Yakima Valley College

Syllabus

PSYC& 100: General Psychology

Heidi Shaw

Spring 2017

Note this is an essentially unformatted document. The syllabus resides on my website as a set of pages for students to access any time: ( I also offer a paper copy to those who request it.

Contact information

Heidi Shaw, PhD
Psychology Instructor
Yakima Valley College
Office location: G169
(509) 574-4812

Fall 2017

Class Schedule:

  • 7:30 Daily: Class prep (Don’t drop in!–Email)
  • 8:30 Daily: General Psychology in G109
  • 9:30 Daily: Office hour
  • 10:30 Daily:General Psychology in G107

Office availability:

  • My regular office hour is 9:30a daily. Drop-ins are welcome or you can make an appointment to avoid a wait.
  • If you need to come at another time, I’m happy to meet with you, but please make an appointment ahead of time.
  • Some general courtesies: Even if the door is open, always knock to give me a second to finish my thought. Never barge in and interrupt if I’m on the phone. And please never open my door. When I am available, the door is open. If the door is closed, there is a reason for it.

Course description and purpose
PSYC& 100 is an introductory-level course that requires good reading and writing skills. The objective of this course is to introduce you to the scientific study of behavior, using a variety of methods, including lectures, discussions, reading assignments, writing assignments, possible guest lectures, and videos. Examples of topics that we will discuss during the quarter include, but are not limited to, common thinking tendencies, differences between pseudoscientific and scientific approaches to the study of behavior, the history of psychology, the structure and function of the brain, how we process information through our senses, comparative psychology, learning, memory, and social psychology.

At the end of the course, students should have a clearer understanding of the way psychologists think, the types of questions psychologists investigate, the methods psychologists use to study behavior and the reasons why psychologists study behavior systematically. An additional goal is to help students clearly articulate their understanding of psychology, both in written and in oral form.

Successful completion of PSYC& 100 fulfills 5 credits of the social science distribution requirement for an Associates of Arts degree. This course can also serve as a core elective or as a general elective.

Course objectives
During the course students will learn:

  • to describe various psychological perspectives
  • to explain how various theories account for behavior and cognitive processes
  • to describe various methods of research and their appropriate application
  • to identify psychological factors influencing behavior and cognitive processes

Prerequisites
Prerequisites are in place to increase student success and to ensure that the course can progress at an appropriate pace. To take PSYC& 100 you must meet the following prerequisites:

  • Eligible for ENGL 101 by Compass placement or completion of appropriate coursework
  • Eligible for MATH 084/085 by Compass placement or completion of appropriate coursework

Occasionally, the computer will let you register even if you don’t meet the prerequisite. Be sure to check for yourself. If you do not meet one of these prerequisites, please drop the class immediately. If you need assistance locating another course, please see me or go to the advising center.

Degree-wide abilities
In addition to the content of each discipline, YVC emphasizes development of three overarching abilities. During your tenure at YVCC, you will have opportunities to practice these abilities, which are described in the catalog. In this course, you will have many opportunities to practice your analytical reasoning skills in particular. You may recognize these opportunities when you, for example, apply what you have learned to new contexts or support your arguments or explanations with appropriate evidence.

ADA compliance

Per regulations outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, please note the following: If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share with me, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible. If you feel that you can benefit from ADA assistance, contact our staff in ‘Disability Support Services’ (DSS) at 574-4961. Their office is located in Room 138 of the Deccio Building. If you any concerns, I’m happy to help.

In my classes, we often change the day of an exam if students are generally feeling like they need more time. Students working with DSS will work with me (Dr. Shaw) to schedule exams for PSYC& 100 and will take them in the social sciences testing room in Glenn Anthon.

What text is required for my class Fall 2017?

Access to THIS edition of THIS text:

  • Lilienfeld, S., Lynn, S., Namy, L., & Woolf, N. (2017). Psychology: From inquiry to understanding, 4th edition. Note that other introductory psychology texts will not work for this class.

What else is required for class?

