Syllabus for Introduction to Psychology: Developmental and Social Psychology (PSYC 002) 1. Course Information Semester Class Time Class Location Winter 2016 Tuesdays & Thursdays 8:10 AM – 9:30 AM UNLH 1000 Instructor Instructor’s Office Hours Course website Required Textbook (free!) Required Device Dr. Rachel Wu, rachelwuteaching@gmail.com Tues 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM, Thurs 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Psychology 1133 (No office hours Feb 18 or Finals week) UCR iLearn, https://sites.google.com/site/intropsych2/ Psychology (2014), OpenStax College, by Dr. Rose M. Spielman et al. https://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/psychology/pdf H-­ITT iCue Clicker or SoftClick Subscription 2. Teaching Assistants Name Seth Margolis Lisa Walsh Russell Cohen-­Hoffing Kirsten Lesage Kristen Rudd Julia Revord Danae Khorasani Sections 39, 40, 41 (Wednesday) 21, 22, 23 (Monday) 27, 28, 29 (Monday) 33, 34, 35 (Wednesday) 42, 43, 44 (Wednesday) 36, 37, 38 (Wednesday) 24, 25, 26 (Monday) Email seth.margolis@email.ucr.edu lisa.walsh@email.ucr.edu russell.cohenhoffing@email.ucr.edu kirsten.lesage@email.ucr.edu kristen.rudd@email.ucr.edu julia.revord@email.ucr.edu danae.gmuer-­
johnson@email.ucr.edu Office Hours Tues 3-­5 PM, OLMH 2107 Tues 10-­12 PM, OLMH 2107 Mon 12-­2 PM, PSYC 1321 Mon 2-­4 PM, PSYC 1323 Tues 1-­3 PM, OLMH 3342 Thu 3-­5 PM, OLMH 2107 Tues 1-­3 PM, PSYC 1321 3. Course Description Student Learning Outcomes. After completing this course you should be able to 1. demonstrate familiarity with major concepts, theoretical perspectives, and empirical findings in developmental and social psychology. 2. understand basic research methods in psychology. 3. respect and use critical thinking, skeptical inquiry, and, when possible, use the scientific approach to solve problems related to behavior and mental processes. 4. understand and apply psychological principles to personal and social issues. 5. weigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity, and understand that behavior is based on multiple factors. 4. Course Requirements and Expectations Psychology is both an easy and a difficult course. It is easy because the topic is inherently interesting, and something with which everyone has some basic experience. However, it is difficult because there are many different topics to cover in this course. In order to do well in the course, you should expect to attend lectures and discussion sections regularly, and to take notes in these classes. You will also need to read the textbook. We will not be rehashing the textbook in lectures or discussion sections. We will be providing complimentary information. The textbook provides much of the background you will need to make sense of the lectures and discussions, and you will be tested over content covered in class and in the textbook. Class Discussion This is a large class, so we will not be able to have very interactive discussions during lecture. However, questions and comments during class are encouraged and will always be most welcome. In both lecture and discussion sections, please try and word any questions or comments you wish to share in a way that is respectful to everyone. And remember that the instructor and teaching assistants will be available during office hours and by email if you do not get the chance to ask questions in class. Grading Grading Scale A+.........................98-­100+ A…………………..93-­97 A-­..........................90-­92 B+.........................87-­90 B…………………..83-­86 B-­..........................80-­82 C+.........................77-­80 C…………………..73-­76 C-­..........................70-­72 D+.........................67-­70 D…………………..63-­66 D-­..........................60-­62 F…………………..Below 60 Grading Components Discussion section participation.……………………..10 points Quizzes (4) …..………….…………….…………….....20 points Exams (3)...…….………….……………………….…...70 points Clicker Participation One of the primary facts psychology has taught us over the years is that learning happens more often when experiences are interactive. In class, we will make use of clickers to make the lectures more interactive, allowing for questions, interactive examples, and real-­time participation. Clickers can be purchased at the bookstore and resold at the end of the semester. Clickers can also be bought from the H-­ITT website. As an alternative to buying a clicker, you can purchase a subscription to the SoftClick website and make your responses using a smartphone. http://www.h-­itt.com/shop/content/softclick-­individual-­user-­semester-­license Discussion Section Assignments In each discussion section, you will be participating in a discussion or activity that will help enrich your understanding of that week’s topic. You are responsible for registering for a section. This is not done automatically when you register for the course. Since we do not take attendance during the lectures, attendance will be taken at every discussion section. If you miss the discussion section, you cannot get these points – no exceptions. It is very important that you make every effort to come to Discussion Sections. Your attendance AND participation will count towards 10% of your final grade. In order for your attendance to be counted by your TA, you must attend the section for which you are enrolled. There are no exceptions to this policy. If you want to attend another section, you can only do so by officially enrolling in that section. DO NOT CONTACT THE TAs ABOUT SWAPPING SECTIONS. Quizzes There will be 4 quizzes (10 questions each) throughout the quarter during discussion sections. See the course schedule at the end of the syllabus for the date for each quiz. Each quiz will cover the readings and course material from the previous