Psychology 100 Introductory Psychology Section 1 Fall 2009 Schedule #35631

Transcription

1 Psychology 100 Introductory Psychology Section 1 Fall 2009 Schedule #35631 Professor Susan Krauss Whitbourne 9:05-9:55 am Monday, Wednesday, and Friday Mahar Auditorium Required Texts: Feldman, R. S. (2009). Understanding psychology (9th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill. Whitbourne, S.K. (2009). Psychology 100 lecture notes to accompany Feldman 9 th Edition. McGraw-Hill Custom Publishing. Rahhal, T. & Schulkind, M. (2009). Psych 2.0. Online experience guide. New York: McGraw-Hill. NOTE: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU PURCHASE THE TEXT AND LECTURE NOTES AS A PACKAGE FROM THE UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE. Please note as well that both the textbook and the lecture notes are considerably different from previous years, so if you want to stay on top of the course content you will need to acquire these versions. Contact Information: Professor Whitbourne: Office: 611 Tobin Hall Phone/Voice Mail: address: swhitbo@psych.umass.edu Office hours: Mondays 11:00am-12:30pm Graduate Teaching Assistant: Gillian Freeman address: gpfreema@psych.umass.edu Graduate Teaching Assistant: Amanda Hamel address: afhamel@nsm.umass.edu Graduate TA office locations and hours will be posted on SPARK. Undergraduate Teaching Assistants: Christopher Berry John Costello Danielle Dean Daniel Guarracino Alexis Harewood Rebecca Lashua Silvana Melo Genevieve Procter Priscila Samuel Julie Young Yanina Vatynskaya Getting in touch with the professor and TA s: When you need assistance or have questions that need answers, please contact the teaching staff through SPARK by sending your s to All Section Instructors. Depending on your question, you can also ask for help through the discussion board on SPARK (see further details below). COURSE OVERVIEW Psychology is a fascinating topic with many applications to daily life. In this course, you will be exposed to the important theories, findings, and applications of the field. Interactive online exercises, classroom activities, and optional discussion groups will help you gain insights into the science and practice of psychology.

2 Fall 2009 Page 2 COURSE REQUIREMENTS In order to benefit the most from this course, you are encouraged to complete a series of requirements ranging from in-class activities to online assignments. Grades are assigned on the basis of these completed requirements. 1. Preparation for Class Readings are to be done by the date shown on the Course Schedule. Please bring your Lecture Notes to each class. There will be five in-class assignments which will be based on the readings and which will be turned in on sheets that are provided for you in the Lecture Notes. 2. Examinations Three in-class examinations will be given during the semester as shown on the Course Schedule, below. Each in-class examination consists of 50 multiple-choice questions. For each in-class examination, you will be responsible for the material immediately preceding it; in other words, the exams are not cumulative. Unless there are highly extenuating circumstances (which must be discussed ahead of time individually with the graduate teaching assistants), there are no make-up examinations. Instead, you can use the OPTIONAL final examination to make up any one of the three in-class examinations that you missed during the semester. The optional final is the only examination that is cumulative and in addition to using it if needed as a make-up for a missed in-class examination, you can use it to replace a poor grade on a previous examination. The best three out of four examination grades will be used in calculating your final grade. To familiarize you with what is covered on the examination, there are extensive reviews in class as indicated on the Course Schedule. Specific instructions and guidelines for the examinations will be given in the first review session of the semester. After each examination, you will have the opportunity to see your grades and review the correct answers to the examination online using SPARK (see below). 3. Assignments on SPARK SPARK is an online course management system that efficiently provides you with assignments, course news, grades, and just about anything you need to complete the course (other than coming to class!). To use SPARK, you must provide your OIT login information, which consists of some version of your name (it s the part that ). The first time you login to SPARK, you will be asked for your OIT user id and password. Then, when you login, you will see the opening page that contains the assignments, which are organized by units. The first assignments consists of a practice quiz that you are urged to complete. The assignment page also shows you how to download any necessary software if you do not already have it on your computer (Shockwave and Flash). Please bookmark this page as you will be using it at least 3 times a week during the semester. It is also the way that you will receive detailed information about course updates and news items. In addition, if you should happen to lose this syllabus, a copy of it is also stored on SPARK along with other necessary course information. Please note: Once you have your SPARK account set up it is best to use the function on SPARK to communicate with the professor or teaching assistants. a. SPARK Concept Quizzes (CQ's) SPARK assignments are based on exercises known as Interactivities that you will complete on McGraw- Hill s Psych2.0 website ( Your book packet will include a unique sign-in code for you to use when accessing the student side of this site. Follow the instructions to register on the website. To complete the Concept Quiz, follow these steps: 1. Login to SPARK and click on the icon corresponding to each Learning Module in the course. 2. Find the CQ that is due for the next class and click on it; the first question will show you which Interactivity on the Psych 2.0 website you should complete.

