General Psychology - Course Syllabus PSY-001-4 Location: Murchison Gymnasium, Room 4 Fall Semester 2015 Time: MWF 8:00 9:05 a.m. Professor: Ronald E. See, PhD Office: Winter Hall 338 Phone: 805-565-7062 Office hours: MW 1:00 3:00 p.m. E-mail: rsee@westmont.edu or by appointment Required texts: 1) Gazzaniga, M., Heatherton, T., & Halpern, D. (2015). Psychological Science (5th edition). New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 2) American Psychological Association (2010). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. Recommended text: Moes, P., & Tellinghuisen, D.J. (2014). Exploring Psychology and Christian Faith: An Introductory Guide. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. ************* Romans 12:2: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. ************* Course Goals: General Psychology provides an introductory-level knowledge base in Psychological Science across all areas of the discipline. The course will introduce you to major theories, methods, and findings in Psychology and includes a strong emphasis on developing and applying critical thinking. The course will require you to develop reading and writing skills using the guidelines and style of the American Psychological Association (APA). The course will also explore the interface of Psychology and Christian faith. Completion of this course will provide a solid foundation for future courses in advanced areas of Psychology. GE Requirements Satisfied: This course meets the GE requirements for Common Inquiries: Exploring the Life Sciences. Course Policies Attendance. Students will be responsible for knowing the assigned course material and any announcements made during class meetings. In accordance with Westmont policy, you are allowed to miss a total of two class sessions during the semester. Students accruing more than six absences during the semester may be dropped from the class with a course grade of F. You will be responsible for making up any work missed by either excused or unexcused absences. Digital etiquette: This should be self-evident, but you should turn off your cellphone and/or other devices (ipods, etc.) before you enter the classroom. If you bring a laptop to class, it should only be used for taking notes pertinent to the class discussion and lecture. If you are engaged in other activity (e.g., browsing the web, playing games, updating Facebook, or texting), your mental absence will be counted as a physical absence. Such activities not only distract you, but they also distract others. If you often seem distracted by your laptop, I will ask you to put your laptop away. 1
Missed exams. A student who misses an examination without making prior arrangements with me will receive a score of 0 for that exam. Make-up exams may be scheduled ahead of time only under approved circumstances. You may not take the final exam at any time other than that scheduled for the course. Please verify your final exam schedule early in the semester for any potential conflicts. Late work. Assignments other than exams are due on the day specified in the schedule below. Assignments turned in after the due date will incur a 10% per day penalty. Academic honesty. All students will be held to the highest ideals of academic integrity. Any form of academic dishonesty will be dealt with as severely as allowed by the college, most likely a grade of F in the course and recommendation of dismissal from the college. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, plagiarism (see below), cheating, and falsification. Please refer to the College s policy on Academic Honesty. Plagiarism. According to the Westmont plagiarism policy document, To plagiarize is to present someone else's work his or her words, line of thought, or organizational structure as your own. This occurs when sources are not cited properly, or when permission is not obtained from the original author to use his or her work. Another person's "work" can take many forms: printed or electronic copies of computer programs, musical compositions, drawings, paintings, oral presentations, papers, essays, articles or chapters, statistical data, tables or figures, etc. In short, if any information that can be considered the intellectual property of another is used without acknowledging the original source properly, this is plagiarism. Please familiarize yourself with the entire Westmont College Plagiarism Policy. This document defines different levels of plagiarism and the penalties for each. It also contains very helpful information on strategies for avoiding plagiarism. The current plagiarism document can be found at: http://www.westmont.edu/_current_students/ (look under the Policies section). I also recommend the website: http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism-101/overview/ Participation in Research Studies You will participate in at least 3 studies that are pre-approved by the psychology department. The actual number will be determined later in the semester, based on the number of studies available. Although there is no point value associated with this requirement, it must be completed by the end of the 12th week of classes (Friday, November 20th by 5 p.m.) in order to attain a passing grade in the course. There are a number of reasons for this requirement. First, participating in experiments will extend your understanding of scientific methods, psychological phenomena, and the academic discipline of psychology. Second, your participation in research studies helps to advance the field of psychology. Third, Westmont faculty and students are trying to answer questions about human behavior, and they need your help to do so. Please sign up for experiments as they become available. Don't wait until you find a study that really piques your interest; that may not happen. Get in the habit of checking the experiments that are available by clicking on the link Research Study Sign Up for PSY 001 Students at the web page: http://www.westmont.edu/_academics/departments/psychology/subjectpool.html If you would rather not participate in any research studies, please see me for alternative assignments that can be completed instead. 2
