PSY2012:GeneralPsychology
Section:05GF
Spring2013CourseSyllabus
CLASSTIME&LOCATION:
Tuesday8:30am‐10:25am(2nd‐3rdperiod),LittleHall113
Thursday9:35am‐10:25am(3rdperiod),PsychologyBldg151
CLASSINSTRUCTOR:AmandaGesselman,MS
Office:
PsychologyBldg.,Room230 OfficeHours:Thursday10:30AM‐11:30AMandFriday2:00PM‐3:00PM
Email:
agesselman@ufl.edu
COURSEDESCRIPTION
Thiscourseisanoverviewofmajortopicsinmodernpsychology,thescientificstudyof
behavior,andmentalprocesses.Asafirstcourseinthedisciplineofpsychology,it
introducessomeofthefundamentalconcepts,principles,andtheorieswithaconsideration
forthecomplexityofhumanbehavior.
COURSEGOALS
1. Toteachyouthesciencebehindpsychologyandhowitdiffersfromthemedia’s
interpretation.
2. Toprovideyouwithanintroductiontothedifferentareaswithinthefieldof
psychology.
3. Toteachyoutheconceptsinthefieldandhowtoapplythem.
REQUIREDCOURSEMATERIALS
Text:
Lilienfeld,Lynn,NamyandWoolf
PsychologyfromInquirytoUnderstanding2ndedition
ISBN:0205223397
CLASSEXPECTATIONS
Youareexpectedtoattendclassregularlyandcompletethereadingassignmentslistedin
thissyllabus.Youarealsoexpectedtocheckyouremailregularly(atleastonceaday)and
tovisite‐learningonaregularbasis.Studentstypicallyfindthatforeachhourinclass,at
leasttwoadditionalhoursarerequiredforpreparation.
ATTENDANCE
Itisyourresponsibilitytoarrivetoclassontimeandactivelyparticipate.Also,regular
classattendanceisexpectedsinceyourgradeisimpactedbyyourclassparticipation.
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STUDENTSWITHSPECIALNEEDS
Ifyouareastudentwithadisabilityandwouldliketorequestdisability‐related
accommodations,youareencouragedtocontacttheDisabilityResourceCenterasearlyin
thesemesteraspossible.TheDisabilityResourceCenterislocatedin001Building0020
(ReidHall).Theirphonenumberis392‐8565.Ifyouhaveadocumenteddisabilityyou
mustcontactmebyMonday,January14.
EXAMINABLEMATERIAL
Thelecturesandthereadingsfromthetextbookslistedbelowdefinethefullsyllabusof
thiscourse.
ASSESSMENT
OUT‐OF‐CLASSASSIGNMENTS
Youwillcompletetwoout‐of‐classassignments.
Assignment#1:Aone‐pagebio(on8½’’x11’’paper[regularsizeprinterpaper]).
Thisshouldincludeyourname,yourhometown,yourmajor,oneortwointeresting
factsaboutyou,andarecentandrecognizablepictureofyouonthepage(NOT
stapledbehindit).Ifthereismorethanonepersoninthepicture,pleasedrawan
arrowtoyou.NOTE:Iwillkeepthispicture,sopleasegivemeoneyouarewillingto
partwith.Due:January22inclass.20points.
Assignment#2:DemonstrateaPsychologicalConcept.Pickyourfavorite
psychologicalconceptfromthesemesteranddemonstrateitinavideo.Youcanact
itout,interviewafewfriends,createanewscast,anything;justbecreative.This
assignmentismeanttobefun,butalsotodemonstrateyourunderstandingand
knowledgeoftheconceptyouchoose.Ishouldbeabletoshowyourvideoto
someoneunfamiliarwiththetopicandhavethemlearnabouttheconcept.Videos
mustbeatleast1minuteinlengthbutshouldnotexceed4minutes.
Youcandothisbyyourselforwithoneotherstudent.Pleasemakesurethatyou
(andyourpartnerifapplicable)appearinthevideoatleastonce,evenifitisjustto
introduceyourselvesandyourproject.Videosmustbeuploadedtoastreaming
videowebsite(suchasYouTube)beforetheduedate.Thesevideoscanbekept
private,butImustbegivenunrestrictedaccessforatleast1week.
