Psychology 101 Introduction to Psychology Spring 2002

Psychology 101 – Introduction To Psychology – Fall 2006

Instructor: Dr. T. Deka Time / Place: Section 80: 9:00 – 9:50 Mon, Wed, Fri MURPHY 219

Required Textbook: Hockenbury, D.H. & Hockenbuy, S.E. Discovering Psychology, 4th. Ed. Required Book: Russel, S. Lethal Intent Optional Book: Study Guide Office Hours: Tues, Thurs 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. Office Location: JGM 217 Phone: 271-4445 E-Mail: [email protected] Website: http://academic.missouriwestern.edu/deka

Course Objectives: General information about psychology in everyday life, designed to correct misconceptions and to give the student a better understanding of self and others. We will be examining scientific methods used in studying psychology, how the physical and social environment affect thinking, perception, learning, memory, motivation and behavior, human growth and development, abnormal behavior and psychological health.

General Studies Competencies / Social & Behavioral Sciences: Upon successful completion of Psychology 101, students should be able to meet the following state required institutional competencies for the Social and Behavioral Sciences knowledge area: 1. Explain social processes across a range of cultures; 2. Develop and communicate hypothetical explanations for human behavior within social contexts; 3. Draw on the science of psychology to evaluate contemporary problems; and 4. Describe and analytically compare social, cultural, or historical settings and processes other than one’s own. These competencies will be assessed through exam questions, writing assignments, or other activities developed by faculty.

Note to Education Students: The National Council for the Social Sciences (NCSS) has ten thematic standards that are designed especially to assist students who are preparing to teach social studies in secondary education. These standards are: (1) culture and cultural diversity; (2) time, continuity, and change; (3) people, places, and environment; (4) individual development and identity; (5) individuals, groups, and institutions; (6) power, authority, and governance, (7) production, distribution, and consumption; (8) science, technology, and society; (9) global connections, and (10) civic ideas and practices. Standards 1 and 4 are especially emphasized in this course.

Office Hours: Office hours are open to any student who wishes to see me for consultation about class performance or help with course materials. Please feel free to stop by or call me during office hours. If you would like to see me but can’t attend office hours, see me after class to arrange for an appointment.

Service for Disabled Students: Students with known learning or other disabilities are encouraged to speak with Michael Ritter, Special Needs/Disability Services Office, Eder 202, 271-4330, to assist them in provision of services within the classroom.

Attendance Policy: In order to improve student learning as well as to achieve compliance with federal financial aid policies, Western has a mandatory attendance policy for all 100-level courses. You will be given an excused absence when acting as an official representative of the university, provided you give prior written verification from the faculty/staff supervisor of the event. Other excused absences include accidents/illnesses that result in long-term absence. If you are in a serious accident or have an illness that may prevent you from attending class, notify your instructor as soon as feasible. Everyday sicknesses will not be excused, since the number of unexcused absences is quite liberal. All other absences will be deemed unexcused. The maximum number of unexcused absences allowed for this class before the midterm report (October 18) is 5. Thus, when you have 6 unexcused absences you will be reported to the Registrar’s Office, who will automatically withdraw you from the class. The Financial Aid Office will reduce financial aid as appropriate. Classroom Behavior: In every classroom, there are established conduct guidelines. These guidelines help facilitate a learning environment for everyone.

1. Arrive early and stay until the end of the class period. It is important to allow enough time to get settled in the classroom. If you must leave early, let your professor know. 2. Avoid private conversation. Try to focus your attention on the subject matter. Private conversations distract your classmates and your professor. 3. Ask questions. Becoming involved in the lecture makes class more enjoyable for you, other students and your professor. 4. Do not toy with classroom equipment. 5. Do not eat or drink (with the exception of water) in the classroom. Water must be in a closeable bottle. 6. Make sure cell phones and pagers are turned off before every class. While these devices are a convenience, they are a great distraction in the classroom. Text messaging will not be tolerated during class time. 7. Be ready for class. Try to be alert and attentive. If you sleep through class, you won’t remember anything.

