PSY 123-13 Introductory Psychology

Dr. Christine Harrington e-mail charrington@middlesexcc.edu (preferred communication)

Office Hours (Raritan Hall 108; 732-548-6000 X 3838): Please come and visit me!

Drop In: Mondays 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.; Thursdays 1:00 -2:00 p.m. By Appointment: Mondays 3:30 -4:30 p.m.; Thursdays 3:30- 4:30 p.m.

****Class Meets in CB 123 on Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.****

Text: Experience Psychology by King (1st edition) Note: You will want the On-line Student Support Materials (Connect/LearnSmart)- they come with the book if you purchase it at the bookstore. Details about this will be provided on the first day of class.

If you need accommodations due to a disability, contact Disability Services in Edison Hall Room 100, 732.906.2546.

To foster a productive learning environment, the College requires that all students

adhere to the Code of Student Conduct which is published in the college catalog and website.

I am very excited to share my passion for psychology with you as we explore the field of psychology. Believing in your ability to perform well, the course requirements will be academically and personally challenging yet accomplishable. It is my hope that you will experience success now and in the future. You can expect this semester to be filled with lively discussions, activities, and challenging assignments. It is important for you to know that support is available to you. I would be happy to meet with you in person or answer your questions electronically via e-mail. The library is another great resource as is peer tutoring. Forming in-person and on-line study groups are also wonderful ways to expand your academic support system.

Learning Outcomes- Here’s what you’ll be able to do after successfully completing this course:

1. Recognize key psychological theories and concepts and be able to summarize the contributions of key psychological figures.

2. Describe the various research methods and apply this knowledge to evaluate psychological research studies.

3. Articulate the importance and value of psychology in today’s world. 4. Deliver clear and organized presentations and documents using APA style.

Course Content Areas: Psychological theories: Evolutionary Psychology and how evolution works, Functionalism, Structuralism, Psychodynamic theories (Freud and neo-Freudians),Behaviorism, Cognitive Psychology, Piaget’s cognitive developmental theory, Erikson’s psychosocial developmental theory, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Research Hypothesis, naturalistic observation, correlational research, experiments, placebo effects, independent, dependent and confounding variables

Brain, Perception, and Consciousness How neurons work, neurotransmitters, frontal, occipital, parietal, and temporal lobes, How information is transformed from sensory to perception, stages of sleep, hypnosis

Learning, Memory, and Intelligence Schemas, assimilation and accommodation, classical conditioning (UR, US, CR, CS, NS, Discrimination, Generalization), operant conditioning (positive and negative reinforcement, punishment, shaping), observational learning (including brain mirror neurons), how memory works (sensory, short term memory, long term memory), strategies to improve memory, intelligence (Gardner, Sternberg, emotional intelligence)

Abnormal Psychology DSM –IV, Schizophrenia, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Anxiety Disorders (Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Panic Disorder, Phobia), Mood Disorders (Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder),Therapies (Psychodynamic, Behavioral, Cognitive, Humanistic, System, and Biological) Social Psychology Attitudes, Attribution theory, Obedience and conformity

Academic Integrity Policy: All Students are Expected to Engage in Academically Honest Work

Academic dishonesty is any attempt by the student to gain academic advantage through dishonest means, to

submit, as his or her own, work which has not been done by him/her or to give improper aid to another

student in the completion of an assignment. Such dishonesty would include, but is not limited to: submitting

as his/her own a project, paper, report, test, or speech copied from, partially copied, or paraphrased from

the work of another (whether the source is printed, under copyright, or in manuscript form). Credit must be

given for words quoted or paraphrased. The rules apply to any academic dishonesty, whether the work is

graded or ungraded, group or individual, written or oral. Engaging in academically dishonest acts can

result in a failing grade on the assignment, failing course grade and/or an official code of conduct charge

being filed.

