Instructors: Lisa Thomson Ross, Ph.D. phone: 953-6776, e-mail: rossl@cofc.edu 65 Coming Street, room 209
John Widholm, Ph.D. phone: 953-8194, e-mail: widholmj@cofc.edu 57 Coming Street, room 204
Office Hours: Dr. Ross: Tuesdays 9:00 – 10:30, Wednesdays 1:30 – 3:00
Dr. Widholm: Mondays / Wednesdays 10:00 – 11:00 and Tuesdays 10:00 – 12:00
If you cannot meet during our regularly scheduled office hours, please feel free to schedule a meeting with either of us. No “pop ins” please.
Text: Myers, D.G.
(2006) Psychology (8th ed.).
Overview: General Psychology introduces the scientific study of behavior and mental processes, and offers basic tools for describing, predicting, and explaining the human experience. Students are encouraged to become critical thinkers and active learners as they becoming aware of the process and content of psychological knowledge. The successful student becomes an effective consumer and communicator of psychological science.
Expectations: The instructors’ expectations of themselves include: 1) providing lectures, facilitating discussions, and incorporating relevant materials; 2) providing fair evaluations to assess learning within a reasonable time frame; and 3) maintaining a respectful atmosphere conducive to learning. Dr. Ross and Dr. Widholm expect to follow the syllabus closely; however, changes may be necessary due to bad weather and unforeseen circumstances. Please note: There will be a lot of material covered in class, so it is your best interest to attend all lectures and stay current in your reading.
Students are expected to: 1) attend class and participate and in-class discussions regularly; 2) read the assigned material before it is covered in class; 3) complete all assignments on time; 4) check e-mail account frequently for announcements and possible changes; 5) demonstrate knowledge via exams, homework assignments, and writing assignments; and 6) contribute to a classroom environment that is respectful of others.
Additional Assistance Information: You are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the writing lab and seminars offered by the College Skills Lab (Center for Student Learning, 953-5635). Also, if you believe you have a learning disability, attention deficit disorder or other challenges please contact SNAP (Special Needs and Advising Plan) Services at 953-1431. SNAP services verifies students’ needs and recommends specific accommodations.
POLICIES
Attendance Policy: You are responsible for all material distributed by e-mail and covered in class (whether you attend or not that day). This includes course material, announcements, and schedule changes. If you are not in class on the day test feedback is provided, please see Dr. Ross or Dr. Widholm during office hours or by appointment before the next exam.
Extra Credit Policy: You are encouraged to participate in different types of extra credit activities: campus lectures, community volunteering/events, etc. Each is worth 3 points and 12 total points are allowed. Within 2 weeks of participating, hand in or e-mail to Dr. Ross or Dr. Widholm a paragraph summarizing what you did and what you learned; for research, also describe how ethical guidelines were followed. See additional handout for details about the rights of research participants. Activities must be pre-approved and will be announced in class and on e-mail.
Policy for Written Assignments: Papers must be typed, double
spaced, in 12-point font and with 1” margins.
Your professors prefer Arial or Times New Roman font.
Policy for Handing in Assignments: Your assignments are due at the beginning of the class session on the due date. If you do not turn these in on time, wait until the next class meeting time. BEING LATE TO CLASS MEANS YOUR ASSIGNMENT IS LATE! Unless instructed otherwise, please do not interrupt class to turn them in after they are called for, do not turn them in at the end of class, and do not drop them off at my office or at the psychology department. Points will be deducted for assignments that are late (10% per class session, NOT per calendar day). Clear any exception with Dr. Widholm or Dr. Ross IN ADVANCE. The last day to turn in all materials is April 23 (our last regular class day).
Make-Up Exam
Policy: There are no make-up
exams. If you need to miss an exam, and
you give Dr. Ross or Dr. Widholm notice at least 12 hours in advance, and it is
agreed upon that this is a valid reason for missing an exam, then you will have
the mean of your highest and lowest exams substituted for your missing
score. If you fail to give notice or
your reason for missing is inappropriate (according to Drs. Widholm and Ross),
then you will have your lowest exam substituted for the missing score. Only 1 substitution per semester is
allowed. For the final exam, the campus
make-up policy applies. If you do not
attend the final exam, you receive an “X” grade, and you have 48 hours to
contact one of your professors. If your
situation is approved by the Dean of
GRADED COMPONENTS
Exams (50 points each, 300 points total): There will be 6 exams (multiple choice and short answer questions). You are responsible for all material covered in class and for all assigned readings. Most of the time, material covered in class will be in the text. However, there will be some material in lecture that is not in the text.
