Psychology 401 (15439): Introduction to Psychology

 

Fall 2009

John Sparrow, Ph.D.

Office: University Center Rm. 351

Phone: 641-4151  (E-mail:  john.sparrow@unh.edu;  WWW:  pubpages.unh.edu/~jes1)

 

Office Hours:

                                    Tuesday                                 --                     3:00 – 4:00; 5:00 – 5:45

                                    Thursday                                --                     3:00 – 4:00

                                    Friday                                     --                     1:00 – 2:00

 

            If you are not available during these times, please see me after class and we can set up an appointment.

 

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

            This survey course is designed to give an overview of the many subtopics that collectively make up the science of psychology.  Students will learn how psychologists go about studying the bases of mind and behavior as demonstrated through lectures, class discussions, selected films, and various writing assignments.

 

Textbook:      Nairne, J. S. (2009). Psychology: The Adaptive Mind (5th Ed.). 

                        Belmont, CA:  Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.  (Required)

 

                        Proctor, J. (2009). Study Guide.  Belmont, CA:  Wadsworth/Thomson                                    Learning.  (Recommended)

 

            Both books can be purchased in the UNHM Bookstore. 

 

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

 

            Overall, the main goal of the course is to help students learn to appreciate the vastness of the field of psychology.  Some other minor objectives for the course include:

 

            - to learn how psychological research is conducted (methodology)

 

            - to learn the differences between psychology and psychiatry

 

            - to learn how psychology relates to "everyday life" 

 

            - to learn to read psychological literature and evaluate research studies

 

            - to learn to appreciate psychology as a science

 

TEACHING/LEARNING STRATEGIES

 

            In class, students will learn about psychology through a mixture of lectures, class discussions, experimentation, and questions.  Students are encouraged to actively pursue their education and not simply listen passively.  Psychology is a fascinating subject and it lends itself to discussion quite readily.  Outside of class, students will be learning through a combination of textbook readings, additional readings, and thinking about the applications of psychology to everyday life.  Students are strongly advised to keep up with the textbook readings as this will make the learning process more efficient and enjoyable.  My job, as the instructor, will be to pique your interest in psychology by bringing various aspects of psychological thought to life through our class meetings.

 

EXAMS

 

            Dates of exams appear on the course calendar.  All of the exams are non-cumulative and will consist of a mixture of multiple-choice and short essay questions (with some possible exceptions).  Approximately half of each exam will consist of questions directly from the textbook, while the other half will contain questions from the class meetings (lectures, movies, demonstrations, etc.).  As a general rule, there will be no make-up exams given.  Extenuating circumstances (e.g., illness) may require approval by the Dean of the College.  Problems meeting these guidelines should be brought to my attention at least five days before the exam.

 

SUMMARY/CRITIQUE PAPER

 

            You will be asked to write a short (4-5 page) paper in relation to two research articles that you find in the psychological literature.  I will provide you with a list of sources and more information in a later class.  The idea behind the paper is for you to think about and respond to some published work in the professional literature.  The paper should be at least four complete, double-spaced, typed/word- processed pages with one-inch margins on all four sides.  Handwritten or late papers will not be accepted!

 

STUDENT EVALUATION

 

            Grades will be based on the three (3) non-cumulative exams in addition to the summary/critique of the research articles.  Moreover, extra credit will be available.  The extra credit option is explained below.  The grading will be weighted as follows:

 

                                                            TEST 1                      30%

                                                            TEST 2                      30%

                                                            TEST 3                      30%

                                                            SUMMARY/

                                                            CRITIQUE                10%

                                                            --------------------------------------

                                                                                                100%

 

            Grades will be calculated based on the following percentage cutoff points:

 

            A         =          93 - 100%                             C         =          73 - 76%

            A-        =          90 - 92%                                C-       =          70 - 72%

            B+      =          87 - 89%                                D+      =          67 - 69%

            B         =          83 - 86%                                D         =          63 - 66%

            B-        =          80 - 82%                                D-        =          60 - 62%

            C+      =          77 - 79%                                F          =          00 - 59%

 

EXTRA CREDIT

 

            There is one way to earn extra credit in this class:  Find a newspaper or magazine article relevant to the material covered in class and write a 2 page summary.  Make sure you include the article (can be a photocopy, if you wish) when you hand in the assignment.  Extra credit papers must be at least 2 complete pages in length to receive credit.  Papers can be longer than 2 pages, if you so desire.

 

            You may do only 2 of these extra credit assignments.  Please come and see me if there are questions concerning the extra credit option.  The extra credit options are to be typed/word-processed and double-spaced in order to receive credit!  The extra credit papers are due no later than November 20!

 

CHEATING

 

            Cheating will not be tolerated in this class.  Students caught cheating on the exams or the paper assignment will automatically receive a course grade of "F" and his/her name will be forwarded to the Dean's office in accordance with University policy.  Hopefully, this information goes without saying.

 

A FINAL WORD...

 

            If you have taken other classes with me in the past you know that I expect a great deal from my students.  You should take your work very seriously and make a strong attempt at keeping up with the reading assignments, papers, etc.  Keep in mind that the general rule-of-thumb for attending college at UNHM is that for every hour of in-class meeting time, the student ought to be spending 2-3 hours outside of class time preparing for the class meetings.  I do not mean to scare you off by stating this policy, but I do want my students to know this fact up front.  Also, you should be aware that I keep all student examinations on file; hence, you will not be able to keep your examinations after I return them for your perusal.  I will spend some time in class going over the exams after they have been graded.  If you would like to go over your examination in more detail, you are welcome (and encouraged!) to come see me during office hours.  This policy is a strict one and is non-negotiable.  As a final note, please turn off all cell phones during class time!  If you must leave the phone on for critical reasons, please set the ringer to Òvibration mode,Ó if possible, or, at the very least, make sure the phone is easily accessible so that youÕre not digging around trying to find the phone while itÕs disturbing the class.  Please note that all of the information outlined in this syllabus is subject to slight modification throughout the course.  If any substantive changes in the syllabus are warranted, I will let you know well ahead of time.  Let's work on having both an educational and enjoyable semester of "Introduction to Psychology"!

 

 

TENTATIVE COURSE CALENDAR

 

Date                                       Topic                                                 Chapters                 

 

Sep.   4          Introduction: What is Psychology?                          1

                          &  Tools of the Psychological Researcher                        2

            11       Physiology of Behavior                                                       3

            18       Sensation & Perception                                                       5

            25       Developmental Psychology                                               4

Oct.     2          ***** EXAM #1 (CHS: 1,2,3,5,4) **** [& start Ch. 7] *****

 

            9          Learning                                                                                 7

            16       Memory                                                                                 8

            23       Thinking & Language                                                            9

            30       Motivation & Emotion           [TITLE PAGES DUE]        11

Nov.   6          ***** EXAM #2 (CHS: 7,8,9,11) **** [& start Ch. 12] *****

 

            13       Personality                                                                             12

            20       Abnormal Psychology                                                         14

Dec.    4          Therapy &                  [SUMMARY/CRITIQUE DUE]    15

11       Social Psychology                                                                13

18       ***** EXAM #3 (CHS: 12,14,15,13) **********************

 

 

Within a few days, a copy of this syllabus will appear on

my web page:  http://pubpages.unh.edu/~jes1