Introductory Psychology PSY 301 39805 Spring 2004 NOA1 116 MW 6pm 7 30pm Class homepage http homepage psy utexas edu homepage class psy301 niederhoffer Instructor Kate Niederhoffer Office SEAY Psychology Building 3 426G Office Hours TF 9 11 Phone 471 6852 Email Niederhoffer mail utexas edu Course Description Psychology is the study of the human mind and behavior individuals thoughts feelings and actions This course is a systematic introduction to contemporary psychology Because the field is extremely broad and diverse the course briefly examines the theories research and applications of five psychological domains The main goal is to engage students through the personal relevance of material across the domains The domains we will examine include 1 Neuropsychology the relationship between brain and behavior 2 Cognitive Psychology how people acquire use and remember information 3 Developmental Psychology how thinking reasoning language and social skills change across the human lifespan 4 Social and Personality Psychology the study of individuals thoughts feelings and behavior and how others influence those thoughts feelings and behaviors and 5 Clinical psychology the nature causes and treatment of psychological disorders Through lectures discussions demonstrations group activities and films we will take a scientific approach to explore specific topics within these themes Course Objectives Over the course of the semester you will Gain an understanding of the major psychological theories classic and contemporary Learn how psychologists do research and how to critically evaluate that research and Gain an appreciation for various psychological perspectives in applying the information to your lives Our lectures and discussions readings assignments and tests reflect these goals Active participation in class discussions conscientious attention to lectures and readings and thoughtful completion of assignments will enable you to achieve the course goals and flourish as a potential social psychologist Required Readings Available at the University Co Op Textbook Gazzaniga M Heatherton T 2003 Psychological Science the mind brain and behavior W W Norton Company Inc hardback text Student website http www wwnorton com psychsci home htm Experimental requirement All students are required to participate in 5 hours of experiments or write one research paper at least 5 pages long Information about the experimental requirement was handed out on the first day of class If you do not have this form refer to the following webpage http www psy utexas edu psy undergrad courses info pretesting html Failure to complete the experimental requirement will result in your receiving and Incomplete in the class The experimental requirement has no effect on your grade in the course Class Format Attendance and Participation Class meetings will involve lecture discussion demonstrations and group activities Class attendance and participation are integral components of the course As such you are expected to attend and actively participate in every meeting Participation in class discussions and activities will count for 10 of your grade We also have a class website on which I will post reminders announcements supplemental readings and other relevant information http homepage psy utexas edu homepage class psy301 niederhoffer I encourage you to visit me during office hours to ask questions talk about the course discuss research opportunities and or share the relevance to your life of issues we ve covered in class While office hours are not a time to repeat lectures you have missed for that you are personally responsible to get notes from a classmate it is a great time to clear up anything that may have seemed confusing in class or in your readings Grading Details The final grade in this course is determined by the following Test 1 20 Test 2 20 Test 3 20 Test 4 20 Journal 10 Class Participation 10 This class will not be graded on a curve A grade of 90 100 is an A 80 89 is a B 70 79 is a C 60 69 is a D and below 60 is an F Tests There will be 4 in class tests during the semester Each will be non cumulative and include information discussed in class and as well as from assigned readings The tests will consist of short answer and essay questions requiring you to understand integrate and apply what you have learned in the class not just regurgitate definitions There will be no makeup tests and I will not give tests early Journal Another course requirement that will be helpful in integrating the material into your lives and enhance the quality of our class discussions is to keep a journal over the course of the semester Note however this is not a deepest thoughts and feelings diary type journal The point of this journal instead is to encourage you to see the relevance of psychology to your everyday lives to make connections between the theories we are studying and snapshots of social psychology that you see in your real world encounters You are required to write two journal entries for each of the 4 sections of the course only 1 for the last section for a total of 7 by the end of the semester see dates on Course Outline below You are free to select any process phenomenon theory or tendency that is relevant to that week s main theme Class Video Jockey Something new One of the best ways to demonstrate the application of psychological principles to life outside of the classroom is through video clips of contemporary TV shows and movies As we move through the semester you will begin to notice manifestations of various psychological ideas and issues that we have discussed in class pop up in reality TV shows sit coms films etc Each week I would like to have one member of the class bring in a brief 3 4 min video clip to launch the lecture It will be up to the VJ to explain to the class why such a clip was chosen Details will be discussed in class Disabilities For students with disabilities I am available to discuss any appropriate academic accommodations that might be necessary for this course Before course accommodations can be made you will be required to provide documentation to the Office of the Dean of Students Services for Students with Disabilities For more information contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471 6259 471 4641 TTY Academic Integrity I will not tolerate cheating it will be a waste of my time and yours While I do encourage you to study in groups come to tests prepared to take them individually without copying
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