General Psychology Syllabus-PEDAGOGY

General Course Syllabus

Course & Section PSYC 1113 Perspectives in Psychology
Times: MWF 2:30pm-3:20pm
Location: DAH Auditorium
Instructor: Dr. Lawrence Murray
Office: Gaylord Hall 2nd Floor
Office hours TBA
Phone: 425-1852

OC MISSION STATEMENT:

Transforming lives for Christian faith, leadership, and service.

COURSE TEXT

Wade, C. & Tavris, C. (2008). Psychology. Pearson / Prentice Hall

The textbook provides the background and context for classroom lectures and discussion as well as the primary content for possible quizzes and major exams. Note: It is highly recommended that you remain current in your reading of the text so that you are prepared for classroom lectures, discussion, possible quizzes and exams.

COURSE DESCRIPTION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Perspectives in Psychology is a survey course that provides students with an overview of the major subdivisions within the field of psychology and an introduction to the fundamental aspects of modern scientific psychology. As a survey course, it provides a brief overview of the history of psychology, describes methods used in the field of psychology, and introduces different aspects of the field of psychology, such as brain functioning, psychological development, consciousness, learning theory, memory, stress, health, and well-being, mental disorders, and treatment. Upper division courses explore these areas in depth. The majority of material will come from lectures and text readings. Please see the Course Outline for a listing of topics and chapters to read.

The general goals and objectives of the course are to help the student:

• Gain an overview of the field of psychology and its application to all areas of psychological phenomena.
• View psychology in terms of events that occur at different levels of analysis: the brain (biological factors), the person (beliefs, desires, and feelings), the group (social, cultural, and environmental factors), and their interactions.
• Learn and gain mastery over the basic facts and research findings, terminology, principles, and theories important in the various areas of psychology.
• Gain a basic understanding of the biological, sensory, and perceptual processes that underlie behavior and consciousness.
• Gain a basic understanding of memory, normal and abnormal behavior, and psychotherapy.
• Increase his or her to analyze current issues and controversies in the field of psychology.
• Gain an appreciation of cultural and gender diversity in human behavior.
• Find ways to apply psychological findings to everyday life.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Required Research Participation:

Each student enrolled in PSYC 1113 is required to participate in 3 research projects conducted by upper class psychology students, or complete a 5 page APA style paper on an approved topic. Instructions for the paper are available upon request. The experiments will become available toward the middle of the semester. Sign-up sheets for the experiments will be posted on the 2nd floor of the DAH building in the southwest hallway right outside the Department of Psychology and Family Studies office (Room 213). Additional instructions will be provided as the semester progresses.
Failure to complete the required research participation will result in a deduction to the final grade in the class. No penalty will be applied if you complete either the 3 research projects OR complete a satisfactory APA paper. Penalties for either partial completion or noncompliance with the requirement are as follows:
Research Participation OR Paper Penalty
3 projects A No penalty
2 projects B 5%
1 project C 10%
0 projects F 15%

Required Journal Article Review (100 points):

Each student is required to research and review an article from a professional psychological journal. See the attached instructions for more specific guidelines for the review and for the due date.

Required Exams and Course Assessment:

There will be a total of 5 exams given during the semester (4 regular exams covering 2 chapters at a time, and a comprehensive final). All exams are composed of multiple-choice, true/false, short answer, and essay questions taken from the text, lectures, films, or other material. Exams will be given using Blackboard so students should have their laptops available and with batteries charged on the day of the exam.
Make-up policy: You will be able to drop one of the four regular exam scores, though the final must be taken. Make-up exams are not available except in cases of extreme emergency and at the discretion of the instructor. Since make-up exams are not given, if an exam is missed, it will count as your dropped score. Otherwise, the lowest of your four exam scores will be dropped automatically. The comprehensive final is mandatory and cannot be dropped. See the course schedule for the dates of the exams. Every effort will be made to keep the test dates as they are scheduled. If it becomes necessary to change the date of a scheduled exam, you will be notified in class and by email.

Course Assessment:
3 out of 4 regular exams at 100 points each (lowest score or missed exam is dropped) -300
Final Comprehensive Exam-100 points (must be taken and can’t be dropped) -100
Article Review 100 points (see attached guidelines for the review) -100
Total - 500
Grading Scale: A = 450-500
B = 400-449
C = 350-399
D = 300-349
F = 299 and below
Exceptional attendance will be rewarded and points added to your total points at the end of the semester in this class per the following chart:
0 Absences- 30 points
1 Absence- 20 points
2 Absences- 10 points

Guidelines for Success in the Classroom
Studying. It is expected that a full-time university student will spend a minimum amount of each week in class attendance and study out of class approaching a 40-hour week. A person employed on a full-time basis should not simultaneously expect to maintain a full-time academic schedule. At the undergraduate level, this means that for each hour in class, a student is expected to spend at least two hours doing home-work. For a three credit-hour class, a student is expected to spend hours per week doing homework.
Class participation. It is expected that you will have read each chapter before it is discussed in class. The key to success in any course is to read and comprehend the material, attend class, ask good questions, take clear notes, and complete the assignments on time. I will try to answer your questions, elaborate on the topics you wish discussed, call your attention to the most important points in each chapter, and bring in outside information and professional experiences when relevant.
Attendance. Because additional questions will be taken from lectures and films, there will probably be a high correlation between test grades and attendance. It is the student’s responsibility to acquire any material from the missed classes- so it would be in your best interest to make a friend who takes good notes. Attendance will be taken but is not a part of your grade (see above). Coming to class late is disruptive so please make every effort to be on time. Tardies will be counted as absences with no exceptions!

