PSYC 101: Introduction to Psychology

Summer 2006

Course Details:

Location: Herring Hall 224

Time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:00 pm until 3:40 pm

Course Webpage: http://chil.rice.edu/petersos/psyc101.html

Course Email: ricepsyc101@gmail.com --- Please email this address with all class-related questions.

Instructors:

Sarah Everett	Melanie Hamel
Office: SH 211A	Office: SH 358B
Phone: 713.348.3411	Phone: 713.348.4960
Email: petersos@rice.edu	Email: melanie@rice.edu
Office Hours: Wed. 1 – 2 PM	Office Hours: Mon. 2 – 3 PM
or by appointment	or by appointment

Textbooks:

Kosslyn, S. M., & Rosenberg, R. S. (2005). Fundamentals of Psychology: The Brain, The Person, The World.

ISBN: 0-205-46076-3

Publisher: Allyn & Bacon

Stanovich, K. (2003). How to Think Straight About Psychology. Seventh Edition.

ISBN: 0-205-36093-9

Publisher: Allyn & Bacon

Course Description:

This course is a survey of topics, problems, and approaches in contemporary psychology. Includes the biological basis of behavior, sensation, perception, attention, learning and memory, thinking, language, abnormal behavior and therapies, personality and individual differences. The course will be interactive and students are encouraged to become actively involved in all discussions.

Course Objectives:

The primary goal of introductory psychology is to introduce students to the field of psychology and the problems and issues that psychologists study. This means that students need to learn what psychologists do, how they approach their work, and how social science differs from other disciplines. A secondary goal is to introduce the student to the content of the various fields within psychology. Some psychologists are interested in how the brain influences behavior, while others study the genetics of behavior, how people learn, how children develop, abnormal behavior, group behavior and so forth. Psychology is a large field and those trained in psychology teach, do research, do therapy, develop tests, consult in business and industry, and many other things. Students should learn about the major issues, critical experiments, major findings, and who the leading scientists are in many of the large areas of psychology. Additionally, students should understand the major approaches (paradigms) in the study of psychology, the major historical figures who have had a major impact on the field, statistical reasoning, the vocabulary/jargon of the field, and what it means to study human beings, their cognitions, emotions, and behavior scientifically. One of our goals for the course is to help students develop a healthy scientific skepticism for what they read and hear about abnormal behavior, its causes and treatment. We also hope that students will learn something of benefit to their own lives - perhaps a new study method, a stress-reduction technique, or some new insight that will enable them to live happier more fulfilled lives, prevent problems, or become more knowledgeable health consumers. A final goal is for students to develop greater understanding of and sympathy for the unfortunate individuals who have handicapping psychological problems. We believe these goals can be achieved if students will make an effort to attend all the classes. Below is a more formal list of the goals for the class.

§ To understand how the scientific method is applied in order to increase our knowledge of behavior and underlying mental processes.

§ To learn how to think critically about theory and research in psychology and how to apply the same critical thinking methods to other courses and to everyday life. This includes statistical reasoning which many people find difficult and confusing.

§ To learn the importance of careful, scientific scholarship in arriving at an accurate understanding of psychological phenomena.

§ To understand how psychological research is done and what is needed to ensure accurate results.

§ To development an understanding of what we do and do not know about behavior and its causes.

§ To provide a basic understanding of the broad theoretical systems, how they have guided the development of our bodies of knowledge in psychology and their influence on current thinking.

§ To understand the biological and environmental causes of behavior.

§ To learn about some of the major applications of psychological theory and research.

§ To learn about the interdisciplinary ties of psychology in modern times.

§ To learn how psychology strives to be sensitive to and understand people with psychological problems and those who are disadvantaged.

§ To provide a solid background for higher-level courses in psychology.

Course Requirements:

This course will follow a lecture format, but with questions both expected and encouraged. It is expected that you will complete the reading assignment before the class meeting in which it is to be discussed. An approximate timetable of topics and reading assignments is listed at the end of the syllabus. You are expected to attend all classes, participate in all classes, complete all of the readings, take the examinations, and complete all assignments. Attendance will count towards your participation grade.

