THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIOLONDON CANADA

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

2010 - 2011

Psychology 1000-001: Introduction to Psychology

Welcome to the redesigned Psychology Superclass! We plan to make this year’s course every bit as successful as in previous years. Below you will find a course description, evaluation summary, lecture outline, and some study tips. We will go over these points in class, but please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the outline right now. I look forward to teaching you in Psych 1000 and wish you all the best for a great year!

Dr. Mike Atkinson

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION

An introductory survey of the methods and findings of modern scientific psychology. The following topics will be covered: history and methodology, biological psychology, sensation and perception, learning and motivation, verbal and cognitive processes, developmental psychology, social psychology, individual differences (intelligence and personality), and clinical psychology.Antirequisites: Psychology 1100E, 12003 lecture hours

Please note: You are responsible for ensuring that you have successfully completed all course prerequisites, and that you have not taken an antirequisite course. Lack of prerequisites may not be used as a basis for appeal. If you are found to be ineligible for a course, you may be removed at any time and will receive no adjustment to your fees. This decision cannot be appealed. If you find that you do not have the course prerequisites, it is in your best interest to drop the course well before the end of the add/drop period. Your prompt attention to this matter will not only protect your academic record, but will ensure that spaces become available for students who require the course for graduation.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course is an introductory level survey of the methods and findings of modern scientific psychology. The goal is to provide students with an overview of various topic domains within the realm of psychology. As such, students will be exposed to diverse theoretical viewpoints and various methods and procedures for the scientific investigation of psychological issues. Note: Modern psychology is scientific in nature. Consequently, we will spend a lot of time discussing science-related topics such as research design, neural functioning, sensory mechanisms, etc.

Each chapter in the text covers a major interest area in psychology. Following each chapter, students will be able to identify the major concepts and terminology for that topic area. In addition, when presented with a hypothetical problem or case, students will be able to assess and evaluate the problem and choose the best solution.

COURSE INFORMATION

Instructor: Dr. Mike Atkinson Room 6316, SSC 661-2111, ext. 84644

atkinson@uwo.ca

Class: North Campus Building 101 Tuesday & Thursday, 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Office Hours: By appointment (usually Wed. p.m.)

Required Text: Passer, M.W., Smith, R.E., Atkinson, M.L., Mitchell, J.B., & Muir, D.W. (2008). Psychology: Frontiers and Applications. Third Canadian Edition. Toronto: McGraw Hill Ryerson.

Note: this text comes shrink-wrapped with a passkey for the CONNECT website WHICH IS REQUIRED.

Recommended: Fleet, J., Goodchild, F., & Zajchowski, R. (2006). Learning for success: Effective strategies for students (4th edition). Toronto: Thompson.

Teaching Staff

In addition to Dr. Atkinson, there are a number of Graduate Teaching Assistants assigned to Intro Psych. The graduate students have been part of the Department of Psychology from 1 to 5 years. Teaching assistants will be in NCB 101 before, during, and after class. Please feel free to address any questions about the lecture, the program, or psychology in general to them as well as to Dr. Atkinson. The TAs also will hold office hours during the week ... please drop by and see them.

Psych 1000 Web Site

The course website is located at

http://webct.uwo.ca

Here you will find class information, study suggestions, links to other resources, etc. Please check it often.

Questions

Asking questions during lecture is an extremely important part of learning. I strongly encourage you to ask a question whenever you require clarification on an issue, or have an observation to make yourself. Sometimes we get so many questions on a particular topic that I have to limit the amount of time on any particular issue. If you do not get a chance to ask your question, or if you would rather address the question to me in a more anonymous fashion, there is a large "question box" available at the front of the room. Simply write out the question, deposit it in the box, and I will address the most frequently raised issues at the beginning of next lecture. Note: Routine questions such as “Where is the exam?”, “What chapters are covered for the midterm?”, etc., may already be addressed on the FAQ portion of the course website.

