General Psychology

PSYCH 110 – 00007

Spring 2007

Instructor: Caroline Mann

Office: 307 Austin Peay (on the hill)

Office Hours: Drop-in Mon 2:15-3:15, Thurs: 12:15-1:55, or by appointment

Email:

Class Location: 27 AMB

Meeting Time: 3:35-4:25 MWF

Course Overview

“Education is not filling a bucket but lighting a fire” -William Yeats

Welcome to Psychology 110! I hope that you find the course both enjoyable and stimulating. Psychology110 is a freshman level survey course that will focus on the basic concepts, principles, and theories related to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. This course seeks to provide students with an appreciation and sensitivity to the many facets of human behavior. This course surveys a wide array of topics that psychologists study, such as biology, learning, cognition, social, and abnormal behavior. The class is taught in a lecture/discussion format. Because of time constraints, not all material presented in the book will be presented in class. However, you are still responsible for all material in the book even though some of it may not have been covered in class. You are also responsible for lecture material that might not be covered in the book.

Objectives

§  To spark your interest in the broader field of psychology

§  To encourage you to apply psychology to experiences in your daily life

§  To convey that psychology is, in fact, a science

Blackboard Website

When you registered for the class you were automatically enrolled in the Blackboard website for your section of Psychology 110. The website will provide information about the course such as the syllabus, extra credit opportunities, course announcements, study guide questions for your exams, and grades. All urgent announcements will be sent to the class via your UTK email address. Check the website frequently!!

Required Reading

Textbook: Psychology (edited by Richard A. Saudargas)

Supplemental Readings (will be provided):

Excerpt from Opening Skinner’s Box

Classroom Protocol:

With this being a large course in terms of enrollment, it amplifies the importance of classroom atmosphere. A classroom environment that facilitates the maximum opportunity for learning must be present at all times. It is expected that all students attending this course be attentive, polite, and not a source of distraction to the instructor or any other student. Distracting behaviors such as private conversations, newspaper reading, coming to class late and leaving early, or any other potentially disruptive behavior have no place in a classroom environment devoted to learning in a university setting. However, you are always encouraged to ask questions and share informed comments. Every effort will be made to make the classroom experience both profitable and enjoyable for all.

Optimizing Your Classroom Experience:

Take responsibility for your learning experience. If you are having difficulty with the material, seek help from me. Form study groups. These groups are a terrific opportunity for sharing ideas, meeting new people, and enhancing your absorption of the course content.

How to Prepare for Class:
In order for maximum interaction and learning to occur, it is essential that students read the assigned chapters prior to each class session. In a large course, it is often easy to sit back, relax, and absorb information without becoming engaged in the topic under consideration. Individuals may also feel psychology to be "common sense" and, therefore, feel they do not need to devote time to studying the material. Students are encouraged to come to class prepared and contribute to the topic from their individual perspectives. It will be up to each student to assist in making this class an interactive experience.

Office Hours:

Please do not hesitate to come by during office hours. They are held for your benefit. If you are having trouble in class, you should discuss it immediately. Most students wait until the end of the semester before they realize they are having problems in class. If you wait until the end of the semester, it may be too late. If you want to review an examination and discuss what you missed, come to office hours. If you want to discuss a topic more fully, come to office hours. If you need to talk about strategies for studying the course material, then come to office hours. Office hours are an opportunity to discuss whatever you choose about the class or psychology in general. I am happy to help!

Student Success Center: http://studentsuccess.tennessee.edu/ The Student Success Center contains an array of information that is designed to help students adjust to and succeed at the university.

Academic Honesty:

Your academic performance is based on YOUR honest efforts. Academic dishonesty will be dealt with according the rules of the University. (see Hilltopics and the Undergraduate Catalog). If you are caught cheating on an exam or quiz or a paper you will be given an F in the course and a letter will be sent to Student Judicial Affairs. Cheating includes plagiarism, copying answers during an exam, etc. Each semester several students receive an F in the course for taking a quiz for someone else. If you decide not to come to class on a quiz day, please do not ask another student to take a quiz and sign your name on the quiz, and do not offer to take a quiz for another student. A two or three point quiz is not worth the consequences. In such cases both students receive an F in the course, letters are sent to Student Judicial Affairs, and the students risk losing their scholarships.

Disability Services

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a documented disability or if you have emergency information to share, please contact the Office of Disability Services at 191 Hoskins Library or 974-6087. This will ensure that you are properly registered for services.

Withdrawing from the Course: (see p. 45 of the Undergraduate Catalogue)

·  No W on transcript. Until Sept 1 you may drop this course without a W on your transcript.

·  W on transcript: From September 2 until October 3 you may drop the course and receive a “W” on your transcript which is not computed in your GPA.

·  WP or WF on transcript: From October 4 until November 14 you may drop the course and receive either a WP (Withdraw Pass) or WF (Withdraw Fail). If you are passing the course, I will assign a WP which is not computed in your GPA. If you are failing the course, I will assign a WF which is calculated as an F grade in your GPA. My signature is required on a WP/WF form that you can pick up at the registrar’s office

Course Grading:

There are four ways you can earn points toward your course grade: (1) Exams, (2) Scheduled Quizzes, (3) Research Participation (4) Class Participation.

