Psychology Department __________________________________________________________

                                                                                        Tele: (386) –481-2594

Office: Ranslow Hall Room 3                                            Email: Moultrie@cookman.edu

Web Site: http://www.cookman.edu/faculty/moultrie     Office Hours: MWF- 3:30-4:30 pm  :                                                                                                               or by appointment

     

Instructor: Dr. E. Moultrie

Fall 2005

PS 230   Introduction to Psychology

  Monday – Wednesday – Friday

 

Text: Plotnik, Rod (2005) Introduction to Psychology (8th Ed). New York:Thomson.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course provides a survey of  the major psychological concepts, methods, and problems in the study of behavior, thought and emotion. Some of the topics to be covered include the biological basis of behavior, sensation & perception, learning, motivation & emotion, memory, personality and development, behavior disorders and psychotherapy. The course is designed so that you will receive the information through assigned readings, lectures and video presentations. You are responsible for knowing this information. If there any changes in the topics to be covered, an announcement will be made in class.

Course objectives:

Upon completion of this course you will::

 

TEACHING STRATEGIES:

This course will be taught with using the mini-lecture, class discussions, audiovisual presentations and experiential exercises. Instructional methods will be employed to address different learning styles (i.e. visual, auditory and kinesthetic).

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Attendance:----- All students are required to maintain regular classroom attendance per the college regulations. In addition, students missing 4 consecutive classes (MWF), 3 consecutive classes (TR) before midterm or more than 10% of the total number of classes across the semester will be dropped from the course. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of class and is taking into consideration for bonus points.

Participation:----- You are expected to participate in class discussions. You are to keep up with the readings, take notes from the lectures and audiovisual presentations so that you can participate in class discussions. Class participation is taken into consideration in grading for bonus points

Textbook/Readings: You are expected to have a copy of the textbook and are required to read ALL assigned readings by the dates specified on the course outline. You are responsible for ALL assigned readings, INCLUDING THOSE NOT DISCUSSED IN CLASS. It is your responsibility to keep up and to read the chapters as indicated on the syllabus.

Written Assignments: assignments are due at the beginning of the class period for which they have been assigned. They are to be typed, 12 point font, double spaced, using paragraph format. Each assignment should include your name; date; title of assignment; course name, number and section. Please remember that you are required to adhere to the Academic Honesty policy in the college catalog  (2004-2006)  and your student handbook. 

Tests: ------------Tests are designed to be learning exercises and are based upon assigned readings, video presentations, class assignments and lectures. Seven (7) TESTS, and a FINAL EXAM are administered during the semester. Each test will be worth 100 pts. The tests may be a combination of multiple choice, true and false, fill-in-the-blank, essay and/or take-home.  Again, remember that you are required to adhere to the Academic Honesty policy in the college catalog  (2004-2006)  and your student handbook.

Makeup tests will be given only for written medical, legal and official college excused absences. Please review the college catalog under the heading Academic Regulations.  The makeup test must be taken no later than the next class period from the original test date. It is the student's responsibility to notify instructor as early as possible that  he/she knows that he/she will miss an exam. This too is in the college catalog.

The final examination is cumulative (covers all semester material) and worth a total of 100 pts.

Grades: Course grades are calculated as an average of your scores on the regular tests (lowest regular test score dropped) and the final exam. Grading will be per university regulations: A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F = 0-59.  Your midterm grade  will be the average of the tests you have taken up to that point. If you miss a test due to an unexcused absence, you will receive a “0”. If you have an excused absence and miss the makeup, you will receive a “0”. In either case the “0” will be averaged in will all your test grade.  However, if the “0” is your lowest test grade at the end of the semester, it will be dropped.   If your average is an “A” grade for all tests excluding bonus points and lowest dropped test, you do not have take the Final Exam.

Bonus Points:------ The opportunity to earn bonus points will be announced in class and are at the discretion of the instructor. If bonus points are earned, they will be averaged in with your overall grade. You need approximately 5 bonus points to increase your overall average by one point.

THE COURSE OUTLINE, TOPICS AND TESTS DATES ARE SUBJECT CHANGE DURING THE SEMSTER.--- THESE CHANGES WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN CLASS AND POSTED ON MY WEB SITE. ---IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK FOR CHANGES IN THE CLASS SCHEDULE IF YOU MISS CLASS!! 

