Jackson College
Introduction to Psychology
PSY 140 08
Fall 2015
Number of Course Credits:
Days Class Meets:
Meeting Times:
Location:
4 Credit Hours
Tuesday September 8-December 15, 2015
6:00PM-9:52PM
Justin Whiting Hall, RM 203
Instructor:
Office:
Contact Phone:
Contact Email:
Office Hours:
Elizabeth Rudolph MA, LLP
TBA
269-832-8803
rudolphelizabea@jccmi.edu
By Appointment
Course Description:
Overview of the field of psychology, including learning, development, emotion, motivation,
personality, abnormal behavior and psychotherapy. (From JC Catalog 2013-2014).
Prerequisite(s):
Prerequisites: ENG 085* and ENG 090*
Course Goals:
As a result of taking this course, you should be able to:
1. Define psychology and explain how the focus of psychology is different from that of
other social and biological sciences.
2. Describe the major features of the scientific method and explain the steps and key
considerations in research.
3. Define basic psychological terminology and explain important features of major
psychological concepts and theories.
4. Identify leading contributors to the field of psychology and describe their work.
5. Explain how biological, psychological, and social factors can affect behavior.
6. Identify and describe specific psychological principles in real life situations.
7. Critically analyze information about human behavior and distinguish between
conclusions supported by scientific evidence and conclusions based on nonscientific
ways of knowing.
8. Recognize real-life situations that may require professional psychological help and know
how to use community resources to find help when needed
Performance Objectives:
The college faculties have designated certain transcendent skills that we believe should be acquired
as a result of the student taking specific course work at JC. Specifically, after taking Psychology
140 the student will be able to:
1. Comprehend, analyze, apply and evaluate the use of relevant psychological terminology relation
to psychological methodology, learning theory, physiological psychology and neuroscience, human
development, personality and psychopathology. Critically evaluate the results of psychological
research as evidenced by identification of relevant causal variables and alternatives extraneous
variables. ADO #5 (Understanding Human Behavior and Social System) proficient
2. Distinguish between appropriate evidence, assumptions, bias, hidden
values: expand vocabulary, pose questions and new concepts, and
understand correlation and that multiple factors impact psychology. ADO #7 (Critical Thinking)
proficient.
Textbook:
Required Textbook:
Psychology, D. Myers, 2013 10th Edition.
Worth Publishing ISBN-13 978-1-4641-0217-2
Grading Procedure:
Exams will consist of questions generated from your textbook and will consist of short answer, fill in
the blank, and essay questions. Grades will be posted on Jet Net.
Grading Scale:
Points Available:
4 Exams…………………………….... 100 Points Each………….. 400 Points Possible
1 Group Presentation………….……..50 Points Each……..………50 Points Possible
1 Ice Breaker Project………………...25 Points Each……………
25 Points Possible
Genogram…………………………….50 Points Each……………….50 Points possible
Participation………………………….
10% of grade
Homework……………………………10 Points each…………
Data Collection Activities……………50 Points each………………...100 Points possible
Reaction Papers……………………….25 Points each………………..50 Points possible
Grading Scale
100-90%=A thru A89-80%=B+ thru B79-70%=C+ thru C69-60%=D+ thru D59 and Below=E
If you are on the border of being on a + or – grade, I will look at attendance and participation to
decide your grade.
Academic Honesty Policy:
Academic honesty is expected of all students. It is the ethical behavior that includes producing their
own work and not representing others’ work as their own, either by plagiarism, by cheating or by
helping others to do so. Plagiarism is the failure to give credit for the use of material from outside
sources. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:
• Using data, quotations, or paraphrases from other sources
without adequate documentation
• Submitting others’ work as your own
• Exhibiting other behaviors generally considered unethical.
Cheating is obtaining answers/material from an outside source without authorization. Cheating
includes, but is not limited to:
• Plagiarizing in all forms
• Using notes/books without authorization
• Copying
• Submitting others’ work as your own or submitting your
work for others
• Altering graded work
• Falsifying data
• Exhibiting other behaviors generally considered unethical
Course Management:
Grades will be posted on Jet Net. Please monitor your grades and ask for help if you feel you are
falling behind.
The “I” grade will be considered when the student’s work is sufficient in quality but not
quantity. It is based upon 75% attendance, quality work as determined by the instructor,
and a sufficient reason not to complete the course. An I grade may be removed by
completing the course requirements prior to the end of the next semester. If the necessary
work is not completed on time, the I grade will remain on the student’s transcript as a
permanent grade.
The W grade is awarded to students who decide to withdraw from the course prior to the
end of the semester. You, the student, must officially withdraw by completing a withdrawal form on
or before the official withdrawal date.
Course Content will be posted on JetNet, Twitter and Facebook. Please stay connected in order to
keep up to date with most pertinent information. Class cancellations will also be disseminated via
these three outlets.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1472351546399386/
Twitter: @rudolphelizabea (follow for feed with class updates, articles, and information
Jet Net
***Please make sure that you understand the implications of withdrawing from a class. This could
impact your financial aid and/or health insurance status. If your employer is paying for class, this
could result in a repayment by you to them.
Ask for help if you need it.
