SYLLABUS
PSY 201: INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
New Mexico State University
Dr. Igor Dolgov
PURPOSE AND GOALS:
The purpose of this course is to provide a broad overview of the discipline of psychology.
Generally speaking, psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
As a social science, psychological inquiry applies the scientific method to the study of
human behavior, thought, and emotion in the context of our culture and environment.
By the end of this course, you will:
• Have a comprehensive understanding of the
basic theories, concepts, key researchers, and
processes related to psychology.
• Be able to apply psychological principles to
current, real-life situations and to identify
how particular psychological phenomena are
present in your daily life.
• Improve your critical thinking and reading
skills.
• Understand the different divisions within
psychology and the different roles in which a
psychologist may be employed.
• Gain a better understanding and appreciation
of the scientific method and research
methodology.
• Obtain a broad appreciation of the diversity
of human experience and your own behavior.
• Enhance your academic skill set, and
hopefully do well and enjoy the class.
NEW MEXICO COMMON CORE COMPETENCIES ADDRESSED:
• Identify, describe, and explain human behaviors and how they are influenced by
social structures, institutions, and processes within the contexts of complex and
diverse communities.
• Articulate how beliefs, assumptions, and values are
influenced by factors such as politics, geography,
economics, culture, biology, history, and social
institutions.
• Describe ongoing reciprocal interactions among self,
society, and environment.
• Apply the knowledge base of the social and behavioral
sciences to identify, describe, explain, and critically
evaluate relevant issues, ethical dilemmas, and
arguments.
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REQUIRED TEXT:
Feist & Rosenberg (1st Ed). Psychology: Making Connections. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Class lectures, discussions, and activities will complement the written material, but in
order to do well in the class you will need to rely heavily on the material presented in
textbook along with the complementary
online resources ( Connect &
Blackboard/WebCT).
ONLINE RESOURCES –
CONNECT & BLACKBOARD:
We will be using 2 web-based
environments to supplement our class
sessions. Purchasing a new textbook
provides you with free access to an online service called Connect (see
additional handout), where you will
find your assignments and a multitude
of complementary electronic resources
(if you are purchasing the book used,
access to the Connect service will cost
you an additional $40). Grades,
announcements, additional course
materials will be posted on Blackboard
(learn.nmsu.edu). Check your email
and the blackboard site daily for
updates, announcements, and
discussions.
PREPARATION FOR CLASS & ASSIGNMENTS:
Before each class meeting, read the brief chapter introduction and outline of the
assigned chapter in the textbook. Then, look over the remainder of the chapter, noting
the section themes, highlights, figures, graphs, definitions, “additional material” boxes,
and the chapter review. Follow each lecture by reading the assigned chapter in depth,
looking at the on-line resources, and completing the electronic assignment for that
chapter on the Connect website. All assignments are due by 12pm of the assigned date.
No late assignments will be accepted without a documented medical excuse.
EXAMS:
There will be four exams throughout the semester, each covering 4 chapters of material.
Questions will be drawn primarily from material in the textbook but will also include
things that are only covered in lecture and/or supplemental online resources. There
will be no cumulative final, but the 4th exam will be held on the scheduled final date.
The lowest of the four test scores will be dropped when calculating your final grade.
Exams will contain both multiple-choice and short-answer questions. Make-up exams
will only be allowed with written permission from the instructor and/or proof of illness
from a physician (see additional handout).
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ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION:
A sign-in sheet will be posted at the entrance of the room for each class and then
brought to the table at the front when class begins. It is YOUR responsibility to sign in
either at the beginning or end of lecture (not during!). Your participation grade will be
proportional to the number of total classes that you attended and by actively
participating in online discussion forums on Blackboard/WebCT and other class
activities.
CLASS COMPONENT:
4 Exams (drop lowest score, no cumulative final) – 300 points
16 Electronic Assignments (drop lowest score) – 150 points
1 Paper – 90 points (10 pages, 3 Drafts)
Attendance & Participation – 60 points
Total – 600 points
% OF GRADE
50%
25%
15%
10%___
100%
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY & HONESTY:
All work submitted in this class must be
original – cheating on exams and turning in
work written by another person is
unacceptable and considered plagiarism.
Academic integrity is a serious concern and
the 1st attempt to cheat will result in a grade of
0 on that test or assignment (the 0 cannot be
dropped from your final grade calculations).
The second attempt will result in automatic
course failure and will be passed on to the
university academic board for further
prosecution. Refer to the following websites
for additional guidelines:
http://www.nmsu.edu/~vpsa/SCOC/misconduct.html
http://lib.nmsu.edu/instruction/plagiarismforstudents.htm
REQUIRED EXPERIMENT PARTICIPATION:
As part of the PSY 201 course requirements, you will need to earn 6 research credits.