weeks. The purpose of these quizzes is to help you to learn and review the material. If you miss the discussion section and do not complete the quiz, it cannot be made up. Again, no exceptions. The quizzes will be worth 20% of your grade. Exams There will be three exams. Exam dates are listed on the course schedule. Each exam will have 50 questions, and all exam questions will be multiple-­choice, true-­false, or matching. The final exam for this course will be the same length and format as the other exams. Due to the size of the class and the difficulty of scheduling make-­ups for 600 people, no make-­up exams will be given. Further, no excuses for missing an exam short of documented medical reasons (with proof given within 1 week of the exam date) will be accepted. If you miss an exam due to a non-­medical reason (e.g., overslept, took a trip, had a job interview, went to a wedding, etc.) and/or miss the exam due to a medical reason but have no documentation to back it up, your grade on that exam will be zero. If you miss an exam for medical reasons (documentation must be provided within 1 week of the date of the exam), we will replace the score of the missing exam with your lowest exam score that quarter. If you take all three exams, you cannot drop your lowest score. Also note, DO NOT BE LATE TO EXAMS! If you are late to an exam, and don’t arrive before someone else finishes and leaves, you cannot take the exam and will receive a zero. No exceptions. Given the inter-­related nature of psychology, the exams may contain a few cumulative questions, requiring you to integrate what you learned in previous weeks with the current week. However, most of each exam will focus on the material since the previous exam. Bring a scantron form and two sharpened #2 pencils to each exam. The scantron form you will need for all exams is F-­289-­PAR-­L (a red half sheet). You are responsible for bringing your own materials. If you come to an exam without a scantron form, you will not be able to take the exam and will receive a zero. It would be wise to buy several scantron forms now so that you have them ready to bring to each exam. The TAs will not have scantron forms or pencils to loan you on the day of an exam. Research Experience There is an experimental requirement for all PSYC 2 courses, designed to provide all students taking their first courses in psychology some knowledge of the procedures and conduct of psychological research. A principal aim of the requirement is for students to gain an appreciation of how psychology experiments work, while simultaneously acquiring new knowledge about areas of psychology that students may not encounter during lecture. To satisfy this requirement, students must complete four hours of experimental work by the last day of class. Failure to complete this requirement will result in an INCOMPLETE GRADE in the course. This requirement can be fulfilled by participating in actual psychology experiments (Option 1) or by attending additional lectures about research going on in UCR’s Psychology Department (Option 2). Students must be 18 or older in order to participate in experiments. Those under 18 may only do Option 2, unless they submit a consent form signed by a parent. More information about this requirement will be posted on the course website. To register, go to the research participation website: http://research.psych.ucr.edu/ Other Course Policies to Know Adds and Drops. Department policy is to un-­enroll any students who fail to attend their assigned discussion sections during the add/drop enrollment window (ends after Week 2). Demand for Psychology courses is high, and if you do not actively participate and attend class you will be removed to make room for students on the waitlist. Students on the waitlist will be added to the class automatically as seats become available (the TAs and I will not add or drop anyone) and questions should be directed to the academic advisors. Class Etiquette. This is a very large class, and you and your fellow students are paying a lot of money to be here. Help everyone get the most out of it by being courteous and reducing distractions. This means: • Make every effort to arrive in class on time, and stay until the lecture is over. DO NOT start packing up a few minutes before the class is over. I typically announce important information at the end of class, and you may not hear it if everyone is packing up. • During class, you are expected to silence your cell phone and refrain from talking in lecture, checking email, looking at Facebook, surfing the internet, or listening to music. • You may use laptop computers during class to take notes. However, keep in mind that many scientific studies have shown that students who take notes using pen and paper do much better on exams than students who use laptops (I will tell you more about these studies during the lectures). If you still choose to use a laptop to take notes, do not use it for other purposes during class, as this will be extremely disruptive for the students around you. I reserve the right to change my policy on computers if I find that people are being overly disruptive and distracting others. • Even quiet conversations during lecture can be disruptive because of the size and acoustics of the room. If you are disrupting others’ learning, I will ask you to leave the lecture hall. If your TA must ask you to leave your discussion section because you are being disruptive, you forfeit participation points for that week. Email Etiquette. Again, this is a very large class, and as your professor and TAs, we will inevitably receive many emails from you and your fellow students (on top of our daily load). In general, showing respect to your professors and TAs will be very helpful in all situations. Before sending