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INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY: PSYCHOLOGY 100
SPRING, 2009
MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY, 8:30-9:50am
INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Ashley Borders
OFFICE: SGM 809
PHONE: 213-740-7343
EMAIL:
OFFICE HOURS:T 12-1:45pm, or by appointment
TA: Jenn Kellough TA: Philip Sayegh
OFFICE: GER 217OFFICE: GER 217
EMAIL: MAIL:
OFFICE HOURS: M 10:30-12pmOFFICE HOURS: T 3:30-5pm
SECTIONS: T 11-11:50 and Th 11-11:50SECTIONS: T 1-1:50 and F 9-9:50
REQUIRED TEXT: Bernstein, D. A., Penner, L. A., Clarke-Stewart, A., & Roy, E. J. (2008). Psychology: Eighth edition.
COURSE WEBSITE: blackboard.usc.edu (login using your student ID# and password)
Most course materials (e.g., the syllabus, handouts, projects assignment sheets) and all grades will be posted on Blackboard. You must be enrolled in the course, have a valid university e-mail account, and have activated your computer account to have full access to these materials. If you have trouble creating an account or logging on to Blackboard, contact the USC Information Technology Services ( at (213)740-5555.
COURSE EMAIL:
Please use this email for ANY class-related questions (unless you have a private question for either me or your TA). All the TAs and I will check this account, which means that you’ll (presumably) get responses twice as fast! You will also use this email address to turn in ALL written assignments Do NOT send assignments to my or the TAs’ personal email addresses! NOTE: when you email an assignment, include your LAST NAME and the assignment name in the email subject (e.g., “Han, Paper#1”). And do NOT email your assignment as an attachment! Please copy and paste the text of your assignment into the email itself.
Course Description and Objectives
This course is a comprehensive introduction to the subject areas and approaches in the field of psychology. We will cover nervous system structure and function, learning and memory, language, intelligence, psychological disorders and therapies, development, personality, and social behavior. Attention will be given to research methodology and application. The course will be as interactive as possible and students are encouraged to contribute to class by participating in demonstrations and asking questions. Discussion sections are particularly designed to enhance student involvement and learning.
This course provides a comprehensive overview of what psychologists do and the content of the sub-disciplines of psychology. You will learn the various degrees and activities open to those trained in psychology, including teaching, conducting research, providing therapy, developing tests, and consulting in business and industry. You will learn how behavior is understood and modified from the various perspectives (paradigms) in the field. An important goal is for you to develop a healthy scientific skepticism for what you read and hear about the causes of functional and dysfunctional behavior. Hopefully, you will learn something valuable to your own life - perhaps a new study method, a new way to understand yourself and others, or strategies to avoid problems and maximize your health and fulfillment in life.
Getting help if you need it
If you start to struggle at any time during this course, I strongly encourage you to seek assistance. Don’t wait – get help immediately so you don’t fall behind! The TAs and I are available to meet with students during office hours and we enjoy doing so. Please contact us if you are having difficulties with any aspect of this course and we will do our best to assist you. I will respond to email messages within 24 hours, except on weekends. The following are other sources of assistance:
For help with course material, as well as information on study skills and test-taking strategies:
USCCenter for Academic Support ( in the Student Union room 301; (213) 740-0776; Email:
For help with writing (including free one-on-one tutoring):
USCWritingCenter( in Taper Hall of the Humanities room 321; (213) 740-3691; Email:
For help with a personal issue, contact the Student Counseling Services in the YWCABuilding ( (213) 740-7711.
Special Accommodations
I strive to create an environment in which students can excel. I also understand that some students have special needs and that not all disabilities are obvious. If you have a disability and wish to receive special accommodations (e.g., class note taker, large fonts on exams, etc.) then please consult with me as soon as possible, but no later than two weeks from the first day of class. Information regarding disabilities and accommodations will not be shared with other students. For details about qualifying disabilities and accommodations, students may contact the Disability Services and Programs (DSP). A letter of verification for the approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP when adequate documentation is filed. DSP is open Monday to Friday, 8:30-5:00. The office is in Student Union 301 and their phone number is (213) 740-0776.
