Lewis and Clark College, Spring 2005
Course 100,
Section 1
Monday/Wednesday 11:30-1pm
BoDine 300
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Professor: |
Dr. Jerusha Detweiler-Bedell |
Email:
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jerusha@lclark.edu |
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Office: |
Room 235, Bio-Psych Building |
Phone: |
768-7506 |
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Website: |
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Office Hours: |
Thursdays |
2pm – 4:30pm |
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And by appointment |
Or stop by when
my door is open |
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Texts: |
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By David G. Myers Articles from Scientific American magazine |
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Teaching Assistant: |
Abigail Hazlett |
Office hours with Jerusha on Thursdays, |
Course Description:
Welcome
to Introduction to Psychology! Together, we are about to embark on a journey of
exploration into how and why we think, feel, and act the way we do. As you soon
will learn, psychology is a relatively young discipline that has grown and
developed tremendously over the past 100 years. The goal of this course is for
you to get a basic understanding of the major topics that make up the field of
psychology and to appreciate the perspectives taken by psychologists. Psychologists
study topics ranging from the brain and neurotransmitters to group behaviors
and clinical disorders. Within Lewis and Clark’s psychology department we have
people studying learning and memory in animals, human-computer interactions,
cognition, perception, human development, creativity, madness, health
behaviors, decision-making, emotions, group interactions, and mood disorders. Despite
the diversity of areas of study within psychology, there are a number of
overlapping methods and theories. As we move from topic to topic in this course,
pay attention to the flow of ideas and approaches. It is particularly interesting
to see how the psychological theories you learn about can relate to your day-to-day
life.
The
required text for this course, Psychology (7th Edition)
by David G. Myers, is considered by many to be one of the best-written texts in
the field. Myers has put together an up-to-date text that is broad in scope and
interesting to read. To get the most out of the book and the course, be sure
and read the assignments as we go along rather than the night before each of
the tests. Whereas the book presents a broad picture of the major topics in
psychology, my lectures often focus on highlights, specific demonstrations, and
recent developments in the field. To get a thorough understanding of
psychology, I strongly urge you to attend all the lectures as well as read the
entire book.
Course Goals:
My primary goal is for you to develop an ability to ask and answer thoughtful questions about the major topics in the field of psychology. In exploring these topics, you will begin to see patterns in the perspectives taken by psychologists and to think scientifically about issues related to human behavior. You will be able to understand how different research methods enable psychologists to describe, explain, predict, and modify behavior. You will learn to evaluate information that comes out of empirical research and question the way in which the media and popular culture communicate psychological findings. The topics in this course range from psychological disorders, therapeutic approaches, and personality to the biological basis of behavior, learning, and memory, to development, consciousness, and the social nature of human beings. As we cover these topics, you will learn to identify biological, cognitive, social, and abnormal characteristics of human beings. Overall, this course will allow you to inquire about the applications of psychological principles to everyday situations and to develop a deeper understanding of your own and others’ thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
Office Hours:
I
hope you will visit me in my office throughout the term, especially if you
would like assistance in understanding the lectures or reading. No appointment
is necessary to see me during my office hours; simply stop by room 235 of the
Bio-Psych building. If you would like to make an appointment for another time,
please call me at x7506 or email me at jerusha@lclark.edu.
Course Policies:
Preparation. Demonstrations, class discussion,
and group projects will be used throughout the term to help you keep up with
the material and to help assure that the concepts are clear. I expect you to be fully prepared
for class each week. Full preparation includes not only keeping up with the
reading, but also having spent time thinking about the topic for the day in
terms of its application to your own life and in terms of questions that you
would like me (or your classmates) to answer. At Lewis and Clark, the
expectation is that students spend at least 2 hours outside of class for every
1-hour spent in the classroom. That means putting in at least 3 hours of
work between Monday and Wednesday’s classes in order to keep up with and get
the most out of the course (i.e., a total of 6 hours outside of class each
week).
Participation. Participation, through asking questions, being involved in
demonstrations, and speaking up during discussions, is a requirement of this
course. Active participation in class requires a safe and trusting environment.