Ifyoudon’thaveaccesstoavideorecordingdevicelikeacamcorder,digitalcamera,
phone,orawebcam,orifyoudonotknowhowtopostvideostotheweb,youneed
toteamupwithapartnerwhodoes.Ifyoucannotfindapartner,pleasenotifyme
andIwillgladlymakeanannouncementinclass.Due:April23by4pm.50points.
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QUIZZES&EXAMS
Youwillcompletefourshortmultiple‐choicequizzesduringclasshours(seebelowfor
dates)aswellasanon‐cumulativemid‐termexamandanon‐cumulativefinalexam.There
isnomake‐upworkavailabletocompensateforpoorexamperformance.
Allquizzesandexamsareclosedbookandclosednotes.Fortheexams,youwillneeda#2
pencilforthebubblesheet.
MISSEDQUIZZESANDEXAMS
Missingaquizorexamissomethingtobeavoided.Thatsaid,intheeventofamedical
orpersonalemergency,youwillbegivenanopportunitytomakeupthemissedquizor
exam.Inordertomaintainfairnessingrading,youwillbeaskedtoprovidedocumentation
thatwillenablemetounderstandthereasonforyourabsence.Excusedabsences
include:documentedillness,deathsintheimmediatefamilyandotherdocumentedcrises,
calltoactivemilitarydutyorjuryduty,religiousholydays,andofficialUniversity
activities.
Make‐uppolicyprocedure*:Contactmewithin24hoursviaemail.Upondeemingyour
make‐uprequestasacceptable,Iwillarrangeaspecialexamforyou.Makeupexamsmust
takeplacewithinONEWEEKoftheoriginalexamdateunlessthereareextenuating
circumstances.Itisyourresponsibilitytofindoutthetimeandlocationofthemake‐up
exam.
*Studentsrepresentingtheuniversityinsportingorculturaleventsmayalsorequest
permissiontotakeamakeupexamiftheeventclasheswiththeregularexamdate.
Permissionisusuallygrantedtostudentswho1)makearequestatleastsevendaysbefore
theregularexamdateand2)areingoodstandingintheclassand3)haveasupporting
letterfromtheevent’scoachordirectoronappropriateletterhead.
LATEWORK
Youarealwayswelcometosubmitassignmentseitherearlyorontime.Anyworkthatis
handedinlatewillsufferafive‐pointdeductionperday.Assignmentsmorethan48hours
latewillnotbeaccepted.
EXPERIMENTALRESEARCHPARTICIPATION
ThereisaPsychologyDepartmentrequirementthatallstudentsenrolledinPSY2012
participateinaresearchexperience.Moredetailsareavailableintheresearch
requirementdocumentlocatedonSakai.Completionofthisrequirementaffectsyour
coursegradebasedontheamountofresearchcreditsyouearn.Option1:Onecreditis
givenforeveryhalf‐houryouspendinanexperiment,andyouneedtoearn10creditsin
total.Thisisequivalentto5hoursofparticipationinresearch.Whenyoucompletethe
researchexperiencebycompleting5hours(10credits)ofresearch,youwillreceive50
pointsthatareaddedintoyourPSY2012grade.IfyoudoNOTcompletethefullnumberof
creditsbythedeadline,youwillreceivepointsatarateof4pointspercreditcompleted.
ThedeadlineforOption1isApril24at4pm.Youwillbegivena4‐pointbonusifyou
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completeOption1byApril8at4pm.Option2:apaperassignment.Rulesanddetailsare
availableintheResearchRequirementdocumentonSakai.Pleasenotethatifyouarenot
18yearsoldorareanInnovationAcademystudent,youmustcompleteOption2.The
deadlineforOption2isApril19at4pm.Youwillbegivena4‐pointbonusifyou
completeOption2byApril8at4pm.**NotethatOption2mustbedeclaredbyJanuary
25at4pm.Formoreinfo,seethedocumentonourSakaipageorgoto
http://www.psych.ufl.edu/Undergrad/psy2012Research.pdf
GRADING
Therewillbeatotaloffour30pointmultiple‐choicequizzes.Inadditiontothesequizzes,
youwillhaveamid‐termandanon‐cumulativefinal,aswellastwoout‐of‐class
assignments.
