PSY 101 Introductory Psychology: Syllabus

This page was last updated: 09/02/08	PSY 101 Introductory Psychology Instructor: Vincent W. Hevern, S.J., Ph.D. Section 01 MWF 1:30 PM-2:20 PM Grewen Hall 207 Section 02 MWF 2:30 PM-3:20 PM Grewen Hall 207 Syllabus (Fall 2008)

Office Hours Email Address Telephone Number	See my webpage: http://web.lemoyne.edu/~hevern/
Required Text	Weiten, Wayne. (2008). Psychology: Themes & variations - Briefer version (7th ed). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Note that Weiten also publishes a longer version of P:T&V. This will NOT be used in this course. If students use the 6th (2004/2005) edition of P:T&V (Briefer Version), they should be sure to read the corresponding pages in that version to the material being taught from the new (7th/2008) edition. Such students should also be sure to take good notes in class for any new materials not found in the 6th edition. Don't use any edition earlier than the 6th.
Internet	All students are expected to be able to access the course homepage and associated materials on the Internet. A student's Le Moyne e-mail account is considered to be an official mechanism of communication between the school and a student. I will usually communicate to the class or to individual students outside of class time by means of e-mail messages. Hence, you should check your e-mail regularly (at least once a day). I will try to respond to all student email messages within 24 hours. Occasionally, over weekends or during holidays, it may take me up to 48 hours to do so. I will regularly post outlines of my class lectures and more detailed lecture notes online at this link. Students do not have to download copies of these, but many students find that access to these notes helps them study for class and for examinations.

Catalog Course Description	A one semester broad overview of contemporary psychology--its diverse approaches to the understanding of behavior and the basic principles and research findings associated with each of these approaches. Specific areas of psychological inquiry discussed include physiological, cognitive, and social psychology; learning, sensation and perception; emotion and motivation; personality and psychopathology. This course is a prerequisite for most psychology courses.
Course Objectives	At the end of this course you should be able 1. To describe and discuss the major topics of interest within the more important basic field of psychology as indicated in the catalog course description; 2. To understand in a general fashion the major scientific methods by which psychologists approach research in psychology; 3. To discuss and interpret intelligently general psychological issues, claims, and data presented in the popular media; and, 4. To undertake college-level coursework in psychology beyond the level of this introductory course.

