Introductory Psychology--Psy 140 Dr. Loren Wingblade Syllabus 243 McDivitt, 796-8585 [email protected] Psych 140 is really your first course in the science of psychology. It is a one semester course that should prepare you for every other higher course that you will take in psychology. Each chapter of your book Themes & Variations by Wayne Weiten(ISBN 0-495-81133-5/978-0-495-81133-6) is a separate subdiscipline within the field of psychology. You also need a paperback book “Rose Garden.” As with any science, psychology has terms and specialized “catch” phrases which you need to learn to be conversant within the field. There will be between four-seven miniexams (quizzes) accounting for 60% of the students final grade. Twenty percent will be assigned to the student based on class attendance, especially in the discussion sections, and 20% based on the discussion quizzes. Each exam will cover both the chapters to be read and the lecture material about equally (however, I would study your lecture notes first for an exam and then reread your chapter or the underlinings of the text). During lecture I plan to cover much more material than is presented in your book. So, your text is the least amount of information you need to know . Each test will consist of approximately 10-20 multiple-choice questions (although some tests may be longer). Also, student attendance is expected at each class (except, of course, for health reasons or other emergencies). Now for the serious part of the syllabus--grades. After the first test, I will set the curve and once set (for that particular format of test) will be the curve for the rest of the course. If we change the format of the tests, such as, adding more questions--I will set a new curve for that format. For example, suppose we decide that 12/20 questions answered correctly on the exam constitutes the grade of 3.0. Then this is the number correct needed for that grade on the other exams as well (of the same format). I will also count your two lab quizzes as an extra exam. I will then “overlook” (I prefer this term to the word “drop,” because I really “look” at all the grades to see how you are doing in the course) the lowest score of these exams. However, each person must take each of the miniexams no matter how long or short they are. Our course outline below is rather ambitious, so I will try to cover all the topics but covering any one of the areas adequately is more important than completing the book or finishing the syllabus (and doing a bad job on presenting some topics). I urge student’s not to miss or postpone an exam (people who do so usually score lower on the test because the material is not fresh in your memory). I will give make-ups only within ten calendar days of the classroom examination if there are extreme circumstances. Week Topic Chapter Exam 1 History of Psychology 1 2 History of Psychology 1 Quiz 1 3 Experimental Design & Statistics 2 & appendix B Quiz 2 4 Brain & Behavior 3 5 Brain & Behavior (continued) 3 6 “Consciousness,” & Learned Motives 5 Midterm 7 Learning 6 8 Learning (continued) 6 9 Memory (and some thinking) 7 Quiz 3 10 Emotions 9 (scan this chapt.) (quiz 3 may be 11 Personality & Assessment 11 with the final 12 Personality & Assessment (continued) 11 exam) 13 Major Disorders 12 & 13 14 Major Disorder + Health & Treatment 13 & 14 15 Health & Treatment + some Social Psych 15 (scan) Final Exam-- 16 Miscellaneous Major Disorders + Rose Garden ALL TOPICS AND EXAM SCHEDULES ARE TENTATIVE!Additional concerns: I. Goals for the course: A. Comprehend, analyze, apply and evaluate the use of relevant psychological terminology relating to psychological methodology, learning theory, physiological psychology and neuroscience, human development, personality and psychopathology. Critically evaluate the results of psychological research as evidenced by identification of relevant causal variables and alternative extraneous variables. ADO 5, developing B. Distinguish between appropriate evidence, assumptions, bias, hidden values; expand vocabulary, pose questions and new concepts, and understand correlation and that multiple factors impact psychology. ADO 7, developing II. At some point near the end of the term you might get a series of assessment tests--showing how much (or how little) you have learned in this course. The board of trustees of JCC requires often such information. III. Three pet peeves: (1) People who talk/whisper all the time and (2) students who pick and choose what they want to see or hear by attending class selectively, and (3) talking, texting, playing with your cell phone, not taking notes (and not on a computer). DON’T. I will ask you to leave class immediately and on the second such occasion I will drop you from the course. You cannot interfere with someone else from learning in class. IV. Someone is going to ask about extra credit--if there is any for this class. Yes, there is. When you finish the book “I Never Promised You A Rose Garden” (required reading for this class) if you would like to go to a video store and rent the film “Girl Interrupted” with Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie (best supporting actress for this role, I might add) then write a paper (2-3 pages double spaced) on the similarities between Rose Garden and Girl Interrupted--this would be your extra credit paper. I’ll give you a hint--the similarities occur mainly at the end of the book and the film. List a few differences also. The more similarities you find--the higher the grade on the extra credit paper. I would prefer you doing this project for extra credit. However, you can also write a two page paper (if you use the internet) on a “paper” movie shown in lab. I will show 2-3 films in lab for extra credit and I will