Classroom Conduct

NCB 101 is a new teaching facility. The classroom holds a maximum of 800 people & the technical wizardry available in NCB 101 is awesome. I'm very excited about using NCB 101 again this year, and I hope that you will enjoy the course.

With 800 people in one room, there can be a lot of confusion. A few, simple rules can keep the confusion to a minimum, and help provide a reasonably quiet teaching environment for all students.

1. Class is scheduled from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Tues. and Thurs. The lecture will start promptly at 1:45 p.m. You must be in NCB 101 by

1:45 p.m. The doors to NCB 101 will be closed at 1:45 p.m. If you must come late, please use the doors at the back of the room and take the first available seat. Lecture will end by 3:15 p.m. at the latest. I promise not to go over the time limit. This will allow you enough time to exit and get to your next class. Please do not leave early -- shuffling up and down the aisles causes a great deal of distraction. We will take a brief stretch break around 2:30 p.m.

2. The potential noise level generated by 800 people "whispering" to one another is quite high. In order that everyone can hear the lecture, please do not talk to your neighbours during lecture. If the noise level starts to climb, one of the teaching staff will remind you not to talk. If the noise level continues to climb, you may be asked to leave the room. Please remember that there are many other people in the room and we all must be sensitive to everyone's concerns. Also, please turn off your cell phone when you enter the classroom. The ring tone can be very distracting to your fellow students.

EVALUATION:

There will four tests during the year. All tests are common to all sections of Psych 1000. Term test 1 (Fall term test) is scheduled for Sat. Oct. 23, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Term test 1 will consist of 75 multiple choice questions (chapters 1 – 4 plus Appendix A) and is worth 20%. Questions will be based on both the text and lecture material. The Christmas test will be scheduled sometime during the Christmas exam period (Dec. 10 - 21, 2010). This test will consist of 75 multiple choice questions covering both text and lecture material and is worth 20%. The Christmas test covers chapters 5 – 8.

Term test 2 is scheduled for Sat. March 5, 2011 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will be worth 20%. This test is similar to Term test 1 and the Christmas test (i.e., 75 multiple choice questions from the text and lecture material). Term test 2 will cover chapters 9 – 11, & 16. The final exam will be scheduled during the final exam period (April 10 – 30, 2011) and is worth 30%. The final exam covers chapters 12 – 15 and will consist of 100 questions from both the text and lecture material.

                In addition to the exams, there are quizzes on CONNECT worth 5%            

  Students must answer online test questions on CONNECT for each chapter in the textbook (the link is posted on the WebCT site)

  each group of FOUR chapters are worth 1.25%   Students must complete the questions for

  Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 by October 21st  (just before the Fall midterm)  Chapters 5, 6, 7, 8 by December 10th (just before the Christmas exam)  Chapters 9, 10, 11, 16 by March 3rd (just before the Spring midterm)  Chapters 12, 13, 14 15 by April 10th (just before the final exam)

  Students may only take the test ONCE  after the deadline, the answers will be posted on CONNECT if the student

wishes to get feedback on any incorrect responses

The remaining 5% is for participation in on-line discussions. The details are posted on the WebCT site.

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

A central characteristic of scientific knowledge is that it is based onsystematic observations in empirical studies. This is also true forpsychological knowledge about human behaviour, which is based on empiricalobservations in natural settings or psychology labs. To familiarize studentswith the methods of scientific research in psychology and to providefirst-hand experiences with the procedures presented in the lectures, thecourse includes a mandatory research experience component, which involvesthe participation in psychological studies for a total of six (6) researchhours. As an alternative, students who do not wish to participate inpsychological research may fulfill this requirement by reviewing six (6)research articles published in psychological journals. It is also possibleto combine research participation and article review (e.g., do 5 studies andreview 1 article). Please note that experience with psychologicalresearch-by means of research participation or the study of researcharticles-is an essential component of the course requirement. Failure tomeet this requirement will result in a deduction of 10 points on the finalgrade.

 

IMPORTANT: ALL RESEARCH CREDITS MUST BE COMPLETED PRIOR TO APRIL 10.

