St. Jerome’s University in the University of Waterloo
Department of Psychology
Fall 2013
PSYCH101
Introductory Psychology
Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4.00pm – 5.20pm
Course Outline
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Kate (Ekaterina) Solovieva, MA
STJ 1026
519-884-8111, ext. 282XX
solovieva@gmail.com
Office Hours:
Teaching Assistant:
TBD
TBD
Course Description: (from the UW course calendar)
This general survey course is “designed to provide the student with an understanding of the
basic concepts and techniques of modern psychology as a behavioral science.”
Required Text:
Myers, D.G. (2013). Psychology: Tenth Edition in Modules. Worth Publishers.
The readings are assigned based on tenth edition. Please use caution when using previous
editions, while similar, they may still vary in content.
Class Schedule:
DATE
TOPIC
Sept.10
Sept.12
Sept.17
Sept.19
Sept.24
Sept.26
Oct.1
Oct.3
Oct.8
Oct.10
Oct.15
Oct.17
Oct.22
Oct.24
Oct.29
Oct.31
Nov.5
Nov.7
Introduction
History / Research Methods
Research Methods (cont’d)
The Biology of the Mind
The Biology of the Mind (cont’d)
Test #1
States of Consciousness - Sleep
Heredity
Developing Across the Lifespan
Learning – Classical Conditioning
Learning – Operant Conditioning
Memory
Intelligence
Intelligence (cont’d) / Motivation
Motivation (cont’d)
Test #2
Emotions
Stress and Health
MODULES TO READ
1, 2
3
4, 5
6
30%
8
11
13, 14
20
21
23, 24
29, 30, 31
32, 33, 34
45%
35, 36, 37
38, 39
2
Nov.12
Nov.14
Nov.19
Nov.21
Nov.26
Nov.28
Personality
Social Psychology
Social Psychology (cont’d)
Psychological Disorders
Psychological Disorders (cont’d)
Test #3
40, 41, 42
43, 44
45, 46
47
48, 49, 50, 51
25%
Please note that you have an alternative to the above grading scheme. You can choose
to write a paper for this course, in which case your grade will be calculated as follows:
Test #1 – 25%
Test #2 – 25%
Test #3 – 25%
Paper – 25%
You have to let me know if you decide to write the paper by October 31, 2013 by email. By
emailing me, you are committing yourself to the alternative grading scheme.
HOUSEKEEPING
Please review this section in detail before asking further questions about the course
logistics. Chances are your question is already answered below.
CONTACTING ME
Students using email to contact me must include their first and last names, student number,
and course in which they are enrolled in the email subject line. I also ask that you include a
basic greeting – for my sanity’s sake.
ATTENDANCE
I like you, and I’d like to see you. Every week. Twice a week. While you will find an overlap
between the material in class and the material in the textbook, I do not lecture directly from the
textbook – not only I think that would excruciatingly boring, it would also be a waste of your
time, and your money.
There is a positive correlation (we will learn all about that in one of our lectures… if you decide
to attend, that is) between regular class attendance and a grade in that course. Make your own
conclusions.
TEXTBOOK
Yes, you will need the textbook. You can buy it, split it, borrow it, get it from a library, or obtain
the information within using any other (legal) means necessary. I will be using tenth edition for
this course, thus, please use any other edition or any other textbook (be it another introductory
psychology text or a study guide for organic chemistry) at your own risk.
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CLASS NOTES
I will post Power Point slides for every lecture on the course website. Please note that the slides
by themselves will NOT provide you with the necessary information. I use the slides as an
organizing structure for my classes. You may find the slides helpful, as they provide you with
the outline of the class and allow you to focus on all the additional material and examples. If you
miss a class, it is your responsibility to get more detailed class notes from a classmate.
TESTS
The tests will be non-cumulative and multiple-choice. We will not have a lecture on the test
days. There is no final exam in this course.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Unless you are a president of a country (in that case, please introduce yourself), you can
probably manage to unplug for just over an hour twice a week. If you’ve ever had a
conversation with a person, while they typing away on their phone, while nodding once in a
while, and reassuring you that they are “listening”, you can understand why I ask that you do
not email, text, Facebook, chat, or whatever else the cool kids are doing on their phones these
days, while in class.
CHEATING.
In his novel “Kite Runner”, Khaled Hosseini claims that “there is only one sin, and that is theft.
[…] When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.”
Do not steal.
