University of Central Oklahoma
Summer 2012
GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
PSY 1103 CRN 34299 (3 credit hours)
EDU 102
MTWR 9:30-10:45
Instructor: J. Grellner, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology
Office: Education Building Rm. 307D
Phone: 974-5466 e-mail: jgrellner@uco.edu or through WebCT
Office Hours: M W 12:30-1:30 T 12:30-2:30
Required Text:
Comer, R. & Gould, E. (2011). Psychology Around Us. John Wiley & Sons
ISBN – 13 978-0-471-38519-6
The College of Education and Professional Studies and the Department of Psychology is
committed to helping students learn by providing a range of transformative learning experiences
in discipline knowledge and in the five core areas: leadership; research, creative and scholarly
activities; service learning and civic engagement; global and cultural competencies; and health
and wellness.
Course Objectives
The primary objective of this course is to provide you with an overview of the major areas of
study in the field of psychology. This course will introduce you to concepts and critical
thinking skills that are used in psychology and that will help you learn to think like a
psychologist. You will learn about major theoretical perspectives in psychology, research
methods, and concepts from different content areas such as physiological psychology,
developmental psychology, social psychology, and cognition.
Understanding some of the major concepts in psychology should prove to be beneficial for
understanding the mental processes and behavior of people as well as providing a framework
for future studies in this field. This course should help you to develop insights into
understanding learning and memory, personality, stages of human development, stress and its
effects, behavior in groups, and psychological disorders. Thus, the course will expose you to
information that is not only interesting but also useful in “the real world.”
Requirements
There is a text for the course, listed above. The course is built around the textbook. You should
read the relevant chapter material prior to coming to class to get the most out of lectures. The
lectures will be related, but will not come directly from the text. There will also be
demonstrations, in-class assignments, and some discussion in class; thus, although attendance
will not be checked in a formal fashion, you must attend class to get the most out of the course,
and you must be present to complete in-class activities (and to receive credit for them). There
are exams, a service learning project, miscellaneous in-class activities, and a research exposure
requirement; these are described below.
Exams
There will be four exams, each covering approximately one-quarter of the course material. The
fourth exam will be given during finals week, but will not be comprehensive or more heavily
weighted. Exams will be 50 multiple-choice questions. The questions will require not only
recognition of concepts, but will be designed to test comprehension and application of the
concepts as well. Material for the exams will be drawn from the text, the lectures, and the
classroom experiences. There will be no make-up exams except as mandated by University
policy for religious holidays and major illnesses. Please bring Scantron form #229633 and a #2
pencil to each exam.
In-Class Activities
For many non-exam periods, there will be class exercises or quizzes to help demonstrate the
material of the chapters. The majority of these will be assigned and completed during class;
however, some may be assigned to be completed on your own time as necessary. To receive
points for in-class activities, you must be present for the entire class period. In-class activities
require your presence in the class; therefore, there will be no flexibility regarding your
attendance (i.e., no “excused” absences). If you are not present for class (or you are late), you
cannot participate in the in-class activities. There will be approximately 10 assignments
throughout the semester, worth 10 points each.
Service Learning Assignment
You will choose one opportunity from three organizations to give and learn about the benefits
of service learning. Service learning involves applying some of the ideas and skills you have
learned in class to a community organization. You first need to register online with the
Volunteer and Service Learning Center (VSLC) here on the UCO campus. This will allow you
to document your hours. Register here: http://broncho2.uco.edu/volunteer/
You will be required to put in 8-10 hours of direct service and to keep a journal of your
experiences with an entry for each of the days you were present. You will also turn in a 5 page
paper, written in APA style, that includes the following:
1. (1-1.5 pages) A description of the site at which you completed your service learning.
Include the mission of the agency, what services are provided, what population is
serviced, and how the service is financed.
2. (1-1.5 pages) Find any research (1 or 2 articles) to support or dispute the effectiveness of
such work. Try to find randomized controlled trial if you can. You may find a study
that shows that occupational rehab is helpful to children with disabilities or statistics
that show how many people are served by the agency and any outcome data the agency
has on the benefits of the services they provide. Be sure to cite your references using
APA style.
3. (1-1.5 pages) A description of your work at the agency. Include who supervised you,
what you did, who you worked with, what were the challenges or benefits of the work,
and your daily log of times and activities, etc.
4. (1-1.5 pages) A reflection of the experience. Include what you learned, how you felt
about the experience, any insight into the people or situation you were exposed to, how
you got along with others, whether you would recommend it to others, etc.
You will be working in small groups. On the final day of class you and your group members
will give a brief presentation of your experiences. You will be graded on the completion of the
service activities, a five-page paper, and the quality of your presentation.
Service Learning Opportunities
Coffey Creek Riding Stables
Positive Tomorrows
Check the VSLC service learning list for other ideas. However, you must get permission from
your instructor to do a service learning experience somewhere other than the two listed above.
Points Possible and Assignment of Grades
Final course grades will be based on your four exam scores (total 400 points possible),your inclass exercises (worth approximately 100 points) and your Service Learning Project for a total of
600 possible points:
Exams: 4 @ 100 points each =
400
In-class Activities : 10 @ 10 points each =
100
Service Learning Project: 100 points =
100
TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE =
600
A:
B:
C:
D:
F:
90 - 100% [540-600 points]
80 - 89% [480-539 points]
70 - 79% [420-479 points]
60 - 69% [360-419 points]
below 60% [≤359 points]
GENERAL SUGGESTIONS AND CLASS GUIDELINES
**Show up. Show respect. Make an effort.**
Come to class. Clearly, you are in college now, and can decide for yourself whether or not to come to
class. However, our job is to teach you and we cannot do that if you are not present. There will be class
demonstrations, discussions, and films designed to enrich your learning experience. There will be in-class
assignments that will count towards your grade. And further, the text for this course is thick with
information: coming to class will help clarify concepts and focus your studying.