More detailed information on the participation in research studies and thealternative of reviewing research articles is available at:

http://www.psychology.uwo.ca/pdfs/Sona/researchparticipation.pdf. PLEASEREAD THE INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE VERY CAREFULLY!!

 

Evaluation Summary: Term test 1: 20% Mid year test: 20% Term test 2: 20% Final exam: 30% CONNECT Quiz: 5% Discussion: 5% Total 100%

EVALUATION GUIDELINES

The Psychology Department follows the University of Western Ontario grading guidelines, which are as follows (see

http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/general/grades_undergrad.pdf):

A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this levelA 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above averageB 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactoryC 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirementsD 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptableF below 50 Fail

Greening the Classroom... it’s a start.

Whether you believe that global warming is one of the most serious challenges we face in the 21st century or that it is wildly exaggerated, the fact remains that dumping endless tons of CO2 onto the atmosphere is not good. And we should try to do something about it. Individually, we should all recycle, use less energy in our homes, and reduce the amount of fossil fuels we burn. But what can we do in the classroom? It is difficult to control the physical infrastructure of any classroom—turning down the heat or AC, shutting down the fans, etc. affects more than just one classroom and may affect an entire block of buildings. In addition, the startup of equipment may actually consume more energy than we save by turning it down. So, I’ve come up with the following suggestion.

I estimate that this class consumes about 93,600 kwh per school year.  This is the energy required to run the lights, fans, equipment, etc.   This translates into dumping approximately 215, 280 pounds (107.6 tons) of CO2 into the atmosphere.  The single largest factor I can identify that is under my control is diet.  By switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet, the average person can offset up to 1.5 tons of CO2 per year.  I propose to eat vegetarian on Tuesdays and Thursdays (class days).  This will create a savings of approximately 16.44 pounds of CO2 per week--427.44 pounds over the school year for me alone.  If 100 students in this class join me in this pledge, we save 42,744 pounds.  If 400 join, we save 170, 976 pounds.  We break even with a little over 500 students.  Thus, by this method alone, we can run the class on a zero carbon footprint. There is section on the website where you can pledge to join me in this project.

I realize that the idea of “offsetting” only works through a trickle-down effect—it will take time for this initiative to have any impact at all. In addition, my numbers are ballpark estimates at best. Maybe it takes 800 or 1200 students to break even. I also realize that there are consequences to such action (e.g., if many people did this, the price of meat would soar), and we need to consider such outcomes. But the potential consequences of doing nothing are far more serious. Even if, in the end, all we save is a few hundred pounds, well at least we’ve done that. It’s a start.

Psychology 1000Lecture Calendar

Topics will be covered in the following order during the year. Approximate lecture dates are given so that you can keep up with the readings. Ideally, you should do the required readings before the topic is covered in class. Lectures are intended to highlight certain areas of each topic -- there is not enough time available to us to cover all the material. However, you are responsible for all the material in the text. Please note that there is a fairly heavy reading load in this course -- we cover approximately one chapter every week and half. Thus, it is important for you to keep up with the readings.

First Term

Topic Chapter Lecture date

Introduction & Methodology 1 & 2 Sept. 114, 16, 21

Biological Foundations 3 Sept. 23, 28, 30; Oct. 5 Genes & Behaviour 4 Oct. 7, 12, 14, 19

Statistics Appendix A Oct. 21

Term test 1 (20%) 1 – 4, Appendix A Sat. Oct. 23, 9:00 – 11:00 a.m Sensation & Perception 5 Oct. 26, 28; Nov. 2, 4

Consciousness 6 Nov. 9, 11

Learning 7 Nov. 16, 18, 23, 25

Memory 8 Nov. 30; Dec. 2, 7

Mid-year TEST (20%) 5 - 8 Dec. 10 - 21

Other important dates: Sept. 21 Last day to add a full course or first term half course Oct. 11 Thanksgiving Dec. 8 Classes end

