Ethan Frome



COURSE SYLLABUS

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

830:101:40

Spring 2017

COURSE TITLE: Introduction to Psychology

CLASS TIMES: Mondays - 6:00 PM – 8:40 PM (ARM-121)

INSTRUCTOR: Professor Tina Brand, M.A.

PHONE & EMAIL: email: tbrand@camden.rutgers.edu (this is the BEST way to connect with me)

OFFICE HOURS: Available by Appointment Only

CLASS INFO: Use to find class site

REQUIRED TEXT:

Customized loose-leaf text for this class ONLY. Found at Rutgers Bookstore – Camden ONLY. Does not come with binder.

Introduction to Psychology

Instructor – Tina Brand, MA

Rutgers University - Camden

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If the bookstore is out of my custom text – you can substitute with a used or rented/on-line version of this book:

Gregory J Feist, Erika Rosenberg: Psychology – Perspectives & Connections (2nd Ed)

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COURSE OVERVIEW:

• Demonstrate a broad understanding of scientific principles and the ways scientists in particular disciplines conduct research. 

• Understand the quantitative, mathematical analyses behind scientific questions and problems.

• Solve complex problems requiring the application of scientific concepts.

• Examine the scientific basis of complex questions, including how science impacts political, social, economic, or ethical issues.

• Critically evaluate scientific arguments and understand the limits of scientific knowledge.

• Communicate scientific ideas clearly and effectively.

COURSE COMPETENCIES:

Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

1. Explain what psychology is and describe the methods used by psychologists to study human behavior.

2. Identify the major physiological structures that are involved in human behavior & explain their functions.

3. Identify the major concepts involving social interaction and relationships.

4. Identify the most important aspects of the states of human development from the prenatal state to dying.

5. Describe the major theories of human personality.

6. Describe the causes and classification of mental illness.

7. Identify and describe the mechanisms involved with memory, learning, and motivation.

EXPECTATIONS:

1. You are expected to come to class on time and be prepared to discuss the material being presented.

2. When you come to class, you are expected to stay for the entire class period unless you seek permission beforehand. If you do not seek permission beforehand leaving early is considered “absent” for that class period.

3. You are expected to treat your fellow students (and me) with respect; this includes turning off all electronic devices (including laptops and cell phones) while in class. This is part of your attendance grade. If I see you on your phone – your attendance/participation grade may be affected.

4. You are expected to pay attention to the lecture and discussion. In large classes students feel anonymous and there is a tendency to start conversations with their friends.

5. You are expected and encouraged to address any concerns or issues, or raise any questions with me in a timely manner. If necessary, an appointment can be made to discuss any issues in private. Take advantage of my office hours!

6. While I do take a more casual approach to my teaching – I expect that your interactions with me remain respectful and professional (including emails).

7. You understand that the syllabus is meant as a general outline of topics that are intended to be covered. The syllabus may be changed based upon student and/or class need.

8. You are expected to take each test as scheduled and turn in any written assignments when due, unless you receive an exception from the instructor prior to missing a test/due date. Late assignments will be accepted at the discretion of the instructor (as outlined on Sakai). Missed exams are not allowed to be made up (you can miss one exam as long as you take ALL others this semester. NOTE: If you miss one exam with a valid excuse such as a doctor’s note and you miss another exam date – you will not be able to make up the exam and the grade will be recorded as a “0”.

9. You are expected to actively participate in the class discussions and are encouraged to ask questions. If you do not understand something, please feel free to ask about it.

10. I take attendance regularly. I think that it will be very difficult for a student to do well in the course if he/she misses a lot of classes.

EVALUATION:

Evaluation will be mostly based on the results of tests, attendance, participation, assignments, and participation in experiments.

1. Tests: There will be several in class tests. The tests are usually multiple-choice. Final format to be determined. You are allowed to miss (1) test without penalty as long as you have taken all other exams. NO EXCEPTIONS

2. There is a Research Participation Requirement-- See “Important Additional Requirement” section for more detail. THIS IS 10% OF YOUR FINAL GRADE.

3. Participation and Attendance: Your involvement in the course is important to your success in class. All questions are encouraged and invited! You are expected to be in class – I will take attendance – if you miss more than 1 class – it will affect your grade (even if you have good reason).

4. Assignments/Papers: Assignments & Papers will be determined and further explained during the semester. I like to have students write reaction papers in this course - papers will depend on speaker availability, etc. In the past students have been asked to bring in psychology related articles on a topic that interests them and discuss it. You will be advised timely if this will be required this semester.

EVALUATION PROCEDURE:

Student performance will be based on the following: 80% – Tests

10% – Research Participation

10% Assignments & Participation

100%

IMPORTANT ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT: PLEASE READ!!!

RESEARCH PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENT:

Subject Pool Policy

The Psychology Department of the Camden Faculty of Arts & Sciences has established a policy that students enrolled in Introduction to Psychology (830:101) must either participate as subjects in psychological research activities or complete a designated alternative activity. This policy is designed to enhance students' understanding of the nature of psychological research and to support the research activities of the faculty. At the present time, the research participation option for Introduction to Psychology requires completion of a total of 4 hours worth of credits for participating in research studies (but only 3 if you complete them without missing appointments). The designated alternative activity consists of writing a paper on some aspect of the psychological research process associated with a psychology-related topic. This option must have the prior approval of the instructor, be on a topic selected by agreement between the instructor and the student, and be five (5) pages in length, typed and double-spaced, with appropriate documentation. (Please review the campus policies on plagiarism at , if you are not familiar with them). Failure by a student to satisfy the requirement before the end of the semester, either by completion of 4 hours worth of experiments or by writing an acceptable paper, will result in the student receiving no credit for 10% of the course OR in the student receiving a grade of "Incomplete" ("IN") for the course (as determined by the course instructor). This "Incomplete" will only be bestowed based on prior arrangement with the instructor, and can only be removed by the student's fulfillment of the requirement. Unless prior arrangements are made with the instructor, all the work needed to remove an "Incomplete" grade should be finished before the start of the following semester.

