Psychology 103-02: Introductory Psychology

M W 7:00-8:20, Javits 100

Fall 2015 Syllabus
This course satisfies the DEC category F and the SBC category HBS
Instructor

Graduate Teaching Assistants

Anne Moyer, Ph.D.

Office: Psychology B 224
Office hours: Tues 3:45-4:45; Wed 3:30-5:30
or by appointment
Phone: 632-7811
e-mail: anne.moyer@stonybrook.edu

Jennifer Bowers
Office: Psychology B 216
Office hours: Wed 9:00-11:00 or by appointment
e-mail: jennifer.bowers@stonybrook.edu
Tenille Taggart
Office: Psychology B 302
Office hours: Wed 1:00-3:00 or by appointment
e-mail: tenille.taggart@stonybrook.edu

Undergraduate Teaching Assistants

Tina Zheng
Office: Psychology B 149
Office Hours: Friday 9:00-11:00 or by appointment
e-mail: tina.zheng@stonybrook.edu
Required Text

Gerrig, R. J. & Zimbardo, P. G. (2013) Psychology and Life, (20th ed).

Available at the campus bookstore.
Blackboard Site
https://blackboard.stonybrook.edu/
Logging in information for students as well as answers to student questions, can be found at:
http://it.stonybrook.edu/services/blackboard/BB-basics
Course Description
An introduction to research and theory in psychology in such areas as learning, perception, cognition,
biopsychology, development, personality, and abnormal and social psychology. As part of the course,
students must participate in experiments and/or a library research project.
Course Objectives
1. Gaining an understanding of a variety of topics within the field of psychology.
2. Developing critical and scientific thinking skills through an understanding of the methods used in
psychological research.
3. Increasing your understanding of others and your own behavior, and developing an appreciation for the
diversity of human nature and functioning.
Evaluation
1.
2.
3.
4.

Best 2 grades of exams 1-3; and final exam (equally weighted, 30% each)
90%
Brief written assignment
10%
Research participation
(see below)
Extra credit available through the You Make the Call challenge, You Ask
the Question contest, and the Professors Dont Bite initiative
up to approx. 7.5%!

1. Exams: Each exam will be 50 multiple-choice questions. The content will include material both
from the assigned chapters in the text (about 70%) and during lectures (about 30%). Special challenge
questions will be on material from the text that is not covered in class but is for you to review yourself.
Questions on these challenge topics are highly likely to appear on the exam. Exams 1, 2, and 3 will be noncumulative, covering only material presented since the previous exam. The mandatory final exam will be
cumulative, covering material from the entire course.
2. Brief written assignment: This assignment allows you the opportunity to demonstrate your efforts
in mastering topics in psychology in a way not addressed by multiple-choice testing. Your assignment is to
write about your experience as a research participant in a study conducted in the Psychology Department
(see Research Participation below). Please indicate (a) the title of the experiment and which faculty
member or graduate student was conducting it, (b) what you did as a research participant, (c) what the study
was about in your own words (researchers will debrief participants about this at the conclusion of the
experiment, often giving you a sheet of paper describing this, please attach this with your submission if you
were given one), and (d) your thoughts about the significance of the research or what you personally learned
by participating.
Your essay should be 1 to 2 double-spaced pages (in 12pt font) in length (i.e., no more than 700
wordspenalties will be added for exceeding this limit) and will be graded as follows: 4-5 points =
submission reflects a careful observation and reflection, is thoughtful, creative, and thought-provoking, and is
well-written and grammatically correct, and is complete; 2-3 = submission indicates that you adequately
described or reflected on your research participation, given the your ideas some thought, and have taken
some care in writing; 1 = submission reflects a minimum of thought and care. Papers are due to Blackboard
by 11:59pm Monday, October 19 (assignments sent via e-mail or on paper will not be accepted).
3. Research participation: Participating in research being conducted by faculty and graduate
students offers you a first-hand view of a variety of psychological studies. You are expected to participate in
5 hours of research. See separate instruction sheet on how to sign up. You must complete your participation
by Friday, December 4. You must complete the entire 5 hours of participation or the equivalent alternative
assignments or your grade will be penalized half a letter grade (e.g. from B+ to B).
4. You Make the Call challenge: Periodically, you will be presented with a description of a real
psychological research study in class. Your task will be to predict the outcome, which we will subsequently
discuss in class. Credit will be given to those who submit predictions for challenges, regardless of whether
their predictions are correct or incorrect! The reason is that often the researchers conducting the study
were surprised by their findings. However, the person who submits the most correct predictions will
receive a handsome reward, in addition to extra credit. Sometimes, keeping up with the course readings
will give you an advantage in making correct predictions.
You Ask the Question contest: Lectures will include content directed by YOU! I will be
accepting questions on any topic relevant to psychology until 11:59pm Wednesday, September 9. If your
question is chosen as a springboard for a lecture discussion, you will be awarded 1 point extra credit.
Professors Dont Bite initiative: come to office hours and introduce yourself to the professor
for .5 point extra credit.
Assignment of Letter Grades
93-100%
90-92%
87-89%
84-86%
80-83%
77-79%
74-76%
70-73%
67-69%
60-66%
59% or less

