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Comparative Psychology PSYC 3019-41621 Fall 2017 This Comparative Psychology PSYC 3019-41621 Fall 2017 This Syllabus introduces the course and lets you know what to expect. Please read and save. On the last page is the Course Schedule (Due Dates). READ and REMEMBER there so you can stay on top of what is due. Missed assignments earn zeroes. Wishing you all success with the course! Your Professor: Dr. C.W. Hutto, Jr. Email: [email protected] Phone: (318) 342-1347 Office hours: • Monday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM • Tuesday: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM • Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM • Thursday: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM and by appointment When sending me an email, please always include your name and the course you are in. I usually respond within 1 day, excluding holidays and weekends. Materials You Need TEXTBOOK: There is no required textbook. The out-of-print text by Greenberg and Haraway is my favorite. There are copies at Amazon, probably at eBay and other online retailers. Greenberg, G. & Haraway, M.M. (2002). Principles of comparative psychology. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. HARDWARE: REQUIRED You need a good laptop or desktop computer with a good internet connection. If you have trouble with your computer or internet, it is your responsibility to get it fixed as soon as possible. You are expected to be on time with your work due, even if you have computer or internet trouble. That means you need to make a back-up plan now. Some ideas are: (a) computers at local libraries or internet cafes; (b) ULM computer labs; (c) computer of a friend or relative; etc. Use your thinking skills and make a back-up plan today! You MUST have up-to-date virus protection software installed on your computer. NOTE: You CANNOT submit work using smart pads/tablets/phones, etc. You may think ULM Moodle has accepted your work, but it has NOT. Use a laptop or desktop computer! SOFTWARE: REQUIRED You need a word processing program, program for watching videos, and computer virus protection. Try QuickTime for videos if your computer has trouble playing the videos. Email program: Please use only your warhawks.ulm.edu account for this course. Check your warhawks account frequently for emails from ULM and your instructors. Course Description The concepts of species-typical behavior and ontogenetic development as illustrated in organisms at various phyletic levels and the application of these ideas to the study of human behavior. Prerequisites: PSYC 2001. Course Objectives and Outcomes This course is designed to assist students in forming an understanding of comparative studies, especially in the study of animal species, the ontogeny of animal behaviors, and the roles of genetics, evolution, and environment. By the end of the course, students should be able to: 1. Define comparative psychology, ethology, behavioral ecology, and sociobiology. 2. Discuss evolution by natural selection. 3. Discuss the design features of animal behavior studies. 4. Discuss the basic principles of genetics. 5. Discuss the major categories of animal behavior, including learning, communication, locomotion, migration, orientation, navigation, habitat selection, foraging, social behaviors and organization, and mating behaviors. Course Topics What is Comparative Psychology? 1. Definition 2. Principle of integrative levels 3. Continuum of mind 4. Dynamic systems theory 5. Factors involved in the genesis of behavior characteristics Historical context of Comparative Psychology 1. Charles Darwin 2. George John Romanes 3. Morgan's Canon 4. Wilhelm Wundt 5. Ivan Pavlov 6. Edward Lee Thorndike 7. Robert Yerkes 8. John Watson 9. Mutual criticisms exchanged between early comparative psychologists and early ethologists Science and the study of animal behavior 1. Facts (data) 2. Hypothesis 3. Theories 4. Laws 5. Parsimony 6. The scientific method Instructional Methods and Activities A. Online resources, optional textbook, lecture, video, presentations. Evaluation and Grade Assignment (total points = 300) Quizzes (25 points x 4 = 100 points) Quizzes are graded open-resource tests, composed of short-answer questions. Each quiz is worth 25 points. You can submit each of the Study Quizzes for grading only one time. Study Quizzes have no timers but they do have deadlines. Observations (50 points) You will upload your observation notes to Moodle (Word format or Pages format) Presentation (100 points) You will go to the Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo or another zoo, choose two different species of animals to observe, and record your observations of their behaviors. You will need to plan on 2-3 hours of observation for each species. It would be best to go several times and observe the animals at different times of the day. You will upload your Powerpoint presentation