Psychology 1101E: Introduction to Psychology

Carroll, Room 2262, MWF, 8:00-8:50am

Click here to sign up for experiments!

Dr. Janie Wilson

Phone: 681-5580

E-mail: jhwilson@georgiasouthern.edu

Office: Carroll 1050G

Hours: 9:00-10:00am MWF and by appointment

Web page: http://class.georgiasouthern.edu/psychology/courses/wilson/

Textbook

Wade, C., & Tavris, C. (2005). Invitation to Psychology, 3^rd Edition. Prentice Hall Publishers.

(You may use the 4^th edition, if you’d prefer.)

Course Overview

This course is designed to introduce the basic principles of psychology. It provides a foundation for further courses in psychology and allows you to sample various areas of interest within psychology including biology, perception, learning, development, motivation, emotion, personality, and social psychology. It is not exclusively directed toward psychology majors but is for those of you who want to know more about human behavior and experience. This course also serves as a prerequisite for all other courses in psychology.

Learning Objectives

Students who complete this course should

· appreciate psychology as the science of behavior

· have knowledge of how a study in psychology is conducted

· understand the diversity of topics in psychology

· be able to apply many topics in psychology to everyday life

Attendance Policy

There is no attendance policy. However, the information given in class will not always be found in your book, and lectures will not be repeated for individuals. Please see that you plan for unavoidable absences by having a colleague share notes with you.

Tests

Tests will consist of multiple-choice items designed to measure your factual knowledge as well as your ability to apply that knowledge to examples. Please bring a Scantron sheet (half-page brown sheets) and a No. 2 pencil to class for tests and the final exam. Scantrons must be carefully marked, as grades will not be changed after Scantrons have been scored. If you feel that a response on the Scantron may be read incorrectly, please bring it to my attention after you have completed your test and before you leave the room on the day of the test.

If you must miss a test, it is not necessary to contact me. Plan to take the test on 5/5/08 from 8:00-8:50am. Regardless of the reason, I cannot provide a separate but equal multiple-choice/short-answer test; therefore, you may be required to take an essay test of the material. This is not designed to punish you. It may be difficult to complete more than one test during the allotted hour.

Written Course Project

You have the option of either completing a written project or participating in research (see below). The completed project is due by 8:00am on 4/21/08. Late assignments will be penalized 5% per day, including weekend days.

Locate something interesting and current in the news about psychology that was reported within the past year. Write a lecture on the topic. Make it engaging–a lecture that would get your attention if you were listening as a student in this class. The current, original item may be found in the newspaper, a magazine, on a television news report or documentary. Feel free to be creative; there are reports of new psychological developments everywhere.

Turn in the original item (article, video of news report, etc.), the lecture you created, and any additional materials you might use to teach the topic (for example, a handout). Your written lecture should be 3 or 4 pages (double-spaced, 1" margins, 12-point font).

Research Participation

Instead of a written course project (above), you may choose to participate in three experiments. As an added bonus, if you choose this option, you may also participate in up to three additional 50-minute experiments for up to a 3% bonus on your final grade in the course. Not only is this an opportunity to earn extra credit, but it is a good opportunity to get first-hand experience on how research is conducted in psychology. You will be given access to the guidelines for participating.

No studies are conducted in the final week or so of classes. In fact, sometimes the sign-up times fill up quickly, so consider signing up for experiments online early in the term.

Moral Conduct

If you are caught cheating, I will feel morally obligated to seek the maximum punishment available at Georgia Southern. If you have any questions about acceptable and unacceptable conduct, please refer to the Georgia Southern Student Conduct Code Policies and Procedures.

Requirements Grading Scale

Written Course Project 90-100% A

Or Research Participation 10% 80-89% B

Tests (3) 60% 70-79% C

Final Exam 30% 60-69% D

<60% F

Tentative Lecture Schedule

Dates indicate the beginning of a topic, and topics often continue beyond one day.

If a date is not mentioned, we still have class that day.

Topics Chapters

1/14/08 Orientation

1/16/08 How to Study

1/18/08 History of Psychology 1

1/21/08 Dr. Martin Luther King holiday (no classes)

1/23/08 The Biology of Behavior 4

1/30/08 Sensation & Perception 6

2/6/08 Psychology: Science 1

2/11/08 Test 1

2/13/08 Consciousness 5

2/20/08 Learning 9

2/29/08 Memory, Cognition, 7-8

Language, & Intelligence

3/10/08 Test 2

3/10/08 Last day to withdraw

3/12/08 Motivation & Emotion 13-14

3/17-21/08 Spring Break

3/24/08 Motivation & Emotion (cont.)

3/26/08 Development 3

4/2/08 Personality 2

4/7/08 Test 3

4/9/08 Stress & Health 13

4/14/08 Social Psychology 10

4/23/08 Psychological Disorders 11-12

& Treatments

4/21/08 Written Course Project due

(unless using Research Participation option)

5/5/08 Last day of class (All make-up tests will be taken during this time)

5/9/08 Final Exam

(half on material up to Test 3, and half on material since Test 3)

7:30am-9:30am