Welcome to Introductory Psychology, I will be your guide for this course. Ever wonder why you have an urge to kick the dog after your boss yells at you? Ever thought that it’s bad for a mother to give in and buy that chocolate bar for her screaming son as she stands in the grocery line, what is likely to happen later on? Ever wonder why some people lead their lives under the principle of “me first” while others give so much to others? Do only bad people do bad things like at the prison at Abu Ghraib? Is eyewitness testimony really reliable?
The study of psychology is the study of human behavior. However there are many aspects of human behavior (sleep, aggression, learning, intelligence, disorders, phobias) and many viewpoints on how to explain these behaviors. During this semester we will look at the major theories and the scientists who formulated them. We will begin with the biology of our nervous system, the basis of human functioning. Then we will look at several theories that attempt to explain human behaviors. We will also introduce you to research. The observation of any event needs to be carefully planned out, that is where research comes in.
This is a 16-week course intended to
By the end of the semester you should be able to:
1. Read a simple research article and give both positive and negative critiques on its design. Identify the design used in the article. Create your own experiment and correctly use the terms –sample, dependent and independent variable, and control.
2. Correctly identify the major theories in psychology, the terms associated with the theories, and the psychologists/scientists who formulated each theory. You should also be able to define the appropriate terms relevant to each theory. Be able to identify the concepts in movies and real life settings.
3. Formulate a very basic explanation of behavior and treatment procedure for a sample case. This will be a group project and your procedure will be based off of the assigned theoretical viewpoint (behaviorism, Freudian, humanistic, cognitive etc.) You will also present your treatment to the class. (Creativity is rewarded!)
Professor John Martin. Email:
Text: Wade & Tavris (2007). Psychology- 9th Edition, River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Office hours will be immediately after class, additional hours will be announced in class. You can also reach me by email. I will check email at least twice a day during the week, once on weekends. It may take up to 24 hours to get a response, though usually it will be much quicker. If you need to speak with me and these times do not work then we can make an appointment later on Tuesday or Thursday.
Blackboard use will be optional after the initial survey. I will not post anything for a grade on Blackboard, however I will post grades, articles, the syllabus, and extra credit assignments. I will update you when Blackboard will be available.
Reading materials: The required text is Tarvis and Wade Psychology. Additional required readings will be posted for each unit. As soon as I have access to Blackboard I will post the syllabus and review materials to help you with each test. Keep up with the readings, read each chapter twice.
There are 500 points total for the course.
Tests=375 points. There will be 3 exams and a final worth 125 points each. I will drop the lowest score, but the final exam is mandatory. There are no makeups we will count any missed exams as your lowest score and you can take your chances on the final.
Quizzes and activities= 50 points. 10 grades will be counted at random from morning attendance activities.
15 points. Each student will write a weekly entry in a reflection journal. The entries can concern topics of interest in class, or what you have learned in the readings. The entries must be more than two sentences long.
30 points total. Each student will write two, 1-page critiques of professional journal articles, APA format. The instructor provides the first article; the second will be researched using library databases.
30 points total. Students will be assigned to a group of 4-5 students. After midterm your group will be given a clinical style example and assigned a theoretical point of view. The group will write a 3 page APA format paper describing the important aspects of that theoretical point of view, and how those aspects relate to the given problem. In the last week of classes the groups will present their analysis of the problem in an oral presentation to the class. Each group member must play an active role in the project and your grade will be influenced by peer review.
Extra credit-There will be a few chances for extra credit in the appropriate chapters. Each is 5 points and you can do up to 3.
You must complete the assigned readings prior to the start of class, there are terms in the text I will not cover in class, but will expect you to know in order to understand the lecture. Do not fall behind. Psychology can be a fun and interesting class if you keep up.
Attendance is required. Attendance will usually be taken in the form of a short discussion with a group quiz, or a short assessment during class. Of the attendance activities 10 will be chosen at random for grades.
Do not do it. Any incidence of academic dishonesty will result in a zero for that assignment.
-Icebreakers-who am I, 3 adjectives of color and animal
-Video clip of behavior without sound, Methods of research, data on how long it takes you to
drive to school. Gas Mileage, etc.
-Discussion, Ec report on Gattica
*Week 4 Exam 1 Chapters 1-3
-Video
Week 6 Rythms and states Chapter 5
Week 7 Sensation and Perception Chapter 7
-Article 1 due
-Ec. Give up an Addiction journal due
Week 9 Social Psychology Chapter 9
Week 10 Memory Chapter 10
Week 11 Emotion Chapter 11
Group paper due
-Ec. Dream Journal due
Week 14 Development Chapter 14
Week 15 Stress Chapter 15
-Group presentations
*Cumulative final
The last day for withdrawals is April 8th.