Late Work/Missed Exam Policy: All Students are Expected to Complete Learning Tasks on

Schedule

It is important to stay on track with your assignments. You will need to complete all quizzes, exams, and

assignments according to the schedule. If you have a personal situation that prevents you from doing so,

you will need to discuss this with me prior to the due date. Extensions are only given in rare situations and

at my discretion. If provided, a missed quiz or exam may be administered orally.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Reading Assignments Reading your textbook is an essential learning task. For each chapter, you will

need to create a general outline or concept map that includes all of the major points and answer the questions for that chapter (these can be found at back of syllabus). These learning activities need to be brought to class on the day we will be discussing that chapter. These assignments will be randomly collected and will count as quiz grades. After we discuss the chapter, you should go back and re-read the chapter, taking notes on your outline or concept map.

Quizzes/Exams Quizzes: Throughout the semester, you will take quizzes on content from the

lectures and readings. The quizzes will be taken on-line via Campus Cruiser. The quizzes and the reading assignments together will count as 10% of your total grade.

Mid-term: You will take a Mid-term Exam that will consist of information from the first half of the book (Chapters 1-7). It will be a multiple choice exam and is worth 20% of your final grade.

Final Exam: The final exam will be cumulative, covering all chapters (1-13). The final exam is also in a multiple choice format and is worth 30% of your total grade.

Research Assignments There are 2 written research assignments where you will summarize

psychological research studies that will be provided to you. You may work in a group of up to 4 students for the first assignment and will need to work independently for the second assignment. Details are provided toward the end of the syllabus.

Presentation A presentation on an approved research study is required. The research article

should be on an experimental or correlational research study. You can work alone or in a small group of up to 4 students. Groups are strongly recommended. You will have approximately 10 minutes for your presentation; depending on the number of total presentations. A copy of your peer reviewed journal article will need to be provided to the professor. A visual aid or handout is required. Please see me if you need special equipment ordered.

Participation Class participation in discussions and activities is also expected.

EXTRA CREDIT- Learn Smart/Connect On-Line Support (McGraw Hill Textbook Support)

You are expected to complete the on-line support activities for each chapter. In addition to preparing you for the midterm and final exam, successfully completing these activities will add up to 3% toward your final grade. Details about this assignment will be provided in class. In order to earn credit, you will need to purchase the support separately if you did not buy your book at the college bookstore.

FINAL GRADES: Your Grades: Reading Assignments and Quizzes 15% ___________ Midterm Exam 20 % ___________ Final Exam 30 % ___________ Research Assignments 20% ___________ Presentation 15% ___________ Extra Credit: Learn Smart/Connect-

On-Line Student Support 3% extra credit ___________ Total Points: 100% ___________

A = 93 -100% A- = 90 – 92% B+ = 87 - 89% B = 83 – 86% B- = 80 - 82% C+ = 77 – 79% C = 70 – 76 % D = 65 – 69% F = 64% or below

Course Outline All dates are subject to change.

Date Topic/Activity 9/6/12 Course Introduction Getting to Know You Exercise Chapter 6 - Memory 9/13/12 Chapter 1- The Science of Psychology Read Dickinson and O’Connell (1990) article before class 9/20/12 Chapter 2- The Brain and Behavior

Chapter 3- Sensation and Perception

Reading Assignments and

Quizzes 15%

Midterm Exam 20%

Final Exam 30%

Research Assignments

20%

Presentation 15%

Grade

9/27/12 Chapter 4- States of Consciousness

Research Assignment#1 Due 10/4/12 Chapter 5 – Learning

10/11/12 Chapter 7 – Thinking, Intelligence, and Language

10/18/12 Midterm Exam (Chapters 1-7) Chapter 8 – Human Development

10/25/12 Chapter 8 continued Chapter 9 Motivation and Emotion

Research Assignment #2 Due 11/1/12 Chapter 10 Personality Chapter 11 Social Psychology 11/8/12 Presentation Preparation- No Class 11/15/12 Chapter 11 continued

Chapter 12 Psychological Disorders 11/22/12 COLLEGE CLOSED

11/29/12 Chapter 13 Therapies

Presentations

12/6/12 Presentations Final Exam Review

Extra Credit LearnSmart Due

12/13/12 Final Exam (Chapters 1-13)

Reading Assignments

For every chapter, you are expected to create an outline or concept map that includes all major concepts (not just the ones below).

