1
Introduction to Psychology - PSYC 1315-009
Spring 2015
Tuesday & Thursday 5:30-6:50pm
Life Science Building 122
Instructor Information:
Instructor: Meredith Hartzell, M.S.
Office: LS 302
E-mail: meredith.hartzell@mavs.uta.edu
Office Hours:
3:30-4:30 pm Tuesdays (also available by appointment)
Required Text:
King, L. A. (2014). The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View. (3nd Ed.)
New York, NY: McGraw Hill.
There is a study guide available for this text. It is not required, but it may be
helpful.
Course Description
The course is a general survey of the various areas of psychology and is
intended to provide scientific basis for understanding thoughts, emotions, and
behavior. The course is designed to interest and meet the needs of both majors
and non-majors, and satisfies the University of Texas at Arlington core
curriculum requirement in social and behavioral sciences. As such, it contains
core objectives in critical thinking, communication, empirical and quantitative
reasoning, and social responsibility.
Course Learning Objectives & Goals
Instructional goals are directed toward enabling students to recognize and
recall basic facts, and describe major concepts and terminology in several areas
of psychology. The materials will cover research, theories, and applications of a
wide range of psychological concepts, and will be designed to translate into and
assess competencies in scientific and critical thinking, communication,
empirical and quantitative reasoning, and social responsibility.
Upon completion of this course, students will:
•
•
•
•
•
Be familiar with key psychological theories
Understand the basic principles of psychological research
Be aware of the various sub-disciplines in psychology
Have a basic understanding when reading and evaluating psychology articles
Understand how psychology can be applied to our everyday lives
2
In addition, this course satisfies the University of Texas at Arlington core
curriculum requirement in social and behavioral sciences, which contains the
following core objectives and learning outcomes:
• Critical thinking skills: creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis,
evaluation, and synthesis of information
• Communication skills: effective development, interpretation, and expression
of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication
• Empirical and quantitative skills: manipulation and analysis of numerical
data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions
• Social responsibility: intercultural competence, knowledge of civic
responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and
global communities
Attendance It is your responsibility to attend class and be on time. Attendance
will be periodically monitored. There will be 3 randomly chosen days where
students can have 2 points extra credit added to their grade if they are
present in class.
Exams
There will be 4 equally weighted exams. Each exam will consist of 20 multiplechoice questions, 10 matching questions, 10 fill in the blank questions, and 10
short answer questions, and total 100 points. The Core Curriculum objectives
(critical thinking, communication, empirical and quantitative reasoning, and
social responsibility) will be assessed in our regularly-scheduled exams.
Completion of these questions are required in order to fulfill the Core
Curriculum objectives. Exam dates are listed in the tentative schedule section
of this syllabus. Material on the exams will be based upon information
contained in the text as well as information presented in the lecture.
You are expected to be in class on time for exams. Exams will not be given to
late students after the first completed exam has been turned in. If you
arrive after the first exam has been turned in, you will not be allowed to take
the exam. Students who are absent on the day of an exam due to an absence
authorized by the University, or for circumstances beyond their control (such
as illness, death, etc) with appropriate documentation, must contact the
instructor as soon as possible, but no later than one week, for information
regarding a make-up.
I will not go over examinations in-depth in class, and I will not email grades.
Grades will be posted on Blackboard. It is your responsibility to obtain access
to your grades via Blackboard.
Research Participation Requirement
Students enrolled in Psyc 1315 MUST complete a 6 hour research participation
requirement. This requirement may be satisfied by serving as a participant in
3
psychological research or by preparing brief summaries of published research
in journals or some combination of the two options. Please refer to the
department website for more details. Summaries must be submitted by the
last class meeting. Points are NOT added to the course grade for completion of
the research participation requirement. Failure to meet this requirement will
result in an Incomplete.
Grading Policy
There are a total of 400 possible points for this course. Grades are based on
the total number of points accumulated over the course of the semester. Any
course work not completed by the last day of class (Thursday, May 7th) will be
converted to a ‘0’. If you are taking the course PASS/FAIL, you must have at
least 280 points (70%) to pass.
Remember that you have the opportunity to earn up to 6 extra credit points
through attendance taken at the discretion of the professor.
