Fall, 2012
Introduction to Psychology (PSYC 1101), Section 1
TR 9:30-10:45 @ Science Center 1405
Instructor:
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Website:
Office Hours:
Dr. Wendy L. Wolfe
Science Center 225
(912) 344-2955
wendy.wolfe@armstrong.edu
http://www.psych.armstrong.edu/faculty/wolfe/index.html
MW 10:30-12; T 1-1:30; Th 1:00-3:30 and by appt. (any changes to office hours will be
announced in class or by email)
Required Text:
Wade, C., & Tavris, C. (2012). Invitation to Psychology, 5th Ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Ed.
*Textbook student website: www.mypsychlab.com (texts are bundled with an access code – website use to
supplement textbook use is optional for this course, although you may find it helpful)
Course Description and Goals:
This course is a survey-level introduction to the study of mental processes and behavior. In teaching this
course, I hope to achieve the following goals:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
to introduce you to the field of psychology through its historical development, basic concepts,
theories, methods, perspectives, findings, and applications.
to develop your understanding of how you and others think, feel, and behave.
to develop your scientific literacy and perspective.
to develop your critical thinking skills.
to increase your compassion for others whose life experiences, thoughts, and behavior differ from
your own.
Student Responsibilities:
Students are expected to attend all classes and to read assigned chapters before the class period in which
they will be discussed. In addition to being physically present, I expect students to be thoughtfully engaged
(mentally present) during lectures and to be active participants in class activities and assignments. Students
will be strongly encouraged throughout the course to think critically about the information presented and to
demonstrate critical thinking skills through class activities and discussions. Additionally, students are
expected to make relevant contributions to the class when questions are asked while being respectful of
fellow classmates’ ideas and comments. For examination purposes, students will be responsible for all
material contained within the assigned readings and presented in the lectures.
Grading: Grades in this course will be based on eight unannounced assignments/quizzes, psychology
department research participation, four regular exams, and a comprehensive final exam.

Unannounced take home assignments and class activities will be used to reward students who attend
class regularly and who come to class prepared to learn. At least 8 such activities/assignments will be
given over the course of the semester. However, it is likely that more than 8 (typically 10) will be
given. In this event, only the 8 with the highest scores will be counted toward your grade. Quizzes
cannot be made up and assignments cannot be turned in late. As such, students are strongly
encouraged to complete assigned readings and attend class regularly.
Fall, 2012


Each student is required to complete 2 hours of psychology department research participation or an
alternative assignment, to be determined by the instructor, in order to pass the class. Students who
do not complete the required research participation hours by the end of the semester will receive a
grade of incomplete until the research participation (or alternative assignment) has been completed.
Please do not wait until the end of the semester to begin your research participation, as research
studies typically begin closing down (or filling up) in the final weeks of the semester. Visit
http://www.armstrong.edu/Science_and_Technology/psychology/psych_student_participation_in_re
search to find out how to set up your research participation account and how to use Sona Systems to
sign up for psychology department research studies. Please note that if you sign up for a timeslot to
participate in a research study and find out that you cannot make it, you need to cancel your
appointment on Sona Systems within the specified cancellation timeframe for the study. If you “no
show” for a study without providing appropriate documentation of your absence to the researcher
conducting the study, you will no longer be eligible for research participation (required and for extra
credit) and will instead need to complete the alternative assignment.
Exams will consist of multiple choice questions which will vary in difficulty. Some questions will seem
easy, while others may appear confusing or difficult to answer. Exams are designed so that most
students will answer some of the questions correctly, and only students who have achieved the
highest level of understanding of the material will answer others correctly. The purpose of including
questions with a variety of difficulty levels is to determine the depth and breadth of your
understanding of the material. “Trick” questions are not tricky to those who have achieved the
highest level of understanding. In the event that a regular exam is missed, your final exam score will
be substituted for the missed exam score. If you attend all regular exams and you score higher on
the final exam than an earlier exam, your final exam score will also replace your lowest regular exam
score. Only individuals with well documented emergencies may arrange for a final exam make-up,
which will take place at the instructor’s convenience and will be in an alternate form from the regular
exam.