of your observations to Moodle. You will present your observations to the class. You should include photographs or video that you took (not that you found on the internet) in your slideshow. If you can record or find (presumably on the internet) audio files of the kind of animals you observed, you should use them in your slideshow. Your presentation should be about 10 ± 2 minutes in length. Presentations will be given during the last four weeks of class. Final Exam (50 points) The Final Exam is about 20 short-answer questions. Like the Quizzes, the Final Exam can be submitted for grading only one time. It is not timed. Grade Percentage Point Range A 90 – 100% 270 - 300 B 80 – 89% 240 - 269 C 70 – 79% 210 - 239 D 60 – 69% 180 - 211 F 0 – 59% 0 - 179 Class Policies All policies stated in the current ULM Student Policy Manual & Organizational Handbook will be followed. See: http://www.ulm.edu/studentpolicy/ Submitting work on time is your responsibility and is part of your grade. Most students stay caught up and do good work. Be one of those! Late work earns zeros, so you want to avoid that. Do not request a time extension (unless you have a doctor’s excuse for a serious illness, accident, death or other serious event, or are excused by ULM to participate in a university event). The DUE DATE is given in the USA Central time zone. If you live in a different time zone, make the time conversion. For example, if you live in California, 11:55 PM Central time is 9:55 PM Pacific time, so you must turn in items by 9:55 PM Pacific time of the Due Date. Assignment Suggested Due Actual Due Date Date Quiz 1 Sep 6 Nov 1 Quiz 2 Sep 18 Nov 1 Quiz 3 Oct 9 Nov 1 Quiz 4 Oct 23 Nov 1 Observations Oct 25 – Nov 29 Nov 29 Presentation Oct 25 – Nov 29 Nov 29 Final Exam for Nov 29 Nov 29 Graduating Students Final Exam for Dec 5 Dec 5 Other Students Make-up Policy: • There is sufficient time allowed for the completion of all assignments. Do NOT wait until the last minute to submit your assignments—that practically guarantees that something will go wrong. • No extensions of deadlines are given except in the case of documented serious illness, accident, death in the family, a required family or school event, or similar major problem. Contact the instructor immediately for make-up work. • If you know in advance you need to be away for a required family or school event, contact the instructor about submitting your work in advance of the due date. Attendance Policy You are required to login within the first 2 days of the term. You are required to login to the course, view items in the course, and submit items (if due) several times each week. If you do not login and participate for more than 10 days, you will be administratively withdrawn from the course. You are required to attend 75% of class meetings. Academic Integrity All work must be your own. If you copy work from others or submit any work that is not yours, you will receive a zero for the assignment. You may also receive an F for the course. The ULM published policy on Cheating and Plagiarism will be followed: http://catalog.ulm.edu/content.php?catoid=17&navoid=2045 Course Evaluation Policy Students are expected to complete the online course evaluation when the course is over. Student Services ULM student services: Student Success Center: http://www.ulm/edu.cass/ Counseling Center: http://www.ulm.edu/counselingcenter/ Special Needs: http://ulm.edu/counselingcenter/special.html Student Affairs: http://www.ulm.edu/studentaffairs/ Library: http://www.ulm.edu/library/referencedesk.html Computing Center Help Desk: http://www.ulm.edu/computingcenter/helpdesk Special Needs: The University of Louisiana at Monroe strives to serve students with special needs through compliance with Sections 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act. These laws mandate that postsecondary institutions provide equal access to programs and services for students with disabilities without creating changes to the essential elements of the curriculum. While students with special needs are expected to meet our institution's academic standards, they are given the opportunity to fulfill learner outcomes in alternative ways. Examples of accommodations may include, but are not limited to, testing accommodations (oral testing, extended time for exams), interpreters, relocation of inaccessible classrooms, permission to audiotape lectures, note-taking assistance, and course substitutions. Current college’s policies on serving students with disabilities can be obtained at for the ULM website: http://ulm.edu/counselingcenter/special.html If you need accommodation because of a known or suspected disability, you are invited to contact the director for disabled student services at: Voice phone: (318) 342-5220 Fax: (318) 342-5228 If you have special needs that require accommodation, please make the instructor aware of them before the 3rd day of class.
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