turn-in only 8 reaction papers, you will have 12 opportunities to do so. If you so desire, you will get extra credit for each reaction paper you turn in after the 8th one. Additionally, you will get extra credit if you write a 1- to 2-page paper on the studies that you will participate in to fulfil your research requirement. You can turn in a maximum of three papers, one for each experiment. If you participate in less than three experiments, or if you choose the option of writing papers to fulfil your research requirement, you can go to one of the experiments and ask the experimenters to give you information about their study without participating in it. The paper should NOT be a simple description of the procedures you go through. You will need to inquire about the purpose of the study and what the experimenters expect to find and why. If you talk with undergraduate assistants who do not know much about the study, please ask them who the primary investigator is and go talk to him/her. Course Grade: The grade for the course will be determined as follows: Activities/Exercises 5% of final grade Reaction Papers 15% of final grade Regular Exams 48% of final grade (12% each) Final Exam 32% of final grade Grading Scale: The University of Alabama undergraduate grading system will be used. Grades will be rounded to the nearest whole number (decimal value of .50 and above will be rounded up, and decimal values of .49 and below will be rounded down). A+ 97-100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D+ 67-69 A 93-96 B 83-86 C 73-76 D 63-66 A- 90-92 B- 80-82 C- 70-72 D- 60-62 F 59 & below Format for writing assignments: All assigned papers should be typed in ‘Times New Roman’ 12-point font, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins at the top and bottom and 1- to 1.25-inch margins on the left and right (default setting on Word 97 and Word Perfect). Using another format will result in loss of points on the grade. Academic Misconduct: Academic misconduct, such as cheating on exams or plagiarizing papers, will be dealt with in accordance with the Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy that appears in the student handbook. Special Needs: If you need special assistance in the classroom due to a disability of any kind, please contact the Disability Services at 348-4285 during the first week of the semester so that arrangements can be made. After these arrangements are made please inform me of what I could do to assist you any further. Note: Although I did my best to provide accurate information in this syllabus, I reserve the right to make changes at any time if they become necessary. The following tentative schedule may also be modified in the future to allow flexibility for the class’ special needs and interests. I will give you as much notice as possible if any changes are made, and an updated version of this syllabus will always be posted on the class website at http://www.oocities.org/xavsonnerat/PY101 Although I put a lot of thought into preparing this course, please feel free to share your ideas with me about ways to improve it at any point during the semester. As stated above, this is your class and you should see me as an instrument you can use to enhance your learning experience. Any constructive feedback will always be appreciated. Tentative Schedule Date Assignments August Wed 22 Course overview Fri 24 Chapter 1: Psychology: a science, a perspective; Special assignment due Mon 27 Read Chapter 1: Psychology: a science, a perspective Wed 29 Read Chapter 2: Biological bases of behavior, Reaction paper due* Fri 31 Chapter 2: Biological bases of behavior September Mon 3 Labor Day; No Class Wed 5 Read Chapter 3: Sensation and Perception, Reaction paper due* Fri 7 Chapter 3: Sensation and Perception Mon 10 Read Chapter 4: States of consciousness Wed 12 Catch-up and Review for Test #1 Fri 14 Test #1 on Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 Mon 17 Go over Test #1 Wed 19 Read Chapter 5: Learning, Reaction paper due* Fri 21 Chapter 5: Learning Mon 24 Read Chapter 6: Memory, Reaction paper due* Wed 26 Chapter 6: Memory Fri 28 Chapter 6: Memory October Mon 1 Read Chapter 7: Cognition, Reaction paper due* Wed 3 Chapter 7: Cognition Fri 5 Read Chapter 16: Social thought and behavior, Reaction paper due* Mon 8 Chapter 16: Social thought and behavior Wed 10 Catch-up and Review for Test #2 Fri 12 Test #2 on Chapters 5, 6, 7, 16 Mon 15 Go over Test #2 Wed 17 Read Chapter 8: Human Development I, Reaction paper due* Fri 19 Chapter 8: Human Development I Mon 22 Read Chapter 9: Human Development II, Reaction paper due* Wed 24 Chapter 9: Human Development II Fri 26 Read Chapter 10: Motivation and emotion, Reaction paper due* Mon 29 Chapter 10: Motivation and emotion Wed 31 Read Chapter 13: Health, stress, coping November Fri 2 Catch-up and Review for Test #3 Mon 5 Test #3 on Chapters 8, 9, 10, 13 Wed 7 Go over Test #3 Fri 9 Read Chapter 11: Intelligence, Reaction paper due* Mon 12 Chapter 11: Intelligence Wed 14 Read Chapter 12: Personality, Reaction paper due* Fri 16 Chapter 12: Personality Mon 19 Read Chapter 14: Mental disorders Wed 21 Read Chapter 15: Therapies, Reaction paper due (extended until Saturday night via email)* Fri 23 Thanksgiving; No Class Mon 26 Chapter 15: Therapies Wed 28 Catch-up and Review for Test #4 Fri 30 Test #4 on Chapters 11, 12, 14, 15 December Mon 3 Go over Test #4 Wed 5 Wrapping things up, an attempt at seeing the big picture Fri 7 General review for the final exam Thu 13 Final Exam at 8am * If this is not one of the 8 topics you want to write on you of course don’t have to turn in anything on that date, although you should still read the chapter carefully to be able to participate in the class discussion. |
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| Students: Scroll down to the schedule and click on the appropriate date to get the outline for that class period. (Please let me know if you have any problems doing so) |