There will be three examinations. The exams will not be cumulative, and will cover only the third of the material preceding the exam. The exam format will be multiple-choice items with at least one essay question. The exams will cover material from lectures, the textbooks, and any videos shown during class.

There will be at least two assignments in the course. These assignments will be described as the course progresses, but will be activities such as a one-page reaction paper or a description of a career in psychology.

Research Requirement: As a part of this course you are required to get some "hands-on" experience with psychological research.

§ The usual way to meet this requirement is to take part in two (2) hours of experiments as a subject.

§ You may also satisfy this requirement by reading several research papers and writing a brief paper describing each. Please note that the paper option should be chosen early in the semester. If you choose to complete the research requirement through the paper option, you must discuss this option with an instructor by June 29^th.

§ Credit: Generally completion of this requirement does not affect your grade. If you select the paper option and fail to complete the work satisfactorily 2 points will be deducted from your final grade average. If you select the subject pool option (the default), 1 point will be deducted from the final grade for each hour of the requirement not completed. Thus, a student who does none of the required hours would have 2 points deducted.

Course grades will be determined using these weights:

Exam 1	25%
Exam 2	25%
Exam 3	25%
Assignments	10%
Participation	15%

Letter grades will be assigned according to the following scale:

A +	97 - 100	C +	77 - 79
A	93 - 96	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
		F	less than 60

Disability Statement:

If a student has a documented disability and needs academic assistance in this or any other class, he or she should so inform one of the instructors within the first two weeks of classes. All discussions will remain confidential. Students should contact one of the instructors after class, during office hours, or by e-mail. The student may also need to register with Disability Support Services, especially if unusual accommodations are needed. Before providing accommodations, instructors must have accommodations letters from the Disability Support Services office.

Honor System Policy:

Students are expected to abide by the Honor Code and follow the guidelines given in the Blue Book. All examinations are under the Honor System. Assignments and extra credit opportunities are an academic component of the class; therefore, honesty and integrity are expected in those endeavors as well. Just as plagiarizing a research report would be considered dishonest, claiming that one attended a lecture would be considered dishonest and a violation of the university's honor code. Students are encouraged to bring any concerns involving academic integrity to the attention of the instructor.

Class meetings:

Date	Topic	Reading due	Instructor
June 6	Introduction to Psychology	Kosslyn Chapter 1	Sarah Everett
June 8	Biology	Kosslyn Chapter 2, Stanovich 1	Melanie Hamel
June 13	Sensation & Perception	Kosslyn Chapter 3, Stanovich 2	Melanie Hamel
June 15	Learning	Kosslyn Chapter 4, Stanovich 3	Sarah Everett
June 20	Memory	Kosslyn Chapter 5, Stanovich 4	Melanie Hamel
June 22	Exam 1
June 27	Language, Thinking, Intelligence	Kosslyn Chapter 6, Stanovich 5	Melanie Hamel
June 29	Developmental	Kosslyn Chapter 9, Stanovich 6	Melanie Hamel
July 5*	Personality	Kosslyn Chapter 8, Stanovich 7	Sarah Everett
July 6	Emotion & Motivation	Kosslyn Chapter 7, Stanovich 8	Guest Lecture
July 11	Exam 2
July 13	Stress, Health, & Coping	Kosslyn Chapter 10, Stanovich 9	Melanie Hamel
July 18	Psychological Disorders	Kosslyn Chapter 11, Stanovich 10	Sarah Everett
July 20	Treatment	Kosslyn Chapter 12, Stanovich 11	Sarah Everett
July 25	Social Psychology	Kosslyn Chapter 13, Stanovich 12	Sarah Everett
July 27	Exam 3

* This will be the make-up for the July 4^th holiday. The class will meet from 1 – 3:40 on this Wednesday, July 5^th.

Disclaimer:

While we attempt to stick as closely as possible to the schedule outlined above, it may be necessary to adjust the schedule to accommodate the material. We reserve the right to change this without notice, though we will try to give notice.