PSYCO 104: Basic Psychological Processes Section A1 – Fall 2018
Location: CCIS 1 430 Time: MWF 8:00 – 8:50 am Course website: Can be accessed through eClass
Instructor: Michael Sharp Office: BS P-347
Office hours: M & T 12:00 - 1:30pm Email: [email protected]
Phone: 780-492-0136
TA: Andres Camacho Office: TBA Office hours: TBA
Email: [email protected]
TA: Shannon Drouin Office: BS P-533
Office hours: Wednesdays 3:30-4:30 Email: [email protected]
Course Overview
Course Description:
Principles and development of perception, motivation, learning, and thinking and their
relationship to the psychological functioning of the individual. Fulfillment of the 1/4 laboratory credit typically entails serving as a research participant, but can be fulfilled through the
completion of alternative assignments. The course is a prerequisite to all courses in the department and is normally followed by PSYCO 105.
Course Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for PSYCO 104.
Course Objectives and Expected Learning Outcomes:
This course serves as an introduction to psychology as a scientific pursuit. During this course, we will cover what psychology as a science is, how psychologists conduct their research, and
discuss material concerning topics such as the biological foundations of psychology, perception, learning, memory, and consciousness (amongst others). [Note: This class only covers a part of the discipline of psychology. PSYCO 105 is a continuation and will cover other subfields not extensively covered in this course (e.g., social, developmental, and abnormal).]
By the end of the course, students should be able to do the following: (a) explain what psychology is and why it is important to study, (b) identify key research methods used in psychological research, (c) explain the importance of critical thinking, (d) identify key areas of the brain and describe their relationship to the human experience, (e) recall and summarize key terms, ideas, and theories in the areas of psychology (those discussed in this course), and (f) identify and explain course material in the “real world”.
Required Materials
Required Textbook: Passer, M. W., Smith, R. E., Atkinson, M., & Mitchell, J. (2017).
Psychology: Frontiers and Applications (6th Canadian edition, custom publication 2018-2019 for the University of Alberta). Toronto: McGraw-Hill. [ISBN 9781260306835]
Additional materials (e.g., readings, videos, and exercises) may be also required throughout the course. Such materials may be posted to eClass or covered in class. All information from this course (whether from in class or outside) is fair game for exams. Further, not everything
discussed or shown in class may be available via eClass, therefore, it is important to attend class or get notes from a classmate if you are unable to attend.
Recommended Materials
Connect: If you buy your textbook new from the bookstore, it will come with access to Connect (the online portal for the textbook). Connect contains sample questions on the material from the textbook, which is a great way to help you study and prepare for exams. If you are interested in practice tests, this will be your resource. Note: This component is not required for the course, however, it is highly recommended if you desire to do well.
eBook Website: http://connect.mheducation.com/class/m-sharp-psyco-104-fall-2018
Top Hat: In class, we will be using the Top Hat response system. Through Top Hat, you will be able to submit answers to in-class questions using Apple or Android smartphones, tablets, laptops, or through text message. This will allow for a more interactive experience during the course. As Top Hat allows for interactive questions during class, slides shown in class will not be identical to those posted on eClass.
Top Hat will also serve as one option for the “Class Participation” part of your grade (see below)—the other option (“Free Alternative”) is described below. Because Top Hat requires a paid subscription (visit www.tophat.com/pricing to see a full breakdown of all subscription options), it is OPTIONAL. If you do not want to use Top Hat, you may do an alternative task to get the corresponding grades.
You can visit the Top Hat Overview (https://success.tophat.com/s/article/Student-Top- Hat-Overview-and-Getting-Started-Guide) within the Top Hat Success Center which outlines how you will register for a Top Hat account, as well as providing a brief overview to get you up and running on the system. An email invitation will be (or has been) sent to you, but if you do not receive an invitation, you can register by visiting the course’s Top Hat website:
https://app.tophat.com/e/147846/ . Our Course Join Code is 147846.
Should you require assistance with Top Hat at any time, due to the fact that they require specific user information to troubleshoot these issues, please contact their Support Team directly by way of email ([email protected]), the in app support button, or by calling 1-888-663-5491.