COURSE OUTLINE

Section 1 (Aug 29 – Sept 12) ---Video (9/2) --Study Guide

Discovering Psychology--- Module 1

Psychology & Science----- Module 2

                   Writing assignment 1   due 9/5/05

                   Writing assignment 2  due 9/9/05

Test 1 --- Sept 14, 2005 *********************************************************************** Section 2 (Sept16 – Sept 28) ----Video (9/21) -- Study Guide

Brain's Building Blocks---- Module 3

Nervous System----------- Module 4

Drugs--------------------- Module 8

Writing assignment 3 due 9/13/04

Test 2 --- Sept 30, 2005

 

*********************************************************************** Section 3 (Oct 3 – Oct 12) Video (10/7)-- Study Guide

Sensation Module 5

Perception Module 6

Types of Memory Module 11

Test 3 --- Oct 14, 2005 *********************************************************************** Section 4 (Oct 17 – Oct 28 ) Video (10/21) --Study Guide

Classical Conditioning Module 9

Operant & Cognitive Module 10

Motivation Module 15

Writing assignment 4 due 10/21/05

Writing assignment 5 due 10/26/05

Test 4 --- Oct 31, 2005 *********************************************************************** Section 5 (Nov 2 – Nov 11) Video (11/7) --Study Guide

Emotions Module 16

Personality Modules 19 & 20

Health Psychology Module 21

Writing assignment 6 due 11/9/05

Test 5 --- Nov 14, 2005 *********************************************************************** Section 6 (Nov 14 –Nov 21) Video (11/18) -- Study Guide  

Abnormal Psychology Modules 22 & 23

Psychotherapy Module 24

Test 6 --- Nov 23, 2005 *********************************************************************** Section 7 (Nov 28 – Nov 30) -- Study Guide

Adolescence & Adulthood Module 18

Social Psychology Module 25

Take Home Exam - Test 7 --- Dec 2,  2005 *************************************************************

Final Exam Review --- Friday, Dec 4, 2005

Final Exam Week ---Dec 6-8, 2005

 

 

If you have access to the internet you can view this syllabus online at my web site list above or just go the Bethune-Cookman College web site look for faculty pages locate my name and click it on.  There also is an online study guide for each section to be covered. You can download and print them for your personal use.

If you have any questions about your grades or performance in class please let me know. If you are not doing well in class I will speak to you about it. If you need assistance in understanding the subject matter I will be glad to help you. True I am a Psychologist but I can not read your mind so please let me know if you are having problems with class or how much you enjoy the class.

I STRONGLY URGE YOU TO STUDY IN GROUPS OR WITH A PARTNER!!!

 

SUPPLEMENTAL READING

Abraham, F.D., Abraham, R.H., & Shaw, C.D. (1991). A visual introduction to dynamical systems theory for psychology. Santa Cruz,CA: Aerial Press.

Adler, T. (1993). Bad mix: Combat stress, decisions, APA Monitor, March, p.1

Anderson, J.A. (1992). Problem solving and learning. American Psychologist, 48, 35-44.

Archer, J. (1991). The influence of testerone on human aggression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 82, 1-28.

Aronson, E. (1990). Applying social psychology to desegregation and energy conservation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 16, 118-132.

Babcock, R. & Salthouse, T. (1990) Effects of increased processing demands on age differences in working memory. Psychology and Aging, 5, 421-428.

Bahrick, H.P.(1992). Stabilized memory of unrehearsed knowledge. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 121, 112-113.

Banks, W.P. & Krajicek, D.(1991). Perception. Annual Review of Psychology, 42, 305-332.

Baron, R.A. & Richardson, D.R. (1992). Human aggression (2nd ed.). New York: Plenum.

Bollef, R.C.(ed.), (1991). The hedonics of taste. Hillsdale, NJ:Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Churchland, P.S. & Sejnowski, T.J. (1992). The computational brain. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press/Bradford Books.

Davison, G.C. & Neale, J.M. (1990). Abnormal Psychology (5th ed.). New York: Wiley.

Dubbert, P. (1992). Exercise in behavioral medicine. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60, 613-618. Erlbaum Associates.

Guthrie, R.V. (1976). Even the rat was white. New York: Harper & Row.

 

A Brief List of  Psychology Journals

 

 

Some Useful Psychology Web Sites

http://www.apa.org    (American Psychological  Association)

http://www.psychologicalscience.org   (American Psychological Society)

http://www.abpsi.org   ( The Association of Black Psychologists)

http://www.psych-central.com             (Psychology Online Resource Central)

http://www.blackathlete.com/Psychology/psych020901.html    (Black Sport Psychology)

http://www.socialpsychology.org/cultural.htm  (Cultural Psychology Links)

http://neuroguide.com/index.html         (Neuropsychology research)

http://webvision.med.utah.edu/anatomy.html        (Anatomy of the Eye)

http://dragon.uml.edu/psych/illusion.html        (Visual Illusions)   

http://www.entusa.com  Otolaryngology ( The Ear)

http://www.ear-anatomy.com   (ear anatomy)

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/GovPubs/PSYCVIOL.HTM       ( Psychoactive Substances & Violence)

http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/bandura.html      (Learning Theory – Bandura)

http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/skinner.html            Learning Theory - Skinner

http://www.bfskinner.org/index.asp

http://www.indiana.edu/~intell/index.shtml    ( Human Intelligence)

http://www.ai.mit.edu   (MIT Artificial Intelligence Lab)

http://www.thebody.com   (the Body – An Aids and HIV Information Resource)