DIFFICULTY WITH COURSE MATERIAL
Please get in touch with myself or the teaching assistant earlier rather than later in the
semester. There is no “extra credit assignment” you can complete at the end of the semester in
order “to boost your mark”. Instead, let’s aim to address any issues early on.
UW POLICY REGARDING ILLNESS AND MISSED TESTS
The University of Waterloo Examination Regulations state that:
 A medical certificate presented in support of an official petition for relief from normal
academic requirements must provide all of the information requested on the “University
of Waterloo Verification of Illness” form or it will not be accepted. This form can be
obtained from Health Services or on the link provided above. If a student has a
test/examination deferred due to acceptable medical evidence, he/she normally will write
the test/examination at a mutually convenient time, to be determined by the course
instructor.
 The University acknowledges that, due to the pluralistic nature of the University
community, some students may on religious grounds require alternative times to write
tests and examinations.
 Elective arrangements (such as travel plans) are not considered acceptable grounds for
granting an alternative examination time.
Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the
University of Waterloo and its Federated University and Affiliated Colleges are expected to
promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.
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Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid
committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is
unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid
offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek
guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Associate Dean. When
misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under St.
Jerome’s University Academic Discipline Policy and UW Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For
information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71
- Student Discipline.
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university
life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. For students
who decide to file a grievance, students should refer to Policy 70 – Student Petitions and
Grievances. In such a case, contact Dr. Scott Kline (scott.kline@uwaterloo.ca), Associate
Dean of St. Jerome’s University.
Appeals: A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under Policy 71 –
Student Discipline or Policy 70 – Student Petitions and Grievances if a ground for an appeal
can be established. In such a case, contact Dr. John Rempel (jrempel@uwaterloo.ca), Appeals
Officer of St. Jerome’s University.
Academic Integrity website (Arts):
http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/arts/ugrad/academic_responsibility.html
Academic Integrity website (Math): https://math.uwaterloo.ca/math/currentundergraduates/regulations-and-procedures/cheating-and-student-academic-discipline
Academic Integrity Office (UW): http://uwaterloo.ca/academic-integrity/
Note for students with disabilities: The AccessAbility Services (AS) Office, located in
Needles Hall, Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate
accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of
the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability,
please register with the AS Office at the beginning of each academic term.
Turnitin.com: Plagiarism detection software (Turnitin) may be used to screen assignments in
this course. This is being done to verify that use of all material and sources in assignments is
documented. In the first week of the term, details will be provided about the arrangements for
the use of Turnitin in this course.
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PSY101 Optional Paper Guidelines
Psychological Disorders
DUE: November 28, 2013
This assignment will be submitted in HARD COPY in class. All assignments received late will
incur a penalty of 5% per calendar day.
Select a fictional character that you could argue suffers from a psychological disorder. Include a
description of the character—including the particular book, movie, comic, or source for the
character (if it is a series, indicate the particular episode or issue you are dealing with, as even
fictional characters tend to develop over time).
In 5-7 double-spaced pages, convince the reader that the fictional character suffers from a
psychological disorder and recommend an appropriate therapy for that disorder.
The disorder must be classified as such in the DSM-IV. Please include a photocopy of the
appropriate diagnostic criteria in the appendix.
As you are discussing a fictional character, your logical reasoning, your skill in arguing the case
convincingly, and your ability to apply the course material are being evaluated. For example, we
are not concerned with whether or not Wolverine really does have a psychological disorder, but
in how well you present your case and incorporate the course material.
You will be well advised not to select a character who, by definition, suffers from a
psychological disorder. For example, “Beautiful Mind” is a film about an asocial mathematician
with schizophrenia. There isn’t much to diagnose there, as most work has already been done
for you. Instead, select a character without an obvious/explicit diagnosis and argue your case.
Your arguments must be understood and convincing to a reader who does not know anything
about your character, aside from what you say in the paper.
Use proper citations, referencing, and APA format.
Suggestions:
For this paper, in particular, I strongly encourage you to swap papers with your peers and edit
each other’s work. In this way, you can assist each other in developing your writing (and editing)
skills.
In addition, I would choose students who do not know your fictional character (as things that are
clear to you may not be clear to someone, who does not know the character). You may find that
it is best to swap papers with someone who is not your friend, as they may be more honest and
critical in their feedback (rather than simply telling you that it is “good”).
I would also suggest that you swap papers well in advance of the due date as you will likely
need to create multiple drafts. Academic writing is a process of drafts and edits over time. Each
draft of a paper (if it is given the necessary time and attention) tends to improve.