INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology 101 (3 units)
University of San Diego, Spring 2016
Class time 9:05-10:10am (Maher 205)
Professor:
Phone and E-mail:
Office and Office Hours:
Sona (Research) Coordinator:
Jennifer Zwolinski, Ph.D.
619-260-4218; jzwolinski@sandiego.edu
Serra 154C; MWF from 11:15am to 12:55pm
Kayla Swart: swart@sandiego.edu
STUDY MATERIALS
Required Texts:
• Please bring to class every day: Myers, D., & DeWall, N. (2015). Psychology (11thth Ed.). Worth Publishers.
• Please bring to class when announced: Hoch, R. (2012). Forty Studies that Changed Psychology: Explorations into the
History of Psychological Research (7th Ed.). Prentice Hall. Please note that this book is on reserve at Copley.
Suggested:
• Straub, R. (2015). Study Guide to Accompany Psychology (11th Ed.). Worth Publishers.
GOALS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES OF THE COURSE
In this course, students will gain a broad understanding of the theories, research and practical implications in the field of
psychology. As a general introduction to the field of psychology, students will be introduced to the major areas of study in
psychology, including biological psychology, psychological disorders and treatment, perception, sensation, emotion, and social
psychology. This will be accomplished via readings, lectures, in class assignments, and out of class assignments. Active
involvement in class is encouraged. An excellent way to meet the objectives of this course is to review key concepts from the
text with the study guide (see above) for your textbook.
An overarching goal of this class is that all students think critically about psychological science. This will be modeled and
accomplished using the cognitive taxonomy of intellectual behavior originally developed by Bloom, Englehart, Furst, Hill, and
Krathwohl (1956) and later modified by Anderson and Sosniak (1994).
More specifically, using the following six levels of Bloom and colleagues’ (1956, 1994) taxonomy as a guide for critical thinking
of the material presented in this class, students should be able to do the following:
1. Recall basic definitions of concepts, theories, and methods in psychological science. (Remember)
2. Compare concepts, theories, and methods in psychological science by stating their similarities and differences.
(Understand)
3. Apply what they learned in the text and lecture to new and hypothetical situations. (Apply)
4. Explain how neurological, psychological, and/or social factors contribute to an understanding of human behavior.
Explain how each contribution influences behavior, sometimes individually and sometimes in the form of feedback
loops. (Analyze)
5. Analyze the purpose and potential limitations of commonly used research designs used to address research
questions in psychological science. (Evaluate)
6. Summarize and evaluate information from your reading and lecture notes to compose two letters that you will send to
someone close to you. The letter content will cover information that you are learning in this course. (Create)
References
Anderson, L. W., & Sosniak, L. A. (Eds.). (1994). Bloom's taxonomy: a forty-year retrospective. 93rd yearbook of the National
Society for the Study of Education, Pt.2., Chicago , IL .: University of Chicago Press.
Bloom, B., Englehart, M., Furst, E., Hill, W. & Krathwohl, D. (1956) Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of
educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain New York: Longmans.
HOW TO DO WELL IN THIS CLASS
This is a very challenging class and there is a lot of material that will be covered in this class. Given that this is a 3-unit college
course, if you want to do well, you should expect to spend at least 3 hours per unit (9 hours) each week learning the material
for this class. Below I offer some suggestions on how to do well in this class.
You and I share the same goal: for you to do your best in this class. I will do my best to present the material to you in a
straightforward, interesting manner. Ultimately, however, the choice is yours. You are the only one who can choose to master
the course material. In my experience, the students who do well in my class regularly practice the study habits noted below. I
hope that you choose to adopt these study habits so that you can do your best in this course.
In all of the ways that you are preparing for learning material for this class noted below, keep in mind Bloom and colleagues
(1956, 1994) six levels of critical thinking on the previous page.
Prior to each class:
! Have an organized system for learning. Keep all of your notes for the class in one separate place. Make a section of notes
from class, your reading for each textbook chapter, and the classic studies. Be sure to accurately label these notes for
each section or chapter.
! The best way to be prepared for class is to come to class having already read the chapter(s) and classic studies assigned
for that day. There is a lot of information that will be covered in this class, so it is important to keep up with the reading.
While you are doing your reading, be sure to take notes, pose questions while you read, and think about how the
information is related to other things you already know. If you read in this way, you will process the material more
thoroughly.
