SYLLABUS. PSY 201: INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY New Mexico State University Dr. Igor Dolgov

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1 SYLLABUS PSY 201: INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY New Mexico State University Dr. Igor Dolgov PURPOSE AND GOALS: The purpose of this course is to provide a broad overview of the discipline of psychology. Generally speaking, psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. As a social science, psychological inquiry applies the scientific method to the study of human behavior, thought, and emotion in the context of our culture and environment. By the end of this course, you will: Have a comprehensive understanding of the basic theories, concepts, key researchers, and processes related to psychology. Be able to apply psychological principles to current, real-life situations and to identify how particular psychological phenomena are present in your daily life. Improve your critical thinking and reading skills. Understand the different divisions within psychology and the different roles in which a psychologist may be employed. Gain a better understanding and appreciation of the scientific method and research methodology. Obtain a broad appreciation of the diversity of human experience and your own behavior. Enhance your academic skill set, and hopefully do well and enjoy the class. NEW MEXICO COMMON CORE COMPETENCIES ADDRESSED: Identify, describe, and explain human behaviors and how they are influenced by social structures, institutions, and processes within the contexts of complex and diverse communities. Articulate how beliefs, assumptions, and values are influenced by factors such as politics, geography, economics, culture, biology, history, and social institutions. Describe ongoing reciprocal interactions among self, society, and environment. Apply the knowledge base of the social and behavioral sciences to identify, describe, explain, and critically evaluate relevant issues, ethical dilemmas, and arguments. 1

2 REQUIRED TEXT: Feist & Rosenberg (1 st Ed). Psychology: Making Connections. New York: McGraw-Hill. Class lectures, discussions, and activities will complement the written material, but in order to do well in the class you will need to rely heavily on the material presented in textbook along with the complementary online resources ( Connect & Blackboard/WebCT). ONLINE RESOURCES CONNECT & BLACKBOARD: We will be using 2 web-based environments to supplement our class sessions. Purchasing a new textbook provides you with free access to an online service called Connect (see additional handout), where you will find your assignments and a multitude of complementary electronic resources (if you are purchasing the book used, access to the Connect service will cost you an additional $40). Grades, announcements, additional course materials will be posted on Blackboard (learn.nmsu.edu). Check your and the blackboard site daily for updates, announcements, and discussions. PREPARATION FOR CLASS & ASSIGNMENTS: Before each class meeting, read the brief chapter introduction and outline of the assigned chapter in the textbook. Then, look over the remainder of the chapter, noting the section themes, highlights, figures, graphs, definitions, additional material boxes, and the chapter review. Follow each lecture by reading the assigned chapter in depth, looking at the on-line resources, and completing the electronic assignment for that chapter on the Connect website. All assignments are due by 12pm of the assigned date. No late assignments will be accepted without a documented medical excuse. EXAMS: There will be four exams throughout the semester, each covering 4 chapters of material. Questions will be drawn primarily from material in the textbook but will also include things that are only covered in lecture and/or supplemental online resources. There will be no cumulative final, but the 4 th exam will be held on the scheduled final date. The lowest of the four test scores will be dropped when calculating your final grade. Exams will contain both multiple-choice and short-answer questions. Make-up exams will only be allowed with written permission from the instructor and/or proof of illness from a physician (see additional handout). 2

3 ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION: A sign-in sheet will be posted at the entrance of the room for each class and then brought to the table at the front when class begins. It is YOUR responsibility to sign in either at the beginning or end of lecture (not during!). Your participation grade will be proportional to the number of total classes that you attended and by actively participating in online discussion forums on Blackboard/WebCT and other class activities. CLASS COMPONENT: % OF GRADE 4 Exams (drop lowest score, no cumulative final) 300 points 50% 16 Electronic Assignments (drop lowest score) 150 points 25% 1 Paper 90 points (10 pages, 3 Drafts) 15% Attendance & Participation 60 points 10% Total 600 points 100% ACADEMIC INTEGRITY & HONESTY: All work submitted in this class must be original cheating on exams and turning in work written by another person is unacceptable and considered plagiarism. Academic integrity is a serious concern and the 1st attempt to cheat will result in a grade of 0 on that test or assignment (the 0 cannot be dropped from your final grade calculations). The second attempt will result in automatic course failure and will be passed on to the university academic board for further prosecution. Refer to the following websites for additional guidelines: REQUIRED EXPERIMENT PARTICIPATION: As part of the PSY 201 course requirements, you will need to earn 6 research credits. These credits can be earned in either of two ways: (1) students can participate in and report on Psychology Department research studies, or (2) write brief (2-3 page) paper(s) describing a research method used in a research article published in an accepted psychology journal (this option is only available with a written request and instructor permission). If a student fails to complete 6 research credits, their final letter grade will be lowered as follows: Research credits completed Your final grade will be lowered 2.5 to 5.5 credits 2/3 of one level (e.g., C to D+) 0 to 2.5 credits 1 full level (e.g., C to D) Sign up to participate at Make sure to log into the system within 3 days of registering (you do not need to sign up for any experiments at that time). 3

