PSYC 1101

Introductory Psychology

Summer, 2004

Janice H. Kennedy, Ph.D.

 

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course provides an overview of the various fields in the science of psychology and an exploration of how an understanding of behavior is facilitated through psychological research. This course is a prerequisite for upper-division courses in psychology and will prepare students for more in-depth study of specific topics in the field. We will explore basic psychological principles from a cross-cultural perspective whenever possible.

 

TEXTS: Myers, D. G. (2004). Psychology: Myers in modules (7th ed.). New York: Worth.

 

Study Guide to accompany the Myers text.

 

PAPERS: We will do two behavioral observations during the course, and you will collect data during these observations. A paper of 2-3 pages will describe your findings from your behavioral observations and your conclusions. This paper counts 50 points toward your final grade. A second, short paper examines how psychology can be used in applied settings. This paper also counts 50 points.

 

STUDY GUIDE ASSIGNMENT: Your study guide that accompanies the text is an excellent learning tool. It emphasizes important concepts that you are reading about in your textbook and provides quick feedback to your learning. Your completed Study Guide for the Modules assigned will be collected on the first day of class. This activity counts 50 points toward your final grade.

 

TEST:  There will be one test, administered on the first day of class. This test will emphasize basic terms and findings in psychology from your assigned chapters. You may use your completed study guide during the test. This test is made up of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short-answer questions and counts 100 points toward your final grade.

 

JOURNAL: This journal is a record of your activities in this course and during your study abroad experience. Besides information about your field trips in the class each week, it should have at least two additional entries per week. The journal should contain the following:

 

a.       Notes and summaries of our four field trips. Include your reactions to what you see

and your responses to specific questions outlined in your field trip instructions.

Be ready to discuss these in class on the day after your field trip.

b.      Your observations of cultural differences that you discover during your activities

on and off campus, including field trips for other classes or your weekend excursions. Try to apply psychological principles that we are exploring in

class to what you are experiencing.

 

Please use pseudonyms for your classmates and friends so the journal may remain confidential. I will generally collect the journals after class on Monday and return it to you at the beginning of our field trip on Tuesday.

 

CLASS PARTICIPATION: Since we will be covering a great deal of information in a short period of time, it is imperative that you keep up with your assignments. Moreover, class exercises are more meaningful if the relevant assigned readings have been read and if you become actively involved in class discussions and exercises. In order to encourage you to keep up with your readings 50 points toward your final grade will be accounted for by your relevant contributions to class discussion.

 

GRADING: As described above, grades will be determined by the following:

 

Assignment                                    Points      

           

Behavioral Observation Paper               50                                           

Psychology in the World Paper             50

Journal                                               200

Study Guide Completion                       50

Test                                                   100

Class Participation                                50

                                                          ___

                                                          500

 


 

 

Final Grades will be assigned as follows:

 

Grade                          Points Accumulated

 

  A                               450-500

  B                                400-449

  C                               350-399

  D                               300-349

  F                                Below 300

 

CLASS STRUCTURE/ATTENDANCE: Class time will be primarily spent in class discussion, lecture, and demonstration activities.

 

CLASS ATTENDANCE: The European Council policy is that attendance is mandatory for all classes and field trips, unless you are ill. If you miss a class or field trip, I will check with the site directors to find out whether you are ill. Students who are not ill who miss a class or a field trip will lose one letter grade per absence. Habitual tardiness (3 classes or field trips) will result in a half-letter-grade reduction.

 

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty involves representing any work turned in (whether tests, papers, etc.) completed in any part by others as your own. Any assignment in which academic dishonesty occurs will result in a grade of  “0” for that assignment.

 

HOW THIS COURSE DIFFERS FROM OTHERS YOU HAVE TAKEN: As you can see this class moves at a rapid pace over the five weeks of the program. Moreover, there are many temptations to distract you from studying while in London. My advice to you is PLAN TO GIVE IN TO THIS TEMPTATION! In order to do this and make a good grade, however, you must do a lot of advance preparation. Try to read all of your assignments before you leave Georgia. Take notes, highlight your readings, and complete all the activities in your Study Guide. If you are well prepared for this class before you leave,  much of the time spent outside of class and field trips can be used for further exploration of London¾a principal reason you signed up for this international experience in the first place. If you spend all your time in London studying, you might as well have stayed home, so do as much preparation for the class beforehand as is humanly possible.

 


 

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

 

Date                Topic_____________________________________________________________                                                                                                   

 

Class 1                       Introduction to Course

                          Test                                                                                       Module 1

Field Trip: Naturalistic Field Observation

(Covent Garden)

 

Class 2                       Research in Psychology                                                  Module 2

 

Class 3                       Human Development                                                                                          Modules 8

 

Field Trip: Eton College

 

Class 4                       Behavioral Observation Paper Due

                          Human Development                                                               Modules 9-10

 

Class 5                       Social Behavior and Group Influences                            Modules 54-55           

                                  

Field Trip: Westminster Abbey and St. Paul’s Cathedral

 

Class 6                       Personality                                                                                             Modules 39-42

 

 

Class 7                       Psychological Disorders                                                 Modules 43-44

 

Field Trip: Tower of London

 

Class 8                       Psychological Disorders                                                Modules 45-47

 

 

Class 9                       Treatment of Psychological Disorders                            Modules 48, 50

 

 

Class 10            Psychology in the World Paper Due

                          Course Evaluations

Wrap Up