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To become familiar with current scientific theory and research in major topic areas in
psychology and provide an opportunity for in-depth discussion relating to major topics
and issues in the field.
To develop the skills necessary to evaluate and think critically about information
concerning psychological phenomena (reports, news, etc.) obtained from research, the
public, and the media.
To discover the relevance of psychological topics to everyday life and events, including
understanding the role psychology plays in our lives and the lives of others; and to
acquire an appreciation of the practical value of psychology.
Grading:
Exams: 72%
Assignments: 24%
Participation: 4%
Experiments: Pass/Fail
Exams: There will be four (4) examinations in this class; each exam is worth 19% of your grade.
The exams are all independent of each other. Therefore, there will be NO comprehensive final
exam. The first three (3) exams will be scheduled during the semester and the fourth exam will
be during final exam week (see tentative exam dates below). Exam questions will primarily
cover material from the lectures, but may also include material from the assigned readings. Exam
questions may consist of true-false, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, and essay
questions. The exam dates listed in the course schedule are subject to change. However, any
changes will be announced in advance so that there are no surprises. If the university cancels
class on a scheduled exam day, the exam will be given in the following class period.
Assignments: There will be a series of papers assigned throughout the semester. These papers
will be relatively short (no more than two pages each) and paper topics will generally relate to
the current topic of course discussion. Paper topics and due dates will be announced in class.
These papers will be graded both on content (ideas, information, knowledge, etc.) and form
(grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc.). Papers are due at the beginning of class on the assigned
day. Specific rubrics utilized in the grading of the paper assignments will be made available to
all students at least one week prior to the due date of the first paper.
Participation: Your class participation score will be based upon your oral participation in class
and how much you contribute to the discussion. Simply raising your hand and answering basic
questions will get you some points, but to get the maximal amount of points, you need to show a
deeper understanding of the material. Active involvement in class discussion and sharing
thoughtful and insightful comments which further the discussion provide interesting and useful
information to all of us.
Attendance: Attendance is STRONGLY recommended and encouraged. Exams are heavily
based upon lecture material and some exam questions will come from lecture material that is
NOT covered by the course readings. In addition, paper topics and assignment due dates as well
as any other changes to the course schedule or syllabus will be announced in class. Absences
from class may also detract from your class participation grade. Please refer to the IWU student
handbook or contact me if you have any questions.
Experiments: In order to give you a greater understanding of the science that is psychology and
the studies you will encounter in your readings, each student is required to participate in some
psychological experiments or to write short papers on psychological research (more information
about this course requirement will follow). If you do not finish this requirement, you will receive
an incomplete for the class until the experiment requirement is met.
Important Notes:
The assignments and requirements of this course may not be appropriate for all students.
If you have special characteristics, needs, and abilities that make the course requirements
inappropriate for you, please contact me as soon as possible so that reasonable
accommodations and adaptations can be made.
Please be considerate of your classmates when talking in class. I will not tolerate
remarks that ridicule or exclude persons based on race/ethnicity, sexual orientation,
gender, religion, country of origin, social class, physical abilities, etc. Please refer to the
IWU student handbook or contact me if you have any questions.
Everyone is expected to uphold the principles of academic integrity. Plagiarism and other
forms of cheating will not be tolerated. If you are unsure if an act may be considered
plagiarism, it is usually a good idea to err on the side of conservatism. Please refer to the
IWU student handbook or contact me if you have any questions.
Please seek my assistance whenever you have a question about an assignment or other
material from class.
Some important announcements may be made to the class via email. Please make sure
that you check your email regularly. All emails from this class will contain Psych 100
in the subject line.
Finally, I do not curve student grades, so there is no reason not to work together in an
attempt to learn the material. I will evaluate your performance in all aspects of this course
at the end of the semester and the following scale will be used to calculate final grades:
A = 93-100
B+ = 87-89
C+ = 77-79
D+ = 67-69
F = < 59
A- = 90-92
B = 83-87
C = 73-76
D = 63-66
B- = 80-82
C- = 70-72
D- = 60-62
Tentative Schedule of Topics and Assignments (The following schedule is subject to change.)
WEEK OF
TOPIC/TOPICS
READINGS
IMPORTANT NOTES
Aug. 25
History / Methods
Ch. 1 & 2
Sept. 1
Research Methods
Ch. 2
Sept. 8
Biological Foundations
Ch. 3
Sept. 15
The Mind
Ch. 4
Sept. 22
Perception
Ch. 5
Sept. 29
Learning
Ch. 6
Oct. 6
Memory
Ch. 7
Oct. 13
Social Psychology
Ch. 12
Oct. 20
Clinical Psych/Disorders
Ch. 14
Oct. 27
Personality
Ch. 13
Nov. 3
Development
Ch. 11
Nov. 10
Thinking
Ch. 8
Nov. 17
Motivation
Ch. 9
Nov. 24
Health
Ch. 10
Thanksgiving: No class on
Thurs. Nov. 27
Dec. 1
Health
Ch. 10
Dec. 8
Final Exam