California State University, Sacramento

Psychology Department

Psychology 1

Introductory Psychology

Basic Processes

Spring 2004

INSTRUCTOR: Bonnie Drumwright, Ph.D.

PHONE: (916) 635-3365

Class Locations: Section 1 & 2: Amador 150

Section 3: Sequoia 443

11230 Gold Express Drive

Ste. 310-366

Gold River, CA 95670

Section 1: MWF 10:00 ñ 10:50 (#24525)

Section 2: MWF 1:00 ñ 1:50 (#24526)

Section 3: MW 4:00 - 5:15 (#24527)

E-mail: bdrum@sbcglobal.net

Main web site: www.bdrum.com

Office: Amador 551B

Office hours: MW 2:00 ñ 3:30

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to introduce you to ìphysiological psychology, comparative psychology, learning, motivation, sensation and perception, and selected other topics. Requires three hours of participation as an experimental subject.î This participation as a research subject is through the Psychology Department (located in Amador 350). You will need to sign up for research participation online using the link from our class web page. You will sign up for a specific time and location for participating in the study.

NOTE: You will need a Saclink account as important information for this course is available online via WebCT beginning the first week of class. To create an account, go to ìonline.csus.eduî and follow the directions or visit the UCCS Help Desk in Sequoia 322. Make sure to write down your user name, which is your Saclink ID (e.g., sac12345) and your password. You will need this information every time you log in to our class web site.

Course Objectives

1. To increase your understanding of Psychology as a basic science and one of the most interesting subjects in the world!

2. To provide a basic understanding of different perspectives in psychology.

3. To encourage students to apply what they learn to the real world.

4. To enhance your ability to communicate the concepts we discuss in this course.

5. To foster critical thinking and reflective learning as a lifelong educational style

Text

Weiten, Wayne, Psychological Themes & Variations, (5^th edition, BRIEFER VERSION) REQUIRED; packaged with CD to be used throughout the course

Schedule

Week

Topic

Assignment

1/26/04

Overview of Class

Introduction to Psychology

Download Psyk.Trek handout

* 1/28 or 1/30/04: Psychology Dept. Pretest

Obtain Saclink account if you do not have one

Chap. 1, p 22 ñ 27

Bring NCS Answer Sheet #4521 & #2 pencil for pretest

2/2/04

Introduction to Psychology

Scientific Methods of Psychology

Chap 1, p 1 ñ 21

Chapter 2, p 31 - 35

2/9/04

Methods continued

Research in Psychology

Chapter 2, p 36 - 57

2/16/04

2/16: Exam 1, Chap 1-2

The Biological Basis of Behavior

Study for Exam; bring NCS Answer Sheet #4521 & #2 pencil

Chap. 3

2/23/04

The Biological Basis of Behavior

Sensation and Perception

Chapter 4

3/1/04

Sensation and Perception

Chapter 4 cont.

3/8/04

3/8: Exam 2, Chapters 3 & 4

Learning

Study for Exam; bring NCS Answer Sheet #4521 & #2 pencil

Chapter 6

3/15/04

Memory

Chapter 7

3/22/04

Memory cont.

Wednesday, 3/24: Exam 3, Chapter 6 ñ 7

Chapter 7 cont.

Study for Exam; bring NCS Answer Sheet #4521 & #2 pencil

3/29/04

Class held online 3/29; do not come to classroom but meet in your group in the discussion board area of WebCT online

3/31 ñ Cesar Chavez birthday holiday; campus is closed

Variations in Consciousness, Chapter 5

Read your specific assignment in Chapter 5, prepare a summary, & post it online by 3/28/04; read your groups summaries and post a response during class on 3/29 ñ meet online not in class room

4/5/04

SPRING BREAK!!!

STAY ALIVE

4/12/04

Intelligence and Psychological Testing

Chapter 9

4/19/04

Motivation and Emotion

Chapter 10

4/26/04

4/26: Exam 4, Chapter 9 ñ 10

Psychological Disorders

Study for Exam; bring NCS Answer Sheet #4521 & #2 pencil

Chapter 14

5/3/04

Psychological Disorders cont.

Treatment

Chapter 15

5/10/04

Treatment cont.

* Wednesday, 5/12/04 Psychology Dept. Posttest;

Turn in Psyk.trek activities by 5/12/04

Bring NCS Answer Sheet #4521 & #2 pencil

Finals week; check schedule for time

Final Exam on Chapters 14 - 15

Study for Exam; bring NCS Answer Sheet #4521 & #2 pencil

* The Psychology Dept. is required to give students a pre- and post-test to determine if learning occurs as a result of taking a particular class. These tests do not count toward your grade; each will consist of 50 - 75 multiple choice and true/false questions. They will be given at the beginning and end of the course.

