Psychology

SYLLABUS

Introduction to Psychology

2011-2012

Midlakes High School/Finger Lakes Community College

Instructor - Mr. Campbell 

  COURSE OVERVIEW

Introduction to Psychology is a 100 level course, designed to help students become familiar with the various theories of how and why we act the way we do - - from the inside out. Students will demonstrate understanding of the history of psychology, and the current theories of psychology, psycho-biology, and psycho-physiology, particularly as these theories relate to them. The course will be diverse in learning styles and intelligences (lecture, video, cooperative learning, portfolios, tests, etc.), and is designed to enable students to ask important questions about their place in the world. Major assessments include a course long portfolio, lecture notes, mid-term and final, quizzes, critical thinking, and weekly news discussions, all of which are designed to help measure and validate student's knowledge, and to demonstrate synthesis and critical thinking skills.

MATERIALS

1. Text - Understanding Psychology – Morris and Maisto- 8th Edition

2. Three ring binder full of lined paper for notes, with pockets for holding handouts (term sheets, etc.).

3. Writing utensils

(Students will need materials one through three, daily in class).

4. Portfolio - Cover with pockets and ability to hold three hole paper.

CALENDAR

(See attached)

ASSESSMENT

This is a social studies course; however, writing well is very important in anything that you do, from a job application, to a thesis paper. Therefore, all of your work will be graded on: content, correctness, neatness, legibility, punctuation and grammar, and strength of argument (evidence).

Most semesters include about thirty grading units. The value of assignments will differ from least to most challenging. For example:

term sheets = one grading unit;

weekly quizzes = two grading units;

semester portfolios/final = 5-7 grading units.

The largest components of your overall grade will be:

Weekly term sheets

·  At the beginning of each new section, you will be given a list of important terms for that section. These are to be filled out while you do the assigned reading (do not re-copy any text definition). This is to help reinforce the information, and they are collected weekly. On a 3x5 card, you may write any five (5) terms for use during your weekly quiz.

Critical Thinking - At the end of each chapter there are at least three critical thinking questions. Choose one each week, and answer it on the back of your term sheet.

Friday News Article - Each week, you are to find a newspaper, journal, or scientific on-line article which you believe shows some aspect of the human condition, particularly as it applies to psychology. Although there is no writing component, these are discussed and collected each Friday. There are 20 of these, and students may not make these up. Students must be present and prepared on Fridays.

Weekly chapter quiz

Lecture notes - You must keep a book of lecture notes. They will be checked occasionally, and graded.

Semester Portfolio (see attached)

Semester Research Paper (TBA)

Mid-term (10% first marking period), and final (10% course grade) exams.

ASSESSMENT (FLCC)

A (93-100) Far exceeds requirements with outstanding comprehension

A- (90-92) Exceeds requirements with outstanding comprehension

B+ (87-89) Excellent accomplishment, meeting all requirements and excellent comprehension

B (83-86) Very good accomplishment, meeting all requirements and excellent comprehension

B- (80-82) Very good accomplishment, meeting virtually all requirements and very good comprehension

C+ (77-79) Above average accomplishment, meeting most requirements, and above average comprehension

C (73-76) Average accomplishment, meeting many requirements, and average comprehension

C- (70-72) Lower/average accomplishment, meeting many requirements, and poor/average comprehension

D (65-70) Poor accomplishment, meeting few requirements, poor comprehension

F (0-64) Failed to demonstrate adequate accomplishment or comprehension

BEHAVIOR

You are all young adults, this is a college level course, and I expect the best that you have to offer, both academically and behaviorally. Any behavior which disturbs the class, or inhibits others from learning will not be tolerated (see student handbook for details).

Psychology Portfolio

Mr. Campbell's Class

PURPOSE

To demonstrate student understanding of major current psychological content.

FORM

All papers are to be word processed, using 12 font, double space, and one inch margins (this does not include hand-written journals, terms, critical thinking, or cooperative work sample).

DUE

Portfolios will be collected and graded twice during the course, at the seventh and seventeenth weeks (check your course calendars).

CONTENTS (PER 10 Weeks) These will be collected TWICE during the course, and you must turn in BOTH the second time.

      1. Attractive cover.

       2. Table of contents.

        3. Brief letter of introduction to the reader, and a self-assessment: what grade do you think you deserve and why.

         4. ONE psychological article summary/reflections. Must be 1 1/2 pages in length, and include either a hard copy of the article or a detailed citation. This article must be from current psychological journals or web sites, or have obvious psychological connections and be from a popular magazine (Time, Newsweek, Psychology Today, etc.).

