Kozlowski Auditorium, M, W 10:00-11:15
Office Hours: M 11:30-1:30, W 9-10 or by appointment
Office: Kozlowski 353 - Office Phone: 275-2701
also Fahy 110, ext. 7947
There will be three quizzes (on 2/12, 3/26 and 4/30) and a cumulative final on May 7th). Each student will be able to drop one of the quiz scores (not the final); thus, there should be no need for makeup tests.
There is no specific grade for attendance, but attendance at each class is very highly recommended. In my experience, class attendance is a good predictor of the final grade in the course. February 17th and April 21st are holidays.
There are two required texts:
WEIT – Weiten, W. (2002). Psychology: Themes and Variations (Briefer version) (5th ed.) Pacific Grove, CA: Wadsworth.
BFS – Skinner, B. F. (1976). Walden Two. NY: Allyn and Bacon.
There will also be assigned readings, and perhaps more material that is not from the text than is usual in an Introductory course – be ready to take notes. Ten percent of the grade will comprise a team project, and participation in psychological research.
SUBJECT POOL POLICY
An important component of your introduction to psychology is first-hand experience in contemporary psychological research. To gain this experience, part of your grade is based on your participation in psychological surveys and experiments conducted on campus. Each Introductory Psychology student should take part in two units of participation, each lasting up to an hour (often much shorter).
The policy of the American Psychological Association, fully endorsed by the Psychology Department, is that students should be offered an alternative way to earn their participation credit if they object to taking part in human subjects research personally. If you decide to participate in the research, you will have a choice of studies and will not be required to take part in any particular one. Note that APA and departmental policy is that any person may decline to take part in any particular study and may also decide after the study has begun that he or she does not wish to continue. Each study you consider will have a consent form for you to sign that spells out these rights.
Our plan is to distribute a packet in the next few weeks describing the available studies and giving you a chance to express your interest. Once you have made an appointment, you have made a serious commitment and must contact the researcher if you need to cancel or postpone, much as you would do for an interview or a doctor’s appointment. Failing to show for a scheduled appointment will result in a grade penalty.
SYLLABUS
1. CONSCIOUSNESS AND VOLITION
Intention and responsibility (WEIT 1)
Attribution and cognitive dissonance (WEIT 16)
The unconscious (WEIT 4)
States of consciousness (WEIT 5)
The James-Lange theory of emotion (WEIT 66-68; 308-315)
The behaviorist program (WEIT 6; BFS)
Determinism and morality
2. THE TACTICS OF PSYCHOLOGY
Experimental control and statistics (WEIT 2)
Application: Studying (WEIT 7)
Application: Humor
3. INFLUENCES ON ACTION
Anatomy, gross and fine (WEIT 3)
Abnormal decision-makers (WEIT 14, 15)
Development (WEIT 11)
Genetics and nativism (WEIT 79-86)
Individual differences (WEIT 9, 12, 13)
Conditioning and learning (WEIT 6)
Cultural conditioning and higher motives (WEIT 10)
Cognitive limitations and influences (WEIT 7, WEIT 8)