Therefore it is important for us to respect each other’s views and comments,
even if we disagree with them. I encourage debate and thought-provoking
discussion, but it must be respectful and polite.
Attendance. Although I do not take attendance
in this course, attending class is a prerequisite for meaningful participation.
A lot of your learning
will come from demonstrations in class, so you cannot make up a missed class by
simply copying notes from a classmate. If you must miss a class, please first
obtain information about the missed class from your classmates. After you have gleaned
what you can from your classmates, I will be happy to talk to you in more
detail about the class you missed. Missing a test disadvantages not only you,
but also your classmates and me. Therefore, make-up tests will only be given
for very serious circumstances. Please make sure that you keep test days free
from other responsibilities.
Academic Integrity. Academic integrity is an essential part of learning.
Plagiarism, cheating, or the deliberate misrepresentation of information will
result in failure of this course. Please avoid any behavior that may be reasonably viewed as
suspicious. Remember that helping a classmate to cheat counts as cheating. If
you have any questions about citation requirements or plagiarism boundaries,
please see the instructor before you turn in your assignments. If you
have any questions or concerns about academic honesty, please come see me or
refer to your copy of Academic Integrity Policy and Procedures.
Learning Disabilities. Learning disabilities will be accommodated if the
professor is notified in a timely fashion. It is the student’s responsibility
to have any learning disability documented at the Student Development Center
and to inform the professor as soon as possible in the semester.
Other. All college policies govern this course. Please see
the Student Handbook and Catalog for any issues not covered in this syllabus.
Requirements
and Grading:
Your course grade will be composed of 4 tests, a final exam,
a semester-long project called “thought provoking questions,” and an “outside
world” project.
Tests:
Your final grade will be based primarily on your performance on 4 tests.
All four tests will take place in-class. The first three tests will be
noncumulative, and you will have 60 minutes to complete each of them. Tests 1,
2, and 3 will take place on February 16th, March 14th,
and April 11th, respectively. Your two highest test scores
(of the first 3 tests) will each contribute 18% to your final grade. Your
lowest of your first three test scores will contribute 14% to your final grade.
Approximately half of Test 4 will focus on the material presented in the last
quarter of the class, and the remainder will include items that integrate
material from throughout the semester. Test 4 will take place in-class on April
27th. You will have exactly 90 minutes of class time to
complete Test 4. Test 4 will contribute 25% to your final grade.
All four tests may consist of short essay, short answer, fill-in, and
multiple-choice questions that cover material from both the lectures and the
readings. Tests focus primarily on conceptual and applied understanding of the
material, rather than on the rote memorization of facts. As indicated above,
make-up tests will be given only under extenuating circumstances. Arrangements
must be made in advance.
Final Exam:
The final exam will be a project, called Mind Games,
which must be done in
small groups and be presented during final exam week (May 4th,
1-4pm). For this
project, you will be divided into groups. Your group will be assigned 2-3
chapters of the book (and relevant lectures) and will be asked to create a game
that tests your classmates’ knowledge of those chapters. The game must be able
to be played without your participation by small groups of students (be
sure to include simple but detailed instructions). Your game may be a modified
version of an existing game (e.g., Survivor, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,
Monopoly, Jeopardy, Life, Concentration, Memory) or a completely new game that
you devise.
The Mind Games project
accounts for 5% of your course grade. In order to receive full credit, you must
(1) create and bring in the game, including instructions and materials
for groups to play your game more than once, (2) turn in a 2-3 page description of your game
and the way in which you personally contributed to the creation of the game,
and (3) attend and participate in Mind Games during final exam week.
The
Mind Games will take place during the final exam period (after the last week of
class). [Note: If you are unable to attend Mind Games because of
extenuating circumstances, you will be required to write a ten-page paper on a
psychological topic of your choice in order to earn up to 5 points of credit.
The professor must approve your paper topic before you write it, and the paper must
be turned in no later than the day of the final exam.]
Project:
The semester-long
project in this class, called Thought Provoking Questions (TPQs),
is one that takes place over the course of the entire semester. There are two
parts to this semester-long project. The first part takes place every week
of the semester, and the second part takes place four times during the
semester.