Academic Dishonesty
It goes without saying that ALL your work in this class MUST be your own. I do not expect academic dishonesty to be an issue. However, the relevant University policies (see the SCAMPUS handbook) will be strictly enforced. ALL incidents of academic dishonesty will be referred automatically to the Office for Student Conduct. Instances of cheating or plagiarism will also be addressed in the following manner: (a) an initial violation will result in a conference and a grade of “zero” for that assignment, and (b) any subsequent offense will result in a grade of “F” for the course, with the matter being referred to the department chairperson and other appropriate administrators. Penalties for other acts of academic dishonesty will be determined after consultation with the Office for Student Conduct. If at any time you are unclear what constitutes a particular form of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism) please come see me.
Course Requirements
Class Participation and Attendance. The best way to learn is to be active and to be here! Because this course involves in-class activities and covers information not in the readings, your attendance is extremely important. I will do everything I can to encourage class participation and make class interesting. *If you know you need to miss a class or leave class early, please email us (at gmail) ahead of time! If an emergency arose (illness, accident), email us afterwards as soon as possible (you cannot email after 2 weeks of missing class and then tell us you’ve had mono or been depressed, for instance). **Except in emergency situations, you are responsible for any announcements made during a lecture that you did not attend.
Discussion section(11% of final grade). Every student MUST be enrolled in a discussion section. All sections are led by TAs. You are expected to take an active role during sections, which will involve discussion of class topics, group activities, and mini-experiments. Brief assignments (e.g., completion of questionnaires, paper-related components) may occasionally be due at section; instructions will be posted on Blackboard a week in advance and announced in lecture. Attendance will be taken at every section.
Three points are assigned each week for attendance, participation, and bringing completed assignments (if there are any) to sections. Here are some guidelines about section grading:
- If you fail to bring assigned work to section but attend section, you will lose .5 point.
- If you are more than 10 minutes late or leave early without prior permission, you will lose 1 point for the day.
- You will receive 0 points if you are absent without an acceptable excuse.
- Missed discussion sections with acceptable excuses (e.g., illness, accident, athletic game) should be made up in another section during that same week, if possible. Email your TA to arrange this (and you may need to email the other TA as well). If you cannot make any other sections that week (for an acceptable reason), email your TA as soon as possible and s/he will try to work something out with you.
- Once per semester you may request to attend a section other than your own due to non-emergency reasons such as travel, participation in organizations, or job/graduate school interviews. Both TAs must approve this change in advance. If attending another section is not possible, either because you will be gone an entire week or because your other classes/work conflict with the other discussion times, then you will receive 0 points.
Written assignments(39.5% of final grade).
You will turn in TWO 30-point, 3-4 page (double-spaced)homework assignments. They are designed to help you solidify some of the concepts covered in class and in the book. These assignments must be emailed to the course emailBY CLASSTIMEof the day they are due (see schedule below). Any responses submitted AFTER classtime are considered late (see policy on late assignments below). The specific homework assignments are posted on Blackboard.
You will also write TWO50-point, 4-5 page (double-spaced) papers about small experiments you conduct. The experiments will help illustrate some psychological concepts wecover. These papers are due in hard copy ATTHE BEGINNING OF CLASSAND by emailthe day they are due (see schedule below). Any responses submitted AFTER the beginning of class are considered late (see policy on late assignments below). The specific paper assignmentsare posted on Blackboard.
Tests (29.5% of final grade). There will be THREEteststhroughout the semester. Tests will cover all assigned reading material and lecture material prior to the test date. Only the top 2 of 3 test scores will be included when computing final course grades. The test will generally consist of multiple-choice and short-answer questions. Please bring a scantron answer sheet (882-E).
Missed tests. If you miss one of the three tests, that missed test will be the dropped test. Make-up tests are NOT offered except when a student has missed more than one test due to unforeseen and extreme circumstances or legitimate athletic conflicts. You MUST provide me with a written excuse or written documentation of your absence from a physician or other authorized professional.
Final exam (20% of final grade). The 2-hour, 80-point final exam will be mostly new material and partially comprehensive. It will consist of multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions. COMPLETION OF THE FINAL EXAM IS NECESSARY TO PASS THE COURSE. The final exam is on May 11, 11am-1pm, in our regular classroom. It will cover material from Chapters 13, 15, and 16, and it is also partially cumulative.
