Psychology

Psychology 101—Introductory Psychology
Fall Term 2013 (Section 3) Instructors: | Courtney PlanteCrystal Tse | PAS 3240F [e-mail] Hours: Monday, Tuesday: 2-4 PMPAS 3240C [e-mail] Hours: Wednesday & Thursday 4-6 PM | Assistants: | Christie Haskell | PAS 4043; Office Hours: Friday, 11:30-12:30 AMe-mail: [e-mail] | | Lectures: Tuesdays 6:30-9:20 in DC 1351. Required Text: Myers, D. (2013). Psychology: Tenth Edition in Modules. New York: Worth Publishers.*

We strongly recommended that you use the Myers’ Psychology: Tenth Edition in Modules. While earlier, used editions may be available in the campus bookstore, and differences between the two versions are relatively minor, you do so at your own risk.

*Note that we have placed 2 copies of the text on reserve at the Data Porter Library (24 hour loan period). A link to access the course reserves appears on the course web site (below).

Course Description and Objectives This is an introductory course in psychology, which means that we will be covering all areas of psychology in the course. It is designed to introduce you to the field of psychology as a whole, and to the major theories and findings in the discipline. The course is designed so that you can meet the following objectives: 1. Become familiar with the broad range of topics that make up the discipline of psychology. 2. Become familiar with the methods of investigation used in psychology, and the strengths and limitations of these methods. 3. Develop an understanding of the vocabulary and concepts of psychology that will allow you to study further in advanced courses or through independent reading. 4. Develop the ability to relate the findings of psychological research to your life and to important issues in our society and the world at large.

5. Think critically about your preconceptions of what psychology is so you can become an informed consumer of psychological information (in the media, journals, etc…)

Course Website (http://learn.uwaterloo.ca):

The course website will include PowerPoint slides shown in lectures, the course syllabus and any announcements. You will also be able to check your grades on the course website. The PowerPoint slides will be posted at least 24 hours before lecture, as many students prefer to take notes directly on the slides. That said, having the slides will not replace regularly attending lectures. Attendance is critical for success in this course.

Course Content:

You will be responsible for materials from two sources in this course: the lectures and the textbook. 20% of exam questions will come exclusively from lecture materials, while 20% will come exclusively from the textbook. The remaining 60% of questions will come from materials that were covered both in lectures and in the textbook. To do well in this course it is necessary to both attend lectures and keep up with the assigned textbook readings.

Questions and Contacting the Instructors:

The greatest disadvantage of a course this size (250+ students) is the minimal number of individual interactions you will have with your instructors. We strongly encourage you ask questions in class/after class or to come to our office hours with questions. If you have questions about:

* Content: Please direct them to the relevant instructor (see schedule below) or to teaching assistants. * Missed tests: Please contact teaching assistants. * Course website problems: Please contact teaching assistants. * Questions about exams/assignments: Please contact teaching assistants. * Other inquiries: Please contact teaching assistants.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING Requirements 1. Tests (32% each): You will take three in-class multiple-choice tests during the semester. The tests will cover material that is presented in the text and in lectures. The tests will not be cumulative. There will not be a final exam. In general, there will be no make-up tests, but in cases of severe illness or other extenuating circumstances a make-up test will be offered. Given the size of the class written documentation will be required for any make-up test. It is also required that you contact a TA within 72 hours, with your written documentation, to schedule the make-up test. Make-up exams will not occur more than one week after the original exam date. There will also be an optional application paper (see below). 2. Application Paper (Optional 32%): You have the option to write a short paper (1000 to 1500 words in length). In this paper, you will find 1-3 examples of popular media (e.g. news stories, books, blogs, movies, etc…) and analyse them using at least one of the psychological concepts you have learned in this course. This can be anything from a news article about relations between Israel and Palestine to a blog entry about a social issue to a particular character’s behaviour in a movie or novel. You just need three references--one can be the textbook, a second should be from a psychological journal, and finally you need to reference the media you are analyzing. You are strongly encouraged to contact either the TAs or the instructors with your ideas for the paper before writing it. You will receive specific instructions for this assignment in class. It will be due on Tuesday November 26th by 11:55 pm. There will be no extensions for this assignment and you are encouraged to submit it well before the due date.

