42.101 General Psychology

An introduction to psychology as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes and as a profession. The course explores the content, principles, and theories representative of the broad scope of modern psychology, as well as the scientific methods used to investigate them. The topics covered will include, but are not limited to, research methods, the biological bases of behavior, sensation & perception, learning, child development, psychological disorders, and social processes. The course will address contemporary issues and trends in psychology.

Class Hours: 10:30 - 11:20 M, W, R, F

Room: HH G36

Text: Myers, D. G. (2003). Exploring Psychology: Fifth Edition in Modules. New York, N.Y.: Worth Publishers.

Goals: This course is designed to meet Goals # 9 - Social and Behavioral Sciences - Students will gain an understanding of mental processes and behavior, including the underlying principles, the methods and models commonly used to study them, and the theories proposed as explanations.

Class Format: This course will be primarily lecture, along with individual and small group projects. Students are expected to attend all class meetings and have readings and assignments completed before class to allow for discussion of topics, meaningful demonstrations, and activities.

Grading: Grades will be based on class attendance, completion of in- and out-of-class assignments/quizzes, preparation of newsletter materials, and exams. The person receiving the highest number of points will set the curve for the class. From that point, the following percentages will be used to compute letter grades: 100-97% = A; 96-93 = A-; 92-90 = B+; 89-87 = B; 86-83 = B-; 82-80; C+; 79-77 = C; 76-73 = C-; 72-70 = D+; 69-67 = D; 66-64 = D-; <63 = F.

Attendance: Class attendance is required. Not all material covered in class is presented in the text. It is the student's responsibility to get notes and information from a classmate when a class is missed. Missing a class is not an excuse for turning in an assignment late or making-up an exam.
Attendance will be taken at the start of each class. Anyone not in the classroom by the time attendance begins will be noted as late\absent for the day. Anyone leaving before the end of a class period will also be counted as absent. Students with perfect attendance - that is, no more than one absence/late arrival/early departure - will receive 25 points. Fifteen (15) points will be awarded to students with 2 or fewer misses. Ten points (10) will be awarded for 3 misses and zero points (0) for 4 misses. After 4 absences, 10 points will be deducted for each missed class and all bonus points will be dropped. It is not necessary to inform the instructor of an expected "absence" due to illness, car problems, appointments, etc. Presentations of doctor’s notes will also not alter the attendance policies. Exceptions will not be made. Total = 25 points.

Attendance will not be taken on "snowy days." Specifically, "snowy days" are days where FSC is in session, but 3 or more inches of new snow has fallen and it is still snowing at the start of class (10:30). On such days, stay home, but be sure to get notes from someone who attended that day!! Assignments due on "snowy days" will be due the following class meeting.

Assignments & Quizzes: Students will complete a variety of in- and out-of-class assignments and/or quizzes. The number and point values will vary as a function of the pace of the course. Assignments will be designed to give students first-hand experience with the topic under consideration. The assignments may require students to collect data via observations, interviews, and/or testing of themselves, friends, or family members. Web searches may also be required. Writing requirements for each assignment will be provided by the instructor. Quizzes will be used to assess students’ understanding of course materials and to encourage regular text reading. Total points (up to) = 150.

Newsletter Teams: Students will be assigned to one of 5-6 news teams. Each month, team members will work together to prepare brief stories pertinent to current course topics. News stories will be submitted for grading and will be compiled by the instructor. Three newsletters will be produced and distributed on campus. Friday’s will be used as newsletter work-days. Each month’s group submission is worth 50 points. Individual point assignment will be based on self and peer-group evaluations, as well as quality of submitted materials. Friday absences will negatively affect individuals’ grades. Total points = 150.

Exams: There will be 3 exams. The format will be one-hour 50-60 item multiple choice questions, with the possible addition of short-answer essays. The exams will not be comprehensive. Each exam is worth 100 points, for a total of 300.

Bonus: Students from the Experimental Psychology course may invited students to participate in their studies for extra credit. Up to 20 points (5 points per experiment receipt) may be earned in this manner. However, the following criteria for bonus credit must be met:

Bonus credit will only be given to students providing the instructor with signed and dated participation receipts.
Bonus credit will only be given for participant in experiments conducted by FSC students during the Spring of 2003.
Only students who have missed 4 or fewer classes will be eligible for bonus credit.
Bonus points will not affect the course curve. They will be added to students’ cumulative points after the curve is set. There is no penalty for nonparticipation in student research.
For students not interested in participating in student research, some on campus lectures may be available during the semester. Announcements will be made. With 48 hours of attending such lectures, a typed, one page summary of main points or issues is to be submitted.

	Tentative Topic Schedule	Modules
Week 1	Introduction & History	1
Week 2	History & Research Methods	2
Week 3	Biology & Behavior	3 - 4
Week 4	Sensation & Perception	10 - 13
Week 5	Exam 1 & States of Consciousness	14 - 16
Week 6	States of Consciousness & Newsletter 1
Week 7	Developmental	6 - 9
Week 8	Learning & Memory	17 - 19
Week 9	Intelligence & Language	20 - 22
Week 10	Personality & Newsletter 2	30 - 33
Week 11	Exam 2 &Emotions	26 - 27
Week 12	Stress & Health	28 - 29
Week 13	Psychological Disorders	34 - 37
Week 14	Psychological Disorders & Newsletter 3
Week 15	Social Psychology	38 - 40
May 16	9:00 am Exam 3

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