Dr. Philip Schatz
Saint Joseph's University
Introductory Psychology (Psy 1001 – 152)
Fall, 2004
Monday & Thursday: 1:00 – 2:15 PM; BEL 14
Course Description: Introductory Psychology is an introduction to the basic concepts,
methods, and problems associated with the scientific investigation of human and animal
behavior. Although this course is primarily conducted on a lecture basis, students are
encouraged to actively participate in classroom discussions and demonstrations as well
as to ask questions and make relevant comments throughout the semester.
Faculty Information:
Dr. Philip Schatz,
Assistant Professor of Psychology,
222 Post Hall,
Phone: 610.660.1804,
email: pschatz@sju.edu
Office hours: MW 11-12, Th 10-12, By Appointment
Class Web Site: http://schatz.sju.edu/intro/
Assigned Textbooks:
Kalat. J.W. Introduction to Psychology. Wadsworth Publishers, ISBN 053462460X
Attendance Policy: Classroom attendance is not monitored, but you are expected to
attend class and to be responsible for all of the materials covered in both lecture and
the text. Lectures are designed to complement but NOT review the assigned reading
materials, and your exams will emphasize lecture materials. Attendance is strongly
recommended, as neither your lectures nor your exams will be “straight from the text”.
If you are unable to attend class it will be advisable for you to make arrangements with
another student to acquire and review the lecture notes; I will not re-teach material to
compensate or “catch you up” for missed lectures. Do not contact me if you will be
unable to attend a single class. In the event that you will be absent for a significant
portion of class lectures or will miss an exam, contact me PRIOR to the exam.
Please arrive to class on time. I will generally begin class promptly at 1:00, and allow a
few minutes for open discussion and questions. Given the layout of the room, it is
disruptive to enter the classroom once the class has started. Once in class, please
make sure all cell phones and other telecommunication devices are turned off. Finally,
this is not an environment for sleeping. I do not encourage or appreciate naps during
class, so if you feel the need to catch up on lost sleep, please do so elsewhere, or risk
being woken up during a good dream.
Grading: During the semester you can earn up to 300 points. Three exams (100
points each) will be worth 300 points. Your final grade will be determined by the total of
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Schatz – Fall 2004
your points, divided by 300. An optional assignment is available, should you wish to
improve your grade on one examination. Extra credit will not be available.
Make-up exams will only be given under extreme circumstances; the reason for your
absence must be documented (i.e., a note from a doctor). Make-up exams will be
essay/short answer exams. Any unexcused exam absence will result in the score of
0%. Excused make-up examinations must be scheduled within one week of the original
examination date. There is no opportunity for extra-credit projects.
Assignments and Evaluations: You are expected to be familiar with the readings
assigned for a given topic prior to class lectures, as well as participate in the
discussions of the topics. Numerous exercises, including study guides, journal readings,
computer simulation software, and Internet-based assignments will be provided to
enhance the classroom experience.
Three non-cumulative examinations will be scheduled. Each examination will typically
consist of approximately 50 multiple-choice questions, which will cover materials from
both lecture and text.
As an option, you may choose to complete one additional assignment: an
Internet/video assignment. This assignment is designed to assist you in integrating
information covered in the course to applications in real world situations. The topic web
and video assignment must compliment each other, and must reflect the content of a
topic covered in the course. For example, should you choose to view “Rain Man”, the
complementary web Bibliography should be on the topic of Autism. You are required to
do both a movie review and web bibliography. The average between your grade on this
assignment and one exam grade will replace one exam grade from this semester. For
example, a grade of 70 on an exam and a grade of 90 on the assignment will result in a
grade of 80 on the exam (70+90/2=80). Once again, this is an optional assignment.
Video Summary: You are to choose one movie/video from the recommended viewing
list and provide no less than one full page summary of the topic viewed (and no more
than three pages). This should not be a summary of the entire movie. Rather, you
should summarize the manner in which the video addressed the particular topic or
disorder, as well as providing factual information about that topic or disorder. If you feel
an alternate video would be appropriate, discuss this with me prior to completing the
assignment. All summaries must be must be typed and double-spaced.
Web/Internet Bibliography: Using the topic which complements the Video/Movie,
perform an Internet Search and provide an “Annotated Bibliography” on the topic
selected. This should include no less than 10 unique Internet sites related to the topic
(2 or 3 pages from the same site is not acceptable) with no less than a paragraph
explaining each site with regard to relevance, usefulness, audience, content, etc. You
should provide a final rating of the site on a scale of 1-10. A sample web bibliography
is provided on-line. Submissions must be typed and double-spaced.
Topic Selection and Due date: Prior to completing this assignment you must first
have approval. You may speak to me in class, but must send an e-mail with the name
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Schatz – Fall 2004
of the movie and the topic (disorder or sub-area of psychology); I will respond with an
approval letter,. The Video/Web assignment is due within two weeks of approval, and
within three after the examination for which you are replacing the grade. Under no
circumstances will this assignment be accepted the class prior to the final examination.
As stated before, the assignment should complement one of the topics within
psychology.
Tentative List of Videos for Viewing:
Biological Basis of Behavior
Awakenings
Rain Man
Regarding Henry
My Left Foot
Shine
Consciousness
Altered States
Social Psychology
12 Angry Men
Citizen Cane
Nell
Abnormal Psychology
Sybil
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Three Faces of Eve
Mr. Jones
Jacob’s Ladder
A Beautiful Mind
Psychological Treatment
What About Bob?
Nuts
The Snake Pit
The Prince of Tide
Good Will Hunting
Academic Honesty: Any student who is caught cheating on any examination or assignment
will automatically fail the course and will be reported to the Academic Honesty Board. Please
make sure that you are familiar with the recently adopted Academic Honesty Policy of Saint
Joseph’s University, which is published in the annual academic catalog.
Additional Resources
If you have a documented disability (learning, physical, psychological) for which you are or
may be requesting reasonable academic adjustments, you are encouraged to contact Services
for Students with Disabilities, Room 113 Science Center, 610-660-1774 or 610-660-1620 as
early as possible in the semester.
Psy 1001 –101
Schatz – Fall 2004
Lecture Syllabus: Psy 1001-101; Fall, 2004
Week of
Topic
Reading
Sept 30
Intro / Roots and Branches / Ethics
Chapters 1,2
Sept 6
(No Class Monday) Biological Bases of Behavior
Chapter 3
Sept 13
Biological Bases of Behavior / Sensation & Perception
Chapters 3,4
Sept 20
Sensation & Perception / Consciousness
Chapters 4,5
Sept 27
Consciousness / Exam #1 (Thursday Sept 30th)
Ch. 1,2,3,4,5
Oct 4
Learning
Chapter 6
Oct 11
Memory
Chapter 7
Oct 18
(No Class Monday) Thinking / Intelligence
Chapters 8,9
Oct 25
Intelligence, Motivation
Chapter 9,11
Nov 1
Motivation / Exam #2 (Thursday Nov 4th)
Ch. 6,7,8,9,11
Nov 8
Development / Personality
Chapter 10
Nov 15
TBA
Nov 22
Personality (No Class Thursday)
Chapter 13
Nov 29
Abnormal / Treatment
Chapters 15,16
Dec 6
Social Psychology
Chapter 14
Dec13
Review
Finals Week Final Examination:
Date to be announced during the semester.
Ch. 10,13,14,15,16