=A
= A= B+
=B
= B= C+
=C
= C= D+
=D
=F

Policies
Responsibilities in the Classroom (as per University policy)
Students are expected to:
attend class regularly unless other arrangements are made;
arrive for class on time and leave the classroom only at the end of class;
engage in class discussions and activities when appropriate;
exhibit classroom behavior that is not disruptive of the learning environment;
secure in a closed container (and not, for example, wear on a belt or around the neck) and turn
off (and not, for example, simply set to vibration mode) electronic communication devices,
including cellular phones, beepers, speakers, and headphones during an examination.
Course Responsibilities (as per University policy)
Students are expected to:
observe the requirements for the course and consult with the instructor if prerequisites are
lacking;
obtain and understand the course syllabus;
keep up with the coursework and take all scheduled examinations;
address any conflicts in syllabus and exam scheduling with the instructor as soon as possible;
review all graded material and seek help if necessary;
as soon as possible notify the instructor of any disabilities that might interfere with completion of
course work;
fairly and thoughtfully complete the course evaluation form.
Disability Support Services (DSS):
If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your course work, please
contact Disability Support Services, ECC (Educational Communications Center) Building, room128, (631)
632-6748. They will determine with you what accommodations, if any, are necessary and appropriate. All
information and documentation is confidential.
Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their needs with
their professors and Disability Support Services. For procedures and information go to the following website:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/ehs/fire/disabilities ]
Academic Integrity:
Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for all
submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Faculty are required to
report any suspected instances of academic dishonesty to the Academic Judiciary. Faculty in the Health
Sciences Center (School of Health Technology & Management, Nursing, Social Welfare, Dental Medicine)
and School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific procedures. For more comprehensive
information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty, please refer to the academic
judiciary website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/uaa/academicjudiciary/
We reserve the right to take measures to prevent cheating during exams, as outlined in university policies,
such as restricting access to electronic devices and bags, and requesting that you remove hats or other
items, show ID to identify yourself, and not remove exam materials from the classroom. Students will not be
permitted to leave the exam room prior to 30 minutes into the period and those arriving 30 minutes late will
not be admitted to any exam. Cheating on exams and plagiarizing reaction papers carry stiff penalties
(e.g., an F in the course).
Critical Incident Management:

Stony Brook University expects students to respect the rights, privileges, and property of other people.
Faculty are required to report to the Office of Judicial Affairs any disruptive behavior that interrupts their
ability to teach, compromises the safety of the learning environment, or inhibits students' ability to learn.
Faculty in the HSC Schools and the School of Medicine are required to follow their school-specific
procedures.
Varsity Athletes
Athletes who will need accommodation for exams occurring while they are on the road or who may miss You
Make the Call Challenges due to absences from class, please also see me during the first 2 weeks of the
semester with documentation of your status as athletes and your playing schedule.
Non-Native English Speakers
If you are not a native English speaker, you may obtain my permission to use a paper dictionary during
exams. We reserve the right to examine your dictionary during the exam. No electronic dictionaries will be
allowed under any circumstances.
Fulfilling course requirements:
No early or make-up exams will be given. If you miss an exam, you will be assigned a score of 0
and this will be the score you drop. If you miss two exams, one of the 0 scores will be counted toward your
grade. If you miss an exam due to a legitimate personal or medical emergency, please bring a written
explanation, or a physicians documentation in the case of medical illness, with you to the next class
session (not the end of the semester). Although you will still receive a 0 on this exam, I will keep this
documentation on file, and may use it to make adjustments in your final grade, but only in the case of
marginal grade decisions.
Brief written assignments are due 11:59 pm Monday, October 19. One point (out of the 5 points
for the assignment) will be deducted for each day (24 hours), or portion thereof, late.
Class participation. You will get the most out of this course if you take an active role in your own
learning process. Read the assigned material before class, attend class, and offer questions or comments.
I welcome you to come by during office hours, Id be happy to speak with you.
Course documents and important announcements will be posted on the Blackboard site for
the class. Lecture slides will be available on-line before class, if possible. These are not meant as a
substitute for class attendance but to assist students who do come to class to follow along with lectures. I
recommend that you print the slides in a notes format with 3 slides per page and add your own notes during
lecture. Due to time constraints, student questions, and last minute changes, material discussed in class may
deviate somewhat from the posted slides.
Course evaluations
Stony Brook University values student feedback in maintaining the high quality education it provides and is
committed to the course evaluation process, which includes a mid-semester assessment as well as an endof-the-semester assessment, giving students a chance to provide information and feedback to an instructor
which allows for development and improvement of courses. Please click the the following link to access the
course evaluation system: http://stonybrook.campuslabs.com/courseeval/
Who to See for Help
For catching up on material from missed classes and extra help understanding concepts: undergraduate TA,
Tina Zheng. For going over past exams, extra help understanding concepts: graduate TAs Jennifer Bowers
or Tenille Taggart; if youre looking over an exam please email in advance so they can be sure to have your
exam. Other issues/questions: Professor Moyer.
Academic Success and Tutoring Center: :http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/academic_success/
4

Course Schedule
Date
August

September

October

Topic

Reading

Psychology in your life

Research methods in psychology
Social processes, society, and culture I
Social processes, society, and culture II
No classes, Labor Day
Social cognition and relationships

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 16
Chapter 16

M 14
W 16

Psychological disorders I
Psychological disorders II

Chapter 14
Chapter 14

M 21

Chapter 15

W 23

Therapies for psychological disorders

Review for Exam 1
Exam 1 (Ch 1, 2, 14, 15, 16)

M 28
W 30

Understanding human personality

Motivation

Chapter 13
Chapter 11

M 5
W 7
M 12
W 14

Emotion, stress, and health I

Emotion, stress, and health II
Human development across the life span I
Human development across the life span II

Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Chapter 10
Chapter 10

M 19

Chapter 9

M 26
W 28

Intelligence and intelligence assessment

Brief written assignments due
Mind, consciousness, and alternate states
Review for Exam 2
Exam 2 (Ch 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13) (during regular class time)
The biological and evolutionary bases of behavior I

M 2
W 4
M 9
W 11

The biological and evolutionary bases of behavior II

Sensation and perception I
Sensation and perception II
Memory

Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Chapter 7

M 16
W 18

Learning and behavior analysis I: Classical conditioning

Learning and behavior analysis II: Operant conditioning

Chapter 6
Chapter 6

M 23

Chapter 8

W 25

Cognitive processes
Review for Exam 3
No classes, Thanksgiving break

M 30
W 2

Exam 3 (Ch 3, 4, 6, 7, 8) (during regular class time)

Review for Final Exam

Tu 15

Final Exam (Entire course, cumulative) (5:30-8:00, location

TBA)

M
W
M
W
M
W

24
26
31
2
5
9

W 21

November

December

Chapter 16

Chapter 5

Chapter 3