Your mark on this paper may be used to replace the grade of your lowest mid-term. In the event that your mark on this optional assignment is lower than your mid-term marks, your mid-term marks will not be changed. 3. Psychological experiments/studies you participate in/article reviews (4% + 2% bonus): During the term, you will have opportunities to participate in studies that are being conducted by University of Waterloo researchers. See the description below. Your participation is voluntary. During the first three weeks of our course, there will be a Mass Testing Questionnaire that can be completed on the web. This will count as one research participation credit. You can earn up to 2 additional percentage points in the class by participating in other experiments. Please note that you do not have to participate in experiments/studies if you don’t want to. Alternatively (or in addition), you may write up short reviews of articles that are relevant to psychology. Articles that you review must be serious (e.g., a news report of a study that has genuine relevance to psychology) rather than frivolous. You must check with a TA about the appropriateness of any article that you are thinking about summarizing. You may use the sheet at the end of the course outline to guide the writing of your summary. Please turn it in with the summary. In addition, you may not summarize any of the articles that you are using for your application paper or the articles in the Scientific American reader. You complete a total of 4 research participations in any combination of mass testing questionnaire, experimental participation and article summaries (e.g., 2 experimental participations + completing the mass testing questionnaire + 1 article summary; or 3 experimental participations + mass testing questionnaire) for normal course credit. Each hour of research participation/summary/mass testing questionnaire will be worth 1% of your grade for a total of 4%. In addition, I will allow you to participate in two additional hours of experiments (or article summaries) for an additional 1% extra credit for each. So theoretically, you could earn a mark of 102%. There will be no other opportunities to earn extra credit—I cannot grant any special requests for extra credit. Grading
In-Class Tests (3) 3x32%
(Optional) Application Paper 32%
Participation in Experiments/Article Summaries (Research Experience Marks) 4%
Total 100%
Optional bonus participation +2%

Tentative Lecture Schedule Week | Date | Topic | Modules | Instructor | 1 | 9/10 | Introduction to psychologyHistory of psychologyResearch methods in psychology | 1 - 3 | Crystal, Courtney | 2 | 9/17 | Neuroscience: The Brain and Nervous System | 4, 5, 6, 32, 28 | Crystal | 3 | 9/24 | Sensation, Perception & Embodied Cognition | 17-19, 35-37 | Courtney | 4 | 10/1 | Test 1Cognition: Cognitive Neuroscience | 5, 6 | Crystal | 5 | 10/8 | Cognition: Memory, Intelligence, & Attention | 7-8, 23-26, 29-31 (9-10) | Courtney | 6 | 10/15 | Behaviorism: Conditioning and Learning | 11-12, 20-22, 27 | Courtney | 7 | 10/22 | Development: Across the Lifespan | 13-16 | Crystal | 8 | 10/29 | Test 2Personality: Individual Differences | 40-42 | Courtney | 9 | 11/5 | Psychological Disorders, Diagnosis, and Treatment | 47-54 | Crystal | 10 | 11/12 | Social: Obedience, Conformity, Self-Enhancement | 43-46 | Courtney | 11 | 11/19 | Social: Pro-Social & Anti-Social Interactions | 43-46 | Crystal | 12 | 11/26 | Test 3Optional Applied Paper DuePsychology Applied / Students’ Choice | | Crystal, Courtney | Tips for this Course: * It is impossible for the instructors to cover all of the material in the textbook in lectures. Instead, lectures should be thought of as an accompaniment to the textbook readings: elaborating on specific points and providing information that is not in the textbook. You will be required to know material that is in the lectures but not in the textbook, and vice-versa. * Keeping up with assigned readings is one of the best ways to improve your grade in this course. A lot of material is covered in a very short period, and it is next to impossible to learn it all the night before an exam. * Ask questions! The instructors and teaching assistant are there to help you! Come to office hours and ask questions, either in lecture or afterward. * Please be on time for class. It is very disruptive to other students when people arrive late looking for a seat. * Refrain from talking in class. This disturbs other students and is inconsiderate. If the instructor feels you are being disruptive, you may be asked to leave. * Turn off all cell phones, BlackBerrys, iPods, etc… before the start of class. They are very disruptive to lectures. * The use of laptops is permitted and encouraged in this course, but please use them for class-related activities. Checking e-mail, playing games, and chatting with others is not only distracting for you, but for the students around you.

