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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PS 101-5"
COURSE NAME: "General Psychology"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall 2018
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Bruno Galantucci
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: MW 1:30-2:45 PM
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS:

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Introduces the study of psychology, the study of the human mind, in some of its many facets: epistemological issues, the brain, perception, learning, language, intelligence, motivation, development, personality, emotion, social influences, pathology and therapy, and prevention. These will be seen from the scientific and scholarly point of view, but with emphasis on their relevance to everyday life. An important focus of the course will be the significance of theories and how they influence the gathering of data, as well as the difficulty of objectivity when the object of study is also its primary tool: the human mind. One of the goals of the course will also be to prepare the student to read psychological literature with a critical eye, keeping in mind the difficulties involved in attempting to study human subjectivity in an objective way.
SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Lectures and discussions will address the basic concepts, principles, theories, methods, and empirical research findings in the main domains of psychological inquiry. The course materials will be often connected to everyday life experiences.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
- Describe key concepts and use basic psychological terminology, concepts and theories to explain behavior and mental processes
-Identify key characteristics of major domains in psychology, as well as the principal methods used and questions addressed in such domains
-Describe common fallacies in thinking (e'g', confirmation bias, limited data problem, etc.) and use scientific reasoning to interpret psychologic al phenomena
-Identify ethical standards to evaluate psychological science and practice (e.g., APA ethics code, role of IRBs)
- Interpret quantitative data (e.g., simple graphs and statistical findings)
TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Exploring Psychology (Tenth edition)David G. Myers & C. Nathan DeWallWorth978-1-4641-5407-2     
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
NONE

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
ExamsThere will be three midterms (the dates will be announced on the first day of class) and a final. The exams will cover the assigned textbook chapters, the lectures, and the assigned readings. Each midterm will be non-cumulative and will cover approximately a third of the course material. The final will be cumulative. Each exam is worth 25 points toward the final grade and you grade for the category will be based on your best three tests (i.e., the lowest test score will be dropped). If you miss any of the exams, that will be your dropped score. Thus, NO MAKE UP EXAMS will be allowed for any reason.75
QuizzesThere will be five pop-up quizzes throughout the semester, each worth 5 points toward the final grade. Your lowest grade will be dropped. There will be no make-up quizzes. If you miss class on a day when a pop-quiz is administered, that will be your dropped score. Pop-up quizzes will be administered at the beginning of the class period. It is your responsibility to arrive in class on time.20
AttendanceAttendance is very important for this class and will be monitored. At the beginning of the semester every student is automatically awarded five points toward the final grade for the attendance. After the third absence, each absence will lead to a penalty of two points toward the final grade, which will be subtracted from the attendance grade. For example, if you cumulate five absences over the semester, you will lose one point toward the final grade whereas, if you miss less than four classes, you will be awarded five points. In other words, a six points net difference. Students who miss class are encouraged to acquire all of the missed information from fellow students in the class.5
Extra creditOne point toward the final grade will be awarded to any student who wins the “Best cartoon of the week” contest. The cartoon must be directly relevant to a point discussed in class the week before and contain a caption describing why it is relevant (max length 50 words). In order to be considered for that week’s contest, the cartoons and the captions must be submitted via e-mail (using the template slide posted on Moodle) by Sunday 1pm. Late submissions or submissions which do not comply with the requirements will be ignored. The last “Best cartoon of the week” contest will take place on Sunday, December 2. The maximum amount of extra credit that a student can earn is two. 

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:
AWork of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensive knowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course. 93-100:A 90-92.99:A-
BThis is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments. 86-89.99:B+ 83-85.99:B 80-82.99:B-
CThis is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings. 75-79.99:C+ 70- 74.99:C 65-69.99:C-
DThis level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail. 60-64.99:D+ 55-59.99:D 50-54.99:D-
FThis work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant. Below 50:F

-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Attendance. Attendance is very important for this class and will be monitored. At the beginning of the semester every student is automatically awarded five points toward the final grade for the attendance. After the third absence, each absence will lead to a penalty of two points toward the final grade, which will be subtracted from the attendance grade. For example, if you cumulate five absences over the semester, you will lose one point toward the final grade whereas, if you miss less than four classes, you will be awarded five points. In other words, a six points net difference. Students who miss class are encouraged to acquire all of the missed information from fellow students in the class.

Classroom policy. Please be aware that the use of laptops, tablets, smartphones—or any other device that engages your attention during class time—is not allowed.
ACADEMIC HONESTY
As stated in the university catalog, any student who commits an act of academic dishonesty will receive a failing grade on the work in which the dishonesty occurred. In addition, acts of academic dishonesty, irrespective of the weight of the assignment, may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course. Instances of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Dean of Academic Affairs. A student who is reported twice for academic dishonesty is subject to summary dismissal from the University. In such a case, the Academic Council will then make a recommendation to the President, who will make the final decision.
STUDENTS WITH LEARNING OR OTHER DISABILITIES
John Cabot University does not discriminate on the basis of disability or handicap. Students with approved accommodations must inform their professors at the beginning of the term. Please see the website for the complete policy.

SCHEDULE

Class Date Lectures Other class activities
1 3-Sep Thinking Critically With Psychological Science (Ch. 1)
The Biology of Behavior (Ch. 2)
Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind (Ch. 3)
Sensation and Perception (Ch. 6)
2 5-Sep
3 10-Sep
4 12-Sep
5 17-Sep
6 19-Sep
7 24-Sep
8 26-Sep
9 1-Oct
10 3-Oct Learning (Ch. 7)
Memory (Ch. 8)
Thinking, language, and intelligence (Ch. 9)
Motivation and emotion (Ch. 10)
11 8-Oct
12 10-Oct MIDTERM #1 on October 10 (classes 1-9; Ch. 1-3, 6)
13 15-Oct
14 17-Oct
15 22-Oct
16 24-Oct
17 29-Oct
18 31-Oct
19 5-Nov
20 7-Nov Developing Through the Life Span (Ch. 4)
Sex, Gender, and Sexuality (Ch. 5)
Social Psychology (Ch. 12)


21 12-Nov
22 14-Nov MIDTERM #2 on November 14 (classes 10-11, 13-19; Ch. 7-10)
23 19-Nov
24 21-Nov
25 26-Nov
26 28-Nov
27 3-Dec MIDTERM #3 on December 3 (classes 20-21, 23-26; Ch. 4-5, 12)
28 5-Dec Review for FINAL
Finals week 10-Dec to 14-Dec FINAL (all materials assigned for the three midterms)