These credits can be earned in either of two ways: (1) students can participate in and
report on Psychology Department research studies, or (2) write brief (2-3 page) paper(s)
describing a research method used in a research article published in an accepted
psychology journal (this option is only available with a written request and instructor
permission).
If a student fails to complete 6 research credits, their final letter grade will be lowered as
follows:
Research credits completed
Your final grade will be lowered
2.5 to 5.5 credits
2/3 of one level (e.g., C to D+)
0 to 2.5 credits
1 full level (e.g., C to D)
Sign up to participate at http://nmsu.sona-systems.com/. Make sure to log into the
system within 3 days of registering (you do not need to sign up for any experiments at
that time).
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INCOMPLETES: University policy dictates that a student may be given an incomplete
ONLY if he or she has passed the first half of the course, and is precluded from
successful completion of the course by a documented illness or family crisis. Keep in
mind, the instructor decides what constitutes "precluded from successful completion".
If something arises in your life that interferes with your ability to do your best in this
class, talk to the instructor about it ASAP. Many students wait until the end of the
semester (or after finals week) to report these kind of difficulties and there is little or
nothing that can be done at that point. The sooner you inform the instructor about your
situations, the more options there are to assist you with your situation.
WITHDRAWALS: To withdraw from this class, you must complete and turn in a
signed withdrawal form by the date indicated on NMSU’s academic calendar website
(http://www.nmsu.edu/General/academic_calendar.html). Students will not be
automatically dropped from the class for any reason. Class withdrawal by 03/09/2010,
and complete university withdrawal by 04/16/2010.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS/DISABILITY: If you have or believe you have a
disability and would benefit from any additional accommodations, you may wish to
contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) in Corbett Center, Room 244
(phone: 646-6840). If you have already registered, please make sure that your
instructor receives a copy of the accommodation memorandum from SSD within the
first two weeks of classes. It is your responsibility to inform either your instructor or an
SSD representative in a timely manner if services/accommodations provided are not
meeting your needs. Feel free to call Michael Armendariz, Coordinator of Services for
Students with Disabilities, with any questions you may have on student issues related to
the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and/or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973. All medical information will be treated confidentially. If you have a condition
that may affect your ability to exit safely from premises in an emergency or that may
cause an emergency during class, you are encouraged to discuss this in confidence with
the instructor and/or the coordinator of SSD.
VALID REASONS FOR MAKE-UP/CONFLICT EXAMS & NEEDED
DOCUMENTATION:
• Acute or Chronic Illness, documented by medical professional in writing
specifying the dates that you were unwell.
• Family Emergency, documented with 1) a note AND 2) a phone call from
parent/guardian specifying dates that you could not tend to university activities
and some details as to why.
• Exam Conflict (3+ tests on the same day), documented with your schedule and
the relevant class syllabi indicating tests on the same date (will be verified with
other instructors).
APPROXIMATE POINT RANGES FOR FINAL GRADES:
A: 540+ points
B: 480-539 points
C: 420-479 points
D: 360-419 points
F: 0-359 points
******** I actually use Z-transformed scores to determine final grades.***********
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LECTURE & ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE:
Class
Meeting
01/14
Class introduction & guide to using
your textbook & online resources
Readings from
Feist & Rosenberg
Updated Syllabus
Handout
01/19
History of Psychology
Chapter 1
01/21
01/26
01/28
02/02
02/04
Human Development 1
Human Development 2
Motivation & Emotion
Consciousness
EXAM # 1
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Chapter 11
Chapter 6
02/09
02/11
02/16
02/18
02/23
02/25
03/02
03/04
03/09
03/11
Biology of Behavior 1
Biology of Behavior 2
Exam 1 Rehash
Sensation & Perception 1
Sensation & Perception 2
Memory 1
Memory 2
Learning 1
Learning 2
EXAM # 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Language & Thought
Exam 2 Rehash
Spring Break
Intelligence, Problem Solving,
Creativity
Personality / Uniqueness
Social Behavior
EXAM # 3
Chapter 9
03/16
03/18
03/22-26
03/30
04/01
04/06
04/08
04/13
04/15
04/20
04/22
04/27
04/29
05/01
05/06
Lecture Topic
Stress & Health
Exam 3 Rehash
Psychological Disorders
Treatment of Psychological
Disorders
Research Methods
Statistics
NO CLASS
EXAM # 4
Assignment
Due
#A
Blackboard
#B Connect
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
#6
Paper Draft 1
#7
#8
#9
Chapter 10
Paper Draft 2
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
#10
#11
#12
Chapter 12
#13
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
#14
Chapter 2
Stats Primer
#15
#16
Final Draft
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