        5. TWO completed experiments (see activity list).

        6. Cooperative work sample. In class, we will often work in cooperative groups. You are to include a sample of one of these activities, and a one-half page summary of your feelings about the activity.

        7. Completed term sheets, critical thinking answers, and quizzes.

         8. Completed research paper (TBA).

       9. Course reflection (AT END OF COURSE ONLY). What you learned most, and what you enjoyed most, and why. Also, what you would like to see done differently.

        10. Experiment Presentation: Must choose one of the two experiments that you did for your portfolio, and present for class; 3-5 minutes, plus a visual which can be seen by all.

NOTE: Late portfolios are penalized 25/100 points per day. No portfolios will be accepted unless handed to Mr. Campbell.

Psychological Investigation/Experiments

Each semester, choose ANY TWO (2) of the following activities (four total for the course) and complete them for your portfolio. You will choose one activity to present during determined presentation periods.

1. For one day, do as many things with your opposite hand as you can safely do. For example, if you normally eat right handed, eat left handed. Keep a hand-written journal of your experiences for the day, then write a one page summary of your experiences, and how they relate to hemispheric specialization. (ch. 2) THIS IS LIMITED TO 5 STUDENTS.

2. Attempt to change some behavior of yours that you would like to change. This must be important to you, and you must justify it. Keep a hand-written journal of your attempts to change the behavior for a minimum of one week. Then, write a one page summary of your experience, the psychological strategies you used (such as positive, negative reinforcements) and the success/failure of your attempts. (ch. 2 and 5)

3. Find or create a sensory illusion which we have not seen or discussed as a class, which can be explained by using criteria in chapter three. Prepare a suitable model of the illusion, and write a one page paper describing the source of the illusion and the principle on which it works. (ch. 3)

4. Spend at least one week keeping a hand-written journal of your dreams (this is confidential). Your goal is to be able to describe at least three dreams in detail. Then, using information in chapter 4, write a one page paper where you consider what event, frame of mind, etc., may have caused those particular dreams. (ch. 4)

5. Book reports - find a book which deals with psychology or a psychological subject (check with our librarian, on line, FLCC library, or Mr. Campbell's web site, Psychology page) and read enough to get a sense if it interests you. If it does, clear it with Mr. Campbell, and write a one-and-a-half page paper which summarizes the main thesis of the book, and then explains its psychological relevance.

6. Chapter six deals with memory. Decide on something academic you would like to memorize-exactly. This can be a map (with a minimum of 20 items), a long formula, the Declaration of Independence, a long poem (no songs please, too easy). Keep a hand-written journal of your attempts and strategies - - those that worked/failed, and write a one page paper outlining your major strategies (repetition, mnemonic, etc.).  (ch. 6)

7. Using your class notes on Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences, and information from chapter 8, construct and alternative assessment (test) on some substantive material, in some way other than the traditional verbal linguistic. These include bodily/kinesthetic, visual/spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, logical/mathematical, and musical/rhythmic. You must prepare the completed exam, along with the answer key, and write a one-half-page paper explaining the validity and reliability of your exam.

8. Watch any one of the following movies: Karate Kid; Gaby: A True Story; Rudy; The Jerk; Rocky; A Beautiful Mind; I Am Sam. Write a two page paper which includes a summary of the movie, and an explanation of why this movie helps explain or exemplify Maslow's hierarchy of motives.

9. Teach a small pet to come to you. Keep a hand-written journal of how you tried to use operant conditioning to alter a small animal's behavior (NO DOGS) by teaching it to come to you. You may use a guinea pig, a rat, a pig, a rabbit, a horse, etc. This may take from 1 to 3 weeks. One way to begin this is to tie the desired behavior (coming to you) with some basic need of the animal (food), but how you set up the experiment is up to you (chapter 5). Then, write a one page paper which summarizes your strategies and your results.

10. Naturalistic observation. In a playgroup (daycare, classroom, church, park, little league, your cousins), watch and unobtrusively keep a hand-written journal of children's behaviors. You must focus on one of the following: motor development, cognitive development, social development, moral development, or language development, and be able to observe the same or similar children on at least three different occasions. Using chapter 10 and you journal, write a one page paper which explains the developmental differences and similarities between various group members, and your thoughts on the psychological relevance.