Course Grading Exams: There will be three exams, each covering roughly one-third of the assigned readings and lectures. There will be no make-up exams without written justification from a doctor. These makeup exams will be all-essay in nature. Each exam will consist primarily of multiple-choice questions, but will also have short answer questions. Arriving late to exams will result in a failing grade on that exam. None of the exams are cumulative, except that later material naturally builds on earlier material. Exam material will be based on lecture, textbook, and reading assignment material. You will be responsible for all material in both the lectures and the textbook. Examination Schedule: Exam 1: October 2 Exam 2: November 6 Exam 3: December 15 (12:00-2:00 p.m.) Grading Criterion Three exams 75% (25% each) Article Summary Worksheet 5% Article Review Paper 15% Class Attendance and Participation 5% Subject Pool Participation pass/no pass (credit only for participation in 3 studies) Each assignment will be scored on a scale of 0 to 100 and then weighted according to the percentages listed above. The final course grade will be assigned using cut-point scores of 90, 80, 70, and 60 for grades of A, B, C, and D, respectively. + and scores will be assigned at the instructor s discretion. Writing Assignments There are two writing assignment for this course. For each assignment, you will need to first choose a topic or issue in Psychology that has personal interest for you. You will then select and read an original, empirical research article on this topic published in a peer-reviewed Psychology journal. You will need to find these articles using the PsychInfo database available through the Westmont library website. To qualify as empirical, your article needs to include statistical analyses and results. You should expect to spend some significant time finding and reading articles until you find the right one (e.g., interesting, relatively uncomplicated). Many articles are available in full text format, but some articles will need to be obtained via interlibrary loan, which can take a week or two, so please plan ahead. 1) Article Summary Worksheet: The goal of this first assignment is for you to learn the basic organization and editorial style (citing, quoting, bibliographic documentation) used in writing APA reports of original empirical research. To do this, you will complete a summary worksheet that will be provided on Eureka. Please submit both the original article and your worksheet in printed form and via email. This means that you will be emailing me a copy of your worksheet and.pdf version of your article, as well as printing both and submitting them in class. 2) Review of Published Empirical Study: For the second assignment, you will write a more detailed summary of an article using APA format. This involves composing a condensed version of your article, which you will write according to APA style. Successful completion of this assignment includes: Formatting and organizing your work using the APA Publication Manual (6th edition) guidelines to include: 3
a) A title page and author note (these should be unique to your paper, so do not reproduce the title and author note of your article). b) An abstract that summarizes your paper, not the original article. c) A body that includes an Introduction, Method, Participants, Materials, Results, and Discussion, each with appropriate headings for major sections and subsections. d) A reference section that cites the article you chose, but you do not need to reproduce the reference section of the original article since your paper is a summary of the one article you chose to review. Appropriate use of text citations when paraphrasing your article so it is clear throughout every paragraph that the information comes from your article (a single citation at the end of each paragraph is not sufficient). Clear, concise, and precise writing using APA editorial style. Please submit both the original article and your review in printed form and via email. This means that you will be emailing me a copy of your review and.pdf version of your article, as well as printing both and submitting them in class. Disability Services Students who have been diagnosed with a disability are strongly encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Services as early as possible to discuss appropriate accommodations for this course. Formal accommodations will only be granted for students whose disabilities have been verified by the Office of Disability Services. These accommodations may be necessary to ensure your equal access to this course. Please contact Sheri Noble, Director of Disability Services. (310A Voskuyl Library, 565-6186, snoble@westmont.edu) or visit the website for more information: http://www.westmont.edu/_offices/disability 4
FALL 2015 General Psychology (PSY 001-4) Schedule Week Date Topic Reading 1 August 31 Introduction & Overview Chapter 1 September 2 The Science of Psychology Chapter 1 September 4 The Science of Psychology Chapter 1 2 September 7 Research Methods Chapter 2 September 9 Research Methods Chapter 2 September 11 Research Methods Chapter 2 3 September 14 Biology & Behavior Chapter 3 September 16 Biology & Behavior Chapter 3 September 18 Biology & Behavior Chapter 3 4 September 21 Consciousness Chapter 4 September 23 Consciousness Chapter 4 September 25 Sensation & Perception Chapter 5 5 September 28 Sensation & Perception Chapter 5 September 30 Sensation & Perception Chapter 5 October 2 EXAM 1 Chapters 1-5 6 October 5 Learning Chapter 6 October 7 Learning Chapter 6 October 9 Learning Chapter 6 7 October 12 Fall Holiday NO CLASS October 14 Memory Chapter 7 October 16 Memory Chapter 7 APA Worksheet Due 8 October 19 Thinking & Intelligence Chapter 8 October 21 Thinking & Intelligence Chapter 8 October 23 Human Development Chapter 9 9 October 26 Human Development Chapter 9 October 28 Emotion & Motivation Chapter 10 October 30 Emotion & Motivation Chapter 10 10 November 2 Emotion & Motivation Chapter 10 November 4 Study day NO CLASS November 6 EXAM 2 Chapters 6-10 11 November 9 Health & Well-Being Chapter 11 November 11 Health & Well-Being Chapter 11 November 13 Social Psychology Chapter 12 5
