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JOHN CABOT UNIVERSITY

COURSE CODE: "PS 101-2"
COURSE NAME: "General Psychology"
SEMESTER & YEAR: Fall Semester 2012
SYLLABUS

INSTRUCTOR: Castelli Paola
EMAIL: [email protected]
HOURS: TTH 11:30-12:45
TOTAL NO. OF CONTACT HOURS: 45
CREDITS: 3
PREREQUISITES:
OFFICE HOURS: TTH 4:30-6:00pm

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to a broad range of areas encompassed in the study of psychology and to the research methods of psychological science.

SUMMARY OF COURSE CONTENT:
Central topics will include biological, cognitive, affective, developmental, personality, clinical and social psychology.  Discussion will focus on theoretical ideas, empirical findings and their relationship to everyday life

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

Students will learn about current scientific theory and research in major areas of psychology. The course will prepare students to understand advanced experimental concepts in psychology, and will help them develop the skills necessary to evaluate and critically think about information, enabling them, at a minimum, to become informed consumer of science.

TEXTBOOK:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberCommentsFormatLocal BookstoreOnline Purchase
Exploring Psychology, in ModulesD. G. MyersWorth Publisher 9780230278844      
REQUIRED RESERVED READING:
Book TitleAuthorPublisherISBN numberLibrary Call NumberComments
Exploring Psychology, in ModulesD. G. MyersWorth Publisher9780230278844  

RECOMMENDED RESERVED READING:
NONE
GRADING POLICY
-ASSESSMENT METHODS:
AssignmentGuidelinesWeight
Exams<p style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: times;">You have to take 3 exams. Failure to do so, will result in an F. <br /> Exams will mostly be based on short-answer questions and will be worth 50 points.<br /> Each exam will address approximately 1/3 of the course material, and will cover the assigned textbook readings, lectures, and the films occasionally shown in class. <br /> <br /> NOTE: Although lectures will mostly cover topics from the reading, they will NOT review EVERYTHING that is in the book. Similarly, lectures will often contain ADDITIONAL information (i.e., information not found in the reading) that will be included on the exams. If you carefully READ and STUDY the assigned readings for the course and ATTEND the lectures you should have no problem.<br /> <br /> MAKE-UP EXAM POLICY<br /> I understand that scheduling conflicts, emergencies or other unforeseeable circumstances (e.g., death in the family, oversleeping on exam day, traffic problems, etc.) may occur at some point during the semester, and you might have to miss an exam. If this happens, you will have to take the make-up exam <span style="text-decoration: underline;">during final&rsquo;s week</span>.<br /> The make-up exam will be <span style="text-decoration: underline;">cumulative</span>. It will cover anything that was covered throughout the semester. <br /> Please do not ask me about make up exams during the semester, because I will simply refer you to the class policy on this issue. <br /> <br /> </span></p>60%
Writing assignments<p style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: times;">Your grade for this course will also be based on short writing assignments (tot 50 points). Details about the assignments will be discussed on the first day of class. A handout with specific instructions for each of the assignment will also be available on the course website</span></p>20%
Pop quizzes<span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: times;">Review quizzes will be administered in class approximately every two weeks. Each quiz will consist of a variable number of multiple-choice questions that review the material/concepts covered in the preceding classes. <br /> There will be a total of 6 pop-quizzes, which sum up to 50 points. <br /> Your lowest grade on the quizzes will be dropped. <br /> <span style="text-decoration: underline;">There will be no make-up quizzes</span>. If you miss class on a day when a pop-quiz is administered, that will be your dropped score.<br /> Pop quizzes will usually be administered at the beginning of the class period. It is your responsibility to arrive in class ON TIME</span>20%

-ASSESSMENT CRITERIA:

The final grade for the course will be based on your THREE exams, 5 (out of 6) pop quizzes and 6 short writing assignments.

Summary of points for the course:

Exams                   150 (50 pts x 3 exams)

Pop-quizzes              50 (10 pts x quiz)

Writing Assignments  50

__________________________________

Total                  250

 

Grades will be assigned according to the following point breakdown:

250 possible points:

225-250 points             A- to A        (90-100%)

200-224 points             B- to B+      (80-89%)

175-199 points             C- to C+       (70-79%)

150-174 points             D- to D+       (60-69%)

149 points and below          F             (Below 59%)

I will assign + and – letter grades when students are within 1 percentage point of the cutoff score. Therefore, for example, a B+ = 88-89% (220-224 pts.) and a B- = 80-81%. (200-204 pts.)

A. Work 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.

B. This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised. There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluate theory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture and reference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C. This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D. This 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.

F. This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.


-ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Attendance is not mandatory, but it is strongly encouraged. If you miss a lecture, you miss almost 20% of the material that will be covered on the next exam (so you can expect to get at least one grade lower than if you had come to class!). Moreover, some material - such as videos, in-depth description of studies, and examples – will only be presented in class.

 

Please do not arrive late and/or plan to leave early. It will be disruptive to everyone. In addition, you’ll be missing important information that is usually given in the first and last minutes of lecture.

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

 

 

Date

Topic

Readings

week 1

4 sept

Intro

 

 

6 sept

Research methods

module 2

week 2

11 sept

 

 

 

13 sept

Biological bases

module 3-4

week 3

18 sept

 

 

 

20 sept

Sensation & Perception

modules 11,13 & 14

 

21 sept

MAKE-UP DAY

 

week 4

25 sept

Learning

modules 18-19-20

 

27 sept

 

 

week 5

2 oct

Exam 1

 

 

4 oct

 Memory

Module 21

week 6

9 oct

 

 

 

11 oct

Everyday memory

Module 22

 

12 oct

MAKE-UP DAY

 

week 7

16 oct

Thinking (and Intelligence)

modules 23-25

 

18 oct

Language

module 24

week 8

23 oct

(Motivation)

mod 26-27

 

25 oct

Emotion

mod 29-30

Week 9

30 oct

Exam 2

 

 

1 nov

HOLYDAY

 

Week 10

6 nov

Development

mod 7-8-9-10

 

8 nov

 

 

week 11

13 nov

Personality

mod 33-34-35

 

15 nov

 

 

week 12

20 nov

Social

mod 43-44-45

 

22 nov

 THANKSGIVING

 

week 13

27 nov

Abnormal

mod 36-37-38

 

29 nov

 

 

week 14

4 dec

Conclusions-Review

 

 

6 dec

Exam 3