Part 1: Beginning in Week 2 of the course
(on January 26th), you will be asked to type and turn in a
weekly Thought Provoking Question (TPQ) to your Teaching Assistant before
class. One TPQ is due every week (except in the weeks when no new reading is
assigned). In a typical week, you may choose whether you would like to turn in
a TPQ about the Myers readings due for Monday or Wednesday’s class (if
there is only one day of new reading in a week, you must write your TPQ about
that material). For every TPQ you turn in, you will get 1 point of
credit, and the TPQs will account for 15% of your grade for the course.
What exactly is a TPQ? A TPQ is an original question that
promotes thought and discussion. As Myers describes in the introduction to your
text, psychological research typically starts with a question about why people
think, feel, and act in certain ways. Myers provides some of his own TPQs in
your text (e.g., What triggers our good and bad moods? What do babies actually
perceive and think?). The TPQs you turn in need to be related to the textbook
material you are reading for the day’s class. They can broaden the readings or
apply some of the concepts found in the readings to concepts covered in an
earlier chapter of the textbook. They can also relate the textbook readings to
the Scientific American articles or to topics of debate in popular
culture. You may find that TPQs highlight a need for future psychological
research. As you write the TPQ, it is important to give a bit of contextual
information (e.g., What part of the text prompted you to ask the TPQ?). Imagine
that someone else in the class is going to read and discuss your questions
(this will actually take place in Part 2 of the project, described below.)
That said, there are no “right” or “wrong” TPQs. You will get a full point of
credit for each TPQ you turn in as long as you follow four basic steps:
(1) label each TPQ with your name, the date you turn it in, and the Myers
textbook chapter (including specific page numbers) that it addresses,
(2) be certain the TPQ is original, typed, and addresses the textbook
readings that are due on the day you turn it in, (3) include one summary
statement (to bring the reader on board) and at least two questions in each
TPQ, and (4) turn in the TPQ to your Teaching Assistant before
class begins on either Monday or Wednesday of each week. (Note: If there
is only one day of Myers textbook readings in a given week, you must turn in
your TPQ on that day.)
Here is a sample TPQ:
Name: Charlie
Darwin
Date: Monday,
March 21st
Chapter: Ch 7, pp.
241-270
TPQ: In chapter 7, pages
252-256, Myers discusses sleep and sleeping disorders. According to Myers,
sleep patterns may be genetically influenced. Are sleep disorders
also influenced by genetics? If sleep disorders are predisposed, can they be
avoided through medication or diet? What are the 4 types of sleep disorders
discussed? If a child experiences night terrors (one type of sleep disorder),
is that child more at risk to develop other sleep disorders?
Part 2: There are four tests given in this
course. In the week prior to each test, the class will be divided into small
groups and will be asked to prepare TPQ-related discussion material. I will
choose and assign the TPQs to each group. Each individual is responsible for
preparing and turning in a typed response to 2 of the TPQs I have
selected. Your response to each TPQ should be about 200 words, and you will
turn this in for credit on the TPQ Discussion Day. You must turn in one copy to
me and have enough additional copies so that each member of your group
has a copy. On the TPQ Discussion Day (the class day immediately prior to the test),
we will review Outside World projects (see description below) and hold a TPQ
discussion. Each group will carry out brief discussions of each question. You
will receive 1 point of credit for handing in your original, typed response
(i.e., the answers) to 2 of the TPQs and participating in the TPQ discussion. (Note:
If you miss the TPQ Discussion Day because of extenuating circumstances, you
can make up the credit by writing a typed response to all of the TPQs
you were assigned and turning it in to me before that week’s test.) The dates of the 4 TPQ Discussion Days are: February
14th, March 9th, April 6th, and April 25th.
Bringing
psychology into the “Outside World”:
Once during the semester, you will be
asked to directly apply the knowledge you’ve gained from this class to
something of interest in the “outside world.” Soon after the first day of
class, you will be randomly assigned to course material that you will relate to
the outside world. The Outside World project has two parts.