Participation in Psychology Research:
Guidelines for Psychology 101 Section 3, Fall 2013 Experiential learning is considered an integral part of the undergraduate program in Psychology. Research participation is one example of this, article review is another. A number of undergraduate courses have been expanded to include opportunities for Psychology students to earn grades while gaining research experience.
Since experiential learning is highly valued in the Department of Psychology, students may earn up to 4% of their final mark in this course through research experience (i.e., course work will make up 96% of the final mark and research experience will make up the other 4% for a maximum grade of 100%). In addition, for those students who wish to sample a wider range of these experiences, a further "bonus" of up to 2% may be earned and will be added to the final grade if/as needed to bring your final grade up to 100%.
The two options for earning research experience grades (participation in research and article review) are described below. Students may complete any combination of these options to earn research experience grades.
Option 1: Participation in Psychology Research
Research participation is coordinated by the Research Experiences Group (REG). Psychology students may volunteer as research participants in lab and/or online (web-based) studies conducted by students and faculty in the Department of Psychology. Participation enables students to learn first-hand about psychology research and related concepts. Many students report that participation in research is both an educational and interesting experience. Please be assured that all Psychology studies have undergone prior ethics review and clearance through the Office of Research Ethics.
Educational focus of participation in research
To maximize the educational benefits of participating in research, students will receive feedback information following their participation in each study detailing the following elements: * Purpose or objectives of the study * Dependent and independent variables * Expected results * References for at least two related research articles * Provisions to ensure confidentiality of data * Contact information of the researcher should the student have further questions about the study * Contact information for the Director of the Office of Research Ethics should the student wish to learn more about the general ethical issues surrounding research with human participants, or specific questions or concerns about the study in which s/he participated.
Participation is worth 0.5 participation credits (grade percentage points) for each 30 minutes of participation. Participation on ONLINE studies is worth .25 credits for each 15 minutes of participation. Researchers will record student’s participation and will advise the course instructor of the total credits earned by each student at the end of the term.
How to participate?
Study scheduling, participation and grade assignment is managed using the SONA online system. All students enrolled in this course have been set up with a SONA account. You must get started early in the term. For detailed instructions on when and how access your SONA account and for a list of important dates and deadlines please, as soon as possible, go to: http://uwaterloo.ca/research-experiences-grou/participants/sona-information
*** Please do not ask the Course Instructor or REG Coordinator for information unless you have first thoroughly read the information provided on this website.***
More information about the REG program in general is available at: https://uwaterloo.ca/research-experiences-grou/participants Option 2: Article Review as an alternative to participation in research
Students are not required to participate in research, and not all students wish to do so. As an alternative, students may opt to gain research experience by writing short reviews (1½ to 2 pages) of research articles relevant to the course. The course instructor will specify a suitable source of articles for this course (i.e., scientific journals, newspapers, magazines, other printed media). You must contact your TA to get approval for the article you have chosen before writing the review. Each review article counts as one percentage point. To receive credit, you must follow specific guidelines. The article review must: * Be submitted before the last lecture in this course. Late submissions will NOT be accepted under ANY circumstances. * Be typed * Fully identify the title, author(s), source and date of the article. A copy of the article must be attached. * Identify the psychological concepts in the article and indicate the pages in the textbook that are applicable. Critically evaluate the application or treatment of those concepts in the article. If inappropriate or incorrect, identify the error and its implications for the validity of the article. You may find, for example, misleading headings, faulty research procedures, alternative explanations that are ignored, failures to distinguish factual findings from opinions, faulty statements of cause-effect relations, errors in reasoning, etc. Provide examples whenever possible. * Clearly evaluate the application or treatment of those concepts in the article. * Keep a copy of your review in the unlikely event we misplace the original. Academic Integrity: Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. [Check http://www.uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/ for more information.]
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline, http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.htm. For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of Penalties, http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/guidelines/penaltyguidelines.htm. Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4,http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm. When in doubt please be certain to contact the department’s administrative assistant who will provide further assistance.
Appeals: A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances (other than regarding a petition) or Policy 71 - Student Discipline if a ground for an appeal can be established. Read Policy 72 - Student Appeals,http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy72.htm.
Academic Integrity website (Arts): http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/arts/ugrad/academic_responsibility.html
Academic Integrity Office (UW): http://uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/ Accommodation for Students with Disabilities: Note for students with disabilities: The Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD), located in Needles Hall, Room 1132, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the OPD