4 INCOMPLETES: University policy dictates that a student may be given an incomplete ONLY if he or she has passed the first half of the course, and is precluded from successful completion of the course by a documented illness or family crisis. Keep in mind, the instructor decides what constitutes "precluded from successful completion". If something arises in your life that interferes with your ability to do your best in this class, talk to the instructor about it ASAP. Many students wait until the end of the semester (or after finals week) to report these kind of difficulties and there is little or nothing that can be done at that point. The sooner you inform the instructor about your situations, the more options there are to assist you with your situation. WITHDRAWALS: To withdraw from this class, you must complete and turn in a signed withdrawal form by the date indicated on NMSU s academic calendar website ( Students will not be automatically dropped from the class for any reason. Class withdrawal by 03/09/2010, and complete university withdrawal by 04/16/2010. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/DISABILITY: If you have or believe you have a disability and would benefit from any additional accommodations, you may wish to contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in Corbett Center, Room 244 (phone: ). If you have already registered, please make sure that your instructor receives a copy of the accommodation memorandum from SSD within the first two weeks of classes. It is your responsibility to inform either your instructor or an SSD representative in a timely manner if services/accommodations provided are not meeting your needs. Feel free to call Michael Armendariz, Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities, with any questions you may have on student issues related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of All medical information will be treated confidentially. If you have a condition that may affect your ability to exit safely from premises in an emergency or that may cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss this in confidence with the instructor and/or the coordinator of SSD. VALID REASONS FOR MAKE-UP/CONFLICT EXAMS & NEEDED DOCUMENTATION: Acute or Chronic Illness, documented by medical professional in writing specifying the dates that you were unwell. Family Emergency, documented with 1) a note AND 2) a phone call from parent/guardian specifying dates that you could not tend to university activities and some details as to why. Exam Conflict (3+ tests on the same day), documented with your schedule and the relevant class syllabi indicating tests on the same date (will be verified with other instructors). APPROXIMATE POINT RANGES FOR FINAL GRADES: A: 540+ points B: points C: points D: points F: points ******** I actually use Z-transformed scores to determine final grades.*********** 4

5 LECTURE & ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE: Class Meeting Lecture Topic 01/14 Class introduction & guide to using your textbook & online resources Readings from Feist & Rosenberg Updated Syllabus Handout 01/19 History of Psychology Chapter 1 Assignment Due #A Blackboard 01/21 Human Development 1 Chapter 5 #B Connect 01/26 Human Development 2 Chapter 5 #1 01/28 Motivation & Emotion Chapter 11 #2 02/02 Consciousness Chapter 6 #3 02/04 EXAM # 1 #4 02/09 Biology of Behavior 1 Chapter 3 02/11 Biology of Behavior 2 Chapter 3 02/16 Exam 1 Rehash #5 02/18 Sensation & Perception 1 Chapter 4 02/23 Sensation & Perception 2 Chapter 4 #6 02/25 Memory 1 Chapter 7 Paper Draft 1 03/02 Memory 2 Chapter 7 #7 03/04 Learning 1 Chapter 8 03/09 Learning 2 Chapter 8 #8 03/11 EXAM # 2 03/16 Language & Thought Chapter 9 03/18 Exam 2 Rehash #9 03/22-26 Spring Break 03/30 Intelligence, Problem Solving, Creativity Chapter 10 Paper Draft 2 04/01 Personality / Uniqueness Chapter 13 #10 04/06 Social Behavior Chapter 14 #11 04/08 EXAM # 3 #12 04/13 Stress & Health Chapter 12 04/15 Exam 3 Rehash #13 04/20 Psychological Disorders Chapter 15 04/22 Treatment of Psychological Disorders Chapter 16 #14 04/27 Research Methods Chapter 2 #15 04/29 Statistics Stats Primer #16 05/01 NO CLASS Final Draft 05/06 EXAM # 4 5