Introduction to Psychology (Fall 2014)

SYLLABUS

Introduction to Psychology (Fall 2014)

Psyc 1315 (006, 007, 011)

Section (006) Tuesday and Thursday 2:00-3:20 p.m. (L.S. 122)

Section (011) Tuesday and Thursday 3:30-4:50 p.m. (U.H. 10)

Section (007) Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00-9:50 a.m. (L.S. 124)

Instructor:Scott L. Coleman, Ph.D.
Office:416A Life Science

Office Hours:MWF 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. or by appointment
Phone: PsychologyDepartment (817) 272-2281; Office (817) 272-0345
Mailbox: Psychology Department, Box 19528
Email: Blackboard email – send electronic mail via Blackboard. Click “UTA Email” located on leftside menu, then select option (a) “All Instructor Users”. This sends email to both the Teaching Assistant and the Course Instructor.

Weblinks:Psychology Department

Sona

Class

Teaching Assistant: Chris Folk; Email:

Course Description

1315. Introduction to Psychology (3-0) 3 hours credit. The course is a general survey of the various areas of psychology and is intended to provide a scientific basis for understanding thoughts, emotions, and behavior. The course is designed to interest and meet the needs of both majors and non- majors. This course satisfies the University of Texas at Arlington core curriculum requirement in social and behavioral sciences. As such, it contains core objectives in critical thinking, communication, empirical and quantitative reasoning, and social responsibility.

Course Objectives: The material will cover research, theories, and applications of a wide range of psychological concepts, and will be designed to translate into and assess competencies in scientific and critical thinking, communication, empirical and quantitative reasoning, and social responsibility.

Student Learning Outcomes: Instructional goals are directed toward enabling students to recognize and recall basic facts and understand major concepts and terminology in all fields of psychology. Exams will focus the instructional goals listed above.

Upon completion of this course, students will:

• Be familiar with key psychological theories
• Understand the basic principles of psychological research
• Be aware of the various sub-disciplines in psychology
• Have a basic understanding when reading and evaluating psychology articles
• Understand how psychology can be applied to our everyday lives

In addition, as this course satisfies the University of Texas at Arlington core curriculum requirement in social and behavioral sciences, it contains core objectives and learning outcomes in the following:

·Critical Thinking Skills include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information.

·Communication Skills include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication.

·Empirical and Quantitative Skills include the manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions.

·Social Responsibility includes intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.

Assessment of Core Curriculum Objectives: The Core Curriculum objectives (critical thinking, communication, empirical and quantitative reasoning, and social responsibility) will be assessed as items in a regularly-scheduled exam, to be explained by your course instructor. As with the Research Participation Requirement, completion of this assessment is required, in order to fulfill Core Curriculum objectives.

Required Textbook: “The Science of Psychology" by Laura A. King, 3rd edition McGraw Hill ISBN: 9780-0-07-353206-6 (study guide optional, but recommended). The text is also available as an e-book at or

Examinations: There will be three regular exams and a comprehensive final exam. The exams will cover lectures, videos and assigned textbook readings. Each regular exam will contain approximately 50 questions and the comprehensive final exam will consist of approximately 100 questions. All exams will be given online using Blackboard. Each exam will be made available on Thursday thru Friday for a 24 hrs time period. A 80 minute time restriction will be observed on the exams. Failure to complete the exam in the required time period will be penalized. In the event of a computer crash or some technical problem, a second opportunity to complete the exam will be given. However, there will be a 5% penalty assessed on second the exam attempt. A training exercise will give students the opportunity to use the testing system on Blackboard under actual exam conditions before taking an actual exam. This practice exam will serve as extra-credit worth 10% points on a regular exam. Please note: It is the student's responsibility to following instructions for successful completion of the online exams.

Missed Exams:A single “make-up”exam session for missed exams will be held on Thursday/Friday December 4-5, 2014. A request for taking a make-up exam must be made in writing. Please note: A “make-up exam” is not a “do-over” exam for poor performance on a previously taken exam.