3 Fall 2009 Page 3 3. Open Psych 2.0 in a separate browser window, login, and go to the drop-down menu on the left side of the screen. Go to the chapter number, then the name of the interactivity. Then highlight the Concept Launch. From there, you should see a start or begin button. Click that and complete the activity. Then go back to the SPARK window and complete the CQ questions that go with that activity. In order to receive credit for completing the interactivity, you must correctly answer at least 4 of the 5 questions (80%). You have two chances to answer each question. After you complete the quiz, you must push the submit button, and your grade should, in most cases, immediately appear. If you want to retake the quiz to increase your score, you will need to complete every question again. Because there are multiple questions for each CQ, you may get a different set of questions on the second try than you did on the first try, including the ones you got correct on your first try. To ensure that you understand the CQ s, you are strongly urged to complete the Practice Quiz before taking your first actual quiz. The score on this is not graded, but if you complete it, you will be better off when taking the CQ s that do count for credit. b. SPARK Surveys There will be five SPARK Surveys assigned during the semester that accompany the readings and assignments. These surveys are designed to collect information that will be reported in group form when they are presented during class. Unlike the SPARK Concept Quizzes, the Surveys are anonymous that is, you are given credit for having completed the activity but your name is not associated with your answers. Please be aware of the fact that because you have at least two full days to complete each assignment, we do not accept any that are late. You can complete these assignments from anywhere with an internet connection. GETTING EXTRA CREDIT: In order to receive extra credit for experiments or discussion groups, you must complete a MINIMUM of 20 CQ S, 3 online Surveys, and 3 ICRP s. If you fail to meet these minimum criteria, your extra credit points will NOT be added into your final grade. 4. In-Class Reaction Papers (ICRP's) There will be five In-Class Reaction Papers that will be given at unannounced dates during the semester. These must be turned in on the forms provided in the Lecture Notes. Each paper is worth 10 points, with 5 points given for completion and 5 points for adequate content. The only permissible excuses for missing an ICRP include absences due to athletic events (away games), documented illness, death in the family (documented), or emergency (documented). In the case of a missed ICRP, you must obtain an Excuse Form (see below) and submit this with documentation. At that point, an alternative assignment will be given that must be completed by 9:05am on the next class day. EXTRA CREDIT There are several extra credit opportunities available for this course. Not only do they provide you with additional points toward your grade, but they will allow you to enhance your experience in the course. They are designed to give you the chance to gain hands-on exposure to psychology, either through involvement in experiments or through participation in discussion groups based on the course content. 1. Psychology Department Experiments There are a number of psychological experiments conducted each semester in which you can participate through the department s online recruiting system known as SONA. You will get one experimental credit for each 30 minutes of participation. Each experimental credit earned in this manner is worth 1 point of extra credit for this class. You can earn a maximum of 20 extra credit points, which is worth about a 4% increase in your grade. You must request an account on this website if you are a new participant. Instructions on how to do this are included with this syllabus.