In addition, you will need to answer the following questions:

Chapter 1: 1. Why do giraffes have long necks? 2. Johnny, a two year old, just threw his toy on the floor. According to the behavioral

approach, why do you think he did this? 3. You want to know more about serial killers. What type of psychological research (which

method) would you need to use? Why? 4. A researcher finds a high correlation between eating ice cream and violence. Can he say

that eating ice cream causes people to be more violent? Why or why not? 5. Your friend is just diagnosed with depression. He is being prescribed an anti-depressant

to help with symptom management. What type of research do you hope was done on this medication? Why?

6. Your classmate believes that corporal punishment (i.e. hitting children) is the most effective way to discipline and he wants to do an experiment to find out if his hypothesis is correct. Can he do this research? Why or why not?

Chapter 2: 1. You are at a baseball game and a baseball is flying toward you. You really want to catch

this homerun ball. How long will it take for this message to get from your brain to your glove? How did the message travel?

2. You may have heard the phrase “chemical imbalance” associated with mental disorders. What part of the brain is affected by many psychological disorders such as depression or schizophrenia?

3. Who is Phineas Gage? What did he teach us about the importance of the frontal lobe?

Chapter 3: 1. Have you ever been around someone who did not smell very good but did not seem to

be bothered by the odor? What concept explains this phenomenon?

2. Use Gestalt principles to explain our perception of these images.

3. Let’s assume that two individuals have both touched a hot pot. Will their experience of pain be identical? Why or why not?

Chapter 4: 1. Does getting enough sleep really matter? Explain your answer. 2. You are staying at a hotel with some of your friends. One of your friends gets up and

starts walking around in her sleep. What stage of sleep is she in? 3. How does alcohol affect the brain and behaviors? 4. Can anyone be hypnotized?

Chapter 5: 1. Every time the song “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” comes on, Maria gets very sad. Using

learning theory, why might this be? 2. What learning theory explains why advertisers use attractive models to sell their

products? 3. At a dolphin show, dolphins jump through hoops and do other tricks. How did they

learn to do these tricks? Use learning concepts to explain your answer. 4. Why do people continue to play slot machines even if they don’t often win? 5. Maria got into trouble in school. Her mom says “Wait until your father gets home!”

Why is this strategy ineffective? Using operant conditioning principles, what would be a better strategy?

6. What theory explains why you slow down when someone else was pulled over by a police car?

Chapter 6: 1. Why is easier for me to remember your name if you sit in the same seat? Be sure to use

memory terminology! 2. Samantha remembers: what she wore on the first day of school; what she was doing

when the 9/11 attacks occurred, how to ride a bike, and the President of the United States. Describe which type of memory is attached to each of these memories.

3. Your friend is on trial and the verdict may hinge on eyewitness testimony. How confident are you that the eyewitness testimony will be accurate? Explain your answer.

4. When I leave class on the first day, I remember everyone’s names, but when we have our second class, I have difficulty recalling all of your names. Why?

Chapter 7: 1. What biases/heuristics impact our decision making? Give examples of each one. 2. You take an IQ test and your score is 110. What does this score mean? Will it be likely

to change over time? Why or why not? 3. What would Chomsky say about language development?

Chapter 8: 1. Thinking about pre-natal development and the impact of teratogens, why is it important

to plan pregnancies? 2. Little Tom who is only 6 months old is playing with his stuffed animal. He keeps

throwing it on the ground and his mother is tired of picking it up so she takes the animal and puts it in a closet. What will Tom do?

3. What did we learn about attachment from the Harlow (1958) wire monkey study? 4. When presented with the Heinz dilemma, what would a child in the pre-conventional

level of moral development (Kohlberg) do? 5. Your friend tells you that all cognitive functioning declines in middle to late adulthood.

Is this true? Explain your answer.

Chapter 9: 1. Why should elementary school teachers allow children to eat snacks when hungry?

Whose theory can support your response? 2. Jane wants to go to college because she wants the degree she will need to earn a lot of

money. Her friend Alyssa wants to go to college because she enjoys learning and wants to do something she enjoys for a career. According to most psychologists, which

motivator will be more likely to lead to positive outcomes? Explain your answer using motivational terminology.