Course Evaluation & Final Grade: The course grade will be based the mean of the final exam grade and grades for exams 1,2, and 3 (90%); plus class participation credit (10%); plus extra credit points that apply.

Grading Format, Weighting/Point: The grade for each exam will be based on the % correct of the exam questions. The minimum per cent points for a letter grade are (A=90, B= 80, C=70, D= 60. F= below 60. All exams, including the final exam, are of equal weight. Please note: Exams will not be curved

Important Dates: Last day of late registration is August 27th, census date is September 8th, and last day to drop a class with a “W” is October 29th .

Attendance: Class participation and attendance is required and part of the overall grade in this course.

Specific Course Requirements with Descriptions

i Clicker2:Students are required to purchase an i>clicker2 remote for in-class participation. i>clicker2 is a response system that allows you to respond to questions I pose during class, and you will be graded on that feedback and/or your in-class participation. In order to receive this credit, you will need to register your i>clicker2 remote by [deadline September 2, 2014]. You must have come to class at least once and voted on at least one question in order to complete this registration properly. Once you have responded to a question with your i>clicker2 remote, go to Complete the fields with your first name, last name, student ID, and remote ID. Your student ID should be [UTA ID number]. The remote ID is the series of numbers and sometimes letters found on the bottom of the back of your i>clicker2 remote. i>clicker2 will be used every day in class, and you are responsible for bringing your remote daily.

If you have more questions, please visit for FAQs and other resources.

Important I Clicker 2 Policies: I consider bringing a fellow student’s i>clicker2 to class to be cheating and a violation of the University Honor Code. If you are caught with a remote other than your own or have votes in a class that you did not attend, you will forfeit all clicker points and may face additional disciplinary action.

Please realize that we will be using i>clicker2 in almost every class and clicker points will make up [10%] of your final grade. Please remember that it is your responsibility to come prepared to participate with a functioning remote everyday. However, I do realize that difficult circumstances do arise, and for this reason I will drop 2i>clicker2 session from your total participation grade.

If you have lost or broken your i>clicker2 remote, you will have to purchase another one. Please email me with your new Remote ID so that I can manually register your new remote.

Research Participation Requirement: The Psychology Department requires that all students taking Introduction to Psychology complete a 6-credit research requirement. You will be able to complete this requirement by participating in on site or online research conducted by department faculty and their research assistants. As an alternative to participating in research, you may choose to write reviews of approved research articles. Completing this assignment will be done via Sona ( A departmental handout detailing this requirement and important deadlines can be found at at the research participation information link. Questions pertaining to this assignment can be sent to . Points are not added to the course grade for completion of the research participation requirement.

Student Evaluation of Teaching: Evaluation forms provided by the University will be used for student course evaluation.

Other Course Information

Grade Grievance Policy:Students wishing to submit a grievance concerning the grade received in this course should follow the procedures outlined in the undergraduate catalog.

Final Review Week:A period of five class days prior to the first day of final examinations in the long sessions shall be designated as Final Review Week. The purpose of this week is to allow students sufficient time to prepare for final examinations. During this week, there shall be no scheduled activities such as required field trips or performances; and no instructor shall assign any themes, research problems or exercises of similar scope that have a completion date during or following this week unless specified in the class syllabus. During Final Review Week, an instructor shall not give any examinations constituting 10% or more of the final grade, except makeup tests and laboratory examinations. In addition, no instructor shall give any portion of the final examination during Final Review Week. Classes are held as scheduled during this week and lectures and presentations may be given.

Drop Policy: Students may drop or swap (adding and dropping a class concurrently) classes through self-service in MyMav from the beginning of the registration period through the late registration period. After the late registration period, students must see their academic advisor to drop a class or withdraw. Undeclared students must see an advisor in the University Advising Center. Drops can continue through a point two-thirds of the way through the term or session. It is the student's responsibility to officially withdraw if they do not plan to attend after registering. Students will not be automatically dropped for non-attendance. Repayment of certain types of financial aid administered through the University may be required as the result of dropping classes or withdrawing. For more information, contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships (

Americans with Disabilities Act: The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of all federal equal opportunity legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). All instructors at UT Arlington are required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Any student requiring an accommodation for this course must provide the instructor with official documentation in the form of a letter certified by the staff in the Office for Students with Disabilities, University Hall 102. Only those students who have officially documented a need for an accommodation will have their request honored. Information regarding diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining disability-based academic accommodations can be found at or by calling the Office for Students with Disabilities at (817) 272-3364.