an email, ask yourself if you are directing the questions to the right person. Please direct questions regarding course content to your TAs and questions about administrative issues to your academic advisors. If you direct your question to the wrong person, it will likely not be answered, and you will likely annoy the recipient of the email. If neither your TAs nor academic advisors can answer your question, you can email your question to Dr. Wu at rachelwuteaching@gmail.com. When emailing Dr. Wu, please address her as “Dear Dr. Wu,…” (rather than “Hey, Can you help me with…”, “Yo…”, etc.) – this goes for emails to TAs as well. Emails to Dr. Wu also should include an explanation for why the TAs and academic advisors could not address your issue. If you send your email to Dr. Wu to any of her other email addresses, it will very likely get lost in the thousands of other emails she receives per day unrelated to the course. Appealing Grades All exams and quizzes will be evaluated as accurately as possible. In the event of a disagreement, you may prepare and document your rationale (200-­300 words) and submit your written appeal to your TA within 3 days of the exam or quiz. A Few Words of Advice… • Take all three exams and all 4 quizzes to get the best possible grade in the course. • Read the material at least twice, once before lecture and once after the lecture, and review the readings and your lecture notes before each exam. • Begin research participation early in the quarter. Slots may fill up toward the end of the term and researchers are not obligated to add more times to their schedules. 5. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities In compliance with the University policy and equal access laws, I am available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that may be required for student with disabilities. Requests for academic accommodations are to be made during the first three weeks of the quarter, except for unusual circumstances, so that arrangements can be made. Students are encouraged to register with Student Special Services to verify their eligibility for appropriate accommodations. http://specialservices.ucr.edu/disabilities/index.html 6. Inclusivity Statement We understand that our students represent a rich variety of backgrounds and perspectives. The program, department, and university is committed to providing an atmosphere for learning that respects diversity. While working together to build this community we ask all members to: ● share their unique experiences, values and beliefs ● be open to the views of others ● appreciate the opportunity that we have to learn from each other in this community ● value each other’s opinions and communicate in a respectful manner ● keep confidential discussions that the community has of a personal nature 7. Academic Integrity Each student in this course is expected to abide by the University Code of Academic Integrity (http://conduct.ucr.edu/policies/academicintegrity.html). Daily participation via clickers, participation via quizzes, discussion section assignments, and examinations are expected to be the student’s own work. You are encouraged to study together and to discuss information and concepts covered in lecture and the sections with other students. You can give help and receive help from other students. Students are welcome to share notes taken during class or as a part of reading course materials. However, this permissible cooperation should never involve one student having possession of a copy of all or part of an assignment (i.e. quiz or paper) done by someone else in the form of an electronic or paper copy of the other student’s work. Should copying occur, both the student who copied work from another student and the student who gave material to be copied will automatically receive a zero for the assignment or exam. Penalty for violation of this Code can also be extended to include failure of the course and University disciplinary action. Students who notify Dr. Wu and the TAs of incidences of cheating may be rewarded with extra credit points depending on the situation. PSYC2 WINTER 2016: SCHEDULE OF LECTURES, READINGS, EXAMS, AND QUIZZES Week Date Tues. Feb 2 Thurs. Feb 4 Lecture What is the point of psychology as a science?
1. Course Introduction 2. The scientific method and why it is important What is the best way to learn?
3. Learning (Part 1) 4. Learning (Part 2) Nature AND Nurture (Part 1) 5. Critical/sensitive periods during infancy and adolescence 6. Language development Nature AND Nurture (Part 2)
7. Intelligence EXAM 1 How can we be psychologically healthy? (Part 1)
8. Attachment 9. Relationships Tues. Feb 9 Thurs. Feb 11 How can we be psychologically healthy? (Part 2)
10. Personality 11. Happiness (GUEST LECTURES: Seth & Lisa) 1 Tues. Jan 5 Thurs. Jan 7 2 Tues. Jan 12 Thurs. Jan 14 Tues. Jan 19 3 Thurs. Jan 21 4 5 6 Tues. Jan 26 Thurs. Jan 28 8 Tues. Feb 23 Thurs. Feb 25 How can we be psychologically healthy? (Part 3)
12. Aging & decline EXAM 2 How do we help and hurt ourselves?
13. Stress and resilience 14. Motivation;; Growth mindset and grit 9 Tues. Mar 1 Thurs. Mar 3 How do we help and hurt others?
15. Social influence (Pt. 1) 16. Social influence (Pt. 2) 7 Tues. Feb 16 Thurs. Feb 18 Tues. Mar 8 10 Thurs. Mar 10 FINAL EXAM How do we help and hurt others?
17. Human Factors 18. Psychological disorders and therapies Discussion Text Icebreaker Ch. 1-­2 Illusions;; QUIZ 1 Ch. 6,7,9 Genie video Ch. 6,7,9 and discussion;; QUIZ 2 Jeopardy review Ch. 7,9 Attachment styles questionnaire;; Review exam Ch. 9,12 Happiness exercise;; QUIZ 3 Ch. 11 Ch. 14 Jeopardy review Ch. 8,9 Mindset questionnaire;; Review exam Ch. 14 Ch. 10 Conformity experiment;; QUIZ 4 Ch. 12 Jeopardy review Ch. 13 Ch. 15,16 th
Saturday, March 12 , 3:00PM-­6:00PM