The Course
Lecture: Three 50-minute lectures are (generally) scheduled for each week and the entire class period will largely be devoted to lecture. The purpose of the lectures is not to simply repeat the material covered in the text. I will also be introducing, clarifying, and elaborating on material, some of it in the text, but not all. I will also be using class activities, demonstrations, video clips,
as well as examples from published research, and real life applications to supplement the text material. All of this material, in addition to the material in the text, readings, lecture notes, and eClass is eligible to be covered on the exams.
Lectures will be presented via Top Hat’s response system, allowing for opportunities for me to ask the class different types of questions (e.g., multiple choice, true/false, and opinion).
Some will have a correct answer and others will be more opinion based. It is encouraged you take advantage of this format: Interactive learning makes for better learning. Answers will be anonymous to the class, as to encourage responses.
Although lectures will be navigated via Top Hat, (adjusted) lecture notes will also be posted on eClass before class. However, these slides may be incomplete. That is, some of the definitions, descriptions, and examples discussed during class may not appear in the posted notes. In addition, descriptions of class activities, demonstrations, and video clips (and how they may be relevant to the course material) will also not be posted.
Allowing access to the slides is used to facilitate and supplement note taking, not eliminate it. Therefore, although students are encouraged to print and read the lecture notes before attending class if they wish, these activities will not be a sufficient alternative for attending class.If you miss lecture for any reason, you are strongly encouraged to not only review the lecture notes posted online, but also to (a) meet with another student to go through the notes and catch up on any supplemental material not included in the notes, and (b) attend office hours with the instructor to go over any questions or to clarify anything regarding the missed lecture. I will not simply administer the completed lecture slides via email if a student misses class. Therefore, completed lecture slides will not be given out for any reason. Nor will I re- administer a lecture (in whole or in part) during office hours for a student who misses class. If you miss a lecture, you are welcome to come to office hours to ask specific questions, but I will not give a private lecture for missed classes.
Lecture time is limited, so if material from the textbook is not covered in class, you will be responsible for a it on your own. Just because it hasn’t been explicitly covered in the lecture does not mean that it won’t be on the exam. Students should complete the readings from the text before attending lecture.
Note: Lectures will also utilize various references to popular (and unpopular) culture. If my references are outdated (which the vast majority will be), my apologies. I will try to provide enough context for it to make sense but, if not, make sure to ask for clarification.
The tentative outline for the course, including exam dates and chapters of the text covered each week is as follows (following page):
* Note: This is a tentative schedule and may be subject to change. The instructor reserves the right to make changes to this schedule as the course progresses. Any changes made to the chapters/topics covered will be announced to the class.
** Additional required readings for some sections will be posted on eClass at least one week before the corresponding lecture.
Other Important Dates:
Add/Drop Deadline September 17, 2018
Fall Term 50% Refund Deadline October 4, 2018 Final Withdrawal Date (grade of W) November 30, 2018
Week (Dates) Topics Covered Chapter(s)
from Text**
Week 1 (September 5-7)
Introduction to Course Psychology: The Science of Behavior
1 Week 2
(September 10-14)
Psychology: The Science of Behavior (cont.) Studying Behavior Scientifically
September 10: Research Participation Instructional Talk (G.
Moroschan; 8:00-8:30)
1-2
Week 3 (September 17-21)
Studying Behavior Scientifically (cont.) Statistics in Psychology
2 Appendix Week 4
(September 24-28)
Biological Foundations of Behavior
September 28: Sexual Assault Workshop (8:00-8:50)
3 Week 5
(October 1-5)
Biological Foundations of Behavior (cont.) Genes, Evolution, & Behavior
3-4 Week 6
(October 8-12)
Genes, Evolution, & Behavior (cont.) October 8 – No Class (Thanksgiving Day)
October 10 - Midterm #1 (Chapters 1-4)
4
Week 7 (October 15-19)
Sensation and Perception 5
Week 8 (October 22-26)
States of Consciousness 6
Week 9 (October 29- November 2)
Learning and Adaptation: The Role of Experience 7
Week 10 (November 5-9)
Learning and Adaptation: The Role of Experience (cont.) November 9 - Midterm #2 (Chapters 5-7)
7 Week 11
(November 12-16)
No Classes
Remembrance Day/Reading Week Week 12
(November 19-23)
Memory 8
Week 13 (November 26-30)
Memory (cont.) Motivation and Emotion
8/11 Week 14
(December 3-7)
Motivation and Emotion (cont.) 11
December 13 Final Exam (Chapters 1-8, 11)
Tentatively Thursday, December 13 @ 9:00a.m.