Any behavior that disturbs the class environment is cause for sanctions in this order: (1) Warning, (2) dismissal from class for one day, (3) meeting with professor to discuss behavior, then (4) suspension from class. If dismissed from class, your attendance will be affected as specified in the attendance policy.

Snow Days or other Cancellation of Class: If we miss a class because of a snow day or other emergency, the exam schedule will remain as planned in the syllabus. The only exception is if a snow day or emergency is called on an exam day. In that case, your exam will be administered on the day we return to class. You will be responsible for materials presented in your study guide that are also in your book for the missed day. I will provide you with additional material, as needed, on the O drive.

Academic Honesty: Academic honesty is required in all academic endeavors. Violations of academic honesty include any instance of plagiarism, cheating, seeking credit for another’s work, falsifying documents or academic records, or any other fraudulent classroom activity. Violations of academic honesty may result in a failing grade on the assignment plagiarized, failure in the course, or expulsion from the University. When a student’s grade has been affected, violations of academic honesty will be reported to the Provost or the designated representative on the Academic Honesty Violation Report Form. Please see the 2006-07 Student Handbook and Calendar on page 21 for specific activities identified as violations of this policy and the student due process procedure. This handbook is also available online at http://www.missouriwestern.edu/handbook/index.pdf.

For this class, a violation will result in a zero for the assignment and reporting to the provost. The provost may impose other sanctions. Any subsequent violation will result in failure of the class and reporting to the provost, who may impose other sanctions.

Midterm Grade Reports: MWSU policy requires the reporting of midterm grades to students so that they may make informed withdrawal decisions. If you receive a “D” or an “F” on your midterm report, you should see me.

Points Available: Grade Distribution:

Exams (4 at 50 pts)…………..………….200 A (90%) = 270-300 Student Packets (4 @ 10 pts).….…….…. 40 B (80%) = 240-269 Project Papers (4 @ 15 pts)………..…..…60 C (70%) = 210-239 D (60%) = 180-209 ______Total 300 Exams: Each exam is worth 50 points and is in multiple-choice format. None of the exams are comprehensive including the final, which is counted as one of these four exams. Essentially, then, the semester is divided into four parts. Not all material on the exams will be presented in class. You are responsible for the material contained in the readings and study guides. You will have 50 minutes to complete your exam. Make-Up Exams: Will be given at the instructor’s discretion and permission for illness or accident. A make-up exam must be requested before the exam takes place, or, if an emergency, as soon as possible. You must be able to substantiate your absence with evidence.

Student Packets: We will be working on several small assignments called Packet Exercises or PE to encourage learning during class time. You will hand in a packet containing these assignments at every exam period, with the exception of the last one, which is due on the last day of class. Packets are available on the O drive (see below). Each packet is worth five points. Make-Up Packets: Don’t forget to bring your packet to the exam. You must turn it in when you take your exam. There will be no exceptions to this policy. Accessing the O Drive for Student Packets: You need an MWSU novell /e-mail name and password to access the O drive. All students are provided with this free of charge. From Home: Go to Missouri Western’s home page (www.missouriwestern.edu). Click on Current Students, then P Drive Access. Select “Drive O@distrib, then Psychology, then Psy101Deka. From a school computer lab: Click on the My Computer icon, select Drive O, Labs, Psychology, Psy101 Deka.