	Requirements & Guidelines
Class Attendance and Absence	You are expected to attend all classes in this course. Because of different circumstances and demands on time, however, students are permitted to be absent for up to 5 classes without academic penalty. For 6 absences or more (without a serious and compelling reason in the eyes of the instructor), 10 points will be deduced for each missing class. Examples of a serious & compelling reason for additional absences would be a documented visit to a physician's office or participation at a funeral. If you are absent from school to attend a funeral, you must file a notice with either the Dean's Office or the Campus Ministry Office and submit to me a letter or email with the name and address of the deceased and that person's relationship to you. I do not make a distinction between "excused" and "unexcused" absences (see below for student athlete exception). Permitted absence from class does not excuse you from any assignments given in that class nor from the responsibility to learn all materials covered or discussed in the missed class.
Student Athletes and Absence	Students representing Le Moyne College as members of interscholastic sports teams will not be penalized for missing classes in excess of the 5-cut limit (team activities do count toward that limit). However, you must document your absence(s) formally. I will expect you to provide me with a copy of your team's travel schedule with all missing dates circled, your coach's name and telephone extension, and your own name somewhere on the document.
Lateness	You are expected to be on time for all classes. Chronic or habitual lateness (5 or more late arrivals in class) will result in a deduction of 10 points or more from your final grade calculation.
Reading Assignments	When you come to class, I expect that you will be prepared. This means that you will have completed the readings assigned for the class. Assignments are due on the first date indicated for each topic on the "Schedule of Classes and Assignments".
Quizzes	I will occasionally give a short, 5-minute quiz at the beginning of class. I will usually announce the quizzes ahead of time. Particularly in the first half of the semester, quizzes will be regularly given. In total, quizzes will be worth 10% of your final grade. If you miss a quiz, you will simply not receive a mark for that quiz (you don't get a "0"). But, for every missed quiz, the importance (weight) of the ones you do take increases. Students who take all quizzes in the course can expect that I will drop at least one and perhaps two of the lowest grades among these quizzes. Note, though, that you must take a quiz if you come to class.
Tests	There will be three (3) examinations in this course. Each exam will be worth 20% of your final grade. The exams are "non cumulative" and you will not be asked about earlier materials on later exams. Test #1 (Sep 29) Psychology in General, Chapters 2 (Research), 3 (Biological), 4 (Sensation & Perception), 7 (Memory) Test #2 (Nov 03) Chapters 6 (Learning), 9 (Motivation & Emotion), 10 (Life Span Development), 11 (Personality) Test #3 (Dec 10 & 11 during Final Exams) Chapters 5 (Consciousness), 13 (Psychological Disorders), 14 (Treatment), 15 (Social Behavior).
Book Report	You will prepare a critical review of a book which deals with psychology or has psychology as a principal theme. This book should be chosen from among those listed at this link (or you should ask permission to use another book). This will be worth 10% of your grade. The review should run between 3 and 8 pages, typewritten and double-spaced. Details of this assignment can be found at this link. Deadlines Mon, Sep 15. The title and author of the book you are reviewing must be submitted to me on a typed single sheet of paper. I will tell you if I have any objection to the book you have chosen. Fri, Nov 21. Your final report is due by the end of the day at my office. You must hand in both a hard copy in printed form AND an electronic file version which should be sent to me as an email attachment to my email address: hevern @ lemoyne.edu [remove spaces before and after the @ sign]. Book Reports will be returned at the 3rd (Final) exam.
Academic Honesty	If I have any questions about academic dishonesty or plagiarism (see further below), I reserve the right to submit your paper to various online testing agencies or engines such as www.turnitin.com or to employ software testing procedures (such as the Cloze technique) to determine if your paper as a whole or in part is originally written by you. Students should recall that any deliberate plagiarism in an academic course results in a mandatory Failure (F) grade for the course on the first instance and dismissal from the College on a second instance. Instructors are required to submit the name of any student who cheats or commits plagiarism to the Academic Dean.
Class Participation	What do I mean by participation? You demonstrate participation in ways such as the following: regular attending class (which, by itself, is only equal to a participation grade of C+) giving attention to me and other students when we are making presentations coming to class prepared (having read the assignment for the day) asking questions of me and/or other students regarding the material of a class making comments, raising objections, or giving observations about topics in the course, particularly those which tie in the classroom material to "real world" problems, link current with past topics, or otherwise try to integrate the content of the course providing examples to support or challenge the issues talked about in class contributing to small discussion groups dealing with other students and/or me in a respectful fashion
Research Participation	One of the most important goals of this course is to introduce you to psychology as a science. In order to do this, we will discuss research methods and research findings in class all semester. However, the importance of this goal suggested to our department that we ask you to experience as closely as possible what research is like. Hence, all students in PSY 101 at Le Moyne are required to participate in some research experiments or the equivalent. If completed acceptably, you will automatically receive a grade of "A" for research participation which is worth 10% of your final grade in this course. Details of the Research Participation requirement are detailed in a separate handout which is linked here.
Format for Reports, etc.	Except for quizzes and tests completed in the classroom, anything you turn in to me in this class should be typewritten (preferably) on a clean sheet of paper. Please do NOT tear a page out of a spiral notebook. Two or more pages must be stapled together or paper-clipped.

Other Issues
Recommendations	Since PSY 101 is an introductory class, it is usually better to ask another instructor for a letter of recommendation to graduate school. However, if you do choose to ask me, please give me at least three weeks' notice before the letter is due. I have a form I ask all students to fill out before I will write a letter. See me in the office for the form. You should also sign up to see me for an interview after turning in the form before I write anything in order to brief me about your graduate school plans, goals, etc. In these ways, I can fashion a letter which is both personal and focused.
Ethics	The Le Moyne College *Student Handbook* describes a broad range of behavioral expectations and guidelines for students. You should be aware of the importance of ethical behavior as you begin the study of psychology. Psychologists are expected to follow the guidelines of the American Psychological Association in regard to their professional conduct. Students of psychology are also expected to follow such ethical norms. These norms can be found online at http://www.apa.org/ethics/
Cheating & Plagiarism	Cheating and lying are unacceptable at Le Moyne as stated clearly in the Student Handbook. The "Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct" (especially General Principle C [Integrity] and Ethical Standard 8.11 [Plagiarism]; http://www.apa.org/ethics/code2002.html#8_11) remind you of the importance of honesty in psychology. Plagiarism or cheating in any form is simply wrong. Please reread the section on "Academic Standards" in the *Student Handbook* to review what is meant by these terms. Recall that plagiarism involves the submission of any thoughts or formulations of other people without their being cited or given credit for those thoughts/formulations. For this reason, in any written materials submitted to me: You must put quote marks (" ") around any direct quotation of another person's writings and you must cite the source and page number. You must cite the source for any thoughts or, even, for ways of expression which you have changed "into your own words".
Disabilities	Students with either a physical or a learning disability who require accommodations in the presentation of course materials or in testing, quizzes, etc. must identify themselves to the instructor personally as soon as possible in the course. Le Moyne College and I are committed to providing such students will all accommodations consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you have any question about issues regarding disabilities and accommodations, please feel free to see me or a member of the College's ADA Compliance Committee. You must consult with the Director of the Academic Support Center (ext. 4118) in order to receive proper accommodations for your disability in this and other classes.