4 Fall 2009 Page 4 There will be an opportunity to participate in the department s prescreening program; this opportunity will automatically be offered to you when you log onto SONA between September 8 and September 25. You are free to opt not to participate or to answer only the questions you want. The 2 extra points will appear later in the semester within SPARK. Please refer to the attached information for more complete instructions. 2. Discussion Groups If you want a small class experience within the course, you can participate in weekly discussion groups led by one of the undergraduate teaching assistants. These groups cover a wide range of topics in addition to providing opportunities for review of lecture content. By signing up for a discussion group and attending each session, you can earn 20 extra credit points. If you choose this option, you cannot receive credit for experiments although you are certainly welcome to try one or two to see what they are like. Also, you will only receive the full 20 credits if you attend every discussion group meeting. If you do miss a meeting, you will be asked to write a one-page paper to make up for that missed session. If you take more than two absences, you will not receive credit for being in discussion group at all and will be dropped from the group. If you do decide to drop out of the discussion group, you can then be eligible to earn psychology department experimental credit (if you completed the pre-screening at the beginning of the semester). 3. Certain in-class activities and other opportunities During the course of the semester there will be opportunities to earn a few extra credit points. These will be announced in class. Extra credit points from these in-class activities are added on top of any other extra credits you receive through the experiments or discussion groups. DOING WELL IN THIS COURSE By keeping up with the readings and assignments, coming to and participating in class, you will learn more about psychology, and your grades will reflect this learning. Exam questions often reflect material covered specifically in class that you can obtain only by coming to class. So, in terms of your grade, it is definitely worth your time to come to class as well as to keep up with the other work you can do outside of class. As a final note of advice, try to keep up with your sleep! One of the main factors that can lower your grades in college is sleep deprivation. As you will learn in this class, getting enough sleep will improve your memory! COMMUNICATING WITH THE PROFESSOR AND TA S BY s to the TA s should be sent using the function on SPARK. In order to make sure you receive s sent in this way, please click on the icon, then click on Message Settings, and then click on Forward my mail to and include your address. As a general piece of advice, use your OIT rather than personal for communications having to do with school and check your OIT account regularly to keep up with campus news and information. CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE As you have discovered by now, this is a really large class (the largest size auditorium on campus). It is very easy to feel that no one will notice if you arrive late, leave early, talk to your friends, read the paper, eat a garlic bagel, or talk on your cell phone. However, as you will soon find out, there are many challenges to the learning process in class for the professor and the student in a class of this size. To help everyone have as good an experience as possible, you do need to be conscious of how your behavior affects others, who will notice if you arrive late, get up and leave early, talk, eat or read the paper, etc. Please try to be respectful of your professor and fellow students in this regard. If you must arrive late or leave early, let the professor know ahead of time, and in these situations, please sit toward the rear of the classroom so as not to disrupt the other students. Although informal chitchat with students in nearby seats is definitely discouraged, participating in class discussions and asking questions is definitely

5 Fall 2009 Page 5 encouraged. If you have a question or point to make, please raise your hand and you will be called on. I look forward to hearing your comments and ideas. ACADEMIC HONESTY Although you are free to study with other students in the course, it is expected that all work you turn in is your own, written by you and no one else. This is in keeping with the principles of academic honesty that are followed at this University. Any instances of cheating or plagiarism will be handled according to University policy. The consequences of cheating can include failing the course or receiving a significantly lower grade than you otherwise would have. You will also have a report filed in your University records. These are serious and unfortunate consequences, and it is not worth risking your academic career to assist or be assisted by another student in completing an exam or assignment. For more information on the University's Academic Honesty Policy, check EXCUSE POLICY Occasionally, circumstances arise that are completely out of your control and that cause you to be late in completing an assignment or to miss it altogether. In this class, the only way you can make this up is if you complete an Excuse Form, designed specifically for this purpose. In order to obtain an Excuse Form, you must talk to a graduate teaching assistant who will provide you with one that you are to fill out by the next class. The graduate teaching assistant will notify you by within one week concerning the outcome of the request, which is decided upon by collaboration among the teaching assistants and the professor. ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPDATES The SPARK web site for this course is a primary method of posting announcements, review sheets, grades, and other information. Please take a moment to read the header on the opening page, which will change as new messages become necessary. You are responsible for checking this web site for any updates or changes. If an important announcement must be made to everyone, it will show up on your SPARK (another reason to check it frequently!). ALL QUESTIONS ABOUT GRADES MUST BE DIRECTED TO THE GRADUATE TA'S. NO EXCEPTIONS. GRADING Final grades for this course will be based on the following calculations: up to 300 points for examinations (100 points each), 140 points for SPARK Concept Quizzes, 10 points for SPARK Surveys, and 50 points for In-Class Reaction Papers. The maximum is 500 points for the course. The minimum needed to pass the course is 330 points (66%). Grade cutoffs for final grades are as follows: Grade Points Grade Points A 465 (93%) C+ 390 (78%) A- 450 (90%) C 375 (75%) B+ 435 (87%) C- 360 (72%) B 420 (84%) D+ 345 (69%) B- 405 (81%) D 330 (66%)

