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Valeri Farmer-Dougan, Ph.D.ProfessorIllinois State University
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Rescued (by) a dog! australianshepherdrescuemidwest.org
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If you miss an exam Quizzes Final Grade Cutoffs Special Needs
Welcome to Psych 111 (section 01): General Psychology. This
course introduces you to the way that psychologists study human and animal
behavior, and the theories that emerge from their investigations. By behavior,
psychologists might include behaviors that are both OVERT (those that can be
seen) and COVERT (those that are within the organism). Thus, we will examine
both explicit behavior as well as thoughts, feelings, and emotions. These
behaviors will be examined from biological, environmental and social and
psychological ways of knowing. We will examine how humans and animals
behave, the underlying processes that help determine behavior, and the function
that our behavior serves in our lives.
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Monday: 10-11:00 AM |
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Wednesday: 10-11:00 AM |
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Friday: 10-11 AM |
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or by appointment! |
If you CANNOT make these office hours, please make an
appointment. I am available at other times, and can be flexible if you
prearrange a meeting. A Teaching
assistant (TA) is also available to meet with you. Her office hours
and locations will be posted at a later date.
My office at ISU is DEG 413, phone number 438.7420. You
may find me in my ISU office during the office hours listed below. My
laboratory is in the Felmley Annex, room 230, which means I am often NOT
in my office. You can call me in my laboratory at 438-833 or come and
see me in the lab. If you need to get a hold of me you can leave a
message on voice mail anytime. My E-mail address is: vfdouga@.ilstu.edu.
Please do not call me at home unless it is really urgent.
(That is, there had better be a huge, truly mind-boggling, existential
crisis). If you call at home- please do so before
In keeping with the spirit of good learning principles, the Psychology Department has determined that, as a result of participating in this course, you should meet the following objectives:
| Utilize your critical thinking skills in conjunction with a knowledge of the scientific method to analyze theoretical viewpoints and data presented by contemporary psychology. | |
| Understand and critically analyze ways psychologists and their colleagues in related disciplines use to change human and animal behavior. | |
| Understand how people learn, think and remember. | |
| Address and critically analyze contemporary social issues such as the use of invasive methods of behavior change, evolutionary psychology to explain human behavior, and the ethics of behavior change and therapy, from the perspective of an individual informed on the specific issues and knowledgeable in the use of empirical study to test ideas. | |
| Understand the course and nature of human development and analyze how it applies to one's own life and to the lives of those around you--peers, family, and other individuals with whom one works in a professional or personal context. | |
| Recognize the psychological processes involved in the interpretation of sensory input and evaluate the role that one's experiences play in this process. | |
| Be able to critically discuss societal issues such as the culture-specific definition of "adjustment" and the effects of labeling in the field of mental health. | |
| Become sensitive to the scientific evolution of thought by tracing the evolution of theories in such areas as intelligence, moral development, psychopathology, and therapeutic treatment. | |
| Become familiar with and critically discuss the ethics involved in research with human and non-human subjects and the legal and moral responsibilities of those individuals who work with both people and animals. | |
| Understand and critically analyze the personal dynamics of the individual within a social group and the resulting effect of the group on individual behavior. | |
| Demonstrate an understanding of critical analysis, the
role of theory, and of human behavior by showing an ability to listen to and critically
analyze contrasting opinions without ridiculing, taunting or reacting with hostility
to contrasting opinions. Rather, an individual with such skills responds with sound
argumentation, rational responses and tolerance towards others. These Objectives are consistent with Educating Illinois document. Please see this document for further details.
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CLASS ORGANIZATION AND ACTIVITIES:
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We will engage in many activities besides lectures this semester. These are listed below.
Lectures: All lecture sessions will be held in EDWARDS
235. Lectures
will be interactive in nature, and will focus on material and topics from the
assigned readings. You will be held responsible for material contained in all
assigned readings for that lecture session. A brief outline of my lectures
is available, but
this DOES NOT replace class attendance!
EXAMS: Four
(4) 50-min exams will be given during the semester. Each of these exams will be
equally weighted. Exams are worth 100 points each, for a total of 400 points.
You will have the entire class period to complete each exam. Exams will consist
of 50 questions (2 points each for a total of 100 points).
Exam
results are posted on the Mallard website:
https://mallard.ilstu.edu/psy111vfdouga/ and the textbook website: http://students.pearsoned.com.
Final Exam:The fourth
(4th) regular exam will be given during the FIRST hour of the final exam period.
Once you have completed this exam, you may choose to complete the optional
comprehensive exam. During the SECOND HOUR of the final exam period you will be
able to take a comprehensive exam which can replace any of the first four exams
(if and only if that comprehensive exam score is higher). Thus, if you are happy
with your scores on the first three exams, and feel confident of your
performance on the fourth, you do NOT have to take the comprehensive exam.
Alternatively, if you have MISSED any of the first three exams, or have a poor
grade on one of these exams, you may use the comprehensive exam to replace the 0
or low score. The comprehensive exam will ONLY be used if the score is HIGHER
than your lowest exam grade.
Note: You MUST take the regular exam, Exam #4 BEFORE you can complete
the makeup exam to replace a missing test.
IF YOU MISS AN EXAM:No makeup exams will be give for a missed exam. Rather, you will be required to take the comprehensive exam during finals week to replace the missing test.