Your final grade will be determined by the following:
400
Points for 4 exams worth 100 points each
200
Points for the comprehensive final exam
80
Quizzes and Assignments
20
Psychology Department Research (or alternative)
700
TOTAL POINTS
Of the 700 possible points, the minimum number needed to earn a particular grade are listed below:
A - outstanding performance relative to requirements
630 points
B – good performance relative to requirements
560 points
C – average performance relative to requirements
490 points
D – below average to poor performance relative to requirements
420 points
F – performance fails to meet minimal standards for successful completion
< 420 points
of the course and fulfillment of course requirements
Extra Credit: You may earn extra credit by participating in additional psychology department research. For
each 30 minutes of research participation you complete in excess of the 2 hours of required research
participation, you will earn 5 extra credit points. You can also see me if you would rather complete a paper
for extra credit. The maximum amount of extra credit points you can earn via research participation and
extra credit papers is 20 points (combined total).
Fall, 2012
Absences: You do not need to contact me if you will be absent from class. Check with a classmate to get
class notes and announcements you may have missed. However, keep in mind that if you are absent during a
class activity, or when a take-home assignment is given, you will not be able to make those up or turn them in
late – for any reason.
Students with Special Needs: Any student with a disability who is in need of an accommodation should see
me as early as possible.
Academic Integrity: Good academic work must be based on honesty. I do not expect to have problems with
cheating or plagiarism; however, I take these issues very seriously. All students are expected to be familiar
with and abide by the Armstrong Atlantic State University Honor Code, especially in regard to the policies
on Academic Integrity. Any suspicion of cheating or commission of plagiarism will be referred to the Office
of Student Affairs as a possible violation of the Honor Code. The term “unauthorized aid”, as referenced in
the Honor Code, for the purposes of this course will consist of the following: looking at another student’s
exam before, during, or after the exam period or allowing this to occur to your own exam; looking at another
student’s exam booklet from a previous semester; and use of “crib” notes, textbooks, or electronic
communications of exam information during the examination.
Disruptions: Certain behaviors are disruptive to other students and to me as an instructor. To avoid
hindering the learning process for us all please make every attempt to avoid the following during class time:
· sleeping or appearing obviously bored or
· leaving cell phones or other
inattentive
communication/entertainment devices on in class,
· arriving late or leaving early
or using a laptop or handheld device (e.g. iPad,
· packing up your stuff early
iPhone) for non-class-related purposes (see below)
· reading or doing other work in class
· talking during lectures
Media Policy: Students are welcome to use a laptop to assist with note-taking during class. However, if a
student is caught (by the instructor or another student) using their laptop during class for non-class-related
purposes (e.g., email, Facebook, YouTube, work for another class), this privilege may be revoked by the
instructor. Students are also free to audio record class lectures, with instructor permission.
Powerpoint Slides: You may access handouts (in Microsoft Word format) from the powerpoint lecture slides
by going to my faculty website. However, the slides are generally no more than a list of terms and concepts
that are defined and explained in class. They are meant as an aid to note-taking, and will be woefully
inadequate as an alternative to attending class. The file is quite large and will take some time (and a good
internet connection) to download. Also, additional slides may be added throughout the course of the
semester that may not be uploaded to the on-line handouts.
Fall, 2012
Calendar: The schedule of topics, reading assignments, and exams is tentative. Some topics may be covered
more quickly or slowly than anticipated. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE for any changes announced in class.
Readings (due that class) are in parentheses. You will find it very difficult to do well in this class if you do
not finish your assigned readings before class.
Week of
(Tuesday):
8/14
8/21
8/28
9/4
9/11
9/18
9/25
10/2
10/9
10/16
10/23
10/30
11/6
11/13
11/20
11/27
12/4
Tuesday
Introduction to the Course
Introduction to Psychology
Personality
Development
Physiological Psychology (Ch. 4)
Consciousness (Ch. 5)
Sensation & Perception (Ch. 6)
Sensation & Perception
10/3: Last day to withdraw w/ “W”
No Class – Fall Break!
Cognition & Intelligence
Memory
Learning
Social/Cultural Psychology (Ch. 10)
Psychological Disorders (Ch. 11)
Psychological Disorders
Exam 4
No Class – Reading Day
Thursday
Introduction to Psychology (Ch. 1)
Personality (Ch. 2)
Development (Ch. 3)
Exam 1
Physiological Psychology
Consciousness
No Class – Alternative Assignment TBA
Exam 2
Cognition & Intelligence (Ch. 7)
Memory (Ch. 8)
Learning (Ch. 9)
Exam 3
Social/Cultural Psychology
Psychological Disorders
Treatment & Therapy (Ch. 12)
Final Exam Review
Final Exam 12/6 @ 8:30am