Course Requirements

1. Attend class and complete reading assignments prior to class; lecture outlines will be published on our web site immediately prior to class and you are encouraged to download these to facilitate your note taking

2. Participate in online discussion group activities: this will involve completion of 2 writing assignments expressing your opinion on a topic. You will post your writing assignment online to your discussion board for members of your specific discussion group to read. (see Discussion Group Activities and Writing Assignment below)

3. Participate three hours as a research subject in the Psychology Department (see Research Participation Requirement below). NOTE: If you miss a scheduled appointment and do not cancel it in advance, the time you missed will be deducted from your total hours.

4. Sign-up for research participation online at the Psychology Departments Research Scheduling Web site (http://psyc-db2.psyc.csus.edu/Home/index.php); link to this site may be found on our class home page

5. Complete 4 exams and one final exam, each worth 100 points: your lowest score on the first 4 exams will be dropped. (see Exams section below).

6. Obtain a Saclink account immediately; learn to access and utilize our class web site via WebCT (online.csus.edu)

7. Complete Psyk.trek units as indicated (see Psyk.trek Units) and turn in all together by 5/12/04

Discussion Group Activities and Writing Assignment

At the beginning of the semester, each student will be randomly assigned to a 6-7-person group for the entire semester. Your group will participate in the online writing assignment and discussion board activity on 3/29/04.

This activity involves a two part writing assignment. Using the online discussion board feature of WebCT, each group member will respond to a specific discussion topic or question related to a portion of a chapter from our book (chapters 5). The assigned question is based on your number in the group. For example, person #5 will answer question #5.

Each group member will post a short written answer to the topic or question to his or her groups discussion board area within the WebCT web site by 3/28/04. During the scheduled class period on Monday, 329/04, you and the other members of your team will read what you have written and each person will respond to what was posted by one or more of their team members. In other words, there are 2 written portions for the discussion group activity - your initial answer to the topic or question and your response to your team memberís answer. You should consider this activity as similar to a discussion you might have in class, except, everyone will address a different topic and you will all learn something about the chapter being covered as a result of the joint efforts of your group.

You will receive 25 points for completion of both parts of the discussion group activity. You can earn 20 points for your answer and 5 points for your response for a total of 25 points. This written, discussion group activity will occur once during the semester, on Monday, 3/29/04. Class will be held online rather than in person on that date. In that you will have ample time to post your writing assignment, I will not give credit for late responses or inability to access the Internet. Plan and post in advance if you want to make sure you receive credit for this activity. If you are having problems using WebCT or a computer, be sure and obtain assistance from the help desk in User Services or in one of the many labs on campus well in advance of this activity.

I will expect your second posting (response to your groups postings) to be completed prior to the end of class on Monday, 3/29/04. This gives you the entire class session to read and think about your groupís responses and to compose a brief, thoughtful reply. Or you may post a response prior to class. Credit will not be given for late submittals.

Research Participation Requirement

All students enrolled in the course are required to participate as subjects for three hours in research projects conducted by the Psychology Department (research projects developed by students and faculty). You will be given materials in class explaining this requirement and how to account for your hours. It is your responsibility to sign up for participation in specific research projects using the online research web site. The link for this site is posted on the home page of our class web site. If you have any problems signing up for research, go to the Psychology Department (Amador 350) to make sure you are in the database for research participation through this class.

Research participation is a course requirement established by the Psychology Department. If you object to participation, you may write a paper in lieu of participation as a subject. The guidelines for the paper are explained on the handout you will receive in class. There is a deadline for submittal of the paper. The topic is Research Methodology; see Chapter 2 of our book for ideas concerning the content of the paper. The paper needs to have 3 references and consist of 6 or more double-spaced typewritten pages.

If you do not complete the research hours or write the paper, you will receive a grade of ìIî (incomplete) until the requirement is satisfied. Once your have completed the requirement, your grade will be changed to the one you received in the course. You have one year to satisfy this requirement after you receive the incomplete; otherwise, your grade will automatically become an ìFî.

Exams

There will be 4 exams each worth 100 points during the semester; these exams will contain multiple choice or true/false questions covering material from the text, lectures and videos shown in class. You are encouraged to read the textbook, review the CD modules, and utilize the Concept Charts as these may assist you in mastering the material. It is important that you concentrate on understanding and integrating the material we cover in this class. Simple memorization of terms will not suffice, as exam questions will focus on application of concepts.