  • Regular attendance in class:Often students have excessive family or work obligations and as a result miss excessive numbers of classes. If you cannot come to class regularly this quarter, plan to take it another quarter.
  • Sufficient time outside of class:This class requires substantial time outside of class for homework and for some group activities. If your time outside of class is nonexistent, plan to take the class when you have some flexibility in your schedule.
  • Ready access to the internet:Success in this class depends on students having regular and readily available internet access. We have a course website at: which you should check daily for assignments, reminders, bonus point opportunities and other relevant information. There is also a study website for the text that you'll be using. Ideally, you have access using a personal computer. However, all students have internet access at the Deccio computer labs and other places on campus. If you don’t have access at home, you will need to allot time to use school computers.
  • Ready access to printing: You will be printing out homework assignments among other things. You'll need to plan for things like paper and ink for a home printer or additional time to use YVCC's printers. Also, get in the habit of having contingency plans. For example, you can email documents to yourself in addition to having them on a thumb-drive or in cloud storage. Save files in different formats. Always assume that something may go wrong, so have alternative plans ready.
  • Ready access to your own stapler, and a dictionary (in hand or online)

Daily worksheet assignments

There will be a daily worksheet assignment. Answers to these questions are due the following day and must be with you in class. In most cases, you will find answers to worksheet questions in the textbook. Occasionally, as in the case of FC, you will be directed elsewhere for answers to questions. These answers can be hand-written. I will check that your homework is completed. However, if I cannot read the handwriting, because it is messy or tiny, you will receive a ’0′. Also, answers to these questions need to be in sentences, not sketchy phrases. Your answers will be considered incomplete if answers do not make clear points. Students absent from class on a day that worksheets are collected forfeit these points. Do not drop off worksheets in my mailbox, put them under my door or ask to give them to me the next day. Each worksheet check is worth up to 2 pts (2 for having completed work with you in class, 1 for having partially completed work with you in class, 0 for failing to do the assigned work or failing to have it with you in class.)

Miscellaneous assignments

In addition to the above questions, there may be additional homework assignments such as journal entries, library research, outside readings, take-home essays, etc. over the course of the quarter that will be factored into your grade.

Pop quizzes
There will be unannounced, 5- to 15-point quizzes over the assigned worksheets, readings and lectures. These cannot be made up under any circumstances. If you arrive after quizzes have been handed out, you will not receive one. Don’t ask! If you don’t give me your quiz when I call for it, you’ll get a ‘0.’

Mid-quarter exams
There will be 2-5 mid-quarter exams worth between 50 and 75 points, depending on how much time we spend on a topic and how many chapters are covered by the particular exam. These exams will consist of questions related to anything covered in class, worksheets, lectures, class discussions, films and readings. The exams will consist of a mix of multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay questions. Short answer and essay answers must be written legibly (neat, large enough and organized). Essays questions must consist of organized ideas expressed in complete sentences using standard rules of punctuation, capitalization and spelling, and in paragraphs. Exams are closed book.

Students will need a clean, neat SCANTRON FORM 882 for each exam, including the final. These can be purchased in the bookstore.

Note that students may not leave the classroom during an exam, e.g., to use the bathroom or to take a phone call. Without documentation from a doctor, it is assumed that students can make it through the exam without a potty break.

Final exam (150 points)
The final exam is cumulative and mandatory. It will be given according to the predetermined final schedule, which is published in this quarter’s course schedule. It is your responsibility for reading the course schedule and knowing when the final exam is given. If you show up late, you will not receive a copy of the exam, and will earn a ’0′ on the final. Note that you must take the final in order to receive a grade for the course. If you miss the final exam, you will fail the course.

**KNOW THE RULES FOR QUIZZES AND EXAMS

Exams are high-stake, so are stressful enough for students. Do the following to increase your calm on test day:

Show up on time.

  • Late-arrivers will be refused at the door = ’0′ on your whole exam.
  • The door will be locked once quiz or exam is handed out. On quiz day, the door will be unlocked after the quiz has been collected. The door will remain locked on exam days.

Show up prepared.

  • Showing up without a scantron = ’0′ on the multiple choice part of your exam.
  • Showing up with a pen, but no pencil = ’0′ on the multiple choice part of your exam.
  • Showing up without a writing implement at all = ’0′ on your whole exam.
  • Be sure to make any phone calls, texts or bathroom breaks before the beginning of class. Students may not leave the classroom during an exam, e.g., to use the bathroom or to take a phone call, and return to their exams. Without documentation from a doctor, it is assumed that students can make it through a quiz, midterm or final exam without a potty break.

Make smart decisions.

  • If a scantron is dirty, ripped, or dog-eared, use a different one. The scantron machine reads only clean, flat, intact forms.
  • If you brought only a pen to the exam, spend a lot of time on the short-answer and essay sections. The scantron machine reads only pencil.
  • If you failed to study for the exam, do your best. Cheating, by looking at your neighbor’s test, your cell phone, your arm, inside your hat, etc., will lead only to you being expelled from my class or from school.

Turn your cell phone off and put it away.

