Psychology 110:
Introduction to Psychology
Psychology is an amazing field in that you can study just about anything related to people and consider yourself a
psychologist! Psychologists study people’s minds—the way people interact, how children think differently as they
grow into adulthood, the differences between humans and other animals, how genes and neurons work, how
culture shapes thinking and behavior, why some people are stingy and others are generous, why some minds make
people think they are Jesus and other minds make people hear tastes. In this course we will talk about the ordinary
and extraordinary. Along the way we will discover facts that may make us uncomfortable and we will talk about
why it is that they make us uncomfortable, we will learn how scientists can study questions about art, gods, and
free will, and we will learn about some of the most astounding findings to date. Be prepared to have your ideas,
beliefs, attitudes, and even your concept of yourself questioned. Welcome to Intro to Psych!
Meeting Location: Online
Meeting Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays 12pm-1pm EST + Exams Fridays 12pm-1pm EST
Professor: Kristina Olson
Email: kristina.olson@yale.edu (best way to reach me; email subject header INTRO: [title of your choice], it’s
also helpful if you include your NetID in your email)
Teaching Fellow: Vivian Li
If you have questions about anything other than objections to grading (see below), you may email
vivian.li@yale.edu to reach the TF with email subject header QUESTION:[title of your choice]. You will receive
an answer or an acknowledgement of your email within 24 hours.
Textbook: Psychology, 2nd Edition, by Schacter, Gilbert and Wegner
Class Website: https://XXXXXX
This site will contain an up-to-date syllabus, copies of handouts and assignments, and other materials as they
become relevant.
To do well in this course is simple. You need to attend all of the discussions, watch all of the videos, read the
textbook, study for exams, complete the assignments and ask your TF questions when you are stumped.
Assignments: In this course there are several main assignments and contributors to your grade. These include:
Exams (13% each; total 65%) – We will have five weekly, non-cumulative exams in this course. Each
exam is worth 12% of your grade. Each exam will cover that week’s course material. These exams will be based
on material presented during the video lectures AND material presented in the textbook. If you will be absent on
an exam day and it is a foreseeable absence (e.g., cousin’s wedding), you must email Dr. Olson a week prior to
that exam in order to schedule a make-up exam. To do so, email Dr. Olson with the heading “INTRO: MAKE UP
EXAM” and provide the dates you will be away. If an unforeseen emergency circumstance arises (e.g, funeral,
hospitalization) you must contact Dr. Olson as soon as you possibly can by emailing her with the heading
“INTRO: EMERGENCY.” In addition, you will need to provide documentation (e.g., letter from a doctor).
Class Questions (total 10%) – During the discussion portion of the course (each Tuesday and Thursday),
you will be presented with a topic to write about for 5-10 minutes. You will need to email the TF
(vivian.li@yale.edu) at the moment this designated time is up with your response. These questions are designed to
make you think deeply, not as something that is right or wrong. For example, a question may ask about your
opinion of the morality of running certain types of experiments. If you complete the task in a way that indicates
you’ve thought about the issue, you will receive credit. If not, you will be contacted by the TF that that session’s
response did not receive full credit. Your top 8 scores will be counted allowing for your 2 lowest scores to be
dropped. This policy also means that if you miss class up to two times you will not lose points in the class
questions portion of your grade.
Online Discussion Boards (15%) – Each Monday and Wednesday, you are expected to post at least two
questions and/or thoughts about the lectures and book that you watched for that class on the discussion forums by
5pm EST. Additionally, by 1am EST on the day of class you are expected to reply to at least one other person’s
question and/or thoughts. The TF and instructor will be reviewing these comments and providing you with weekly
scores ranging from 0 to 5. 0 indicates you did not do the assignment and 5 means you did the most exceptional
job in the class. We anticipate most people will receive a 3 each week with 4s and 5s saved for particularly
thoughtful contributions. Please note, this does not mean that longer (nor more) comments or questions are
necessary.
Participation (10%) – As this is a discussion-focused course, participation is critical. For this class, these
are not free points—you are fully expected to participate in the two weekly discussions each week. Your class
participation will be graded each week. Your lowest participation grade will be dropped and the remaining weeks
will be averaged. Quality of participation, rather than quantity of participation, will be evaluated.
Objections: Occasionally it happens that a student disagrees with how an exam question or an assignment is
graded. If you look over an assignment or test and you are fairly certain that it has been mis-graded, please take
the following steps as soon as you discover the error (must be within 1 week of the return of the assignment):
Type out the original question and your answer (or if it’s an assignment, make clear what the assignment
was) as well as your justification for why your answer/assignment was correct or more correct than you were
given credit for. Email Dr. Olson the information with the heading INTRO:[your title].
In no case should objections be raised with the TF and in no case should your objections be raised with Dr. Olson
in person. All objections must be made in writing using the procedures described above.
Academic Honesty (from Paul Bloom)
The exams are closed-book, closed notes, and closed to any materials other than those residing in your mind. Use
of any written materials or any form of collaboration is forbidden. For the written assignments, any use of words
or ideas from other sources—including online sources—has to be explicitly and clearly acknowledged. For a short
but useful discussion, see:
http://yalecollege.yale.edu/content/dean-miller-academic-integrity
Any case of suspected cheating or plagiarism will be referred to the Executive Committee of Yale College. The
consequences can be severe, including suspension. In my experience, many episodes of cheating are due to stress
and panic. If you find yourself in a difficult situation, there are always better options than cheating or copying. If
you are having problems in the course, you should always feel comfortable talking to me or to the TFs.
SCHEDULE
(updates will be announced in class and all times are EST)
Week 1: Cognition
Before June 4: Watch “History and Learning” and “Memory”; Read Chapters 6+7
June 4 12-1pm EST – live class with Dr. Olson
June 5 (optional) – live TF office hours
Before June 6: Watch “Sensation and Perception” and “The Brain”; Read Chapter 4
June 6 11am-12pm – live class with Dr. Olson
June 7 11am-12pm – Exam #1
Week 2: Higher-Level Cognition
Before June 11: Watch “Language and Thought”, “Higher Level Cognition”; Read Chapter 9
June 11 12-1pm – live class with Dr. Olson
June 12 (optional) – live TF office hours
Before June 13: Watch “Consciousness, Sleep and Dreams” and “Evolution and Sex”; Read Chapter 5
June 13 12-1pm – live class with Dr. Olson
June 14 12-1pm – Exam #2
Week 3: Developmental and Morality
Before June 18: Watch “Development” and “Kids are angels”; Read Chapter 11
June 18 12-1pm – live class with Dr. Olson
June 19 (optional) – live TF office hours
Before June 20: Watch “Morality” and “Paul Bloom Guest Lecture” and “The Wild Child”
June 20 12-1pm – live class with Dr. Olson
June 21 12-1pm – Exam #3
Week 4: Social and Personality Psychology
Before June 25: Watch “Peter Salovey Guest Lecture” and “Social Psychology”; Read Chapter 13
June 25 12-1pm – live class with Dr. Olson
June 26 (optional) – live TF office hours
Before June 27: Watch “A Class Divided” and “Attitudes and Individual Differences”;Read Chapter 12
June 27 12-1pm – live class with Dr. Olson
June 28 12-1pm – Exam #4
Week 5: Clinical and Beyond
Before July 2: Watch “Clinical Psych Part I and II”; Read Chapters 14+ 15
July 2 12-1pm – live class with Dr. Olson
July 3 (optional) – live TF office hours
Before July 4: Watch “Psychology Take Homes Part I and II”
July 4 12-1pm – live class with Dr. Olson
July 5 12-1pm – Exam #5