Assessments
Exams (85% total; 2x 25% midterms & 1x 35% final): There are three exams: Two midterm exams (each worth 25% of the final grade) and one final exam (worth 35% of the final grade).
The midterm exams will not be cumulative. That is, they will only cover the lectures and course material covered in the weeks before that exam (which will be roughly one third of the material for each exam; see class schedule). Thus, Exam 2 will only cover material covered since Exam 1.
However, the Final Exam will be cumulative and cover material from the entire course. The Final Exam is scheduled by the University exams office, and has a tentative date of Thursday, December 13th at 9:00 am (note: students must verify the date and time on Bear Tracks when the Final Exam Schedule is posted).
You will have the course period to complete the midterms (i.e., exams 1 and 2) and 3-hours to complete the final exam. The exams may consist of some combination of multiple-choice, fill in the blank, true/false, labelling, matching, and short answer questions. The emphasis of the exams will be on identification, conceptual, definitional, and application questions. Students should know the material in four ways: (1) Identify relevant biological structures (e.g., brain regions) to psychological phenomena, (2) understand “psychological” language, (3) be able to word it in ordinary language, and (4) be able to recognize and apply it to the real world. Students should also be familiar with the names of key researchers in the area, and be able to link these researchers to the theories and studies with which they are associated..
Missed Term Exams and Assignments:
Students are expected to write all exams as scheduled; see the course outline above for the dates. There will be no make-up exams. If a midterm is missed due to a serious medical
condition or other serious circumstances outside the student’s control, the weight of the exam will be transferred to the final exam. For this to happen, the instructor must be contacted within 24 hours of the scheduled test. Failure to contact the instructor within 24 hours will result in a grade of zero being applied to the missed test. Students are only able to transfer the weight of one midterm and will not be able to transfer the weight of both midterms to the final.
For an excused absence where the cause is religious belief, a student must contact the instructor within two weeks of the start of fall classes to request accommodation for the term.
Instructors may request adequate documentation to substantiate the student request. Deferral of term work or tests is a privilege and not a right; there is no guarantee that a deferral will be granted. Misrepresentation of facts to get a deferral is a serious breach of the Code of Student Behavior.
Deferred Final Examination:
In addition, students are expected to take the final exam as scheduled (see above for tentative date). Students have access to their final exam schedule through Bear Tracks and on the Registrar’s website well in advance. Multiple exams and/or closely scheduled final exams are not valid excuses for a deferral of one or more final exams. A student who cannot take the final exam due to incapacitating illness, severe domestic affliction, or other compelling reasons must apply for a deferral through their Faculty Office since that exam is scheduled during the Final Examination Period. Students who failed at the start of the term to request exam
accommodations for religious beliefs are expected to follow the normal deferral process. Such an application must be made to the student’s Faculty Office within 48 hours of the missed
examination and must be supported by a Statutory Declaration (in lieu of a medical statement form) or other appropriate documentation
(http://calendar.ualberta.ca/content.php?catoid=20&navoid=4939#Attendance). Deferred examinations are a privilege and not a right; there is no guarantee that a deferred examination will be granted. Misrepresentation of facts to gain a deferred examination is a serious breach of the Code of Student Behavior.
If a student is granted a deferral for the Final Exam (with a valid reason), the deferred exam will be cumulative, and will consist entirely of short and long answer questions. The deferred examination will be held on Friday, January 9th at 8:00 am in BS P-347.
Your student photo ID is required at exams to verify your identity. Students will not be allowed to begin a test after it has been in progress for 30 minutes, and students must remain in the classroom until at least 30 minutes has elapsed. Electronic equipment cannot be brought into testing classrooms and hats should not be worn.
Class Participation (5%): Students will also be graded on class participation. Students may earn points for class participation in one of two different ways:
Option A – Top Hat: To earn points via Top Hat, students will need to register with Top Hat (see above), log in during class (there is an attendance feature within Top Hat), and answer questions posted throughout lecture. Although many questions will have an incorrect answer, all responses will be fully counted. Top Hat does require a paid registration but the rest is as easy as showing up (at 8 am) and pushing a button.