POINTS REQUIRED TO RECEIVE A GIVEN LETTER GRADE
A = 360-400 points
B = 320-359 points
C = 280-319 points
D = 240-279 points
F = 0 – 239 points
Drop Policy
Students may drop or swap (adding and dropping a class concurrently) classes
through self-service in MyMav from the beginning of the registration period through
the late registration period. After the late registration period, students must see their
academic advisor to drop a class or withdraw. Undeclared students must see an
advisor in the University Advising Center. Drops can continue through a point twothirds of the way through the term or session. For the Spring 2015 semester, the last
day for undergraduates to drop a course is April 3d. It is the student's responsibility
to officially withdraw if they do not plan to attend after registering. Students will not
be automatically dropped for non-attendance. Repayment of certain types of
financial aid administered through the University may be required as the result of
dropping classes or withdrawing. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more
information.
Americans with Disabilities Act: The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as
being committed to both the spirit and letter of all federal equal opportunity
legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All instructors at UT
Arlington are required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to students
with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Any student
requiring an accommodation for this course must provide the instructor with official
4
documentation in the form of a letter certified by the staff in the Office for Students
with Disabilities, University Hall 102. Only those students who have officially
documented a need for an accommodation will have their request honored.
Information regarding diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining disability-based
academic accommodations can be found at www.uta.edu/disability or by calling the
Office for Students with Disabilities at (817) 272-3364.
Academic Integrity: It is the philosophy of The University of Texas at
Arlington that academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of
conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic
dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and
procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the
University. According to the UT System Regents’ Rule 50101, §2.2, "Scholastic
dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the
submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or
in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act
designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such
acts."
In addition, all students are expected to adhere to the UTA honor code, which
states that: “I pledge, on my honor, to uphold UT Arlington’s tradition of academic integrity, a
tradition that values hard work and honest effort in the pursuit of academic excellence.
I promise that I will submit only work that I personally create or contribute to group collaborations,
and I will appropriately reference any work from other sources. I will follow the highest standards of
integrity and uphold the spirit of the Honor Code.”
Student Support Services Available: The University of Texas at Arlington
provides a variety of resources and programs designed to help students develop
academic skills, deal with personal situations, and better understand concepts
and information related to their courses. These resources include tutoring,
major-based learning centers, developmental education, advising and
mentoring, personal counseling, and federally funded programs. For
individualized referrals to resources for any reason, students may contact the
Maverick Resource Hotline at 817-272-6107 or visit www.uta.edu/resources
for more information.
Electronic Communication Policy: The University of Texas at Arlington has
adopted the University “MavMail” address as the sole official means of
communication with students. MavMail is used to remind students of
important deadlines, advertise events and activities, and permit the University
to conduct official transactions exclusively by electronic means. For example,
important information concerning registration, financial aid, payment of bills,
and graduation are now sent to students through the MavMail system. All
students are assigned a MavMail account. Students are responsible for
checking their MavMail regularly. Information about activating and using
5
MavMail is available at http://www.uta.edu/oit/email/. There is no additional
charge to students for using this account, and it remains active even after they
graduate from UT Arlington. To obtain your NetID or for logon assistance, visit
https://webapps.uta.edu/oit/selfservice/. If you are unable to resolve your
issue from the Self-Service website, contact the Helpdesk at helpdesk@uta.edu.
Important emails regarding class information will be sent to students through
Blackboard. It is your responsibility to regularly check Blackboard for such
emails, or set up Blackboard to forward emails to an email account that you
regularly use. All email communication to me should be sent directly to us at
efarris@uta.edu; meredith.hartzell@mavs.uta.edu and not through Blackboard.
6
Tentative Class Schedule
Date
January 20
January 22
March 19
March 24 & 26
March 31 & April 2
April 7 & 9
April 14
April 16
Topic
What is psychology?
Psychology’s Scientific
Method
Biological Foundations of
Behavior
Sensation & Perception
States of Consciousness
Exam 1
Motivation and Emotion
Human Development
Learning
Memory
Spring Break – No Class
Thinking, Intelligence, &
Language
Exam 2
Personality
Psychological Disorders
Therapy
I/O Psychology
Exam 3
April 21 & 23
April 28 & 30
May 5 & 7
May 12
Gender, Sex, & Sexuality
Health Psychology
Social Psychology
Final Exam
January 27 & 29
February 3 & 5
February 10
February 12
February 17
February 19
February 24 & 26
March 3 & 5
March 10 & 12
March 17
Reading/Assignment
Syllabus / Ch. 1
Ch. 2
Ch. 3
Ch. 4
Ch. 5
Ch. 1 - 5
Ch. 10
Ch. 9
Ch. 6
Ch. 7
Ch. 8
Ch. 6-10
Ch. 12
Ch. 15
Ch. 16
Ch. 14
Ch. 10, 12, 14, 15, 16
Ch.
Ch.
Ch.
Ch. 11,
11
17
13
13, 17