Final Exam (100
points): There will be a
cumulative final exam, which will contain multiple choice and short answer
questions. Individual requests for
rescheduling a final exam must be made prior to Thanksgiving break and are
subject to approval from the Dean of
Film Application
Paper (50 points): We will vote
on a film to view on our own time. It
will be the basis of your paper (typed, double-spaced, 11 or 12-point font, 4-5
pages). You will be graded on grammar,
spelling, and following these guidelines.
In the first paragraph, summarize the story to share your perspective of
the film. In the next paragraph, write
about how the movie (perhaps a specific scene, individual or relationship)
exemplified a principle, theory, effect, or perspective from a chapter in the
textbook. In the third paragraph, do the
same except apply the film to an empirical article you have retrieved from a
psychology journal. In the fourth paragraph, apply the film to a second
empirical journal article. Be sure to
quote or cite Myers, and use American Psychological Association style for your
citation and a reference at the end of your paper. See handout for details on APA styles and
avoiding plagiarism. For the rest of the
paper, react to the film. Possible
issues/questions to address include:
What did you like most or least and why?
Describe what scene caused a strong reaction, what your reaction was,
and why you think you had it. Do you
wish that something would not have occurred, or do you thing there was
something missing from the story? If so, what and why do you feel that way?
Research Project (120 points total): There will be a group research project in which you will conduct empirical and original work using either human or animal subjects. The class will be divided in half and assigned to either the human- or animal-based research project. Your group will design and carry out the study, and with the help of the professors, analyze and interpret your data. Each individual will submit an independent paper and the group will collaborate on a PowerPoint presentation that summarizes your project at the end of the semester.
ð Group Grade: You will grade each other as well as yourselves regarding the extent to which each student contributed to the phases of the group project. (30 points)
ð Individual Paper: Each student will write a paper using APA style for the text and the references. (60 points)
ð Group Presentation: You will work together on a 15-minute presentation to the class. Each group member is expected to contribute to organizing the PowerPoint presentation and to presenting the material to the rest of the class during the oral presentation. (30 points)
Grading:
|
Source |
Total Points |
% of Grade |
|
Exams 1 – 6 (50 points each) |
300 points |
50% |
|
Final Exam |
100 points |
17% |
|
Film Application Paper |
50 points |
8% |
|
Research Paper |
60 points |
10% |
|
Group Oral Presentation |
30 points |
5% |
|
Group Grade |
30 points |
5% |
|
Research Requirement |
30 points |
5% |
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
600 points |
~100% |
Final Grades:
|
Total Point |
% Grade |
|
|
> 558 points |
>93% |
A |
|
540 - 557.9 points |
90 – 92.99% |
A- |
|
522 -539.9 points |
87 – 89.99% |
B+ |
|
498 - 521.9 points |
83 – 86.99% |
B |
|
480 – 497.9 points |
80 – 82.99% |
B- |
|
462 - 479.9 points |
77 – 79.99% |
C+ |
|
438 – 461.9 points |
73 – 76.99% |
C |
|
420 – 437.9 points |
70 – 72.99% |
C- |
|
402 – 419.9 points |
67 – 69.99% |
D+ |
|
378 – 401.9points |
63 – 66.99% |
D |
|
360 – 377.9 points |
60 – 62.99% |
D- |
|
< 360 points |
< 60% |
F |
PSYC 103 Research Requirement: Research participation or journal article
reviews (30 points):
PSYC 103 Research Requirement: Research participation or journal article reviews
Students enrolled in Psychology 103 must fulfill a
research requirement as part of this course.
This research requirement constitutes 5% of your final grade, and
may be completed in one of two ways: (a)
participating in experiments offered by the Psychology Department, or (b)
reading and reviewing empirical journal articles on psychological research
obtained from the electronic reserves website at http://ereserve.cofc.edu. Each of these options is described below in
more detail. You should not feel
pressured to participate in experiments; fulfilling your research requirement
through experimentation is optional and you will receive full credit if you
successfully complete either alternative for this requirement.