On-Line Homework Disclaimer:
On-line homework is a component of this course and is provided by a third- party company. Please be aware that this company will be storing assessment information that may be associated with you. As a way to protect your
personal information, you will be assigned a random ID to enter into the system. Only the random ID, performance on the on-line homework and the affiliation to the University of Alberta for this random ID will be conveyed to the company. You are not required to provide any additional personal
information to this company. If you have any concerns about this, please contact the instructor of the course.
Option B – Free Alternative: If you do not wish to purchase a registration to Top Hat, you can still earn the points for Class Participation by turning in a handwritten summary of the questions posed in class. These summaries must have the following elements: (a) your name and student ID (in order to give credit), (b) the questions, and (c) your responses (note: the answer must be written out, not any symbol that may represent that answer (e.g., ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’)). Summaries must be turned into the instructor at the end of the class period. Although free, this takes slightly more work than the Top Hat option.
Research Participation (10%): This is the lab component of the course. Additional information regarding research participation will be supplied in class by the Research Participation
Coordinator, Gail Moroschan, on Monday, September 10th. The course instructor plays no role in designing or managing this component. If students have concerns or questions about research
participation, the instructor should direct them to the Research Participation Coordinator, Gail Moroschan ([email protected]).
Grading Breakdown:
Component: Weight: Date: Final grades will be reported using letter grades. Final grades will be determined after combining scores for all components of the course into a percentage total for each student. These percentages will then be converted into letter grades based on the following conversion system*:
Exam 1 25% October 8, 2018
Exam 2 25% November 9, 2018
Final Exam
35% Tentatively Thursday, December 13 @ 9:00a.m.
Top Hat 5% Every Class
Research
Participation 10% Throughout
Total 100%
*Note: There is no possibility of a reexamination in this course.
Grading Distribution:
Distribution of Grades in Undergraduate Courses Letter
grade
A+ A A- B+ B B- C+ C C- D+ D F
% grade range
95- 100
90-94 85-89 80-84 75-79 70-74 66-69 62-65 58-61 54-57 50-53 0-49
Grade points
4.0 4.0 3.7 3.3 3.0 2.7 2.3 2.0 1.7 1.3 1.0 0
Descriptor Excellent Good Satisfactory Poor Minimal
Pass
Fail
*Note: This is not a curved course and this is a guideline (i.e., the instructor reserves the right to revise grade cutoffs) for the conversion of percentage grades to the equivalent letter grade.
Cutoffs may be adjusted so that the proportion of students receiving each letter grade
corresponds to the University-suggested ranges, depending on class performance and clustering of scores, and will reflect your performance in relation to the rest of the class. Midterm and final exam grades will be posted under “My Grades” on eClass. Neither the midterms nor final exams will be passed back to the students. Should students wish to see their exam, they may view it with the TA during the exam viewings (to be scheduled at a later date) or during office hours.
Grades are unofficial until approved by the Department and/or Faculty offering the course.
Missing a significant portion of the course work will result in a “1” being applied to your final letter grade on your transcript (e.g., a student may receive a C1, indicating that they
received a C and missed significant course work). This notation will be applied to the grades of any students who have an unexcused absence from any of the exams or have missed any two exams.
Additional considerations…
Office hours: Students are welcomed and encouraged to attend office hours. Appointments will only be made with students who cannot attend office hours. If your class schedule prevents you from attending the scheduled office hours, you should (a) log on to Bear Tracks and go to your schedule, (b) hit ALT Prt Scr, and paste the page into a Word document, and then (c) attach that document to the email requesting a meeting. Students should feel free to ask questions during class and/or immediately before or after class. If you are having trouble understanding the course material, please see the instructor well in advance of the exams. Waiting until the last minute is an unwise strategy, as I am unable to help those students that do not take the initiative.
Email Policy: Students are encouraged to read through their syllabus and lecture notes before asking their questions to determine whether they can find the answer on their own before emailing the instructor or TA. Also, the instructor will answer only brief and succinct questions regarding material via email. If your question is even somewhat intricate/complex, please see me during office hours or before/after class. Questions sent via email should also be as specific as possible, so I can give an appropriate response quickly. Students who email vague, nonspecific, complex, or otherwise unclear questions or comments (e.g., “I don’t understand what personality is”) will be encouraged to attend office hours. So, rather than emailing something vague (e.g., “I don’t understand what personality is”) students should first tell me what you know about the topic and then ask your specific question. This policy will result in the ability of the instructor to respond to all students in a timely manner as well as not waste my time or yours providing information about things you already understand (or can find easily).