In class:
! Come to class early and spend that time reviewing the notes from the prior lecture. You will be amazed at how this helps to
really help you to remember the course information.
! Bring your books to class and use them to take notes and follow along the lecture.
! Remove any distractions that prevent you from fully concentrating during class (e.g., cell phone, tablet, laptop, etc.). The
ideal learning environment is one where you fully focus on that material you are trying to learn.
! Take excellent notes on everything presented in class. Participate actively- ask questions and try to answer those
questions posed by others in your mind or aloud.
After each class:
! Review information from the lecture that you did not understand. Look it up in your book or come to visit me with specific
questions during scheduled office hours.
! Create clear and accurate note cards from each section or chapter that you can use to study for the exams.
Preparing for exams:
! Start early and prepare consistently throughout the semester. If you consistently follow the study guidelines above, you
should do very well on the exams because you are not cramming.
! Make flash cards and the “white paper test” to test yourself. Do not just self-test for recognition. Also test for recall.
! A week before the exam, start studying actively on your own with or a peer from class who has good study skills and does
well on exams for this class.
! The night before the exam should be spend reinforcing what you already know from your consistent studying. Get a good
night sleep before the exam.
GRADING
Grades will be determined by four exams (including the final), two writing assignments, and research participation. Letter
grade assignments are as follows:
A
AB+
100-94.00%
93.99-90.00%
89.99-87.00%
B
86.99-84.00%
B- 83.99-80.00%
C+ 79.99-77.00%
Exams
Letters Home Assignment
Final Exam
Research Study Participation
TOTAL
C
CD+
76.99-74.00%
73.99-70.00%
69.99-67.00%
D
DF
66.99-64.00%
63.99-60.00%
59.99-0%
3@50 points each
= 150 points
2@15 points each
= 30 points
75 points
= 75 points
5@2.7 points
= 13.5 points
= 268.5 possible points
EXAMS
In order to help you to do well on the exams, please read the section “HOW TO DO WELL IN THIS CLASS”. There will be four
exams. You will have 55 minutes to complete the first three exams. These exams will include multiple choice and short answer
and/or essay items. The first three exams will cover material for only the sections discussed since the prior exam. All exams
will be based on the Myers and DeWall Psychology textbook and lecture notes. The final exam will be cumulative. The final
exam date and time are printed on the class calendar. Please don't ask for changes to any of the four exam times and
dates unless you meet one of the exception requirements noted below.
* All exams must be taken on time as noted in the course calendar with three exceptions: documented health emergencies,
documented family emergencies, and documented required participation in NCAA-I sporting events for USD studentathletes. Make up exams will only be offered in the case of a documented emergency and the professor must be notified
about this emergency within two calendar days of the scheduled exam through voicemail; after this point, the exam make-up
request will be denied and your score will be a zero for that exam. If you will be out of town on the day of the exam to play for
an NCAA-I sport event, please make arrangements with the professor in person at least one week before the exam date; it’s
best to give the professor your athletic meet schedule ASAP.
RESEARCH REQUIREMENT
The contact person for any questions related to this requirement is the Participant Pool Coordinator, Kayla Swart
(swart@sandiego.edu). Research studies will be listed at http://sandiego.sona-systems.com. Please see the Psychology
Department research participation handout for all Introduction to Psychology sections at USD. As shown in the handout, you
will participate in research studies and/or complete the alternative assignment(s). Two participation research credits (or two
completed written summaries if you are planning on writing the articles; mix and match of article(s) and participation credit(s)
is acceptable) are due by the midterm date by the start of class start time that is shown on your handout that was given to you
the first week of school. The remaining research credits and/or papers (for the total possible points, including the two credits
from the midterm due date) are due on the date and time shown in the handout. Points will only be given for study
credits/papers completed by the due date; late study credit will not be counted. You must complete the two study credits (or
alternative written assignment(s)) by the midterm due date noted on the handout and on the syllabus calendar in order to earn
those points; if they are not completed on time, then you will lose those points towards the total possible points on this
assignment. Read the handout very carefully for all necessary information. Important Note: Write the two due dates
(midterm and final due date); these two dates are assigned by the Department and no exceptions will be made to
these due dates. Please do not wait to complete this assignment; start and finish early.
“LETTERS HOME” ASSIGNMENT
Purpose and background: You will write two letters describing what you are currently learning in class, in order to enhance
your understanding of introductory psychology. This assignment is based on the idea that this type of writing will actively
engage you to improve your understanding of psychological science and increase your engagement in the process of
learning. This assignment is modeled after Keith (2001).