Project: This semester we will be exploring the life of Eileen Wuornos, the first documented female serial killer. You will be completing four installments of a project to investigate her life that correspond with the four Units presented in the course outline. More specifically, we will explore these aspects: Examination of the crimes / background information, Child / social development, Personality / abnormal psychology, and Punishment / learning. Each of these aspects will require you to write four papers worth 15 points each that answer specific questions. You will also be reading a book to help you answer these questions. Specifications for these assignments are attached to this syllabus. UNIT ONE Psychology Syllabus Perspectives in Psych PE Mon 08-28 Syllabus review, procedures Ch 1: 9-14 Wed 08-30 Wuornos Overview / Psy Perspectives Folk Wisdom PE Fri 09-01 Interviews with Wuornos Ch 1: 20, 34-35 Wed 09-06 Science vs. Pseudoscience Ch. 1: 14-24 Correl. Or Experim. PE Fri 09-08 Descriptive Research Methods Ch. 1: 25-33 Spinal Injury PE Mon 09-11 Experimental Research Methods Ch. 2: 39-43: 51-56 Wed 09-13 Nervous System and Neurons Ch. 2: 43-50 Match Celebrity PE Fri 09-15 Neural Communication, Transmitters Ch. 2: 56-59: 63-69 Mon 09-18 Studying the Brain and Brain Structures Ch. 2: 69-78 Packet 1, Project 1 Wed 09-20 Brain Hemispheres and Development Chapters 1, 2 Fri 09-22 Exam One Finding Blind Spot PE UNIT TWO Processing Information Ch. 3: 83-93 Dark Side Perception PE Mon 09-25 Sensation and Vision Ch. 3: 106-116 Wed 09-27 Perception Ch. 3: 116-122 Assess Your Temp PE Fri 09-29 Perceptual Illusions Ch. 9: 349-352: 359-363 Name That Stage PE Mon 10-02 Infant Development Ch. 9: 368-374: 380-381 Wed 10-04 Child and adolescent development Incentives to Motivate PE Fri 10-06 Aileen Wuornos development Ch. 8: 297-302: 323-324 Mon 10-09 Motivation Ch. 8: 302-312 Wed 10-11 Eating Behavior Ch. 8: 312-323 Packet 2, Project 2 Mon 10-16 Sexual Behavior Chapters 3, 9, 8 Wed 10-18 Exam Two Sleep Quiz PE UNIT THREE Altered States Ch. 4: 127-149 Fri 10-20 States of Consciousness: General Ch. 4: 150-156 Hypnosis Demo PE Mon 10-23 States of Consciousness: Induced Ch. 4: 156-167 Describing the Self PE Wed 10-25 States of Consciousness: Induced Ch. 10: 395-408 Fri 10-27 Personality: Psychoanalytic persp. Ch. 10: 411-418 Glore PE Mon 10-30 Personality: Humanistic + Cognitive Ch. 13: 505-511: 527-532 Phobia PE Wed 11-01 Personality Disorders Ch. 13: 512-526 Fri 11-03 Anxiety and mood disorders Ch. 13: 530-532 Best Therapy PE Mon 11-06 Dissociative disorders Ch. 13: 533-542 Packet 3, Project 3 Wed 11-08 Schizophrenic disorders Chapters 4, 10, 13 Fri 11-10 Exam Three Analyzing Real-World PE UNIT FOUR Learning and Socialization Ch. 5: 173-188 Mon 11-13 Classical Conditioning Ch. 5: 189-206 Early Memories PE Wed 11-15 Operant Conditioning Ch. 6: 217-229 Fri 11-17 Memory Ch. 6: 229- 233: 238-243 Mon 11-20 Memory Distortions Ch. 6: 233-238: 248-253 Quiz Show PE Mon 11-27 Forgetfulness and Pathology Ch. 11: 437-442 Wed 11-29 Person perception Ch. 11: 446-449 Stanford PE Fri 12-01 Attitude formation Conformity PE Mon 12-04 Classic experiments Ch.11: 454-469 Packet 4, Project 4 Wed 12-06 Conformity and Obedience Fri 12-08 Conformity and Obedience NOTE: Packet 4 is due Chapters 5, 6, 11 on the last day of class, Fri 12-15 Exam Four as well as Project 4.

Assignments Basics of Readings Retrieve Packet