The deadline for completing the research participation requirement or the alternative paper requirement is usually the week before the regular semester ends to allow ample time for grading.

Benefits of Participating. By participating as a subject in research, you will contribute in a small way to increasing our understanding of psychological processes. You will have an opportunity to gain some direct experience of what psychological research involves, and you may acquire a better understanding of some of the issues and topics you are studying in your course. You will be able to give your own insights and comments to the experimenter and perhaps suggest ways to improve the methods or alternative ways to think about the task. Finally, the research project may simply be interesting to do.

Where to sign up. Sign-up for participation is handled online at the website . Before you can get credit for participating in experiments, you must register as a new user (select “New User Registration” and follow the instructions). You must register using your assigned Rutgers email account. Once you register you will be sent a password and login ID which you can use to sign up for experiments. If you do not use the account within 30 days, you will need to re-register. Please make sure that you register for the correct section of your course.

Once registered, you can see what experiments are available and sign up to participate in any of them. Each posted experiment includes a brief description of the study, its location, the number of credit hours you will receive, and available appointment times. To participate in a study, simply sign up for an available time.

Sign-up responsibility. Students who sign up for a particular time are responsible for fulfilling their commitment. If you must cancel your appointment, notify the experimenter at least 24 hours before the scheduled session; the telephone number will be provided with the description of the study. You may be subject to a penalty of additional required time for completing this requirement if you fail to notify the experimenter in a timely manner.

Experimenters also have a responsibility. Should an experimenter fail to show up within 15 minutes of the scheduled session, the student will receive full credit for that session. To receive credit, make a note of the study, the date, the time, and the name of the experimenter and give this information to the secretary in Room 301 on the same day that the experimenter did not show up. At times, students may be called by experimenters requesting participation in a particular experiment. In such cases, several available times will be discussed and such calls will be at least 24 hours prior to any agreed upon session.

Credit for participation. When a student arrives at an experimental session, he or she will be provided further information on the nature of the experiment and the procedures to be used and may be asked to sign a consent form. When the experiment is over, the experimenter will ask you to write your name and id # on the master list that will be turned in to the research pool coordinator. You may check at any time on the Experimetrix website to see that you have received credit for your participation. If you find you did not receive credit for an experiment in which you participated, please contact the department secretary in Room 301.

Participant safeguards. Please be assured that you will not be asked to participate unknowingly in research that is detrimental to your physical or psychological health. All research projects must be approved by an institutional review board (IRB) before they can be posted. The IRB screens proposed research carefully to be sure it is safe and justified. In addition, you are entitled to refuse to participate in a study if you find it personally objectionable or feel it is harmful to you. Obviously, we do not expect you to sign up for studies if you object to them, based on their descriptions. Conversely, you would normally be expected to complete a study if you sign up for it. However, you may only find out while you are participating that you have serious objections to further participation. In such a case, you are free to terminate your participation without prejudice or penalty, and you will receive credit for participation. If you have further questions or concerns, please refer them to your instructor or to Dr. van der Wel (r.vanderwel@rutgers.edu or  rprdvanderwel@), who is serving as the coordinator of the psychology research subject pool this semester.

PLEASE NOTE THAT I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THE EXPERIMETRIX REQUIREMENT – WHILE I WILL REMIND YOU OF THIS REQUIREMENT THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER – IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SIGN UP AND PARTICIPATE AND CONTACT DR. VANDERWEL IF YOU HAVE ANY ISSUES. – Thanks, Professor Brand

Miscellaneous NOTES:

1. RU policy states that all “Incomplete” grades will convert to grades of “F” unless an “extension of grade form” is completed and filed before the attending semester’s end.

2. If you experience any problems with the website (registering, receiving credit, etc.) please email the contact person(s) for the site. Their email address can be found on the log-in page or by following the Help (FAQ) link. Your instructor cannot answer your questions about website problems!

3. Suggested due dates for each experiment are simply that—suggestions! They are meant to help you remember not to leave all of your work for the end of the semester. There is no penalty for completing your experimental hours at other times as long as you complete them.

Introduction to Psychology – Reading Assignments & Class Schedule

Spring 2017

Tina Brand, M.A.

***SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE***

I will use Sakai weekly to update you on the course schedule and with reminders as to important dates in the class such as exams, suggested timelines for your research project and/or signing up for experiments and when papers are due, etc. It is your responsibility to check Sakai timely. Exams DO change!

These are the chapters I plan to cover throughout the semester (not always covered in order):

Chapter 1: Introduction to Psych

Chapter 2: Research

Chapter 3: Biology/Brain

Chapter 4: Sensing and Perceiving

Chapter 5: Human Development

Chapter 6: Consciousness

Chapter 7: Memory

Chapter 8: Learning

Chapter 13: Personality

Chapter 15: Psych Disorders

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