Grading policies
There are 405 total points possible in this course. These points will be assigned as follows:
Discussion section 45 points
2homework assignments (30 points each) 60 points
2 papers (50 points each)100 points
Top 2 of 3 test scores (60 points each)120 points
Final exam 80 points
Final course grades will be assigned based on the scale below.
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A 93-100%
A- 90-92.99%
B+ 87-89.99%
B 83-86.99%
B- 80-82.99%
C+ 77-79.99%
C 73-76.99%
C- 70-72.99%
D+ 67-69.99%
D 63-67.99%
D- 60-62.99%
F = Below 60%
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*I absolutely do NOT round anyone up at the end of the semester. So do extra credit!!
**For the pass/fail or credit/no credit options, you will need a score of 70% or better to pass.
***If you believe a writtenassignment or test has been graded incorrectly, you must bring the problem to my attention within 2 weeks after grades are posted (for midterms and assignments) or within 24 hours for the final. No changes to grades will be made after that time.
Policy on Late Assignments
Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period on the day they are indicated as due. Late assignments will be accepted without penaltyonly in cases of confirmable personal tragedy or extreme illness. Assignments that are late for other reasons will be penalized by first subtracting 10% of the assignment total for each day the assignment is late, up to 50% (so, if an assignment is more than 5 days late, only 50% will be subtracted). Late assignments will then be graded as normal, so additional points may be deducted for incomplete answers. Please email ALL late assignments to the class gmail account. All late work MUST be turned in by the time of the final exam (work turned in after the final exam will not be graded).
Extra Credit
You have two options for extra credit in this course. You can ONLY do ONE extra credit option!
1. You may participate in service-learning through the Joint Educational Project (JEP) at USC. Serviceopportunities include mentoring teens, tutoring foster children, andworking with survivors of domestic violence. These will provide invaluablefirst-hand experience and bring to life the subject matter of this class. JEP requires TWO hours of service per week for eight weeks. You will register for JEP in the first two weeks of the semester,go through training in the third week, and be assigned to a placement by thefifth week. You will begin work at your placement site in week 6 and spend 8weeks in the community. Successful participation in JEP will earn you an additional 4% extra credit in this class. A JEPrepresentative will give a presentation on the first day of class. Sign-ups take place the first two weeks of the semester. For more information about JEP, go to: This is a wonderful program and I encourage you to participate!!
2. Alternatively, you may participate in research projects that are being conducted in the psychology department here at USC. You can sign up to participate in experiments on . Even though I will receive a list of those who participated in experiments at the end of the semester, it is important that you keep a record of the experiments in which you participate. For each hour you participate (up to a maximum total of 5 hours of experiments), I will give you .5% extra credit. Thus, if you participate in the maximum of five experiments, you may earn a total of 2.5% extra credit. IMPORTANT:You must remember to ASSIGN your research credits to this class; if you fail to do this by the day the subject pool closes, I will not give you credit!
PSYCHOLOGY 100SCHEDULE; SPRING, 2009
DATETOPICSREADING DUEASSIGNMENT DUE
Jan 12Introduction to psychologyChapter 1
Jan 14Psychological scienceChapter 2
Jan 19NO LECTURE(MLK day)
Jan 21Psychological science
Jan 26Biological psychologyChapter 3
Jan 28Biological psychology
Feb 2 SensationChapter 4 Assignment 1
Feb 4PerceptionChapter 5
Feb 9First test(Chapters 1-5)
Feb 11LearningChapter 6
Feb 16NO LECTURE(President’s day)
Feb 18Learning
Feb 23MemoryChapter 7
Feb 25Memory
Mar 2Cognition and languageChapter 8Assignment 2
Mar 4ConsciousnessChapter 9
Mar 9IntelligenceChapter 10
Mar 11Second test(Chapters 6-10)
SPRING BREAK
Mar 23EmotionChapter 11
Mar 25DevelopmentChapter 12
Mar 30DevelopmentPAPER 1
Apr 1Social psychologyChapter 17
Apr 6Social psychologyChapter 18
Apr 8PersonalityChapter 14
Apr 13Third test(Chapters 11, 12, 14, 17, 18)
Apr 15Stress and healthChapter 13
Apr 20Psychological disordersChapter 15
Apr 22Psychological disorders
Apr 27PsychotherapyChapter 16PAPER 2
Apr 29Psychotherapy and wrap up