3. Does emotion help or hinder memory?

Chapter 10: 1. How did Freud and Allport differ in how they viewed personality? 2. What are the “Big Five” personality traits? Give examples of characters from the media

for each one. 3. Can personality change? Be sure to connect your explanation to theory and research. 4. Which personality test do you think would be the best to use to learn about a person

who is jail? Why?

Chapter 11: 1. Your friend is driving down a highway and someone cuts you him and races ahead. He

later tells you about this “jerk”. However, your friend later learns that the person was speeding because his wife was in labor. What explains this mistake in judgment?

2. My son shoots the basketball and misses. He walks off the field blaming the referee for missing a foul that the other team made against him. What social psychology best describes his thought process?

3. You are the president of a sales company. Based on social psychology principles, what techniques would you want your employees to use?

4. What social psychology principle explains why no one helped Kitty Genevose? 5. Are two brains better than one? Is it more productive for workers to work alone or

together in a group?

Chapter 12: 1. Gina complains of feeling sad but does not know whether or not she is truly depressed.

What differentiates sadness from depression? How can we tell the difference between normal and abnormal behavior?

2. What is PTSD? Do all veterans have PTSD? 3. Is schizophrenia the same thing as Multiple Personality Disorder? Explain your answer.

Chapter 13: 1. Maria has depression and tries taking an anti-depressant, but unfortunately, it does not

alleviate her symptoms. She decides that medication will not be helpful to her. Based on what you know about biological therapies, what advice would you give her?

2. Which therapeutic approach focuses on early childhood experiences? What are some techniques associated with this approach?

3. Your friend Paul is suffering from depression. He is considering cognitive therapy or medication. What advice would you give him?

Research Assignments

During the semester, you will be reading research studies that have been published in peer-reviewed journals. You will be provided with the articles for these assignments- you will be able to find them in Campus Cruiser Shared Files. Your task will be to read the article and complete a Zooming in on the Research Worksheet (blank one below) for each article. Submit your assignment via Campus Cruiser and also bring TWO copies of the completed worksheet (one with name; one without) to class.

Research Portfolio Rubric

“D” or “F” Work “B” or “C” Work “A” Work

Content Missing key findings or point of research study; inaccurate information presented

Several components discussed but key findings may not have been highlighted or information may be more general in nature

Accurately identified the type of study and the various components (introduction, method, results and application). Provided details about why this study was conducted, key findings, and the application of these findings.

Writing Skills Numerous grammatical and spelling errors, did not cite source, difficult to follow and understand the nature of the study

Some grammatical and spelling errors, source may not be cited accurately, organization may leave reader struggling a bit to fully understand the nature of the study

Source cited using APA style, Few or no grammatical or spelling errors, organization made it very easy for reader to understand the importance and nature of the study

Research Assignment Guidelines

Type your responses in paragraph form directly in the worksheet. Be sure to address all the questions. Research papers require that you use professional language. Avoid the use of “I” and your opinion. In a research paper, especially when the task is summarization, you are sharing the opinions and findings of others. Your role is to integrate, organize, present, and apply the information. This is not the place for personal thoughts and examples (though this internal process is very helpful in helping you retain the information).

It is always important to cite your source. You will be doing this at the top of the worksheet but should also use in-body citations as needed. For guidelines on APA style, you can visit the library’s website or go to this website. Generally speaking, you will list the author (year of publication) unless using a quote where the page number will also have to be listed. In order to avoid plagiarism, you must use your own words. Paraphrasing involves changing more than just a couple of words in the sentence. One of the best ways to avoid plagiarism is to read the article and then put it away and begin writing. If you do use the author’s exact words, you must use quotation marks and cite source appropriately. Be careful not to over-quote.

Be sure that your summary provides the reader with a good understanding of the nature of the study. You will not be able to provide all the details, but enough information so that the reader understands the key findings of the article and the methods used to produce those findings. Focus on the variables being measured versus the instruments being used. Grammar and spelling are important, as is organization of the material.

Application is a critical part of this process. Think of it as the “So What?” factor. The theorists or researchers wrote the article to share their views or findings with others. Why is this important for us to know? How can we use this information in our current or future endeavors? Again, speak globally not personally.

Zooming in on the Research Worksheet

Name:

Article (in APA Style): INTRODUCTION:

The Research Question: What question did the researcher seek to answer?