Evaluation and Grading

Components of Final Grade

Your grade in this course will be determined as a weighted average calculated from your performance on the following evaluative components:

In-class quizzes = 50 points

Exam 1 = 100 points

Exam 2 = 100 points

Exam 3 = 100 points

Book Report = 50 points

Class Participation = 50 points

Tentative: Research Participation = 50 points

Total points = 500.

Calculating Final Grade

Your final grade will be based upon the following conversion criteria

A = 450-500 points (90%+)

A- = 440-449 points (88-89%)
B+ = 415-439 points (83-87%)
B = 400-414 points (80-82%)
B- 390-399 points (78-79%)

C+ = 365-389 points (73-77%)

C = 350-364 points (70-72%)

C- = 340-349 points (68-69%)

D = 315-339 points (63-67%)

F = Below 315 points (< 63%)

Because the actual work of a course sometimes changes or deviates from an original plan, I reserve the right to change, add, or drop, within reasonable bounds, any weight or grading component listed above. Such a change, addition, or elimination will apply to all members of a class section, not just to an individual.

Failure on Course
Exams

While I believe that the grading system above faithfully and fairly translates and operationalizes the grading standards described in the current Le Moyne College Catalog, one circumstance needs be mentioned and addressed in a particular manner, namely, receipt of a Failing grade (F) on all three hourly exams. In such a case, a student can receive no more than an overall grade of C for the course. This condition insures that the Catalog's description of the difference between C level and higher grades is categorically met.

Extra Credit

In order to encourage attendance in class, the only extra credit in this course will be given for the following three situations:

Students who have no absences on record will receive an extra 10 points
Students who have 1 absence on record will receive an extra 5 points
Students who have 2 absences on record will receive an extra 3 points

I will begin counting absences on Wednesday, September 3, 2008. Recall that I do not make a distinction between excused and unexcused absences. For the purposes of "extra credit" you are either in the class or not in the class. Please do not ask me to take "extenuating circumstances" into account in calculating your absences for purposes of extra credit.

Early Exams

I never give a test before or in anticipation of its scheduled date. Be sure your travel plans are made accordingly.

Behavioral Expectations

Note that you are expected to behave politely and in a manner which fosters the overall academic atmosphere and quality of the class. Some students don't seem to have a sense of what kinds of behaviors annoy teachers including me. So, let me list the sorts of behaviors you should avoid:

Regularly coming late to class -- entering the class after its scheduled beginning. If a student is regularly being delayed by another professor, that student should discuss the matter with me to plan how to stop it.
Leaving the class before the end of the class period without mentioning the reason for leaving to me before the start of the class. Note, however, that if a student feels sick or needs to excuse herself or himself for a medical reason, the student should do so without waiting to get my permission. The student should leave quietly.
Using any cordless or cellular telephone during a class except for students who are emergency service workers on call, parents of sick children, or caretakers of sick adults on call. These individuals should mention their need to monitor a call during the class to me before the start of that class. Turn off your cell phone before coming to class.

"Texting" and/or receiving any SMS (short-message system) or cellular telephone messages. You cannot fully concentrate on class if your are texting and texting may also disturb students who are seated near you.
Talking to others or making audible remarks during class lectures by me or while another student is talking.
Eating food (e.g., bagels, donuts, pastries, sandwiches) during class or drinking beverages during class which are not in containers with a lid or can be closed by a screw top. Students with a medical condition requiring the consumption on food or beverages should see me. If you come to class with your breakfast, please eat it outside and not in the classroom.
Creating an environmental mess by leaving garbage on the classroom floor rather than by putting debris in an appropriate trash container.

Finally, both other students and I have an expectation that classroom discussions and presentations are meant only for class participants. We also have a reasonable expectation that both students and the instructor will respect each others' privacy including maintaining confidentiality about personal matters discussed in class. Further, as the course website notes in several places, all my own class lectures and presentations are copyright © 2008 by me. As a result, students who wish to film, tape record, or otherwise permanently record the activities of the class (for example, by cell phone or other recording device) must ask me for permission to do so ahead of time. If you need to record this course as an accommodation for a disability, permission will be given, but you must first ask. Note, though, that posting videos or other recordings of class lectures to public websites will be considered a significant violation of the rights of both the instructor and other students. I reserve the right to give a student a failing grade in the course and/or otherwise seek legal remedies for such a violation.