6 Fall 2009 Page 6 SUMMARY OF DISTRIBUTION OF CREDITS FOR ASSIGNMENTS Assignment Points Maximum Credits Allowed Exams Exam 1, 2, 3, and optional final= points each TOP 3 OUT OF 4 COUNT FOR CREDIT SPARK Concept 35 CQs= 4 points each 140 Quizzes (CQ) SPARK Surveys 5 Surveys= 2 points each 10 In-Class Reaction 5 ICRP s= 10 points each 50 Papers Extra Credit- ONLY FOR THOSE COMPLETING MINIMUM ABOVE REQUIREMENTS Psychology Experiments= variable credits Discussion Group 20 points maximum COURSE SCHEDULE (Book Modules and SPARK assignments are due on the dates shown below) Date Topic Book CQ#/Survey# CQ/Survey Title Modules due 9/9 Overview of Course None None 9/11 Introductory themes 1-3 CQ# 1 Multiple causes of behavior 9/14 Research Methods CQ# 2 Survey #1 Understanding correlations Introductory Survey 9/16 Research Methods 2 6 CQ# 3 Ethical dilemmas 9/18 Neuroscience 1 7 CQ# 4 Structure of neurons 9/21 Neuroscience CQ# 5 Areas and functions of the brain 9/23 Sensation 1 10 CQ# 6 Weber s Law 9/25 Sensation CQ# 7 How do we see? 9/28 Sensation 3 13 CQ# 8 Survey #2 Depth perception Dreams, sleep and hypnosis 9/30 Sleep and dreams 14 CQ# 9 Sleep deprivation 10/2 Hypnosis and drugs CQ# 10 Drug effects 10/5 Motivation CQ# 11 Achievement motivation 10/7 Emotion 31 CQ# 12 Detection of deception 10/9 Exam 1 None None None 10/12 HOLIDAY None None None 10/13 Learning 1 17 CQ# 13 Classical conditioning 10/14 Learning 2 18 CQ# 14 Reinforcement and punishment 10/16 Memory 1 20 CQ# 15 Sensory memory 10/19 Memory CQ# 16 Eyewitness fallibility : Focusing attention 10/21 Cognition CQ# 17 Heuristics 10/23 Cognition 2 25 CQ# 18 Survey #3 Language development Survey #3: Multiple intelligences 10/26 Cognition CQ# 19 Gardner's multiple intelligences

7 Fall 2009 Page 7 Date Topic Book CQ#/Survey# CQ/Survey Title Modules due 10/28 Development CQ# 20 Survey #4 Nature and nurture Identity 10/30 Development 2 37 CQ# 21 Conservation 11/2 Development CQ# 22 Stages of moral development 11/4 Exam 2 None None None 11/6 Personality 1 40 CQ# 23 Defense mechanisms 11/9 Personality CQ# 24 Personality assessment 11/11 HOLIDAY CQ# 25 Trait theory of personality 11/13 Sex & Gender CQ# 26 Gender stereotypes 11/16 Sex & Gender 2 34 CQ# 27 Sexual orientation 11/18 Health Psych CQ# 28 Type A behavior 11/20 Abnormal CQ# 29 Phobia 11/23 Abnormal 2 48 CQ# 30 Borderline personality disorder 11/25 NO CLASS 11/30 Abnormal CQ# 31 Survey #5 Systematic desensitization Excuses 12/2 Social 1 52 CQ# 32 Fundamental attribution error 12/4 Social 2 53 CQ# 33 Prejudice and the mentally ill 12/7 Social CQ# 34 First impressions and attraction 12/9 Exam review and None CQ# 35 Your ideal self evaluations 12/11 Exam 3 None None None THE OPTIONAL FINAL EXAM WILL BE GIVEN DURING FINALS WEEK; YOU WILL BE INFORMED OF THE DATE, TIME, AND LOCATION THROUGH SPIRE.