Introduction to PsychologyPSYC 1315-002Spring 2010LS 122**Monday / Wednesday / Friday 10:00-10:50**Instructor: Shaun Culwell, M.S. Email: [email protected]: LS 430Office Hour: Wednesday 11:00am - 12:00pm or by appointmentTEXTBOOKThe Science of Psychology, Laura A. King, 1st Edition (the study guide is optional, but recommended). COURSE DESCRIPTIONAs a survey introductory course in psychology, this course will teach students many of the contemporary psychological principles, theories, and approaches used in psychology today. Specifically, students will be exposed to various psychological approaches, including social, personality, neurological, cognitive, developmental, and clinical psychology via class lectures, guest speakers’ presentations, audio/visual media, class discussions, activities, and/or handouts. ATTENDANCEAttendance is vital to your grasping the content of the course. We are going to be covering a wealth of information in this course and it has been shown that students who regularly attend class perform better on the exams. Therefore, I expect that you will regularly attend class and if you do, you will be rewarded for it. I will randomly take attendance throughout the semester (usually when turnout is low). For each of these “attendance days” that you are present, you will receive 1 point added to the raw score of your lowest exam grade. If you are not present, you will not be punished. There will, however, be material covered in class that is not available in the text or on the lectures slides. So, if you are not able to make it to class one day, I suggest you get the notes that you missed from someone who was in class. I DO expect you to be on time for all class meetings. If you are late, you risk missing important, announcements, directions, discussions, and extra credit opportunities. You are still responsible for any information that is covered and I will not spend time repeating information. Be courteous, be on time, and do not socialize during class. COURSE OBJECTIVESUpon completion of this course, students will have a fundamental knowledge of principles and approaches related to human and animal psychology. Additionally, students will be able to apply these same psychological principles to their everyday lives. GRADING/TESTINGThere will be 4 multiple-choice exams in this course. The exams will NOT be cumulative. Make up exams will not be given except in extenuating and documented conditions, so make every effort to be present for the exams. Each exam (including the final) will include 50 multiple-choice questions, with each question being worth 2 points. Each exam will also have one (somewhat difficult) short answer/essay question that students may attempt for 5 points extra credit on that exam. The short answer/essay bonus question will require critical and thoughtful insight on the part of the student and partial credit will be awarded, up to the maximum points possible. The exams will include material from the lecture and material from the text, with emphasis on material from lecture. There will be areas in which the lecture and text do not overlap, and students will be responsible for both lecture and text material.Grades will be awarded on a 10-point scale:A = 90-100%B = 80- 89%C = 70- 79%D = 60- 69%F = below 60%OTHER GRADED ASSIGNMENTSThe psychology department requires that all students taking introduction to psychology complete a 6-credit research requirement. The main way in which you will be able to complete this requirement will be by participating in experiments conducted by department faculty and/or their research assistants. In lieu of participating in experiments, you may choose to write reviews of approved research articles. Completing this assignment will be done via the Sona system (http://uta.sona-systems.com). A departmental handout detailing this requirement (and important deadlines) can be found at www.uta.edu/psychology (under links). Any questions pertaining to this assignment that are not covered in the handout can be sent to [email protected]. FAILURE TO COMPLETE THE REQUIREMENT WILL RESULT IN AN INCOMPLETE FOR THE CLASS TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE(Dates and material are subject to change, and probably will)1/20Introduction, Go over syllabus1/22-1/25Chapter 1: What is Psychology1/27-1/29Chapter 2: Psychology’s Scientific Methods2/1-2/5Chapter 3: Biological Foundations of Behavior2/8-2/12Chapter 4: Human Development2/15EXAM 1: Chapters 1-4 and corresponding lectures2/19-2/22Chapter 5: Sensation and Perception2/24-2/26Chapter 6: States of Consciousness 3/1-3/5Chapter 7: LearningChapter 8: Memory3/8-3/10Chapter 9: Thinking, Intelligence, and Language3/12EXAM 2: Chapters 5-9 and corresponding lectures3/15-3/19SPRING BREAK3/22-3/26Chapter 10: Motivation and Emotion3/29-4/2Chapter 11: Personality4/5-4/9Chapter 12: Social Psychology4/12-4/16Chapter 13: Industrial and Organizational Psychology4/19EXAM 3: Chapters 10-13 and corresponding lectures4/21-4/23Chapter 14: Psychological Disorders4/26-4/30Chapter 15: Therapies5/3-5/7Chapter 16: Health Psychology5/108-10:30amFINAL EXAM: Chapters 14-16 and corresponding lecturesAmericans with Disabilities Act (ADA): If you are a student who requires accommodations in compliance with the ADA, please consult with me at the beginning of the semester. As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide reasonable accommodation to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Your responsibility is to inform me of documentation authorizing the specific accommodation. Student services at UTA include the Office for Students with Disabilities (located in the lower level of the University Center), which is responsible for verifying and implementing accommodations to ensure equal opportunity in all programs and activities.Student Support Services: The University supports a variety of student success programs to help you connect with the University and achieve academic success. They include learning assistance, developmental education, advising and mentoring, admission and transition, and federally funded programs. Students requiring assistance academically, personally, or socially should contact the Office of Student Success Programs at 817-272-6107 for more information and appropriate referrals.Academic Dishonesty: Academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any
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