1 Introduction to Psychology (Psyc 1051) TTh: 12:00 – 1:40 SS 123 Instructor Information: Dennis D. Stewart, Ph.D. Office: 4 West Annex Phone: 589 - 6196 email: [email protected] web site: http://cda.mrs.umn.edu/~stewartd/ Office Hours: Tues and Wed from 2:00 to 3:30 or by appointment Required Text: Kassin, S. (2004). Psychology, 4th edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Lab/Discussion leaders and teaching assistants: These are undergraduate students who will lead the lab/discussion sections. They are also available to offer you assistance with course material, questions about the exams and so forth. Each lab/discussion leader will hold his/her own office hours in the TA room (SS-034; phone number: 589-6216). The times and the lab/discussion leaders’ names will be distributed separately. Course Description: Kassin (2004) defines psychology as “the scientific study of behavior and the mind” (p. 757). As this definition implies, psychology covers a wide range of topics. For example, we will cover such diverse topics as learning, aggression, psychological disorders, and personality. Moreover, we will approach these topics from a scientific perspective. In addition, we will examine how the theories and research of psychology contribute to our understanding of a number of applied problems. For example, we will examine how the theories and research in psychology apply to such topics as: sleep deprivation, ethics, camouflage, eyewitness testimony, and prejudice. Finally after the completion of this course, I believe you will have a better understanding of how psychology can be applied to your life and to problems that currently face our society. Lab/discussion sessions: There are six lab/discussion meetings for this course. These laboratories are designed to give you a chance to apply what you are learning from lecture (and related readings) to yourself and to the world. You will complete post-lab assignments that emphasize how the material relates back to your text and/or lectures. Post-labs will be due the Tuesday following your scheduled lab/discussion session. Being aware of assignments, due-dates (and any changes to due dates), exams, and course requirements is your responsibility. Some of these assignments may require web-access. If you are uncomfortable with this technology, or are having trouble getting adequate access, please talk to me. One last note on this—I believe that collaborative learning can be very beneficial and therefore, encourage people to work together in developing their ideas for written answers to post-lab questions. However, what you hand in MUST represent your own work. Duplicate answers will be considered cheating and grades will be assigned accordingly. First lab Assignment: The first lab assignment is different than the remaining lab assignments. The main purpose of the first lab assignment is to for the instructor, TA and students to get to know each other. The participation grade is worth 5 points and the pre-lab assignment is worth 5 points. The pre-lab assignment is to write two questions that you would like to see answered during the semester on psychology. I will then select some questions from the students and try to answer them during the semester. Since it is a pre-lab assignment, it is due at the beginning of your lab2 class.3 Lab section information: Course # LabsSec. Time Day Room 47980 2 2:15-3:05 W SS 236 47981 3 3:30-4:20 W SS 23 47982 4 9:00-9:50 TH SS 45 47983 5 2:00-2:50 TH SS 45 47984 6 3:00-3:50 TH SS 45 Course Format: The format of this course will be largely lecture. However, even though the class is relatively large, I encourage questions from the class and I expect to have class discussions or other classroom activities. We will use class time to accomplish three interrelated goals. 1. We will clarify the material from the class readings. Therefore, it is important that you come to class having read the material for that day. You should bring your textbook to class because you will need to refer to it periodically. 2. We will elaborate and illustrate the material from the class readings. Therefore, you should think about how the material relates to your own experiences and be prepared to share these experiences in class. 3. I will add additional material to the class that cannot be found in the class readings. Therefore, you will need to be in class and to take notes to benefit from this additional material. Outside of class, I would recommend the following study habits. 1. Read the book: Reading the book will be beneficial because it will explain many of the topics covered in class from a different perspective. Also, there will be questions on the exams and final that are based on the material from the book that was not covered in class. 2. Ask questions. You should not be afraid to ask questions of either me or your TA. 3. Take good notes. You should take detailed notes of what is said in class. If you miss class then you should get notes from someone else in the class. 4. Distributed learning: People learn best when they look at their notes and book frequently instead of trying to cram the material into their head the night before the exam. 5. Outlines: I will provide outlines for each class (see section that follows). You should use these outlines to organize your notes and your readings. Course Outlines: 1. In order to help you accomplish the three goals listed in the class format section, I will prepare outlines that illustrate the major points in the readings and in my lectures. These outlines should help you focus on the main points of the readings. These outlines should also help you organize your lecture notes. Finally, the outlines should help prepare you for the exams. Although the outlines will serve as an excellent study guide for your exams, I should note a word of caution about using them exclusively. Ultimately, a student is responsible for all the material covered in class and in the readings. Occasionally, we will cover material that is NOT on the outline for a variety of reasons (e.g., current event, a topic that students want to discuss). Students are still responsible for knowing this non-outline material because it was covered in class. Additionally, students should keep in mind that an outline is simply a listing of the major points. It is not intended to contain