Each exam will cover only the material that corresponds to a specific period of class (e.g., Exam 1 will cover Chapters 1-2 and all other materials covered up to that point; Exam 2 will consist of what we cover from that date forward).

You lowest score on one of the 4 exams above will be dropped; only 3 of the 4 exams above will be counted toward your grade in the class. There will be no make-up exams for the first 4 exams given in this class. If you miss an exam, you will receive a zero and that exam will automatically be your lowest grade that is dropped. The exam schedule will be strictly adhered to and none of the exams may be taken early.

The Final Exam will not be cumulative and it will be worth the same amount of points as the other exams (100 points). This exam will only be rescheduled due to a documented emergency (documentation is required). With permission from this instructor, make-up exams may be taken at the Testing Center located in Lasson Hall 2302. You need to call (278-7870) to schedule an appointment. Exams are held at 5:00 Mon ñ Thur. and a $6 fee payable only by check will be charged. A make-up exam will only be scheduled if one of the following is presented to the instructor:

A written statement on letterhead from a clergyman, parole officer, etc. explaining the nature of your emergency OR

An official proof of emergency on the day of the exam (e.g., a doctorís letter or a police accident report).

If you are unable to take the regular exam for a reason other than a documented emergency or a religious conflict, you must present your case in writing to the instructor one week prior to the exam. Vacations do not qualify.

BRING A NUMBER 2 PENCIL AND BLUE SCANTRON FORM #4521 (General Purpose ñ NCS ñ Answer Sheet) TO ALL EXAMS.

Psyk.trek Units

The book for this course came with a CD that offers a wonderful way to learn. I would love to see you complete all the units on the CD and if you did, I am sure you would pass this course as the experience would reinforce the reading and what we cover in class.

Rather than requiring all units, I am going to let you pick 5 units you would like to complete. Once you review each unit, you take a quiz at the end of the unit. To receive credit, you will need to print your quiz results and turn that page in to me with 4 other quizzes by 5/12/04. Be sure and put your name on these quizzes and staple them together. Do not hand them in one at a time; I will only accept them when you have them all done. You will receive up go 25 points for the successful completion of this credit/no credit activity. I highly recommend that you complete each unit as we cover it in class and before the exam that corresponds to that unit. There is a handout you can download from our class web site that clarifies which units correspond to which chapters in our book.

Evaluation Criteria

Credit will be given for assignments based upon the following:

Exam 1	100 points
Exam 2	100 points
Exam 3	100 points
Exam 4	100 points
Lowest exam dropped	-100 points
Writing/discussion activity	25 points
Psyk.trek Activities	25 points
Final Exam	100 points
Total Points	450 points

Grades

Your final grade will be determined by the percentage of points you receive out of the 450 points. Conventional rounding procedures will be used to determine your final percentage (i.e., .50 is rounded up while .40 is rounded down). Letter grades will be assigned using the following criteria:

A+ = 97-100%	B+ = 87-89%	C+ = 77 79%	D+ = 67 - 69%
A = 94 ñ 96%	B = 84 ñ 86%	C = 74 ñ 74%	D = 64 - 66%
A- = 90 ñ 93%	B- = 80 - 83%	C- = 70 ñ 73%	D- = 60 ñ 63%
			F = less than 60%

NOTE: An A+ is reflected as an A on your transcript as the university does not have a distinction between the 2 grades, but I do!

Cheating

While I hope no one does this, any student found cheating will receive an F in the class and will be reported to the Dean of Students. Students may not leave the class during an exam. Cell phones must be turned off and hats may not be worn.

Classroom Etiquette

… Please donít talk amongst yourselves during class; this is a big class and it is like a movie theater ñ you donít like it when people talk during the show and neither do I. For me, it is even more distracting as I am the show!

… I welcome questions, comments, and discussion so feel free to raise your hand and speak your mind

… Turn off cell phones and pagers during class; if it must be on for emergency reasons and you receive a call, please exit the class quietly.

… Please do not begin to pack up your stuff until I indicate the class is over

… Come to class on time and remain for the entire lecture, unless you become ill or must leave for an emergency; it is also distracting when you come to class late; please try to be on time; if you are late, enter quietly

What you can expect of me

… I will come to class prepared and will organize the material so that it is clear and user friendly

… I will answer your questions to the best of my ability or I will get back to you when I have a better answer

… I will be in my office during posted office hours or I will post an announcement on our web site and let you know in class if I cannot be there during my office hours

… Exam results will be available within one week of the date you take the exam