POLICIES AND GENERAL INFORMATION

ADA/504 Statement – If you have a diagnosed disability and need special accommodations, please notify Ms. Amy Janzen (5907) before or immediately after your first scheduled class meeting. After your disability has been verified, your instructor will work with you, with Ms. Janzen, and with the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs to provide reasonable accommodations to ensure that you have a fair opportunity to perform in the course.

Classroom Behavior- Students are expected to be respectful to both faculty and other students in and out of the classroom. If a student is acting disrespectfully or causing a distraction or annoyance, he or she will be asked to leave the classroom. If the student demonstrates a pattern of disrespectful, distracting, or annoying behavior in the classroom after being admonished, he or she will be dropped from the class.

Academic Honesty and Student Behavior – Students are expected to follow University policy with regards to issues of academic honesty (e.g. cheating, plagiarism) and proper conduct in the classroom, as detailed in the Student Handbook. If students are caught cheating on any exam or assignment, a grade of 0 will be recorded for that test. Disciplinary action for further violation of these policies will be in accord with University policy (please consult your Student Handbook) and will result in expulsion from the class.

Communication & Email Policy – When possible, I prefer to talk with you directly. If you use email to contact me please understand that unless I have replied to you I probably have not read your email. I try to read my email at least once a day but I do not always respond immediately. If I have not responded to you by the next class period, please talk to me before or after the class. When in doubt, talk with me directly.

Withdrawal Policy – If you decide to withdraw from the course, you should file forms in the Registrar’s office before the deadline stated in the current schedule of classes. See the University Catalog and/or my OC for more details on University policies.

Laptop / IPod / cell phone policy – These devices will not be permitted in my classroom unless I specifically request that you bring these devices for use during exams and other class activities. If these devices are used without permission, you can be asked to leave, and you will be counted absent for the day. If the problem persists, you may be asked to withdraw from the class.

RESEARCH ARTICLE REVIEW:

Instructions for the Research Article Review:

This assignment requires that you use the library and/or use the PsychLit or PsychInfo data base to find an article, copy it, and write a review. The article must be related to some psychological topic covered in the text, must be from a recent (1998 or later) professional psychology journal, and must be an empirical article that reports on the research conducted by the authors. The research should be experimental in nature.
To receive the maximum points, you must:
1. Select an appropriate article from an appropriate journal.
2. Use good writing skills. If you need help with your writing, please make an appointment with a tutor in the Writing Center
3. Follow instructions for accuracy and turn in the following information:
a. Provide a cover page with the title “Research Article Review,” the name and meeting time of this course, my name, your name, and the title of your article.
b. Provide the abstract found on PsychLit or PsychInfo.
c. Provide a photocopy of the journal article in its entirety.
d. Highlight the article to indicate what information was used.
e. Provide a report that is no less than 1 ½ and no more than 3 pages, is neat, and is organized by sections. The report should be typed, double-spaced, and have 1 inch margins on all sides.
4. The report should include the following information, each in its own paragraph and labeled appropriately:
a. Provide Background information telling why the study was done and what research led up to this study.
b. Describe the Hypothesis, which tells what the author’s predict.
c. Describe the Methods used, including the subjects used, the method of research, the independent variable(s), dependent variable(s), and any confounding or control variables.
d. Describe the Results that tell the outcome of the measures used.
e. Describe the Discussion or Conclusions of the study, which tell what the results mean: if the results support or refute the hypothesis and what future research is indicated.
f. Provide a Reference Section
5. Within the report, include at least one in-text citation with complete reference information (APA style) and include the information in the Reference Section at the end of your paper. Reference only those sources you cite in your report. Use the example below.

EXAMPLE: In-text citation choices that correspond with the first example in the reference section below.

Research has indicated that what people say they will do is a better predictor of future behavior than test scores are. (Mischel, 1968).

Walter Mischel (1968) cited evidence that what people say they will do is a better predictor of future behavior than test scores are.

Reference
Mischel, W. (1968). Personality and Assessment. New York: John Wiley

Newman, F.L. & Tejeda, M.J. (1996). The need for research that is designed to support decisions in the
delivery of mental health services. American Psychologist, 51, 1040-1049


Week 1 (January 12 – 16) – M – Introduction
W – chapter 1
F – chapter 1

Week 2 (January 19 – 23) – M – chapter 1
W – chapter 4
F – chapter 4

Week 3 (January 26 – 30) - M – chapter 4
W – summary
F – (Test 1)

Week 4 (February 2 – 6) - M – Ch 5
W – Ch 5
F – Ch 5

Week 5 (February 9 – 13) - M – Ch 5
W – Ch 7
F – Ch 7

Week 6 (February 16 – 20) M – Ch 7
W – Ch 7
F – Summary

Week 7 (February 23 – 27) M – (Test 2)
W – Ch 8
F – Ch 8

Week 8 (March 2 – 6) M – Ch 8
W – Ch 8
F – Ch 13

Week 9 (March 9 – 13) M – Ch 13
W – Ch 13
F – Ch 13 (TEST 3)

Week 10 (March 16 -20) M – Spring Break Week
W –
F –

Week 11 (March 23 – 27) M – Ch 14
W – Ch 14
F – Ch 14

Week 12 (March 30 – April 3) M – Ch 14
W –
F –

Week 13 – (April 6 – 10) M – Ch 15
W – Ch 15
F – Ch 15

Week 14 – (April 13 -17) M – Ch 15
W – Summary
F – Test 4

Week 15 – (April 20 – 24) M – Ch 16
W – Ch 16
F – Ch 16

Week 16 – (April 27 -30) Final Exam Week

MAY 1ST Commencement