Note on email etiquette: In writing any email to the instructor or TA, students will be required to include the following information if they desire a response:
1. The student’s first and last name 2. Their student ID number
3. The course number/name
4. If requesting a meeting outside office hours, at least 2 time windows you would be available to meet.
Failure to include this information may result in the email going unanswered.
Furthermore, any emails (anonymous or otherwise) sent to the instructor or TA that are aggressive, hostile, or harassing in nature will be reported to the Associate Chair of the
Undergraduate Program in Psychology, Cor Baerveldt, and will be investigated for violations of the Student Code of Conduct. Any students found to be in violation of the code will be
disciplined accordingly. If you have comments or concerns about the class, you are encouraged to see the instructor in person, make such comments on the course evaluations at the end of the term, or to see the Associate Chair. Disrespectful behavior (including emails) will not be tolerated.
Classroom etiquette: Students are expected to behave appropriately during class, reflecting respect for the instructor and their classmates. Students are expected to turn off or silence (not just vibrate setting) all cell phones, pagers, and music devices during class time. Laptops and tablets are only permitted for the purpose of note taking. Frequent talking or disruptions will not be tolerated. Students are free to ask questions during lecture, but please avoid discussing lecture material (or other topics) with other students during lecture time, except as part of a full-
class discussion. Students who talk loudly or excessively during class will either (a) be called on to answer questions regarding the lecture or text material, or (b) be asked to leave the lecture.
Note: Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s). This includes uploading course content to third party websites.
CELL PHONES: Cell phones are to be turned off during lectures, labs and seminars (unless used for purposes of Top Hat). Cell phones are not to be brought to exams.
STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR ACCESSIBILITY-RELATED ACCOMMODATIONS (students registered with Student Accessibility Services - SAS): Eligible students have both rights and responsibilities with regard to accessibility-related accommodations.
Consequently, scheduling exam accommodations in accordance with SAS deadlines and
procedures is essential. Please note adherence to procedures and deadlines is required for U of A to provide accommodations. Contact SAS (www.ssds.ualberta.ca) for further information.
STUDENT SUCCESS CENTRE: Students who require additional help in developing strategies for better time management, study skills or examination skills should contact the Student Success Centre (2-300 Students’ Union Building).
Student Responsibilities:
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: "The University of Alberta is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity and honesty. Students are expected to be familiar with these standards regarding academic honesty and to uphold the policies of the University in this respect. Students are particularly urged to familiarize themselves with the provisions of the Code of Student Behaviour (online at www.governance.ualberta.ca) and avoid any behaviour which could potentially result in suspicions of cheating, plagiarism, misrepresentation of facts and/or participation in an offence. Academic dishonesty is a serious offence and can result in suspension or expulsion from the University."
All forms of dishonesty are unacceptable at the University. Any offence will be reported to the Associate Dean of Science who will determine the disciplinary action to be taken. Cheating, plagiarism and misrepresentation of facts are serious offences. Anyone who engages in these practices will receive at minimum a grade of zero for the exam or paper in question and no opportunity will be given to replace the grade or redistribute the weights. As well, in the Faculty of Science the sanction for cheating on any examination will include a disciplinary failing grade (NO EXCEPTIONS) and senior students should expect a period of suspension or expulsion from the University of Alberta.
RECORDING AND/OR DISTRIBUTION OF COURSE MATERIALS: Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an
approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
Policy about course outlines can be found in the University Calendar
(http://calendar.ualberta.ca/content.php?catoid=6&navoid=806&hl="syllabus"&returnto=search - Evaluation_Procedures_and_Grading_System).
Disclaimer:Any typographical errors in this Course Outline are subject to change and will be announced in class. The date of the final examination is set by the Registrar and takes
precedence over the final examination date reported in this syllabus.
Final note (disclaimer):
Any errors (typographical or otherwise) in this Course Outline are subject to change and will be announced to the class. The date of the final examination is set by the Registrar and takes precedence over the final examination date reported in this syllabus.
Policy about course outlines can be found in the Evaluation Procedures and Grading System section of the University Calendar
COPYRIGHT: © Michael Sharp, M.A., Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, 2018.