Read the text. Skim the chapter I am covering before you come to class. This helps you in at least two
ways: (1) it exposes you to the material before the lecture, making it easier for you to understand the
lecture material and thus get more out of it; and (2) it prepares you with questions that might arise from
the reading and may then be asked in class while the topic is being discussed (see the next suggestion).
Ask questions. If there is something you do not understand, ask questions. Use my office hours; ask in
the time available before lecture; and feel free to ask during the lecture.
Take notes. Come to class and take GOOD notes. It is a good study habit to go over your notes right
after class, filling in the blanks, clarifying concepts and cryptic scribbles while the lecture is still fresh in
your mind. It is also a good idea to make friends in the class and get the phone numbers of a couple of
people on whose notes you can rely when you have to miss class (and to clarify your own lecture notes).
Give feedback. If you are confused, look confused so that Iwill know when to rewind the lecture or give
an alternate explanation. Ask questions without embarrassment -- if you are confused, the odds are good
that others around you are as well and will appreciate your asking.
Be considerate. Ultimately, we cannot make you pay attention and cannot make you learn. However, we
will do what we can to keep anyone from taking that opportunity away from those around him or her. In
other words, if you are not in the mood to pay attention and would rather read the newspaper, visit with
your neighbors, or listen to your MP3 player, just do not come to class. If you are disrupting class, you
will be asked to leave. Also, we hope to have some discussion in class, despite the size of the class, which
means that we encourage you to speak up in class. With freedom comes responsibility, and so I also
encourage you to use discretion and consideration when commenting -- we do not all share the same
views and upbringing. Please mute all pagers and cell phones so as not to disrupt the class.
Communicate with me. Utilize my office hours. At a larger university like this one, it is too easy for
students to get "lost." I encourage you to introduce yourself or talk to me after class; you will get more
out of this class if you feel like your investment in it matters. If you prefer, you may to communicate via
e-mail.
Course Outline (Subject to change with notice)
Week
Topic
Reading
Week 1 (6/4-6/7)
Psychology : Yesterday and Today; Psychology as a Science; Human Development
Chapter 1& 2
Week 2 (6/11-6/14)
Human Development; Neuroscience;
Chapter 3& 4
Week 3 (6/18-6/21)
EXAM 1: Monday 6/18 Sensation and Perception; Consciousness
Chapter 5 & 6
Week 4 (6/25-6/28)
Learning; Memory;
Chapter 7& 8
Week 5 (7/2-7/5)
EXAM 2: Monday 7/2 Language and Thought ; Intelligence No Class on Wed, July 4th.
Chapter 9&10
Week 6 (7/9-7/12)
Motivation ; Emotion;
Chapter 11&12
Week 7 (7/16-7/19)
EXAM 3: Monday 7/16 Personality; Social Psychology
Chapter13&14
Week 8 (7/23-7/26)
Stress, Coping, and Health; Psychological Disorders and their Treatments
Chapter 15&16
Week 9 (7-31)
Final Exam 9:00-11:00 Tuesday, July 31st
UNIVERSITY CALENDAR AND RELEVANT POLICIES
University Calendar
August 22
August 22-26
September 5
October 20-21
November 23-25
December 9
December 12-16
December 20
Classes Begin
Late Enrollment
Labor Day (No Classes)
Fall Break (No Classes)
Thanksgiving Break (No Classes)
Final Day of Classes
Final Examinations
Final Grades Due
Reasonable Accommodation for Students with Disabilities
The University of Central Oklahoma complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. Students with disabilities who need special
accommodations must make their requests by contacting the Coordinator of Disability Support
Services at (405) 974-2549. The DSS Office is located in the Nigh University Center, Room 309.
Students should also notify me of special accommodation needs by the end of the first week of
class.
Academic Integrity and Dishonesty
Academic integrity means honesty and responsibility in scholarship. Here are the basic
assumptions about academic work at the University of Central Oklahoma: (1) Students attend
UCO to learn and to grow. (2) Academic assignments exist for the sake of this goal. (3) Grades
exist to show how fully the goal is attained. (4) Thus, all work and all grades should result from
the student's own effort to learn and to grow. Academic work completed any other way is
pointless, and grades obtained any other way are fraudulent.
The university also provides the following statement regarding the prevention of plagiarism:
“UCO subscribes to the Turnitin.com plagiarism prevention service. Students agree that by
taking this course, all required assignments may be subject to submission for textual similarity
review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted assignments will be
included as source documents in the Turnitin.com restricted access reference database for the
purpose of detecting plagiarism of such assignments. Use of the Turnitin.com service is subject
to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com website. Turnitin.com is just
one of various plagiarism prevention tools and methods which may be utilized by your faculty
instructor during the term of the semester. In the UCO Student Handbook, there is a process
for contesting any plagiarism allegations against you."
Note: We do not allow students to take copies of the exams out of the classroom or to submit
them to exam files. Please understand that to do so, or to use copies of exams outside of the
classroom or our offices, constitutes academic misconduct and will be handled accordingly.
For the entire student information sheet, please click this link
http://www.uco.edu/academic-affairs/files/aa-forms/faculty/StudentInfoSheet.pdf