11. Personality theories. Choose your favorite television character and watch at least three(3) episodes in which your character plays a major role. In a two page paper, briefly describe the plot summary, then explain your character's behavior in terms of the major personality theories. Characters may be maladaptive, but this is not necessary.

12. Keep a hand-written journal for one week, which documents events and/or circumstances which create stress in your life, and how you react and/or cope to that stress. Then, write a one page paper which outlines how you cope with stress (cognitive, behavior, secondary, etc.) and how you might improve your coping skills.

13. Contact at least two different psychologists, psychiatrists, or social workers, and ask them their areas of expertise, and their most frequently used treatments for psychological maladies. Keep a hand-written journal of your conversations and document exactly who you talked/wrote to. Finally, write a one page paper which summarizes your findings about current psychological disorders and treatments, and/or the current state of professional psychology.

14. You write the activity. Many of you may be doing research which applies to psychology for another class, or on your own. For example, some students in previous years worked with rate in mazes in a science class, which would have been perfectly suitable for a psychological discussion. OR, you might have a burning interest in some specific psychological area which is not represented by the preceding activities. Put together a one paragraph explanation of what it is you would like to do, and submit it to Mr. Campbell. You must get prior approval for this activity.

15. Visit a mental institution. Keep a hand-written journal of the experience, detailing the type of mental institution, the way in which you were approved to visit, the health professional and patients that you came in contact with, and the types of disorders which may have institutionalized them (Chapters 12-14.). Then, write a one and a half page summary of your experience.

16.  Based on a skit from Rachel Ray, go to a public place where people might need help carrying things, open doors, etc., and offer to help.  You should do this with another psych student so that you can video tape each others experiences.  UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU CONTINUE TO HELP IF YOUR OFFER IS REFUSED!  Each student will present the video and write a one page paper discussing how people's reactions are or are not explained in the chapter on Social Psychology.

Mr.  Campbell’s Top Ten Psychology Bookmarks:  These are the best web sites I could find for information, articles, reading lists, games, etc.  If you don't find what you want, please let me know.

AlleyDog.com: the psychology student's best friend

http://www.alleydog.com
This site is a resource center for college psychology students, high school students who are considering taking psychology classes in college, or anyone interested in psychology. The site offers lots of resources such as an online glossary of terms written in regular English and not psychological jargon, sample class notes, interactive quizzes that give you immediate feedback, and lots more. There are also places to post questions or messages to other students, send in questions to be answered by the experts, contests with great prizes, and more. Check it out!
[Send report to Resources Department if this link is broken]

 

AllPsych Online

http://allpsych.com
Virtual Psychology Classroom with over 2000 pages of information. Includes three complete psychology texts (General, Personality, and Statistics), a detailed psychology timeline, biographies, a 400+ word dictionary, information on 57 mental disorders, career and educational information, online research, psychology journal, an active psychology student forum, mental health news, and psychology tests, quizzes, and games.
[Send report to Resources Department if this link is broken]

American Institute of Psychology and Health – This “on-line magazine” while not offering a very diverse group of information initially, does have a wealth of links to other sites.  Also, its advisory board it very impressive.  While very current, there does seem to be a moral agenda here.

http://www.psychjournal.com

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology – Published monthly, this APA affiliated publication is a wonderful source of current, critical articles dealing with myriad personality subjects, including a wonderful article which examines the relationship between video games and violence.  The editorial board is a diverse group of scholars, representing many of the most prestigious colleges and universities. 

Psychology Today

Enough said.

http://www.psychologytoday.com

http://www.apa.org/journals/psp.html 

http://www.psywww.com/ 

APA Online:  Office of Public Affairs; Psychology in Daily Life – Students are asked to choose and then be prepared to discuss current “real”  issues.  This site, sponsored by the American Psychological Association, looks at such issues as life after the anthrax scare.  Very informative and timely.

http://www.apa.org/pubinfo/

DMOZ – Open Directory Project – Lots of self-help links, but not a great deal of review of the sites, and many link errors.  Could be of some use if students are willing to wade through, but a good clue as to its status:  “looking for editor.”

http://dmoz.org/Science/Social_Sciences/Psychology/Self-Help/

Good Reads in Psychology – Professor Morris of the University of Michigan is the author of the text book which I currently use in my psychology course.  This is a wonderful, comprehensive (over 100 titles), fairly current (August, 1999) list of books which he calls “interesting and readable.”  A real gem for students wanting to learn more about a given topic, or just find something interesting:  MPD, PTSD, REM, etc.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~tmorris/goodbook.html