METHOD:

The Study: Who participated in the study? What did the researchers ask the participants to do? What research method was used?

RESULTS:

The Findings: What was the answer to the research question?

DISCUSSION AND SO WHAT FACTOR:

How can we use this information? What value does it have?

PSY 123 Presentation Guidelines

Assignment: For the presentation, you will need to search for a research study conducted in the field of psychology. It should be experimental or correlational in nature and needs to be published in a peer reviewed journal. Your article needs to be approved by your professor. Due to time constraints, you are strongly encouraged to work in a small group (3-5 students). You can choose one or two studies (if you prefer to do 2 studies, they should be on a similar topic). Your presentation will be approximately 10 minutes (depending on the number of presentations) and must include a visual aid such as Power Point. The goal of the presentation is to effectively communicate how the study was conducted, the findings, and the applications of these findings. In order to accomplish this goal, be sure to clearly break down the different sections of the article (see below) and use visual or other aids to help the audience understand. The presentation is like a live version of the research summary you wrote about the other articles. Finding an article: Click here for a tutorial on how to use PSYCHINFO Go to www.middlesexcc.edu Click on library (located at the bottom of the webpage) Click on Magazines, journals and newspapers (If doing this from home, you will need to enter ID and password) Go to PSYCHINFO database (you can use others like Academic Search Premiere or ERIC if you prefer) Click the box that says peer reviewed journal articles Click Empirical under the Methodology box Enter search terms on the top If Middlesex does not have the full text, you can complete the form for an inter-library loan. What am I looking for in an article? I am looking for you to find a psychology experiment that will be of interest to the class and that is straightforward enough for you to be able to understand it. Many articles are very technical and have a lot of variables. Try to select an article that is not too complicated and that you believe you will be able to effectively communicate to the class. Find an article that has a “take home value” for your classmates. This means that your classmates will be able to take and use this information. Try to find an article that has an interesting finding that your classmates may not expect. Finding an article will likely be the most challenging part of this assignment but I assure you that making an investment in a good selection will make the presentation go much more smoothly. Your presentation and visual aid must include the following: INTRODUCTION Why was this study conducted? What is the research question or hypothesis? METHOD What method was used in this study? Who were the subjects/participants? What was the procedure? If an experiment, what were the independent and dependent variables?

RESULTS What were the results? DISCUSSION AND APPLICATION What can we do with the results of this finding? How did this research impact our daily lives? ASSESSMENT QUESTION Your classmates will be giving you feedback (not a grade) on your presentation. To maximize the benefit of this feedback process, you will need to create a quiz question for the class that will help you find out if you effectively communicated the research study. The format of the question could be multiple choice or short answer. Students in the class will respond to the question by writing their answer on the feedback form. It should be focused on a central part of your study/presentation. REFERENCE Use APA Style to cite your source.

PRESENTATION RUBRIC

“F” Work “D” Work “C” Work “B” Work “A” Work

Content Very limited overview of the experiment; No or few details; difficult to understand the study

Limited overview of experiment – missing many key points or concepts

Very general overview of experiment, only a few details provided

General overview of the experiment and its value, some details provided, good organization

Very thorough overview of how experiment was conducted and the value of the findings, emphasis on most important concepts, many details, clear understanding is gained by audience

Delivery Read paper, not well-prepared- fumbled with materials, not able to answer questions

Minimal eye contact and engagement with audience; difficult to follow the presentation

Adequate eye contact, limited engagement with the audience; bounced around from topic to topic, did not flow well

Good eye contact, information presented clearly, used some techniques to reach different types of learners and to aid with memory (i.e. repeating important information)

Did not need to refer much to papers; Looked at audience while presenting, well organized, used multi-sensory approach to accommodate various learning styles, key points were emphasized through a variety of techniques, very well prepared and confident

Visual Aid or Poster

Minimal information, no sources indicated

Some information covered, but missing key points and relied solely on bullets

Adequate amount of information covered in organized fashion, some visual tools (charts) used, sources for additional information included

Most key elements of the study were identified in visually appealing manner, used visual tools like Smart Art and charts sources included

All elements of the study included, focus on application of the findings, well organized, effective use of visual tools like Smart Art sources for additional information included