Student and faculty researchers in the Psychology
Department conduct scientific investigations on many of the topics covered in
this course. These research projects
typically require 30 minutes to 1 hour of your time, and the primary
participants are students from Psychology 103 classes. You are encouraged to participate in our
Department's research efforts for several reasons: The experience is educational, allowing you
to learn "first hand" about psychological research, and your
participation helps to train advanced psychology majors who are learning how to
conduct scientific investigations (under faculty supervision). Experiments are posted electronically along
with electronic sign-up sheets on the Internet at http://experimetrix.com/cofc/. The handout provided along with this syllabus
("Getting Started…") describes the procedures for research
participation (e.g., how to sign up for experiments) and lists websites that
provide other important information.
In order to satisfy the research experience requirement for this course (and earn these points toward your grade), you will need to earn 3 research credits. At least 1 of these research credits must be earned prior to midterm or you will be penalized a portion of your grade. You will earn 1 credit for each study in which you participate that is 30 minutes or less in length, and 2 credits for any study greater than 30 minutes. Therefore, you need participate in two studies only if one lasts more than 30 minutes, and 3 studies if each require 30 minutes or less. For example, a 20-30 minute study will earn 1 credit, a 45-60 minute study will earn 2 credits, and so forth. Be sure to attend experiments for which you sign up or call to cancel ahead of time or you will be penalized (see the listed web sites on your "Getting Started" handout for more details).
Journal Article Review
You may prefer not to participate in psychological
research. You have the option of earning
your research credits by reading and reviewing approved journal articles on
psychological research. Approved journal
articles are available at the
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Day(s) |
Date(s) |
Topic(s) |
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M, W |
Jan. 8 - 10 |
Introduction to the course and psychology |
Intro Dr. Ross |
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F, W |
Jan. 12 - 17 |
Research Methodology |
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Note: Mon., Jan. 15th
is the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday – No Class |
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F |
Jan. 19 |
The Use of Statistics in Psychological Research |
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M |
Jan. 22 |
EXAM 1 (Syllabus,
Intro, Chapter 1) |
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W |
Jan. 24 |
Exam 1 feedback; Begin Group Project Discussion |
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F, M, |
Jan. 26 – 29 |
Neuroscience and Behavior |
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W |
Jan. 31 |
Finish Neuroscience; Group Project Discussion |
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F, M |
Feb. 2 - 5 |
Cognition and Memory |
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W |
Feb. 7 |
EXAM 2 (Chapters 2, 9) |
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F |
Feb. 9 |
Exam 2 feedback ; Begin Nature and Nurture |
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M |
Feb. 12 |
Nature and Nurture |
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W, F |
Feb. 14 - 16 |
Sensation |
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M |
Feb. 19 |
Perception |
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W |
Feb. 21 |
Alcohol and Sexual Assault |
Dr. R |
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F |
Feb. 23 |
EXAM 3 (Chapters 3, 5, 6, Alcohol and Sexual Assault notes) |
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M |
Feb. 26 |
Exam 3 feedback ;
Begin Learning |
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W, F |
Feb 28– Mar 2 |
Learning |
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M, W, F |
Mar. 5 - 9 |
Spring Break: No
Class |
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M |
Mar. 12 |
Film Discussion ; Begin Development |
Film Paper Due |
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W, F |
Mar. 14 - 16 |
Development |
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M |
Mar. 19 |
EXAM 4 (Chapters 8, 4) |
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Mar. 21 |
Exam 4 feedback; Begin Social |
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F, M |
Mar. 23 - 26 |
Social |
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Day(s) |
Date(s) |
Topic(s) |
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W, F |
Mar. 28 - 30 |
Personality |
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M |
Apr. 2 |
EXAM 5 (chapters
15, 18) |
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W |
Apr. 4 |
Exam 5 feedback: Group Project Discussion |
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F, M |
Apr. 6 – 9 |
Psychological Disorders |
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W, F |
Apr. 11 - 13 |
Forms of Therapy; Movie: Back From Madness |
Ch 17 Dr. W |