12 November 16 Social Psychology Chapter 12 November 18 Personality Chapter 13 November 20 Personality Chapter 13 13 November 23 Psychological Disorders & Treatment Chapters 14 & 15 Writing Assignment Due November 25 Thanksgiving Break NO CLASS November 27 Thanksgiving Break NO CLASS 14 November 30 Psychological Disorders & Treatment Chapters 14 & 15 December 2 Psychological Disorders & Treatment Chapters 14 & 15 December 4 Psychological Disorders & Treatment Chapters 14 & 15 15 December 7 Film (Part 1) December 9 Film (Part 2) December 11 Study Day December 15 EXAM 3 (12:00-2:00 p.m.) Chapters 11-15 6
Learning Goals and Outcomes for PSY-001 The College and the Department each maintain separate but overlapping list of goals and outcomes for our students. Each psychology course is designed not only to develop the skills and knowledge appropriate to that course, but also to help students develop toward these goals. Although most of our courses are designed to contribute to all of our goals, some courses focus more particularly on one or a few. PSY-001 focuses on the specific departmental goals checked in the list below: Knowledge Base. Our students will be able to articulate both (a) the structure of the academic discipline of psychology and (b) the key elements of content within a wide variety of areas within psychology, integrating them with each other. Students will also be familiar with career/vocation options in psychology and psychology-related fields. PSY-001 s associated course learning outcomes are for students to demonstrate an understanding of the critical theoretical perspectives and methods of psychology, as well as familiarity with the primary content areas in psychology. Scientific Research Methods and Skills. Our students will be able to recognize, describe, and implement a variety of research methods and skills common to the psychological sciences. Written and Oral Communication. Our students will be able to write and speak in genres appropriate to the academic discipline of psychology. PSY-001 s associated learning outcome is for students to competently read psychological journal articles and develop familiarity writing according to APA style. Values and Character. Our students will value, appreciate, and welcome, through understanding and demonstrative action, a) scientific methods. Students will see empirical, evidence-based methods as essential and as complementary to other methods of knowing. b) ethics. Students will be committed to high ethical standards, including professional, discipline-specific domains and their own personal lives. c) faith. Students will be able to articulate the interactions between psychology and faith. d) openness to experience. Students will understand the importance and desirability of a diversity of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds (including ethnic, sociocultural, and gender diversity). They will embrace ambiguity, being comfortable without closure or definitive answers, and valuing questions as much as answers. Applications. Our students will apply psychological principles, knowledge, and skills to their own lives and to the transformation of their worlds. Domains to which these are applied include: a) personal (personal development, relationships, personal experience, etc.) b) community and societal/global concerns and issues c) integration with other academic disciplines The Psychology department has identified specific, assessable learning outcomes for each of the departmental goals (in parentheses below), and has associated each outcome with a college-wide goal (identified in bold below). Learning outcomes most pertinent to PSY-001 are checked in the list below: ü Knowledge Base: Demonstrate the ability to identify, recognize, or otherwise articulate key elements of content (e.g., core concepts, theories, and individuals) within a wide variety of areas in psychology. (Goal: Knowledge Base) 7
ü Competence in Written and Oral Communication: Write efficiently, creatively, and competently using APA style in both theoretical/review and research report genres. (Goal: Written and Oral Communication) ü Christian Understanding/Practices/Affections: Demonstrate ability to identify important contemporary areas of overlap between psychology and Christian theology and spirituality, and are both affectively positively disposed towards them and inclined towards practicing them. (Goal: Values and Character) ü Critical and Interdisciplinary Thinking: Demonstrate ability to recognize good vs. bad experimental designs, theories, and arguments in psychology, and also reasoning linking psychology to other disciplines. (Goal: Scientific Thinking, Methods, & Skills) ü Research and Information Literacy: Use disciplinary and general-purpose databases and search engines effectively and efficiently to refine research questions in psychology and identify extant answers within the literature; and they recognize and apply appropriate disciplinary methods to further address these questions. (Goal: Scientific Thinking, Methods, & Skills) ü Diversity and Global Awareness: Engage as active global citizens with an awareness of cultural diversity, one s own culture/s, and the responsibility of self towards others. (Goal: Values and Character) ü Active Societal/ Intellectual/ Engagement: Engage as active agents in their local communities, bringing their intellectual and academic abilities and interests to bear on improving the lives of those around them. (Goal: Applications) ü Creative Expression: Recognize the creative aspects of theory construction, experimental design, application and collaborative work in psychology, and demonstrate such creativity in their own disciplinary work. (Goal: Scientific Thinking, Methods, & Skills) We encourage students to visit the departmental web page and talk with their academic advisors for more information about learning outcomes and goals, and about the structure of our curriculum. 8