Introductory Psychology
Fall 2008
Marlowe C. Embree, Ph.D.
Section 1: M W F 9:00-9:50 a.m.
Section 2: M W F 10:00-10:50 a.m.
Textbook: Gazzaniga, Michael S., and Heatherton, Todd F. Psychological Science (2nd edition). New York: W. W. Norton, 2006.
The numbers in the course outline below refer to lecture units (Web notes), not to text chapters. An extensive text reading guide will be provided (either online and/or as weekly handouts in class) for you, to help you make the links between text readings and lecture material. One-fourth of exam questions/points will be drawn from assigned text readings.
General Syllabus Information -- VERY IMPORTANT. This information is part of the official syllabus for this course. It includes important details about how to earn your grade. Please read carefully!
Important note: Though I've tried to edit carefully, some of the online Web notes may make reference to "extra credit" projects. These are no longer in force. I am not offering "extra credit" as such, but see below for a way to earn part of your grade by means of something other than traditional exams.
Course Outline:
Wed. 09/03 Unit 1a (What is psychology?)
Fri. 09/05 Unit 1b (Levels of explanation, reductionism)
Mon. 09/08 Unit 2a (Ways of knowing)
Wed. 09/10 Unit 2b (Research designs)
Fri. 09/12 Unit 2c (Research designs, cont'd)
Mon. 09/15 In-class practice exercise
Wed. 09/17 In-class personality assessment
Fri. 09/19 Unit 3a (Mind-brain problem)
Mon. 09/22 Unit 3b (Neural structure and function)
Wed. 09/24 Unit 3c (Nervous system)
Fri. 09/26 Unit 3d (Cortical structures, split brain)
Mon. 09/29 UNIT EXAM #1
Wed. 10/01 Unit 4a (Psychophysics)
Fri. 10/03 Unit 4b (Sensation)
Mon. 10/06 Unit 4c (Perception)
Wed. 10/08 Unit 5a (Temperament and motivation)
Fri. 10/10 Unit 5b (Attribution and motivation)
Mon. 10/13 Unit 5c (Emotion)
Wed. 10/15 Unit 6a (Respondent conditioning)
Fri. 10/17 Unit 6c (Operant conditioning)
Mon. 10/20 Unit 6d (Operant conditioning, cont'd)
Wed. 10/22 In-class diagramming practice
Fri. 10/24 Unit 6d (Cognitive modes)
Mon. 10/27 UNIT EXAM #2
Wed. 10/29 Unit 7a (Atkinson-Shiffrin model of memory)
Fri. 10/31 Unit 7b (Sensory store)
Mon. 11/03 Unit 7c (STM and LTM)
Wed. 11/05 Unit 7d (Theories of forgetting)
Fri. 11/07 Unit 8a (Varieties of intelligence)
Mon. 11/10 Unit 8b (Language and thought)
Wed. 11/12 Unit 9a (Piaget)
Fri. 11/14 Unit 9b (Piaget, cont'd)
Mon. 11/17 Unit 9c (Erikson)
Wed. 11/19 Unit 9d (Erikson, cont'd)
Fri. 11/21 UNIT EXAM #3
Mon. 11/24 Unit 10a (Big Five)
Wed. 11/26 Unit 10b (Axis I disorders)
Fri. 11/27 No class - Thanksgiving recess
Mon. 12/01 Unit 10c (Axis I disorders, cont'd)
Wed. 12/03 Unit 10d (Axis II disorders)
Fri. 12/05 Unit 10e (In-class diagnostic practice)
Mon. 12/08 Unit 11 (Approaches to therapy)
Wed. 12/10 Unit 12a (Historical embeddedness)
Fri. 12/12 Unit 12b (Conformity)
Mon. 12/15 UNIT EXAM #4
FINAL EXAM: Students may bring one 4" x 6" index card to the final exam ONLY (NOT to the unit exams) on which any desired notes or other information may be written. The final exam is required of all students without exception. Students who fail to complete the final exam will receive an automatic semester grade of F, regardless of prior performance in other course components. (Exception: a documented emergency will be handled by means of a grade of Incomplete. See the general syllabus information for more.)
Earning Your Grade:
Three unit exams, 40 points apiece ............................ 120 points possible (if you take all four, the lowest is dropped)
Department assessment exercise ................................ 5 points possible (see general syllabus document for more information)
Comprehensive final exam ......................................... 80 points possible
If you complete the Exam Alternative Option, you can substitute your grade on this assignment for your lowest unit exam. Due 12/15 (no exceptions). Thus, if you take all four unit exams PLUS complete the exam alternative option, the lowest TWO of these five grades will be dropped. The exam alternative option is NOT required (as stated, it is an option for students who do not "test well". Note that there are two different ways to complete the exam alternative option (the traditional way and the creative way) - read carefully!