Part One: The Written Assignment
Your Outside World project must be tied to the material that will be covered on
the upcoming test. You can receive credit for the written part of your Outside
World project in a variety of ways. Some students choose to submit a newspaper
or magazine article accompanied by 2-3 typed pages explaining how the part of
the course you’ve been assigned has given you a different perspective on or
insight into the article. Others bring in a cartoon or drawing accompanied by
2-3 typed pages explaining the connection between the piece and the course
material. And some students submit the lyrics and citation (i.e., artist,
title) for a song that relates to the course or bring in a movie clip that
relates to the course, accompanied by 2-3 typed pages explaining its
relationship to the material. If you have additional ideas of how to apply the
material you’ve learned in that segment of the course to the outside world,
please stop by my office hours so that we can discuss it.
Part Two: The Brief Presentation
Each of you will give a 4-minute presentation of your Outside World project
during a pre-assigned TPQ Discussion Day. You are encouraged to bring in visual
or audio aids to supplement your presentation. (Most presentations use
PowerPoint or overheads.) The 4-minute time limit is a requirement, not
a suggestion. If your presentation goes over 4 minutes, you will be cut off. If
your presentation is well under 4 minutes, your grade is likely to suffer. (So
practice your talk ahead of time!) Your Outside World project is worth 5% of
your final grade and is due at the beginning of the TPQ Discussion Day assigned
to you by the professor.
Extra
Credit:
Occasional extra
credit opportunities may be announced in class. No extra credit opportunities
will be given to individual students that are not also available to the class
as a whole.
Grading Scale:
The following scale
will be used to compute your final grade:
A- or A
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90-100% |
B-
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80-89% |
C or C+
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72-79% |
D+
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F |
0-61% |
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C- |
70-71% |
D |
62-67% |
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Basis of Evaluation:
Please note that I may adjust your final grade in the class up or down
in light of your preparation, participation, attendance, and overall commitment
to the class. Your final grade for the course will be based on the following:
Thought Provoking
Questions: 15%
Outside World Project:
5%
Test (1-3) with lowest score: 14%
Test 2: 18%
Test 3: 18%
Test 4: 25%
Final Exam – Mind Games:
5%
TOTAL = 100%
Course
Resources:
Myers “Psychology” Website. There is an excellent website dedicated
to Myers’ text. You can access the site at: http://www.worthpublishers.com/myers6e.
This website includes chapter outlines, web links, flash cards, items of
interest in the news, close-ups on specific concepts, sections on thinking
critically, practice quizzes, simulations, and more. I strongly encourage you
to visit this website and consider registering for access to additional
services. [Note: Registration requires you to input your name, email, a
password, and my email (jerusha@lclark.edu).]
Again, using this website is encouraged, but optional.
Whether
you are new to the college experience or an old pro, I’d like to remind you of
a few strategies that will contribute to your being a great success in my
class. Below, I’ve listed a few tips that have proved useful to other students,
my colleagues, and me. If you have other tips that you’d like to share, please
let me know!
Try your best to make it to all
the classes. Coming to class will be rewarding! The classroom is
much more than a place to review the information presented in the textbook. It
is a place to learn additional, new concepts (not in the book), to participate
in demonstrations, to watch video clips, and to have engaging discussions. The
information presented in class is important, and it is difficult to “re-live”
the class through a peer’s notebook. That said, if you have to miss class, be
sure to ask a peer to tape-record the class and/or take detailed notes. Being
on time for class is also important; if you are a "late person"
pretend that the class starts 15 minutes earlier. You can always use the time
to look over your notes and the readings.
Do the assigned reading before the
class and look at it again after. Knowing the material from the
book will familiarize you with the concepts we discuss in class. It is helpful
to take brief notes on the readings or (at the very least) to
underline/highlight important concepts. The class will provide you with the
skills to understand better the conceptual aspects of the material. Reviewing
the readings will reinforce what you have learned in class.
