Psychology is a multifaceted discipline with many different perspectives as well as areas of research. The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the range of theoretical perspectives and empirical research in psychology and for you to develop a broad understanding of these different areas of psychology as well as gain knowledge of the seminal research in these areas. Embedded in this knowledge is an understanding of the scientific method as it is applied within psychology, as well as other types of research methods.

Over the course of this semester, you will have the opportunity to gain the following knowledge and skills.  You will be expected to be able to:

• Students will demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology.

·         Students will understand and apply psychological principles to personal, social, and organizational issues.

• Characterize the nature of psychology as a discipline.
  • Explain why psychology is a science
  • Identify and explain the primary objectives of psychology: describing, understanding, predicting, and controlling behavior and mental processes
• Use the concepts, language, and major theories of the discipline to account for psychological phenomena.
• Explain major perspectives of psychology (e.g., behavioral, cognitive, psychodynamic, and sociocultural).
• Describe the basic characteristics of the science of psychology.
• Explain different research methods used by psychologists.
• Recognize the necessity of ethical behavior in all aspects of the science and practice of psychology.
• Demonstrate reasonable skepticism and intellectual curiosity by asking questions about causes of behavior.
• Recognize and respect human diversity.

            This is a large class and therefore requires you to be a proactive learner.  If you are having any trouble keeping up with lecture, learning the material or anything else, please come see me during office hours or make an appointment to see me at another time.  Feel free to ask me questions before, during or after class.

Required text:

Gazzaniga, M. S., & Heatherton, T. F. (2006). Psychological science: Mind, brain and behavior (2^nd ed.).  W. W. Norton & Co.

Sacks, O. (1996). An anthropologist on Mars: Seven paradoxical tales. Vintage.

Course Requirements:

            Attendance:  Attendance is required at all class meetings and attendance will be taken in each class.  The information presented in lecture will be the core component of exams and therefore it is to your benefit to attend lecture.  I reserve the right to give pop quizzes regarding the material presented in the previous lecture.  This is done primarily to monitor your understanding and progress. 

            I recognize that over the course of the semester, you may get sick, need to go home or have some emergency to attend to.  Because of this, you will get one “free” missed class.  However, use it wisely.  Each additional missed class will affect your attendance grade.

            Reading Assignments:  Reading assignments are listed at the end of this syllabus.  You should read the assignments prior to class as they will provide you with a foundation for the lecture.  In addition, the readings will prepare you for any in-class exercises.  Additional reading assignments may be assigned and will be announced in class. 

            Participation:  While this is a lecture-based class, I encourage you to participate in asking and answering questions as much as possible.  I believe this to be an integral part of your learning experience.  In order to facilitate your learning, in-class exercises may be incorporated into lecture in which you will be expected to participate.  In addition, in class writing exercises will be assigned and will count toward your participation grade.

            Exams:  This course will consist of four exams.  Exams will be based on both the lecture and the readings.  Exams will be primarily multiple choice questions.  Each exam will count 20% towards your final grade.  Make-up exams will only be given in the case of emergencies and I must be notified within 24 hours after the exam.  The make-up exam must be taken before I return the graded exams to the class.

            Research Participation:  One of the primary things that you will learn in this class is that psychology is a science based on research.  One of the best ways to learn this is to experience it!  Therefore, the final requirement is that each student participate in a research study.  Students doing research will come to class and describe their studies.  Each student should sign up to participate in any research study in psychology that is collecting data during the semester.  If you cannot participate in a research study, you may attend a lecture hosted by the Psychology Club or Psychology department (be sure to sign in at the lecture) or watch one of the movies selected by the Psychology department (some movies will be screened by the Psychology Club).  Students who do not complete this requirement will be penalized one full letter grade.

            Blackboard.com: I have created a course site for this course on the website Blackboard.com.  To access this site, go to: http:// blackboard.mville.edu.  In order to enroll in the course you will need to follow these directions:

·        Without logging in, click on the “Course Catalog” button

·        Without logging in, click on the “Preview” button

·        Click on “Psychology” under the list of subjects in the Course Catalog

·        Find the name of our course and course number “Fundamentals of Psychology - Carson (PSY1004Section 4)” and click on the “Enroll” button to the right of the course name.

·        If you have already created an account on Blackboard, you can sign-in directly. If you do not already have a Blackboard account, please using the following directions to create yourself an account. 

·        Click on “Create” to create an account.  Please fill in all of the information with a red asterisk.  Please include an e-mail address that you use on a regular basis and a contact telephone number. Then click on “Submit.”

·        You will receive a confirmation that you have created an account with a particular username.  Click on “OK.”

·        On the next page you will enroll in the course.  Click on “Submit.”

·        You will receive a confirmation that you have created an account with a particular username.  Click on “OK”.

·        You will then be taken to the homepage of our coursesite. 

·        In the future, simply login using your username and password.

Upon your first visit, you will have to register and create a username and password.  Once registered, you can log in and access course PSY1004.  On this site, you will find any class announcements, the course syllabus and there is also a discussion board that I hope you will use.  The discussion board allows you to posts questions or comments regarding the material we are learning about and other students can then post answers and responses. I will also use the Blackboard.com site to post announcements so please check this site regularly.

Grading:

Grades will be determined as follows:

Exam 1                                     20%
Exam 2                                     20%
Exam 3                                     20%
Exam 4                                     20%
Attendance and Participation     20%

A         90-100             Excellent

B          80-89               Good

C         70-79               Satisfactory

D         60-69               Pass but unsatisfactory

F          Below 60         Failure