Title IX: The University of Texas at Arlington is committed to upholding U.S. Federal Law “Title IX” such that no member of the UT Arlington community shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity. For more information, visit

Academic Integrity: Students enrolled all UT Arlington courses are expected to adhere to the UT Arlington Honor Code:

I pledge, on my honor, to uphold UT Arlington’s tradition of academic integrity, a tradition that values hard work and honest effort in the pursuit of academic excellence.

I promise that I will submit only work that I personally create or contribute to group collaborations, and I will appropriately reference any work from other sources. I will follow the highest standards of integrity and uphold the spirit of the Honor Code.

UT Arlington faculty members may employ the Honor Code as they see fit in their courses, including (but not limited to) having students acknowledge the honor code as part of an examination or requiring students to incorporate the honor code into any work submitted. Per UT System Regents’ Rule 50101, §2.2, suspected violations of university’s standards for academic integrity (including the Honor Code) will be referred to the Office of Student Conduct. Violators will be disciplined in accordance with University policy, which may result in the student’s suspension or expulsion from the University.

Student Support Services Available: The University of Texas at Arlington provides a variety of resources and programs designed to help students develop academic skills, deal with personal situations, and better understand concepts and information related to their courses. These resources include tutoring, major-based learning centers, developmental education, advising and mentoring, personal counseling, and federally funded programs. For individualized referrals to resources for any reason, students may contact the Maverick Resource Hotline at 817-272-6107 or visit for more information.

Electronic Communication Policy: The University of Texas at Arlington has adopted the University “MavMail” address as the sole official means of communication with students. MavMail is used to remind students of important deadlines, advertise events and activities, and permit the University to conduct official transactions exclusively by electronic means. For example, important information concerning registration, financial aid, payment of bills, and graduation are now sent to students through the MavMail system. All students are assigned a MavMail account. Students are responsible for checking their MavMail regularly. Information about activating and using MavMail is available at There is no additional charge to students for using this account, and it remains active even after they graduate from UT Arlington.

Emergency Exit Procedures:Should we experience an emergency event that requires us to vacate the building, students should exit the room and move toward the nearest exit, which is located on the North side of the Life Science Bldg.. When exiting the building during an emergency, one should never take an elevator but should use the stairwells. Faculty members and instructional staff will assist students in selecting the safest route for evacuation and will make arrangements to assist individuals with disabilities.

Important Dates: Last day of late registration is August 27th, census date is September 8th, and last day to drop a class with a “W” is October 29th .

Course Outline

(Note: lecture material subject to change)

Chapter Reading Assignments for Exam 1

Chapter 1 What is Psychology?

Chapter 2Psychology’s Scientific Method

Chapter3 BiologicalFoundation of Behavior

Chapter 4 Sensation and Perception

Chapter 9 Human Development

Exam 1: (Online) Thursday/Friday, September 25-26

Chapter Reading Assignments for Exam 2

Chapter5 States of Consciousness

Chapter 6 Learning

Chapter 7 Memory

Chapter 8 Thinking, Intelligence and Language

Exam 2: (Online) Thursday/Friday, October 23-24

Chapter Reading Assignments for Exam 3

Chapter 10 Motivation and Emotion

Chapter 12 Personality

Chapter 13 Social Psychology

Chapter 14 Psychological Disorders

Exam 3: (Online) Thursday/Friday, November 20-21

Reading Assignments for Final Exam

Chapter 16 Therapy

FINAL EXAM: (Online)(To be announced)

The Final exam is comprehensive and includes questions related to course material (lectures, text, videos, etc.) found in Chapter 16 (Therapy)andto all previously assigned chapters course material.