GradedItem
Points
MidtermExam
80
FinalExam
80
4Quizzes
120
30pt.each
OutofClassActivities
70
Assignment#1:20pts
Assignment#2:50pts
ResearchExperience
50
Totalpointsavailable
400
Gradeswillbeassignedaccordingtothefollowinggradingscale.Allgradesinthiscourse
arefirm‐thereisnocurve.
Points
360Above
352‐359
340‐351
320‐339
312‐319
300‐311
280‐299
272‐279
260‐271
240‐259
232‐239
231below
Grade
A
A‐
B+
B
B‐
C+
C
C‐
D+
D
D‐
E(Fail)
GoodNews:EverybodyintheclasscangetanAgrade(andIhopeyoudo).
BadNews:Ifyouscorejustonepointbelowthecutoffthenyouwillgetthelowergrade.
Gradeswillnotberoundedup.
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ESSENTIALPOLICYINFORMATION
HONORCODE
ItisimportantthatyouunderstandthatIamnotwillingtogiveapassinggradetothose
whodonotabidebytheUFhonorcode.Anystudentwhocheatsorhelpsanotherstudent
cheatwillreceiveanE(Fail)inthisclass.PleasereviewtheUniversityofFloridaStudent
HonorCode,foundathttp://regulations.ufl.edu/chapter4/4017.pdf
EMAILCOMMUNICATION
Whenyouneedtocontactmeviaemailpleaseadheretothefollowing:a)ensurethatthe
answertoyourquestionisnotinsyllabus,b)ALWAYSincludePSY2012inthesubject
line,c)ALWAYSincludeyourFIRSTandLASTnametoensurearesponsetoyouremail,
andd)allowatleast24HOURSforaresponsefromme.
RELIGIOUSOBSERVANCES
Pleasecheckyourcalendarsagainstthecoursesyllabus.Anystudenthavingaconflictin
theexamschedule,orfeelingthatmissingaclassduetoreligiousobservancewill
disadvantagehimorher,shouldcontactmeassoonaspossiblesothatwecanmakeany
necessaryarrangements.
SYLLABUSCHANGEPOLICY
Exceptforchangesthatsubstantiallyaffectimplementationoftheevaluation(grading)
statement,thissyllabusisaguideforthecourseandissubjecttochangewithadvance
notice.
TentativeClassSchedule
Date
LectureTopic
Jan8
WelcometoPsy2012
Jan10
IntroducingPsychology
Chapter1
Jan15
ResearchMethods
Chapter2
Jan17
Jan22
Reading
Discussioninclass
NoClass:Chapter1&2studyday
Jan24
ResearchMethodscontinued
Chapter2
Assignment#1due
QUIZ1:INTRODUCTION&RESEARCHMETHODS
Jan29
BiologicalPsychology
Chapter3
Jan31
BiologicalPsychologycontinued
Chapter3
Feb5
SensationandPerception
Chapter4
Feb7
SensationandPerceptioncontinued
Chapter4
5
Feb12
Consciousness
Chapter5
Feb14
Feb19
QUIZ 2: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY, SENSATION AND
PERCEPTION, CONSCIOUSNESS
Learning
Chapter6
Feb21
Memory
Chapter7
Feb26
Memorycontinued
Chapter7
Feb28
Language
Chapter8
Mar5&7
NoClass:SpringBreak
Mar12
Languagecontinued
Mar13
Mar14
MIDTERMEXAM:8:20pm‐10:10pm(periodE2‐E3)
RoomTBA
Intelligence
Chapter9
Mar19
Development
Chapter10
Mar21
Motivation&Emotion
Chapter11
Mar26
Chapter8
QUIZ3:INTELLIGENCE,DEVELOPMENT,MOTIVATION&EMOTION
Mar28
Social
Chapter13
Apr2
Personality
Chapter14
Apr4
Personalitycontinued
Chapter14
Apr9
QUIZ4:SOCIAL&PERSONALITY
Apr11
StressandHealth
Chapter12
Apr16
Disorders
Chapter15
Apr18
Treatment
Chapter16
Apr23
Apr30
NoClass:Studyday
Assignment#2dueby4pm
FINALEXAM
3:00pm–5:00pm,locationTBA
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