Psychology 105: Introductory Psychology I
Fall 2004
(Section 103, PeopleSoft Course Number 12116)

Blackboard | Student Resources

(Note: Additional homeworks and readings may be added throughout the term)

Course Description

Psychology 105 is the first in a two-quarter sequence that introduces some of the major areas, approaches, theories, and empirical findings in psychology. Topics to be covered in Psy 105 include: the history and present status of psychology; statistics as a research tool; human development; learning; memory; intelligence; personality; stress and coping; social psychology. The use of scientific methods to investigate psychological phenomena will be emphasized throughout.

Psy 105 (or 106) is a pre-requisite for many courses in psychology. It also can be used by non-psychology majors to fulfill a Liberal Studies Program requirement in the Self, Society, and Modern World learning domain (see the Liberal Studies Web Page for details).

Course Learning Goals

• Use critical thinking and scientific reasoning to evaluate psychological claims, both in research and in everyday life
• Be able to distinguish distinguish scientific reasoning from ideas that are based on anecdotal evidence, intuition, personal biases, or pseudo-scientific reasoning.
• Apply theories and findings from psychological research to real-world issues and your own experiences
• Be able to identify and explain important psychological concepts, theories, and empirical findings in the areas covered in this course

Course Materials and Procedures

The course will be primarily lecture and discussion. Assigned readings should be completed before the associated class meeting, except for the first week and the week of the midterm. Readings will be primarily from the textbook, and any supplemental readings will be posted on the course syllabus on the web. Material will sometimes be covered in the lecture that is not in the book and vice-versa. Although there is no formal attendance policy, unscheduled quizzes and unannounced in-class assignments will count towards your final grade, and they can not be made up in the event of absence. Any changes to the syllabus will be posted to the Announcements page on the course Blackboard web site. It is your responsibility to check the Announcements on Blackboard before class for changes and updates.

Blackboard

Blackboard will be used primarily only for posting announcements and reporting grades. Your blackboard account for the course is created automatically when you enroll, and can be accessed using your Campus Connect username and password. The syllabus as posted on the instructor's home page will serve as the gateway to all web-based course materials.

Midterm and Final Exams

Exams will consist of both multiple-choice and essay / short answer questions. The emphasis will be on material presented in class, but some material from assigned readings may appear on exams even if not covered in lectures. Assigned readings include not only the textbook chapters, but also any additional readings listed on the syllabus or posted on Blackboard. Essay questions will focus on material covered in lecture. The final exam will be partially cumulative: Some questions may ask you to integrate general themes across topics from the entire course. Specific detailed information from before the midterm will not be re-tested on the final, however.

Makeup exams will not be given without written documentation of a serious illness or emergency. If you know in advance of a legitimate commitment that prevents you from taking the midterm or final on time, you must notify me by email well in advance and request rescheduling. Vacations, pre-purchased plane tickets home for the holidays, and having more than one final on the same day are NOT legitimate reasons, by the way.

Position Papers (Brief Reports)

Take a position on some topic we have discussed and offer evidence in support of your position. Due dates for position papers are listed in the course schedule, and each should be 1 to 2 double-spaced pages. Your position paper should have four headings:

1. Summary. Summarize the topic as it was covered in class and/or in the text.
2. Opinion. State your position on the topic, even if it does not agree with what was said in class or in the text.
3. Evidence. Offer empirical evidence in support of your opinion. You can use scientific evidence (published research results such as those cited in class or in the text) or informal sources of evidence (such as your own experience). The evidence must be empirical though - it must be based on experience rather than intuition, authority, or pure reasoning.
4. Evaluation. Evaluate the strength of the evidence that you offered to support your opinion. Is the evidence you offered an accepted scientific fact (repeatedly demonstrated by valid empirical studies)? Is it an isolated scientific observation (demonstrated by just one study so far)? Is it merely anecdotal (not demonstrated by any controlled scientific study)? Is the evidence objective (does not depend on who is observing) or subjective (different observers could have different experiences)? How strongly does your evidence support your opinion? Is it proof? Strong evidence? Merely suggestive?

Research Participation

All of the interesting things we will learn about psychology this quarter ultimately come from psychological research. The research participation requirement serves two purposes: 1) It is educational for you, in that you get to see first-hand how cutting-edge research is being done, and 2) It helps the advancement of knowledge in psychology by enabling faculty to do new research. Details about this requirement and how it affects your course grade can be found at http://experiments.psy.depaul.edu

Late Assignments

Late assignments can not be accepted. Exceptions will be made only for genuine emergencies upon the presentation of written documentation.

Common Courtesy

In this class you should expect to be treated with courtesy and respect, and the same will be expected of you. Disrupting the class by arriving late, holding side-conversations while others have the floor, and using cell phones to talk or text-message during class are all examples of rude, unacceptable behavior. And while we are on the subject, be sure to turn off all cell phones and other 21st century communication and noise-making devices before class begins.

Evaluation

Grading will be based on a weighted average as follows:

The following grading scale will be used. I may sometimes make slight adjustments to this scale (in your favor) but that is not guaranteed.

Academic Dishonesty

Cheating or other forms of academic dishonesty will be dealt with according to university policy and may result in at a minimum a zero on the exam or assignment in question. Plagiarism (using the words or ideas of someone else as if they were your own) is also a form of academic dishonesty, and carries the same penalties as other forms of cheating. Plagiarism can occur as a blatant attempt to cheat (buying a term paper over the internet and turning it in as if you wrote it), but it can also occur through careless writing (failing to provide a reference for an idea that you found in a book or article). A good rule of thumb is to always provide a reference for any idea that came from someone else's writing, and if more than a few words in a row are repeated exactly either put it in quotes or rephrase it. It is also possible to plagiarize yourself -- by turning in a paper from a previous class as if it were original work, for example.

Students should consult the Academic Integrity Policy in the DePaul Student Handbook for more information on what constitutes plagiarism and other violations of academic integrity. Contact the instructor if you have questions about how to properly acknowledge source materials and the works of others.