Page 1 of 10 COURSE SYLLABUS General Psychology - PSYC 110 Fall 2014 Course Section: 007 Meeting Time and Place: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:10-3:25pm Science and Engineering 307 Dates: August 20th – December 2nd Course Credit Hours: 3 FACULTY CONTACT INFORMATION: INSTRUCTOR: AUDREY FILE, M.A. TA: ALEX ROMANO OFFICE HOURS: T & Th 1-2pm Wednesday 2-4pm 310F Austin Peay 307 Austin Peay EMAIL: [email protected] [email protected] Welcome to Psychology 110! I hope that you find the course both enjoyable and stimulating. The class is taught in a lecture/discussion format. Due to time constraints, not all material presented in the book will be presented in class. Additionally, some material that will be discussed in class will not be covered in the book. You will be responsible for learning all material, whether it is covered in the book, in class, or both. I. COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to introduce many of the major topics and theories of psychology. Both historical perspectives and current research are included. Application of psychology to various aspects of everyday life, investigation of the impact of culture on psychological processes, and critical thinking about how psychological research and theory inform contemporary issues will be emphasized. This course serves as a prerequisite to most other Psychology courses offered through the department, which tend to offer a more in-depth analysis of specific topics introduced in this course. II. COURSE OBJECTIVES AND STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: This course is a pre-requisite to the psychology major and directly supports two of the program goals, which are adapted from the American Psychological Association’s Guidelines for the Undergraduate Psychology Major (v2.0, 2012): a. Scientific Inquiry and Critical Thinking. More specifically, by the end of this course, students should be able to: • Use scientific reasoning to interpret behavior. (e.g., Based on the results of several research studies, what conclusions can be drawn about the relationship between aggression and exposure to violent media? Is the claim in this news story consistent with what I know about psychological processes? What additional information would help me decide?) Assessed through performance on essays and in-class exams and activities.Page 2 of 10 b. Knowledge Base in Psychology. By the end of this course, students should be able to: • Demonstrate knowledge of major facts and theories from the domains of experimental, biological, cognitive, developmental, social, and applied psychology (e.g., What is operant conditioning? What is cognitive dissonance?). Assessed through performance on essays and in-class exams and activities. • Apply this knowledge to events and situations in their everyday lives (e.g., How could I use operant conditioning to train my cat? How does cognitive dissonance help explain why people remain committed to a position that seems to be failing?) Assessed through performance on essays and in-class exams and activities. III. LEARNING ENVIRONMENT: Psychology is an intriguing, exciting discipline, and it is hoped that you will discover your own fascination with psychology in this class. To facilitate this, you are encouraged to be an active participant in the learning process. Due to the large number of topics to cover in this class and the large number of students enrolled, most of the class will be an interactive lecture format. By interactive, I mean that I encourage you to actively participate in class and to share your relevant comments, questions, and ideas. I expect you to apply your own experiences up to now to the course material, and thoughtfully question the topics we cover in this course. It is my expectation that your behavior at all times will be respectful -- of your classmates, yourself, and me. Language that is disrespectful based on race / ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, gender or gender expression, religion, ability, social class, or size will not be tolerated. I will always end and begin class on time. Please arrive on time and be attentive throughout the entire class – do NOT begin packing up your belongings before class is dismissed or engage in private conversations during class, both of which are very distracting. Finally, please be sure to turn off your cell phones before class. It is my hope that if we all adhere to these minimal guidelines we will be able to engage in fun, thoughtful discussions and activities that make learning psychology what it should be: exciting. IV. TEXTS/MATERIALS/RESOURCES FOR THE COURSE: REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: Lilienfeld, S. O., Lynn, S. J., Namy, L. L., & Woolf, N. J. (2013). Psychology: From Inquiry to Understanding. Custom Edition for University of Tennessee. Hoboken, NJ: Allyn & Bacon. a. This text covers core topics in psychology (e.g., research methods, human development, learning and memory) with an emphasis on psychological science, critical thinking, and real- world applications. As a customized version of the text, it also includes useful information about succeeding at UTK and in this course, and about what you can do with a psychology major. It also includes excerpts from from, 50 Great Myths of Popular Psychology, by Scott Lilienfeld. While comprehensive, this textbook is in no way a complete or exhaustive overview of all the topics addressed by the science of psychology. However, the material in this book along with our work in class should provide you with a strong foundation to take more advanced courses in psychology later in your academic career, and with information that you may apply to your everyday life. All students in this section of Psychology 110 are required to purchase this book. You have two options for purchasing the book: (1) full eBook with access to MyPsychLab, an online learning system; or (2), for students who prefer a hard copy of the textbook, a loose-leaf version of the textbook. New copies come with the eBook and access to MyPsychLab for free. You may also purchase the eBook with MyPsychLab access directly through our Blackboard course. b. MYPSYCHLAB is not required for the course, but you may find it helpful in assisting you in learning the material. By purchasing the book through one of the above options, you will be given a code for online access to MyPsychLab. Used books do not