Second Term: Classes resume on Jan. 3, 2011

Topic Chapter Lecture date

Intelligent Thought & Behaviour 9 Jan. 4, 6, 11, 13, 18

Motivation & Emotion 10 Jan. 20, 25, 27

Development 11 Feb. 1, 3, 8, 10

Social Psychology 16 Feb. 15, 17; March 1, 3

Note: Conference Week is Feb. 21 - 25

Term test 2 (20%) 9, 10, 11, 16 Sat. March 5, 2:00 – 4:00p.m Stress 15 March 8

Personality 12 March 10, 15, 17

Disorders 13 March 22, 24, 29

Treatment 14 March 31; April 5, 7

Final Exam (30%) 12 - 15 April 10- 30

Other Important Dates Early Feb. Program counselling April 9 Classes end

LEARNING INFORMATION EFFICIENTLY

1. You will be expected to know the assigned chapters VERY WELL!Many of the multiple-choice questions in this course are based on material from the chapters that is not explicitly covered in lecture. To be able to answer these questions correctly you will need to know and understand each of the concepts and processes described in the assigned chapters. This a major learning task and many students run into difficulties because they do not know how to handle this learning task efficiently.

2. Just reading the assigned chapters is NOT enough!

For most people the process of reading something, or even re-reading it, does not mean that they remember it. This is especially true for "heavy" course content such as that found in the psychology text. If you wish to learn the material from the text efficiently, you will need to approach it in a different manner.

3. Learn the text chapters using ACTIVE reading/learning strategies.

Strategies recommended for efficient learning of text material can be divided into three types: pre-reading, reading for comprehension, and post-reading.

a. Pre-reading. Learn the headings and subheadings.

Instead of diving immediately into reading the chapter, spend a few minutes learning the headings and subheadings. The headings and subheadings tell you the important ideas that will be covered in the chapter. In the text they are laid out for you on the first few pages of the book in the table of contents. Look at these headings and subheadings, think how they have been ordered, try reciting them from memory, and then write them out on a separate sheet of paper.

b. Reading for comprehension. Read a few pages and THEN summarize.

Don't try to read most of the chapter in one sitting. It is much easier to learn the material in small chunks. Read a few pages carefully and THEN make a summary of the important points. Continue doing this until you have summarized about 10 pages - then take a break. You can summarize by highlighting sparingly AND making marginal notes, or by making separate written notes.

Note that much of the information in psychology comes in the form of arguments. Here are some the important kinds of information that are crucial to knowing and understanding an argument: i) definitions of new terms, ii) essential explanations of the specific argument, iii) examples, iv) results of studies.

If you make separate summary notes, try using point form and keywords. This has 2 advantages: the notes are made more quickly and they are easier to read. As you record key terms and definitions ALWAYS relate them to the arguments of which they are a part.

c. Post-reading. Test yourself.

After actively reading 10 or more pages in the manner described above, try reciting (i.e., recalling from memory) all the important points under each heading and subheading that you have studied. This will reinforce the ideas you know and identify those that you need to review. Doing the study guide questions and relevant practice exam questions after you have finished the entire chapter can also be very helpful.

4. For more information regarding learning strategies:

a. Read relevant sections of the self-help book, Learning for Success: Effective Strategies for Students, written for students by Western's Learning Skills Counsellors. It is also available from D.B. Weldon Library or the University Bookstore.)

Chapter 4 presents many useful ideas on ways to select and remember important information and chapter 6 of this book looks at a variety of strategies for learning from textbooks. Other chapters in the book deal with important learning issues such as preparing for and writing exams, time management, learning from lectures, etc...

b. Students interested in exploring time management issues in more depth can examine the self-help book Power Over Time: Student Success with Time Management also written by Western's Learning Skills Counsellors. It too is available from D.B. Weldon Library or the University Bookstore.

c. Use the Learning Skills Services at the Student Development Centre in Room 210 UCC. A range of services are offered to help you improve your general learning skills including workshops on textbook reading, multiple-choice strategies for Psychology 1000, and individual counselling.

