Syllabus:

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Required Text    Learning objectives    Exams    Make Up Final    If you miss an exam   
Extra Credit    Academic Dishonesty    Final Grades    Special needs or problems  
 Lecture Schedule    Final Exam time and data    Office Hours

http://psych.hanover.edu/research/exponnet.html

Lecture notes for Test 1    Lecture notes Test 2    Lecture Notes Test 3    Lecture Notes Test 4

Study Guides:

Practice Test #4     REVISED!!! Cumulative Makeup Test Question Pool

Study Guide for Test 1    Study Guide for Test 2     Study Guide for Test 3  Study Guide for Test 4

Be sure and sign into the Eduspace site for the online text, web study guides, practice quizzes, class notes and announcements: http://www.eduspace.com.   You will need both this course code and a passkey from your Student Getting Started with Eduspace Guide: VFDOU-F8E948DAF92EEB

For academic help and study assistance go to: http://www.ucollege.ilstu.edu/ucla/workshops/workshop_schedule.shtml

     Welcome to Psych 110 (section 02): Fundamentals of Psychology.  This course examines the foundations by which psychologists explain human and animal behavior. By behavior, psychologists might include behaviors that are both OVERT (those that can be seen) and COVERT (those that are within the organism). Thus, 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 people behave, the underlying process which help determine behavior, and the function that our behavior serves in our lives. We will also examine how other disciplines, such as sociology or biology, might differ in their study of human behavior.

    This is not a course in how to be a psychologist. You will NOT learn how to be a therapist, learn how to diagnose people, or even learn counseling skills. Practicing psychology requires a graduate degree, and not just an introductory level course.   Instead, this course is about explaining how and why humans behave the way we do.  At times you might feel you are in a biology or sociology or anthropology course rather than psychology. At times you might feel you are just learning facts and aren't "doing any psychology". At still other moments you might feel that we aren't focusing on you and your specific needs. This is because this course does not teach how to "do psychology", but what the discipline of psychology is, and how it fits into ways of knowing.

    For those of you hoping to major in psychology- this should provide you with a framework to develop your studies. For those of you interested in other majors, this course should provide you with a general background to physiology of the brain, learning, child development, and other areas which may be of interest to you.  Hopefully, it will help you begin to understand why humans think, act and feel  the way they do.

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Required Text:

     The book used in this course will be Jeffrey S. Nevid's: Psychology, concepts and applications, second edition.  It may be purchased in the various bookstores (e.g. University Bookstore, the Alamo II). Keep your registration card that tells you how to log into the website. This website will be used for grades and assignments.  

                        The following course code can be used by students to enroll in this course. You will need both this course code and a passkey from your Student Getting Started with Eduspace Guide: VFDOU-F8E948DAF92EEB

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Office Hours:
    My office is Felmley 230A, phone is 438-4554. Office hours are MWF 10-10:50 or by appointment;

    TAs are available from 9-4 each day (click for contact info)

Learning Objectives:

 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:

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     After you complete your research participation, you MUST complete a written report. The format for this report may be found at:  Research report form.  If  you choose NOT to participate in research, you may instead earn extra credit by summarizing one research article from the journal Psychological Science. A written summary report again be required as evidence of your work. The written report form may be found here: Research Article report form

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Academic Dishonesty:

    Any cheating will not be tolerated. Cheating or plagiarism will result in an F in the course and referral to the Student Code Enforcement Review Board (SCERB) for disciplinary action. Cheating INCLUDES (but is not limited to): plagiarism of both published and unpublished written work, having another individual take or assist you with an online exam, taking an exam for or assisting another individual with an online quiz, performing or completing a class assignment or quiz for another individual or having another individual perform or complete a class assignment or quiz for you.  Cheating is thus defined generally as representing work that is NOT your own as your work or allowing your work to be represented as another’s' so that individual receives academic credit.  Violators of this policy will receive a failing grade on that assignment or quiz, a possible failing grade for the course, and referral to the department chair and the SCERB for disciplinary action.

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 FINAL GRADES:

 A total of 400 points are available in the course.  Grades will be awarded on the following basis:

A: 360-400
B: 320-359
C: 280-319
D: 200-279
F: 199 or below

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Special Needs or Problems:

If you have a disability, if English is your second language, you travel with a sports team, have unusual work circumstances, 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 that 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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 Lecture schedule

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.

Date            Topic and reading assignent                                                                                           

What exactly IS psychology?                                            
Reading: Ch 1
 Jan  14       Intro to Psychology as a science
          16      History of Psychology
          18      Psychology as a Science

Jan 21st: MLK Day!

          23      Methods used to make Psychology a science
 
Can understanding the brain explain our behavior?        
Reading: Ch 2
         25        Neuron, synapse and action potential
         28        Neurochemistry and drugs
         30        Neuroanatomy: the spinal cord to midbrain
Feb  01        
         04        Neuroanatomy: Cerebral cortex
         06       Biology and Psychology: Neuroscience
         08       TEST #1    NOTICE DATE CHANGE!!!!!!!! (travelling athletes- you can make this test up on 2/11-2/15)
      
Does seeing (or hearing or tasting or smelling or feeling) make it REAL?
 Reading: Ch 3
         11        Vision: Anatomy of the Eye
         13         Vision II: Color Vision
         15         Perception I: Interpreting what we see
         18         Perception II
         20         Audition      
            
 How do we learn and is biology involved?
Reading: Ch 5
         22        Classical Conditioning
         25        Operant conditioning
         27        Biology and learning: Same or different?
         29        Applied behavior analysis
         03        Modeling              
         05        TEST #2   
         07        Autism

March 10-March 16th Spring Break

How do we think, reason and remember?
Readings: Ch 6,7
        17       Memory
        19       Concept formation
        21       Problem Solving and Reasoning
   
Where did we come from? Using development to explain behavior of the individual
 Reading: Ch 9
         24       How do we develop? The beginnings
         26       Physical development birth to toddler
         28       Cognitive development
         31       Social development       

Who we are: Our Personality Alone versus Group behavior.
Readings: Ch 12
Apr  02       Defining personality and Freud
         04       Trait theories 
         07       Other interpretations of personality
         09        Personality tests
         11       Test # 3

Do we act differently in groups? Social Psychology
Reading: Ch 16 (NOTE CHANGE IN ORDER)
         14        Social Judgments
         16       Social Perceptions
  
Reacting to Change: Normal versus Abnormal?
Readings: Ch 15,13,14 (notice order)
         18        Stress
         21        Anxiety and Stress disorders
         23        Other disorders
         25        Mood disorder
         28        Schizophrenia
         30        Treating disorders
         02        Treating disorders
 
Final Exam: Thursday, May 8th from 7:50-9:50 AM (ugh!): Test 4 and optional makeup test
                        (the two tests, if you choose to take both, are taken consecutively during the testing  period).

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