Makeup Policy:
Make up exams will only be allowed in emergency circumstances. If a make-up exam is required, it
may not be in the same form that the original was given and may include more essay and shortanswer type questions. Please call me as soon as possible if you are not able to attend class on the
day of an exam.
Center for Student Success
The Center for Student Success provides tutoring, a drop-in lab staffed by professional and
peer tutors, and computer-aided instruction. They also provide learning support and
accommodation services for students with special needs. Tutoring is free of charge to all
JC students. Tutoring is available on a drop-in basis or by appointment in Jacskon and
Adrian and by appointment in Hillsdale. Please direct students to CSS in Jackson (BW
123) or the Main Offices of JC @ LISD TECH and Hillsdale LeTarte to be connected with a
tutor.
Students with Disabilities:
Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are
encouraged to contact the office of Learning Support Services at 787-0800, extension 8270/8553 as
soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Calendar:
Sept 8-First Day of Class-Review of Syllabus, Prologue Chapter in book, assignment of groups,
assignments of Icebreaker dates.
Sept 15 -Chapter 1-Instructor Icebreaker
Sept 22 -Chapter 2
Sept 29-Chapter 3
Oct 6 –Chapter 4
Oct 13 –Chapter 5 Exam 1 (Chapters Prologue-4)
Oct 20-Chapter 6
Oct 27–Chapter 7
Nov 3 -Chapter 8
Nov 10-Chapter 9 Exam 2 (Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8)
Mar 17-Chapter 10
Nov 24-Chapter 12
Dec 1 – Chapter 13,14
Dec 8- Chapter 15,16 (Exam 3, Chapters 9, 10, 12, 13, 14)
Dec 15- Quiz (Chapters 15 & 16) Group Presentations
Exams: There will be four Exams during the semester. We will have an informal review,
but will for the most part, review all along. Unless there is a real emergency, exams will
need to be taken on the designated date.
Group Presentations: Groups of 5 to 6 students will complete a PowerPoint and present
it to the class. Presentations will be graded on creativity and content. All members of the
group are expected to participate. Group members can let me know of an issue during the
course of the semester and we will try to resolve it. On the last day of class, all members
are able to fill out an evaluation of each member’s participation.
Ice Breaker Activity: Students will be placed in groups of two and will present an
icebreaker activity for the class to complete. There will be two activities a session. One at
the beginning of class, and the other will be right after the midpoint break. Two separate
groups should go each week. www.wilderdom.com is a great website to find icebreakers.
Participation: Will be graded by participation in class, and the participation activities that
will be turned in during class. The Participation grade also includes the attendance grade.
You will lose overall participation points by excessively talking in class, texting, and
participating in other activities other than class work on computers during lecture.
Homework: There will be homework and it will be required to be turned in the next class
session. Any late homework will lose 5 pts.
Genogram: Each student will complete a Genogram. This is different from a family tree.
We will start this project during the Lifespan chapter.
Data Collection Activities: There will be a data collection activity that will be required.
This will be discussed in more detail in class.
*Please note that calendar timelines and assignments are an approximation and could be changed.
I will do my best to keep to the schedule, and if there is a change, I will give you as much notice as
possible.
College Closings:
Please check the JC website, or listen to WCSR Radio 92.1 Hillsdale, WVIC Radio 94.1
Jackson/Lansing, WNWN Radio 98.5 FM Jackson Battle Creek, WUFN Radio 96.7FM
Jackson/Albion.
Student Responsibilities:
BE COURTEOUS OF OTHERS. My biggest pet peeve is people talking while I am trying to
teach, or when other students are trying to present their ideas. Everyone is spending their
time and money to take this class and it is not fair when people infringe on that. If you are
disruptive in class, you will be asked to leave. We are all adults, and I feel that we should all
be past the point of me having to tell students to be quiet.
It is your responsibility to be prepared for class. Please read the assigned reading before each
class meeting and have any due homework ready when you arrive. Arrive to class on time and
prepared.
-Please cut cell phones off or place on silent during classroom time-DO
NOT TEXT
DURING CLASS TIME. Everytime I see you texting, you will lose 4
points on your overall grade. If you need to text or talk, please leave the
classroom to do so.
-Use your laptop for notes only. If you are surfing, socializing (FaceBook, Twitter, etc.) you will
be asked to put it away or leave. This can be very distracting to other students.
We will do some group work in class, and you will have an opportunity to work on your group
presentations in class. All students in the group are required to participate equally.
Attendance Policy:
Students are expected to attend every scheduled class meeting. If for some reason, you are not able
to attend or have an emergency, please call and leave me a message.
If there is severe weather and the college is not closed, please use your best judgment on whether or
not to attend.
Please consult JC’s webpage to confirm closings.
Check http://www.JCmi.edu/info/closings.htm for a list of radio stations that may report JC’s closings. You
can also call 517-787-0800.
I hope you enjoy this class. Psychology can be fun. I myself enjoy it very much
and hope you will as well. I will share my stories and I want you to feel free to
share yours too. We all have something to learn from one another!
Social Media
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1472351546399386/
Twitter: @rudolphelizabea (follow feed for class updates, articles, and information)
Please note that this syllabus and schedule are subject to change in the case of school closings,
professor illness, or any other unforeseeable emergency situation.
Some information for this syllabus was taken from previous PSY 140 syllabi