  • Take it upon yourself to turn your own cell phone off using airplane mode. Buzzing is just as annoying as ringing.
  • Students touching their cell phones for any purpose during a quiz or exam are assumed to be cheating and will be given a ’0′ on the test or quiz.

Know what to do if you have to miss a test day: Under extenuating circumstances, I will allow a test to be taken at a time other than the normal exam time. Note the conditions, however:

  • Under non-emergency situations, a student can do this ONLY IF the student works out the details with me well ahead of test day. Nonemergency situations would include things like vacations to Hawaii, childcare issues, bad driving conditions, court dates, medical appointments, babysitting siblings, head colds, high school events, choir performances, etc.
  • Under emergency situations, when the student cannot contact me ahead of time, I would expect to see a doctor's note or some such documentation. Simply stating, "I had a family emergency" is an unacceptable excuse.
  • In fairness to students who make it to class regardless of circumstances, this emergency make-up exam option can be used only once. If a student misses a second test for whatever reason, the student will receive a '0' on that exam.

Cheating

  • I have a zero tolerance policy regarding cheating. Even school children know that cheating is wrong.
  • If you engage in cheating, no matter the form (e.g., if you look at your neighbor’s paper, talk to another student during a quiz or exam, write on your arm or in your hat, plagiarize from the internet or from a peer, etc.), you will receive a ’0′ on the assignment, be withdrawn from the course immediately and a letter sent to the Dean of Student Services to be put in your file, or be administered whatever other consequence may be appropriate. Note that the consequence is at the discretion of the instructor. Depending on the circumstances (e.g., repeat offense, subsequent lying) additional disciplinary action may be taken, e.g., expelled from school, removed from sports team. Note that submitting an assignment that you have not completed yourself is another example of cheating. If I come across duplicate assignments, both parties will be subject to the above disciplinary action.

Plagiarism

  • The YVCC Student Handbook states that the following is a violation of college rules: Buying, copying, or borrowing or otherwise plagiarizing another’s images, ideas, evidence, examples, opinions, or other original products or documents from published, unpublished, or electronic sources for the purpose of deceiving and instructor as to the product’s origination. If the student is found plagiarizing or in otherwise being academically dishonest, he/she may receive an immediate failure and disciplinary action may be taken in accordance with the code procedures. The YVCC catalog (2010-2011, pp. 31-32) reviews your rights and responsibilities as a student. It also defines various violations (cheating, plagiarizing, etc.) and outlines disciplinary actions.
  • For the purposes of this course, assume that you must put everything into your own words. There may be an occasion or two when you feel you must use the words of someone else. If you include a quote by someone else, regardless of who that person is, you must credit them. By this, I mean that you must put the quote in quotation marks and you must indicate the source of the quote. For example:
    According to Santrock (1995), “Klinefelter syndrome is a genetic disorder in which males have an extra X chromosome, making them XXY instead of XY” (p. 80).
  • You should use quotes of this sort very rarely, and on homework assignments, you will not receive full credit (i. e., an “A”) if you overuse them. If I find that you are copying directly from any source and are not citing (giving credit to) the source, you will fail the assignment and will not be allowed the opportunity to make it up.
  • If you would like to read more about plagiarism, clickHERE.

Grading criteria

My expectation of you is not simply that you understand the material that I present in this course. As you will learn in the first few weeks of the quarter, I cannot measure “understanding”. What I can measure is whether you recognize correct information, accurately apply what you learned to new examples, and articulate information covered in a coherent manner. Although this is a psychology course, your ability to write at the college-level is critical.

You earn points in this class by completing assignments, tests and quizzes. Effort and time factor into your grade only as it relates to the quality of the work. I calculate your course grade simply by dividing the points you earn over the total points available. This total varies per quarter, but is generally between 500 and 700 points.

I use the grading scheme printed in the YVC catalog.

  • An “A” is reserved for excellent work that goes well beyond what is expected. This would include both content (accurate information in your own words, clarifying examples) and form (sentence structure, spelling, professional looking).
  • A “B” is reserved for work that exceeds what is expected.
  • A “C” is average or satisfactory work. Average work refers to the kind of work that most people do. For the purposes of this course, average refers to simply addressing each aspect of an assignment minimally and not going beyond what is asked for.
  • For students planning to pursue psychology, education, dental hygiene or nursing, a final grade of “C-” is an indication that you have failed to pass the course at a level necessary for your program, and you will need to take the course again.
  • A “D” and an “F” both indicate that you have not met the minimum requirements, and the two differ only in degree.

Class Participation