Re-read, re-write, or outline your
class notes after each class. I know
that you are incredibly busy during the semester – not only with schoolwork,
but also with activities and social events. That said, taking a half-hour or so
to re-read, re-write, or outline your class notes after each class will be very
helpful. First, it will reinforce what you have learned in class. Second, if
there is anything that you missed or do not understand, you can ask me about it
before we start the next class.
Make up your own study questions
or flash-cards (or go to http://www.worthpublishers.com/myers6e)
and quiz yourself. This might sound like a lot of additional work, but
it makes a difference. Think about how you learned to drive a car, play a
musical instrument, or participate in a new sport. It’s unlikely that sitting
in the lecture hall listening to a teacher tell you how to do it made you a
skilled driver, musician, or athlete. Instead, you practiced! Over and over
again! The same goes for this material. The more you practice, the more you
will improve.
Collaborate with your peers. Form a
study group and get together over coffee to talk about the class. The sooner
you get together with your peers to talk about the class, the better. That way
you can look over your notes right away, when they are still fresh. You are
likely to learn a lot from one another and find places where you need
clarification from me before test-time.
Divide and conquer – split up some
of the test review. When it comes time to review for tests, you will have
another great opportunity for collaboration. Split up book chapters and
lectures among a group of people and have each person prepare a study guide.
Then trade study guides and get together for your own review sessions.
Get to know your professor (that’s
me!). Please feel free to stop by my office early in the
semester, and stop by often. I am here not only to answer questions about my
lectures and the text, but also to engage in conversation about psychology as a
whole. I love hearing from students because you are the keepers of many
interesting ideas and perspectives.
Note: You are only required to read and study the pages that are
listed next to each chapter.
Please double-check the page numbers before you begin each reading assignment.
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DATE |
Tentative Lecture Topic |
Readings |
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19
Jan |
Introduction to Psychology |
None |
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24
Jan |
Thinking Critically with Psychological Science |
Syllabus; Prologue & |
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26
Jan |
Psychological
Disorders |
Ch 16, pp. 619-657 (First TPQ Due) |
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31
Jan |
Psychological Disorders and Personality |
Ch 15, pp.
575-617 Scientific American |
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2
Feb |
Therapy |
Ch 17, pp. 659-693 |
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7
Feb |
Neuroscience & Behavior |
Ch 2, pp. 57-97 |
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9
Feb |
Stress and Health |
Ch 14, pp. 531-555 Scientific American |
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14 Feb |
Catch-up, Review and TPQ Discussion |
TPQ Discussion
Day
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16 Feb |
TEST 1 |
Test 1
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21
Feb |
Nature versus Nurture |
Ch 3, pp. 99-133
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23
Feb |
The Developing Person |
Ch
4, pp.
135-191
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28
Feb |
Sensation |
Ch 5, pp. 193-218 Scientific
American |
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2
March |
Perception |
Ch 6, pp.
231-263 |
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7
March |
States of Consciousness |
Ch 7, pp. 265-293 |
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9 March |
Catch-up, Review and TPQ
Discussion
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TPQ Discussion
Day
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14 March |
TEST 2 |
Test 2
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16 March |
Learning |
Ch 8, pp.
309-341 |
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21 March |
SPRING
BREAK
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Relax!
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23 March |
SPRING
BREAK
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Enjoy!
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28
March |
Memory |
Ch 9, pp.
343-371 |
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30
March |
Intelligence |
Ch
11, pp. 419-453 |
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4
April |
Thinking
and Language |
Ch
10, pp. 385-417 |
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6 April |
Catch-up, Review and TPQ Discussion |
TPQ Discussion
Day |
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11 April |
TEST 3
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Test 3
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13
April |
The Power of
the Situation |
Ch 13, pp. 499-529 (emotions)
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18
April |
Obedience and Compliance
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Milgram & Cialdini articles
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20
April |
Emotion,
Attraction, and Love |
Ch 18, pp.
695-741 |
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25 April |
Catch-up, Review and TPQ Discussion |
TPQ Discussion
Day
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27 April |
TEST 4 (cumulative) |
Test 4
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4 May |
FINAL EXAM: MIND GAMES (1:00-4:00pm) |
Final Exam
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