EXAMS (200 points)

There will be 4 examinations and 1 optional comprehensive final each worth 50 points. The examinations are multiple choice with answers placed on an answer form. Arrive on time for each exam since no one will be allowed to take the examination after the first person turns in his or her examination and leaves the classroom. In other words, if you come to an examination after one person has turned in their test, you will miss that examination and receive a zero for that exam. There are no exceptions to this rule, so be sure your alarm clocks and cars are in working order. Bring your picture Student ID with you to each examination as we may ask to see it.

Because of the large numbers of students in all the sections of Psychology 110 we cannot offer make up examinations. If you miss an exam for any reason, do not ask for a make-up. The COMP examination (see below) given at the end of the semester acts as the make-up.

The optional COMP is a comprehensive examination over the semester material and is given during your scheduled final examination period. You can use the COMP exam to make-up one missed examination or to try and raise your score on one examination. The COMP is your make-up examination. Remember the COMP is only good for replacing the score on one examination. If you have enough points for the grade that you want after Exam 4, then you do not need to take the COMP examination. The COMP is no risk. After taking all regular exams and the COMP you may drop the lowest of any of the four exam grades, including the COMP.

Scan Forms. You will take your exams on a scan form which you can purchase at the bookstore. Be sure you get the half sheet forms that are for Psychology. Scan forms will not be available at the exams. If you do not have a form you may not be able to take the exam, so you should go to the book store and buy a bunch of forms. You will also need a #2 pencil.

SCHEDULED QUIZZES (32 points)

Ten in class quizzes will be administered between each of the four examinations. See the syllabus for the days of the quizzes. The quizzes will cover book and lecture material since the previous quiz. There are no make-ups for missed quizzes, regardless of the excuse. Each quiz is worth 2-4 points for a total of 32 possible points.

RESEARCH PARTICIPATION (48 points)

One goal of the course is to teach about research in psychology so one of the course requirements is to actively learn about psychology research. In this class there are two ways to actively learn about research. The first is to participate in a research study and the second is to integrate concepts and research findings and apply those to areas of ones life. You can earn up to 48 points by participating in research and/or writing research participation concept papers.

Participate in Research. You can earn up to 12 points per hour by participating in experiments conducted by researchers in the Department of Psychology and the university. Finding out about research opportunities and signing up to participate in research is done on-line. You must be registered on-line by Jan 17, 2007.

Instructions for Student Sign Up

1. Go to the following URL:

http://hpr.msu.edu/UTK/

2. Click on Participants

3. Click on Create an Account

4. Type in the box: utstudent (the screen will not show the letters)

5. Click on submit

6. Complete the information on the next screen and click submit

7. On subsequent visits you will just enter your username and password.

8. You will be able to see any extra credit opportunities and sign up for them on line.

The last day for research participation is April 27, 2007

The number of experiments in which students can sign up for participation varies each semester and there is no guarantee that there will be enough experiments for all students to earn all the Research Participation points.

AND/OR…

Research Concept Papers: You may earn up to 12 points for each of 4 concept papers. For a particular course unit, discuss three concepts or information from the unit that challenged you or surprised you and prompted you to think about the concepts or information in ways that had not occurred to you before. Papers will be a minimum of 3 pages and no longer than 4 pages (12 point Times New Roman font, double spaced). You must include a minimum of 3 concepts in the paper and indicate the chapter and page number where those concepts are found in the book. Only the paper for a particular unit will be accepted. That is, for Unit 1, only papers pertaining to Unit 1 will be accepted. Once Unit 2 begins, only papers for Unit 2 will be accepted; you will no longer be able to turn in a paper for Unit 1, etc.
Due dates for the concept papers are listed on the course outline. Papers will not be accepted after the class period on that date nor via email attachments.

You can be a research participant and write concept papers in any combination. You can do 4 papers and no time as a research participant; 3 papers and be a research participant for 1 hour; 2 papers and 2 hours of research participation; 1 paper and 3 hours of research participation; no papers and 4 hours of research participation.

CLASS PARTICIPATION (10 points)/ “Extra Credit Points”

Class participation points are in class pop quizzes and other in class activities that will be given at unscheduled times. These are bonus points that are added to point totals at the end of the semester. There are no make-ups for missed class participation points, regardless of the excuse.

Grade Point Ranges. The total number of points you earn determines your grade. Using the total points from 4 examinations (200 points), quizzes (32 points), and research participation (48 points), you can earn as many as 280 points.

` Grade Point Range

A / 280-252
B / 251-224
C / 223-196
D / 195-168
F / 167-000

Grades of Incomplete are not given except under extraordinary circumstances for which we will want documentation. Examine your semester schedule carefully. If you will miss more than one exam and the COMP because of some personal conflict, take the class some other time or semester.

Grade Postings:

Your examination, research participation, and quiz scores will be posted on the Blackboard website. If you think there is an error in your score, you have until the next exam date to correct any errors for the just completed section of exams, papers, and quizzes. In other words, if you think there is an error in your score, come see me immediately. If we cannot locate your exam or quiz, you will not receive points for it. You should check these postings to be certain you have received all the credit you have earned.