Official Policy Statements

POLICY ON MAKEUP EXAMS

Students are entitled to a rescheduling of exams or an extension of deadlines for legitimate medical or compassionate grounds. However, it is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor prior to the due date, to arrange a timely makeup, and, if requested, to provide acceptable documentation to support a medical or compassionate claim.

In the case of a final examination or assignment in the course, the student must arrange for a Special Examination or Incomplete through their Dean's office, for which you will be required to provide acceptable documentation.

If you feel that you have a medical or personal problem that is interfering with your work, you should contact your instructor and the Faculty Academic Counselling Office as soon as possible. Problems may then be documented and possible arrangements to assist you can be discussed at the time of the occurrence rather than on a retroactive basis. In general, retroactive requests for grade revisions on medical or compassionate grounds will not be considered.

In order to write a make up for a midterm exam you must contact me. I will request that official documentation be brought in. No one will be allowed to write a make up unless they have first cleared it through me. If you miss a term test or exam due to an illness, you will have to abide by the university’s policy on accommodation for medical illness, found at: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/accommodation_medical.pdf. Failure to contact Dr. Atkinson within one week of a missed exam will result in a score of zero on the missed test or exam. Any request to write the make-up must be supported by written documentation outlining the reasons for your absence. NOTE. In fairness to all students in Psych 1000, we cannot give special consideration to personal commitments (e.g., work-related trips, vacation flight bookings, etc.) which conflict with scheduled tests and exams. Note as well that it is your responsibility to check and confirm the examination timetable as set by the Registrar.

For each test or exam, there will be one and only one formally scheduled make-up. Typically, the make-up will be offered within 7 days of the original test or exam date. The format for the make up will be multiple choice or a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions.

STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES

Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offenses. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offenses because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offense are described at the following link: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholoff.pdf

As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offenses. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between The University of Western Ontario and Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com).

Possible penalties for a scholastic offense include failure of the assignment, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.

OTHER INFORMATION

Office of the Registrar web site: http://www4.registrar.uwo.ca

Student Development Services web site: http://www.sdc.uwo.ca

Please see the Psychology Undergraduate web site for information on the following:

http://psychology.uwo.ca/newundergradstudentresp.htm

- Policy on Cheating and Academic Misconduct- Procedures for Appealing Academic Evaluations- Policy on Attendance- Policy Regarding Makeup Exams and Extensions of Deadlines- Policy for Assignments- Short Absences- Extended Absences- Documentation- Academic Concerns- 2009 Calendar References

No electronic devices, including cell phones, will be allowed during exams.

To avoid being accused of cheating on an exam, I offer the following suggestions from the Office of the Ombudsperson:

1. Do not sit near friends.2. Shield your answer sheet so that others cannot see it.3. Take no notes, books, etc. into an exam except those

expressly authorized. If in doubt, ask.4. Do not gaze around the room when writing an exam.5. Do not communicate with other students during an exam.

Address all questions or comments to a proctor.6. Arrive on time. Hand in all papers requested.7. If you hear of anyone acquiring information about an exam

in advance, report it to the instructor.8. If you suspect any suspicious behaviour on behalf of other

students, report it to the proctor or instructor.

PROCEDURES FOR APPEALING ACADEMIC EVALUATIONS

You have the right to appeal any grade given in a course. This may be the grade on a particular exam, or the entire course grade itself. In the first instance, all appeals of a grade must be made to the course instructor (informal consultation). If you are not satisfied with the decision of the course instructor, a written appeal must be sent to the Executive Officer for Undergraduate Affairs. If the response of the department is considered unsatisfactory to the student, he or she may then appeal to the Dean of the Faculty in which the course or program was taken. Only after receiving a final decision from the Dean may a student appeal to the Senate Review Board Academic (SRBA). A handout outlining your rights of appeal is available from the Office of the Ombudsperson, room 260 UCC. Note: Only certain types of appeals may proceed to SRBA. Please consult the Office of the Ombudsperson for further information.