Reference:
Keith, K. (2001). Letters home: Writing for understanding in Introductory Psychology. Psychology Teacher Network, 11, 12-13.
How to write each of the two letters: Each of the two letters should explain course material in an interesting way that
accurately and thoughtfully informs the reader about what we are learning in this course. Address the letter to someone that
you are close to on a personal level (e.g., a friend, parent, relative). The audience for the letter is this person that you are
writing the letter for, not the professor. Write the letter in your own words, rather than simply restating verbatim information
from class lecture or the course textbooks. In addition to explaining the content of what you are learning, will be also provide
your own evaluation of that information. Both letters must be typed in Times New Roman font, double spaced and at least 2
complete pages long, ending with your signature. Although there is no minimum number of concepts/terms/theories that you
need to specifically tell your reader about, ensure that you are doing a thoughtful job of explaining the types of
concepts/terms/theories that we are discussing in class. For the first letter, you may only include information from the Myers
and DeWall Chapters 1-8. For the second letter, you may only include information from the Myers and DeWall Chapters 9-12
and 14-15. Each letter should look like a letter, rather than a paper assignment.
How to submit each of the two letters: For each letter, submit two signed hard copies, along with a stamped envelope (not
sealed) fully addressed and ready to be mailed to the recipient, together in one large manila envelope or folder. I (Dr. Z) will
read and grade one copy and return it to you; I will mail the other copy, along with a note from me. The two letters should be
written to the same person. The first letter is due on March 7th and the second letter is due on April 20th.
How the letters are graded: The letters are graded on three dimensions: factual/conceptual content (60%),
interest/originality/quality of evaluation (30%), and grammar/structure (10%). Late or incomplete submissions will have a 5%
grade deduction penalty for every day that the letter is late starting at 9:05am. In other words, if you don’t have a complete
letter packet with all parts noted above submitted at 9:05am, then the 5% deduction starts at that point. If a letter packet is
submitted two calendar days late, it will earn a zero.
CHEATING and PLAGIARISM
Although this will not apply to the vast majority of you, cheating on any exam, written research alternative paper, and/or
plagiarism will result in class failure (i.e., an “F” in the class). You will also be reported to the Dean’s Office for disciplinary
action, which may result in probation, suspension or expulsion, as well as a possible disciplinary hearing composed of faculty
members and your peers.
Plagiarism refers to formal work (e.g., research papers, oral reports) publicly misrepresented as original and may comprise
oral, written and crafted pieces. If you wish to use original references or pieces, word for word or by paraphrase, those ideas
should be noted by the appropriate author. It is your responsibility to know what constitutes plagiarism before you submit any
work; if you are unsure, I will happily discuss it further with you before any written assignment is due.
To do your part to understand plagiarism, it is your responsibility to review the following website and complete the tutorial
before completing any written assignment and submitting it for credit: http://www.indiana.edu/~istd/. If you have questions,
please feel free to ask me before your assignment is due and before you submit it for course credit.
SPECIAL POLICY FOR LETTERS OF REFERENCE
I have been very fortunate that so many students have asked me to write a letter of reference for them. Although this is a
great honor for me to recommend my bright students, writing strong letters takes a great deal of time to do well. In addition,
the best letters are those that are the result of your professor knowing you and the quality of your academic work very well.
Therefore, my policy is that I can only consider writing letters of reference for students who have taken at least two courses
with me (or one completed LLC Preceptorial class or Honors class) with at least a B+ grade in the completed course(s). In
addition, I can only write letters for students that I know well so please only consider asking me if you have actively
participated in class and spent time with me in office hours, and you believe that I would write you a strong letter of reference.
If you meet these qualifications, please be sure to give me at least one month (sorry, no exceptions) to draft and prepare the
letter for each program, award, or honor that you are applying for. That way, I can be sure to put a significant amount of
thought time into your letter. Thank you.
** IMPORTANT NOTE **
Due to the sensitive nature of some of the material in psychology courses and in order to encourage everyone to participate
freely, audio and video recordings of class lectures are not allowed for this course. In addition, camera/phone, video and still
cameras are not allowed in this class.
SPRING 2016 9:05AM PSYC 101 CLASS SCHEDULE in MAHER 205
The following is a schedule of lecture topics, reading assignments, assignment due dates and exams. Any changes will be announced in-class as needed to allow for
flexibility in coverage of information.
