Psych 110 Section M Introduction to Psychology Fall 2011 MWF 2 30 3 20 PM Leasure Hall 013 Instructor Office Email Office Hours Jessica McManus 594 Bluemont Hall jlm7 ksu edu Tuesdays and Thursdays 12 00 1 00 or by appointment Course Overview Course Description catalog description An introductory survey of the general content areas of psychology including methods data and principles Required Text David G Myers 2010 Psychology Ninth Edition in Modules Lectures Lectures will often cover material that is not covered in your textbook Attendance is not required but highly encouraged Students are responsible for all material covered during lectures Course Objectives 1 Provide an overview of some of the major disciplines and theories within psychology to understand human s thoughts feelings and behaviors 2 Insight into how psychological theories can be applied to explain everyday experiences as well as contemporary and historical events 3 Introduce the scientific methods used in psychological research to study human behavior Opportunities to Earn Points Exams There will be four exams including the final scheduled over the course of the semester that will cover both lecture and textbook material Each exam will be worth 20 points and will consist of 50 multiple choice questions The exams are not cumulative however some information may remain relevant from one exam to the next It is possible to earn up to 20 points on each exam with the exams yielding a total of 80 points In Class Activities Quizzes A total of 10 in class activities quizzes over the reading assignments and lectures will be given unscheduled throughout the semester Each assignment quiz will be worth 1 point for a total of 10 points possible It is recommended that you stay up to date on the reading as not all of the material will be covered in class If you arrive late or leave class early you will not be given an opportunity to make the activity quiz up Real World Application Papers The purpose of these assignments is to relate course themes and material to popular media published released in the past 2 3 years You will be asked to find two real world illustrations of the concepts covered in class These can come from movie clips newspapers magazines television shows or books After locating each illustration you will write a one to two page report that includes an explanation of the psychological concept that your illustration conveys and how it applies to the concept A separate handout will be provided later in the semester detailing the assignment and grading rubric for this assignment It is possible to earn up to 5 points on each assignment yielding a total of 10 points The first paper is due by 4PM on Friday September 30 and the second paper is due by 4PM on Friday November 18 Department Research Requirement All students enrolled in General Psychology 110 will be required to participate in 7 research credit hours write 7 scientific article analysis critique papers or a combination of the two for a total of 7 credit hours see attached sheet There are two reasons for this requirement First it gives you an opportunity to gain insight into psychological research Second this requirement enables the faculty and graduate students in the department to gather more information about behavior information that may someday be presented in psychology texts presented at professional meetings or published in psychological journals This requirement is not a particular point value but is credit no credit Failure to fulfill the requirement will result in an Incomplete in the course for students receiving a C or better It will not be possible to earn a grade higher than a D in this course without the completion of the research requirement All research credits must be earned by 5PM on Friday December 9th 2011 Points Breakdown Exams 4 x 20 Assignments 2 x 5 Quizzes 10 x 1 Total 80 10 10 100 Note Any question about an assignment must be addressed within one week of the posting date on K State Online It is your responsibility to check and keep track of your grade online Final Grades Grades will be based on the following scale Points Earned 90 to 100 80 to 89 99 70 to 79 99 60 to 69 99 0 to 59 99 Grade A B C D F Your final grade will be based on the total number of points earned over the course of the semester Final grades will not be rounded or bumped up Course Policies Expectations for Classroom Conduct It is expected that when you attend class you will display good citizenship behavior during class Students who engage in other activities e g working on other coursework reading newspapers listening to ipods text messaging will be asked to leave class that day and will forfeit any possibility to earn points for that day Further students are not permitted to use laptops in class All student activities in the University including this course are governed by the Student Judicial Conduct Code as outlined in the Student Governing Association By Laws Article VI Section 3 number 2 Students who engage in behavior that disrupts the learning environment may be asked to leave the class Class Notes Copyright 2011 Jessica McManus as to this syllabus and all lectures During this course students are prohibited from selling notes to or being paid for taking notes by any person or commercial firm without the express written permission of the professor teaching this course The instructor will not provide notes to students who miss class Notes will also NOT be posted online I recommend that students seek other students who attended lecture to receive notes for missed classes Missed Exams and Assignments Points may be made up provided that documentation of an excused absence is provided to the instructor prior to the missed exam activity quiz or assignment Students who are unable to provide legitimate documentation for their absence will be unable to make up the exam or in class activities quizzes All cases will be considered on the individual basis and make up work must be completed within one week of the original deadline Hardcopies of all assignments are due at the time and date indicated Late work is never accepted Academic Dishonesty Cheating will not be tolerated in this class This includes copying someone else s work in partial or whole and or providing unapproved aid Kansas State University has an Honor System based on personal integrity which is presumed to be sufficient assurance that in academic matters one s work is performed honestly and without