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APSY A101 : Introductory Psychology (Spring 2007) |
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Professor: Dr. Laura
May (LauraM@usca.edu)
Class Location: 216
Penland Administration Building
Meeting Time: Monday, Wednesday, & Friday 9:00-9:50am
Dr. May’s Office: 237-O
Psychology Department Office: 226 Penland Admin. Bldg.; 641-3579
Office Hours: MWF 10:00-11:00am; Th 12:10-1:30pm; or by appointment
Required Text: Myers, D. G. (2005). Exploring Psychology (6th
Edition).
Credit Hours: 3 Credit Hours
Course Structure
DEPARTMENTAL MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of the USCA Department of
Psychology undergraduate program is to educate students in the knowledge,
research techniques, basic and applied perspectives of the various subfields of
psychology, and the appreciation of psychological values, in an individualized
learning environment, involving classroom, laboratory, and applied experiences.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Psychology101 is a freshman level survey course that focuses on the
basic concepts, principles, and theories related to the scientific study of
behavior and mental processes.
The goals of this course are to:
(1)
Examine
how nature (genetics/biology) and nurture (environment) influence an
individual’s emotions, behavior, and personality;
(2)
Survey
a wide array of topics that psychologists study (e.g., biology, learning,
cognition, social behavior, etc.);
(3)
Understand
how the major perspectives/theories of psychology account for behavioral
tendencies;
(4)
Introduce
the “how to” of psychological research, including ethical issues/values
therein; and
(5)
Begin
to read and critically evaluate the empirical literature in the field of
psychology.
COURSE GRADING:
Course grades are comprised of the following components:
(1)
4 Tests (100 points each):
Tests will cover the information presented in both the lectures and the
text. Each of the four tests will cover
the unique section of material outlined in the syllabus. Each test will be worth 100 points and
consist of multiple choice questions and short answer essays. Item content will focus on central concepts,
definitions, and theories of psychology. The final exam is simply Test #4 and not
comprehensive in nature. For the tests,
you will need the Mini Essay version of
the Scantron form. Please arrive on
time for each exam because no one will be
allowed to begin taking the test after the first person turns in his/her test
and leaves the classroom.
(2)
8 Quizzes
(40 points total): In-class quizzes will be administered between
each of the four tests. These quizzes
may be announced or unannounced and there
are no make-ups for missed quizzes,
regardless of the excuse. Each quiz is
worth 5 points for a total of 40 possible points by the end of the semester. Quizzes will comprise multiple choice and
short answer essay questions.
(3)
Class Attendance (20 points): Each scheduled day of class, an attendance
sheet will be passed around the classroom.
It is your daily responsibility to sign the roll sheet in order to
indicate your attendance. During the
course of the semester, you will be allowed two absences without point
penalty. Any absence (for any reason
whatsoever) after those initial two will result in a one point penalty
(i.e., reduction in class attendance points) for each additional absence
incurred.
(4)
2 Journal Article Critiques (50 points each): In order to complete this assignment,
students need to: (1) find an article from a psychological journal involving
one of the topic areas covered during class up to the due date of the
assignment; (2) summarize the article according to purpose, participants,
method, results, and discussion; (3) provide a critical analysis of the
article; and (4) attach a copy of the article to the critique itself. Article critiques are to be two pages in
length, typed, double spaced, and written in APA format (see handout
distributed in class for more information).
(5)
Research Participation (40
points): Introductory psychology students
are required to participate in ongoing psychology research projects. This will allow you to experience, first
hand, how psychological research is conducted.
To receive full credit, you must complete 2 credit hours
(120 minutes) of experimental participation.
You will have several opportunities to participate in experiments
throughout the semester and experiments will vary in the amount of credit time
offered. During the semester, you will
be able to check on research availability on the experiment sign-up bulletin
board located next to the Psychology Lab (Penland Room 206). Once you have agreed to participate, you must show up for the experiment
at the scheduled time and place; failure
to do so will result in the loss of the scheduled credit hour(s) in addition to
a point penalty. There will be a 10 point penalty for each time you fail
to attend your scheduled experimental session, which will be subtracted from
your overall research participation point total. As the availability of research
hours is uncertain, it is important that you begin participating in research as
soon as possible (do NOT wait until the end of the semester). If you do NOT wish to meet this
requirement by participating in psychological research, you may complete an
additional journal article critique as an alternative method of attaining the
40 points. Let the instructor know (in
person or via email) by March 5th if you are going to select this
alternative requirement. The critique
alternative will be due on April 20,, 2007.
(6) Extra Credit (10 points): In order to receive 10 extra
credit points added to your overall point total, you may watch one (and only one) of the following eight
movies and write a reaction paper, identifying psychological constructs/issues
illustrated in the movie. Be sure to
fully explain how the movie relates to psychology and one’s understanding of
the world. The paper ought to be 1-2
pages in length, typed, and double-spaced in 12-point standard font. Papers are due in class by April 30, 2007.
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