You will find that each test builds upon the last (that is, if you understood the material from the previous test, it will make each progressive test much easier
Extra Credit:You may earn extra credit in this course in three ways: 1) by reading short journal articles or 2) participating in psychology experiments; You may earn UP TO A TOTAL OF 5% of extra credit using any COMBINATION of these choices (some of each, or all 5% from just one choice). You will receive 2 points for each hour of research participation (up to 10 hours of participation from the psychology experiment pool) or 5 points per article summary for reading up to 5 short journal articles. Note: You CANNOT earn 5% from EACH category; there is a maximum of 5% from THE TWO COMBINED CATEGORIES.
For information on the psychology experiments please see the Experiment Pool Web page outlining these procedures. For information on the short journal articles please see the Journal Article web page outlining these procedures.
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FINAL GRADES:Final grades are determined by how many points you earn.
Points may be earned as follows:
according to the following cutoffs:
Four
exams: 100
points each, a total of 400 points
(A MAXIMUM of 20 extra credit points may be added to your point total)
A:
90-100% or 360 points or more
B: 80-89.9% or 320-359 points
C: 65-79.9% or 260 to 319 points
D:
50-64.4% or 200 to 259 points
F: 49% or 199 points or below
Classroom AttendanceThe attendance regulation of the University is based on two principles. First, students are expected to attend class regularly; and second, students are primarily responsible to the instructor in matters pertaining to class attendance. Every student will be held responsible for class attendance and successful completion of academic work. Attendance regulations are intended to encourage student maturity and are based on the assumption that academic success is the student's primary goal in college.
Illinois State University deeply values and supports the required participation of students in Sanctioned University Activities. Instructors will provide such students with reasonable accommodations for completing missed exams, quizzes, and the like. The Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs will determine Sanctioned University Activities. It is the responsibility of the student to (1) inform instructors of scheduled absences in advance, (2) where possible and as soon as possible, provide a schedule of all semester absences, and (3) arrange to complete missed classroom work. Ultimately, students are responsible for material covered in class. In the event of disagreement regarding this policy, the issue will be directed to the appropriate Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs for arbitration.
The University will accommodate, within reason, students whose religious obligations require absence from class. Students who are unable to attend class or take examinations for religious reasons should consult their instructors in advance about alternative arrangements.
The student absence procedure has also changed and beginning with the Fall 2001 semester the procedure will be as follows: Student Absence Notification. Occasionally a student must be absent from class for an extended period of time (3 or more class days) for unexpected health or family reasons. If a student will be absent for more than three days, the student should:
| Contact the Office of Student Affairs at 438-5451 |
| The Office of Student Affairs will notify the student's instructors of the absence. This is simply notification. It is not authorization that the absence is for legitimate reasons. |
| The student is responsible for providing verification of the reason for the absence to each instructor. |
| The student is also responsible for contacting each instructor to arrange for completion of required course work, including missed assignments and exams. |
The Office of Disability Concerns will continue to work with students who have permanent or temporary disabilities. They will assist students and faculty with reasonable accommodations if a student's absence is the result of a disability.
Student Health Services will provide students, upon request of the student, verification of a prolonged or serious illness when the student received care from physicians in Student Health Services. They will not provide verification of treatment for prolonged or serious illness when the student has received care from an off-campus physician.
SPECIAL NEEDS OR PROBLEMS:If you have a disability, if English is your second language, or you need other special considerations, please see one of us as soon as possible (that's before the first test!) to work out any special arrangements which might be needed. If you fail a test, please see me as soon as possible. We cannot help you after you have failed two or more tests!
Please
Note:
According to University Guidelines: Any student needing to arrange a reasonable
accommodation for a documented disability should contact Disability Concerns at 350 Fell
Hall, 438-5853 (voice), 438-8620 (TDD). They are there to ensure that you receive
the help you need!!
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The following is a tentative lecture schedule. PLEASE NOTE THE READING ASSIGNMENTS. You will understand the material better if you read the assigned material BEFORE the assigned date. Changes will be announced in class. You are responsible for any changes announced in class.
How do we explain Human
Behavior: History and Methods.
Readings: Chapter 1 and online reading
Jan 19 Intro to Psychology as a science
21 History of Psychology
24 Psychology as a Science
26 Methods used to make Psychology a science
Can understanding the brain explain our behavior?
Reading: Chapter 2
What this course is and is not.
28 Neuron, synapse and action potential
31 Neurochemistry and drugs
Feb 02 Neuroanatomy: the spinal cord to midbrain
04 Neuroanatomy: Middle brain areas
07 Neuroanatomy: Cerebral cortex
Does seeing (or hearing or tasting or smelling or feeling) make it REAL? Reading: Chapter 3
11 Vision: Anatomy of the Eye
14 Perception I: Interpreting what we see
16 Perception II
How do we learn, think, reason and remember?
Readings: Chapters 4,5,6
18 Classical Conditioning
21 Operant conditioning
23 More operant conditioning
25 Biology and learning: Same or different?
28 Modeling behavior
Mar 02 Memory and you!
04 Thinking
07 Reasoning
11 Autism
Spring Break Mar 12-20th
Where did we come from?
Using development to explain behavior.
Reading: Chapter 9
21 How do we develop? The beginnings
23 Physical development from birth
25 Physical development
28 Cognitive development
30 Social development
Apr 01 Defining intelligence
04 Intelligence and personality tests
Who we are: Our
Personality Alone versus Group behavior.
Readings: Chapter 8 and 13
06 Defining personality?
08 Freud's interpretations
11 Other interpretations of personality
13 Social Judgments
15 Social Perceptions
Reacting to Change: Normal versus Abnormal?
Readings: Chapters 10,11,12
20 Stress
22 Personality disorders and anxiety
25 Major disorders
27 Mood disorders
29 Schizophrenia
May 02 What is it like to be mentally ill?
04 Treating problem behavior: Therapy
06 More Therapy and class summary
