Principles of Psychology
Psyc110 – 01
Fall, 2014 Class: Mon & Wed 11:10 - 12:20, Fri 12:00 - 1:00
Location: Olin 102
Professor: Julia Strand
Office: 119 Olin
Email: [email protected]
Office hours: M 12:30 - 1:30, Th 10 - 11, & by appointment at juliastrand.youcanbook.me
Prefect: Sarah Jang
Email: [email protected]
“The purpose of psychology is to give us a completely different idea of the things we know best.”
-Paul Valéry
Course logistics
Welcome to Principles of Psychology! This course is a whirlwind tour through the study of mind,
brain, and behavior. Although we can’t cover all of this wonderful discipline in 9.5 weeks, the
course is intended to introduce you to major issues and themes in Psychology and familiarize you
with how Psychologists ask and answer research questions.
Format
The course will include lectures, discussions, problem sets, group work, activities, and
demonstrations. You are expected to attend class and will be responsible for all material from class
and readings. If you need to miss a class, please email Julia ahead of time (to avoid offending her),
and arrange to obtain notes from a classmate (to avoid falling behind on the material).
Course website
This syllabus and other important course materials including readings, topics schedule, and
assignment details are available on Moodle. Powerpoint slides, videos, handouts, and other
material will be posted on Moodle after the lecture in which they are presented.
Text
Psychology, 8th Edition, Gleitman, Gross, & Reisberg (available at the bookstore), Darkness Visible
by Styron, and PDFs posted on Moodle. Readings should be completed before the class for which
they are assigned.
Office hours and prefect sessions
Office hours and prefect sessions are great opportunities to discuss the material outside class time.
Feel free to use these times to review concepts that are unclear, ask for additional information on a
topic you found interesting, clarify concerns, or just chat about the material.
Special accommodations and student educational services
Please talk with me in the first two weeks of the course if you require special accommodations for
class or testing. We will make whatever arrangements are necessary.
Academic honesty
Academic honesty is expected of all students at Carleton College. The work you do in this course
must be your own. Please refer to the following website for the full policy:
http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/doc/honesty/. Ask for clarification if you have any questions.
Respectful classroom atmosphere
Let’s work together to make this a respectful and positive classroom atmosphere. This includes
silencing and putting away phones and using laptops for note-taking only. During class discussions,
peer-review, and question/answer sessions, please be respectful of other people’s opinions,
backgrounds, personal preferences, and learning styles.
Grading
10% Attendance & participation
During many class periods, students will be asked to contribute to discussions, answer
questions, complete group problem sets, respond to the reading, or write brief “minute
papers” commenting on course material. Students who receive the highest marks for
attendance and participation are present and engaged during class, contribute to group
discussions, ask questions, and show clear verbal and written evidence of having read,
prepared, and thought deeply about the material. If the reading guide indicates that you
need to bring responses to class, be sure you are prepared to discuss your answers.
Unexcused absences will hurt your participation grade (plus you’ll miss out on the fun things
we do in class!).
10% Memory paper
In the first paper of the course, you will apply the literature on memory to your own
preparation for the first exam. This will involve reading articles on memory and making
recommendations for effective study habits based on these studies (see Memory Paper
Guidelines for full details).
20% Exam 1
20% Exam 2
20% Exam 3
There will be three in-class exams that cover one section of material. The third exam will be
the last day of class and is not cumulative. Exams will include multiple choice questions,
essays, and short answers. Special accommodations for early/late tests will be given only in
the most extreme circumstances, and only with adequate warning.
20% Experiment proposal
This assignment consists of selecting an existing study and proposing a theoretically-driven
novel extension/follow-up study. The assignment includes an outline, peer review of the
outline, and a final paper (see Experiment Proposal Guidelines for full details).
* Please note: additional assignments will not be given to bring up grades at the end of term.
Papers that are submitted late without obtaining an extension are docked 1% per hour late.
Therefore, use extra time if you think it would make your paper better than the penalty. Even better
would be to plan ahead and discuss an extension if you foresee having trouble turning it in on time.
Course schedule (subject to revision)
[see Moodle for each day’s reading assignment]
Week
Date
Mon, 9/15
Week 1 Wed, 9/17
Fri, 9/19
Mon, 9/22
Week 2 Wed, 9/24
Fri, 9/26
Mon, 9/29
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week
10
Wed, 10/1
Fri, 10/3
Mon, 10/6
Wed, 10/8
Fri, 10/10
Mon, 10/13
Wed, 10/15
Fri, 10/17
Mon, 10/20
Wed, 10/22
Fri, 10/24
Mon, 10/27
Wed, 10/29
Fri, 10/31
Mon, 11/3
Wed, 11/5
Fri, 11/7
Mon, 11/10
Wed, 11/12
Fri, 11/14
Mon, 11/17
Wed, 11/19
Topic
Introduction & themes
Methods & Memory
Memory
Learning
Learning & Language
Language
Cognition * Memory paper due (via Moodle, by 5pm)
Social cog
Catch-­‐up, discussion, review
* Exam 1
Emotion & Stress
Brain structure and function
Neural communication
Sensation & Perception
Sensation & Perception
Midterm break
Psychopathology
Psychopathology & treatment
Review
* Exam 2
Social Psychology
Social Psychology
Intelligence * Experiment outline due (via Moodle, by 5pm)
Peer review of ideas
Personality
Personality * Experiment paper due (via Moodle, by 5pm)
Positive psych
Closing thoughts, review * Exam 3