Class Date
Class Topic and Assignments Due
January 25
January 27
January 29
February 1
Review Syllabus (Write your section’s scheduled final exam date and time in your planner), and General Overview of the Course
and Psychology
Chapter 1: Thinking Critically with Psychological Science. Also read “How to do well in this class” section of the syllabus
Chapter 1: Thinking Critically with Psychological Science
February 5
Chapter 1: Thinking Critically with Psychological Science; Chapter 2: Biology of the Mind; Discussion of how to read 40 Studies; Read
from 40 Studies: Bouchard’s “Are You a ‘Natural’?”
Chapter 2: Biology of the Mind; Read from 40 Studies: Rosenzweig’s “More Experience = Bigger Brain”
(Note: Today is the Last day to enroll in classes and to drop classes without a W)
Chapter 2: Biology of the Mind and Chapter 4: Nature, Nurture and Human Diversity
February 8
February 10
February 12
Chapter 4: Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity
Chapter 5: Developing Through the Life Span; Read from 40 Studies: Harlow’s “Discovering Love”
Chapter 5: Developing Through the Life Span
February 15
February 17
February 19
Chapter 5: Developing Through the Life Span; Chapter 6: Sensation and Perception
Chapter 6: Sensation and Perception
Chapter 6: Sensation and Perception
February 22
February 24
EXAM #1
Exam 1 review and Chapter 3: Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind; Read from 40 Studies: Aserinski and Dement ‘s “To Sleep,
No Doubt to Dream…”
Chapter 3: Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind
February 3
February 26
February 29
March 2
March 4
Chapter 7: Learning; Read from 40 Studies: Pavlov’s “It’s Not Just About Salivating Dogs!” and from 40 Studies: Watson’s “Little
Emotional Albert”
Chapter 7: Learning
Chapter 8: Memory
March 7
March 9
March 11
Chapter 8: Memory; First Letter Packet Due
Chapter 9: Thinking and Language
Chapter 9: Thinking and Language
March 14
March 16
March 18
Chapter 10: Intelligence; Read from 40 Studies: Rosenthal’s “What You Expect is What You Get!”; First 2 Research Credits Due
Chapter 10: Intelligence
Chapter 11: What Drives Us: Hunger, Sex, Friendship, and Achievement; Read from 40 Studies: Festinger ‘s “Thoughts Out of Tune”
March 21-28 (MondayMonday)
March 30
April 1
Spring/Easter Break: No Classes
April 4
Exam #2 review and Chapter 12: Emotions, Stress, and Health (Note: Class reservation begins for Fall 2016; check your MySanDiego
for your specific registration date and time which is based on credits earned, not on units attempted.)
April 6
April 8
Chapter 12: Emotions, Stress, and Health; Read from 40 Studies: Friedman’s “Racing Against Your Heart”
Chapter 14: Personality
April 11
April 13
April 15
Chapter 14: Personality
Chapter 14: Personality
Chapter 15: Psychological Disorders; Read from 40 Studies: Rosenhan's “Who’s Crazy Here, Anyway?”
April 18
April 20
April 22
Chapter 15: Psychological Disorders and from 40 Studies: Seligman “Learning to be Depressed”
Chapter 16: Therapy; Second Letter Packet Due
Chapter 16: Therapy
April 25
April 27
April 29
Chapter 16: Therapy
Chapter 13: Social Psychology; Read from 40 Studies: Asch's “The Power of Conformity” and Milgram’s “Obey at Any Cost”
Chapter 13: Social Psychology; Read from 40 Studies: Zimbardo’s “A Prison By Any Other Name”
May 2
May 4
May 6
EXAM #3
Exam #3 review and Myers’ textbook/web Appendix: Zwolinski’s “Careers in Psychology” (check your email for my attachment of the
Appendix)
Myers’ textbook/web Appendix: Zwolinski’s “Careers in Psychology”
May 9
FINAL:
WEDNESDAY, 5/18
Final Exam Discussion (Note: Last day of class); Remaining Research Credits Due
*** FINAL EXAM DATE AND TIME: 8AM-10am on WEDNESDAY, 5/18 in our classroom for our 9:05AM section
* Please do not ask for an exception to this university scheduled exam time or for any other scheduled exam.
Chapter 11: What Drives Us: Hunger, Sex, Friendship, and Achievement
EXAM #2 (Note: Today is the Last day to withdraw from classes with a “W”)