PSYCH 101: Introduction to Psychology Spring 2008 Meeting time Location Instructor Office Email Course website Course email Teaching assistants CORY SECRIST TA fellow Office: Guthrie 10B Wed. 12:30-1:20pm 11:30am-12:20pm Monday-Friday Kane 120 ANN VOORHIES, PH.D. Guthrie 218; Tuesday and Thursday 12:30-1:30pm and by appointment anncv@u.washington.edu http://courses.washington.edu/psyc101b/ psyc101b@u.washington.edu MICHELE BEDARD Graduate TA Office: Guthrie 10B Mon. 10:30-11:20am CHRISTEINE TERRY Graduate TA Office: Guthrie Annex 1, Rm. 130 Mon. 3-4pm TRACI FELLER UGTA/CLUE instructor MGH 251 Thurs. 8-9:30pm Required reading: Myers, D.G. (2008) Exploring Psychology, 7th ed. New York: Worth Publishers. Other resources: Class note outlines, lecture podcasts, and other optional resources are available on the course website. Email: Check your email at least once per day. Schedule changes and important information will be communicated via email. Please turn off all cell phones and digital devices* BEFORE the start of class. Taking phone calls and text messaging during class are rude and disruptive behaviors that will not be tolerated. If a family emergency necessitates having access to your phone, keep it on vibrate, and inform me before class starts. *Recording devices are permitted. Laptop computers are permitted in the back 2-3 rows of the classroom. Anyone disrupting class from anywhere in the room will be asked to leave. Disabled students: To request academic accommodations due to a disability, contact Disabled Student Services, 448 Schmitz Hall, (543-8924: V/TDD). Provide me with a letter from DSS indicating the accommodations required, so that we can discuss your needs for the class. Note on attendance: Please do not ask for permission to miss class, leave early, or arrive late. You are responsible for your attendance and for any information you miss by not attending class. If you miss all or part of class, it is your responsibility to get the information you need from another student in the class. Course Description: Introduction to Psychology is a survey of the scientific study of behavior, including learning and memory, language, cognition, perception, personality, social and abnormal behavior, and the research methods used to study behavior. Classes will consist primarily of lectures and short films. Because of the vast amount of information in this dynamic field, and the brevity of the quarter, we will be moving very quickly through a lot of material. You are expected to have done the readings before class, so that you are prepared. It is recommended that you make use of the quizzes throughout the textbook and on the website that accompanies the text (http://bcs.worthpublishers.com/exploring7e/) as preparation for the midterms. Some material will be covered by both the textbook and lecture; however, some lecture material and reading content will be independent of the other. All material will be reflected on the exams. Therefore it is very important for you to attend class and keep up with the reading. Course Goals: 1. Knowledge of psychology: This course will introduce the major approaches to the study of behavior, the research process, major contributions and issues in psychology, general psychological concepts and terminology, and applications of historical and contemporary psychological discoveries. 2. Critical scientific thinking: This course will promote intellectual curiosity about human and animal behavior, increase appreciation for the scientific method, uncover faulty or biased ideas, and develop students’ ability to critically evaluate scientific information. 3. Everyday application: This course will increase students’ understanding of how psychological principles apply to everyday life. Grading: Tests There will be 5 midterms throughout the quarter. Each midterm will be worth 50 points. Midterms will be based on lectures and all assigned readings. In addition to the 5 midterms, there will be a cumulative, 50 point final, given on June 11, 2008 at 2:30-4:20pm. There will be NO MAKE-UP TESTS and NO FINALS GIVEN EARLY. Please read the following policy carefully: IF you have taken all 5 midterms, you are exempt from the final and may opt not to take it. (Note: if you have summer plans that require leaving before the final, you MUST take all 5 midterms.) IF you have missed a midterm, you are required to take the final. IF you have taken all 5 midterms and wish to take the final, your lowest test grade will be dropped. This policy is designed to give every student the right and responsibility to determine when and why a test might be missed. Accordingly, it is also class policy that you should not contact me regarding a missed test. Appeals If you feel that an answer marked as incorrect is legitimately correct, you may submit an appeal in writing. To have your appeal considered, please note the following: Submit a carefully thought out, typed explanation of which question you got wrong and why you feel that the answer you selected is correct. You must justify your answer with information from the notes or reading. Rebuttals containing the words "In my opinion" will not be considered. I am happy to consider all facts presented, but this is not debate class. You are not tested on your opinions. I will consider all appeals adhering to the instructions above, but cannot guarantee a change in your grade. All appeals are due no later than one week (7 days) following the posting of test grades, and may be submitted in person or via email. You are responsible for keeping track of how you are doing in the course. I recommend you keep a running total of your points as the quarter progresses. Points earned Test 1 (50 pts) Test 2 (50 pts) Test 3 (50 pts) Test 4 (50 pts) Test 5 (50 pts) Final exam (50 pts) Possible points total = 250 Total = Grading Scale Your final grade will be calculated from the total points on your 5 highest test scores. Your grade will be determined as follows: Score = (Points / 250) * 100 Decimal score = (Score - 55) / 10 For example, a total of 300 points would result in a score of: (235 / 250) * 100 = 94 The decimal score, reported to the registrar, would be: (94 - 55) / 10 = 3.9 This scale results in a 95% = 4.0, with a 0.1 decrease for every 1 percentage point below 95. Extra credit An addition of up to 0.3 grade points may be earned through participation in the Psychology Subject Pool. By volunteering as a research subject, you will earn 0.1 grade point per 2 hours of participation, up to a maximum of 0.3 grade points for 6 hours. More information will be presented at the start of class on 3/8, and is available at http://web.psych.washington.edu/subjectpool/index.html. Class Schedule Date Assigned reading Lecture Topic Introduction & Scientific Method Week 1 Lecture M-F 3/31 - 4/4 Chapter 1 Week 2 Lecture Activity M-F W 4/7-4/11 4/9 Chapter 2 Brain and behavior Questionnaire day Week 3 Exam Lecture M T-F 4/14 4/15 - 4/18 Ch. 1 & 2 Chapter 4 Test 1 Development Week 4 Lecture M-F 4/21 - 4/25 Chapter 5 Sensation and Perception Week 5 Exam Lecture M T-F 4/28 4/29 - 5/2 Ch. 4 & 5 Chapter 6 Test 2 States of consciousness Week 6 Lecture M-F 5/5 - 5/9 Chapter 7 & 8 Learning & Memory Week 7 Exam Lecture M T-F 5/12 5/13 - 5/16 Ch. 6-8 pp. 299-330 Test 3 Language & Intelligence Week 8 Lecture M-F 5/19 - 5/23 Chapter 12 Personality Week 9 No class Exam Lecture M T W-F 5/26 5/27 5/28 - 5/30 pp. 299-330, Ch. 12 Chapter 15 Memorial day Test 4 Social psychology Week 10 Lecture Exam M-Th F 6/2 - 6/5 6/6 Chapter 13 Ch. 13 & 15 Psychological disorders Test 5 Final Exam W 6/11 Cumulative 2:30-4:20pm