Poto, General Psych Syllabus, Fall 2011

UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 47.101

Fall 2011

Faculty: Nataliya Poto, M.A.

Email:

Office: Mahoney HallWebsite:faculty.uml.edu/psychadjunct/npoto

Office Hours: Tue, Thurs 11.00AM-11:30 AM- or by appointment

Class Schedule: Tue, Thurs 8:00 AM- 9:15 AM(section 202)

9:30 AM–10:45 AM (section 208)

Course Description: This course indented as an introductory course both or non-concentrators and for concentrators. It surveys the major areas of Psychology including the nature of Psychology as a science, research methods, the relationship between physiological and psychological processes, principles of learning, sensation and perception, cognitive processes, including language and intelligence, child development, adjustment and behavior disorders, as well as social behavior.

Course Objectives:

1)Understand the importance of research and scientific method in the development of psychological knowledge

2)Know the major principles and terminology within the various areas of psychology

3)Critically consider ground breaking theories and studies within the field of psychology and their impact

4)Apply concepts and findings in psychology to gain a greater understanding of human behavior

5)Participate in psychological research

Required Text:Rathus, Spencer A. (2012, 2009). PSYCH (2ndEd.) Wasdworth, CENGAGE Learning

Attendance and Participation: Attendance is required and will be taken each class. Attendance for each class is worth 1 point; there are a total of 28 classes. You are allowed 3 unexcused absences. I will ask for documentation after the 3rd class to excuse further absences. Attendance is worth 10% of your grade.

You are responsible for getting copies of any handouts given out in class either from another student or from me during my office hours; they will also be available on my course website. You are also responsible for finding out about any important announcements made in class. Not being in class is not a sufficient reason for not knowing about important changes to the syllabus, course requirements etc.

To do well in this course you will need to read the assigned readings and the required chapters in the textbook before each class. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in class discussions.

Important emails regarding the course will be sent to your UML email accounts. If you do not check your UML email account, you should have that email forwarded to an account you do check. I will only send emails to UML accounts.

Course Assessments:

Quizzes: There will be five regularly scheduled exams during the course, including the final exam. These will consist of multiple choice and short essay questions and will be based on material covered in the class (which may not be in the textbook), and material covered in the textbook (which may not have been covered in class). You must bring a pencil for the quizzes. Having five quizzes allows us to break up the material covered in the course so that each quiz is not overwhelming.

Final Exam: The final is cumulative (i.e. covers material from the whole course), will include one essayquestion and will be scheduled during finals week.Finals week will be Dec. 14th -22th

Quiz Make-up Policy: You are expected to be in class on the day and time that the quizzes are scheduled. If you do not attend a quiz you will receive an Ffor that quiz. Make-up quizzes will only be allowed if you can provide documentation of a legitimate medical or family emergency. You must notify me of this within 24 hours of missing the quiz and provide documentation within 72 hours of the quiz. Make-ups are scheduled through the Psychology department so have limited flexibility in when they take place.

Research Participation Requirement: The Department of Psychology requires all students enrolled in a section of General Psychology to complete the Research Participation Requirement. This involves taking part in four research activities currently underway by faculty and students at UML, each requiring around an hour. Those who complete 4 hours of participation will receive 100 points (10% of your grade), 3 hours will receive 75 points, 2 hours will receive 50 points, 1 hour will receive 25 points, and 0 hours will receive 0 points. Individuals under the age of 18 will have an alternate assignment. Further details explaining this assignment will be provided to you shortly and can also be found at:

There is no extra credit available in this class.

Students with Disabilities.

Reasonable modifications will be made for students with disabilities. Please be sure to register with the Office of Disability Services.

Other important course information.

Lecture notes: All power point lectures will be available on the class website.I suggest you print them BEFORE CLASS and follow along during lectures. I strongly suggest that you take notes beyond what is on the slide.

Class website:

A number of useful pieces of information can be found here, including:

  • Syllabus
  • Power Point slides
  • Other

Class etiquette:

I expect that the class will be an environment that is conductive to learning and respectful of all

  • Arrive to class on time! If you are late, please come in quietly and keep your disruption of others to a minimum!
  • Silence all cell phones, and other electronic devices. Please refrain from texting in class as you will lose your attendance points!
  • Respect your classmate by not interrupting them when they are speaking.
  • Raise your hand before speaking- this allows everyone the opportunity to contribute to the discussion
  • Please do not have side discussion with your classmates during class. If you have missed something to require further clarification, just ask me.

Laptops: Laptops will only be allowed with the permission of the instructor. If you are granted permission and are found to be using the laptop for any other purpose other than note taking in class, the permission will be revoked for the remainder of the semester

Contacting me:

The best way to contact me is by email. I usually try to respond to emails within 24 hour period (excluding weekends).

Grading:%

Quiz 115

Quiz 215

Quiz 315

Quiz 415

Final Exam 20

Attendance10

Research Participation10

A93-100C+77-79 F0-59

A-90-92C73-76

B+87-89C-70-72

B83-86D+67-69

B-80-82D60-66

University Policy on Cheating: Students who cheat on a quiz or an assignment will receive zero for that quiz or assignment. In addition, a report will be made to University judiciaries. Other penalties such as reduction of course grade may also be imposed.

Plagiarism: presenting someone else’s work and ideas as your own – is a very serious offense. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they are familiar with what constitutes plagiarism and how to avoid it.

For further information about academic integrity and UML policies see:

Class Schedule

Date / Topic / Required Reading
1 / Thurs 1st Sept / Introduction- What is Psychology? / Ch. 1 pp. 2-13
2 / Tue 6th Sept / Continue What is Psychology & History / Lecture Notes, Handouts
3 / Thurs 8th Sept / Critical Thinking & Research Methods / Ch.1 pp 14-23
4 / Tue 13th Sept / Biology and Behavior I / Ch.2 pp 24-41, 44-48
5 / Thurs 15th Sept / Biology and Behavior II / Lecture Notes, Handouts
6 / Tue 20thSept / Quiz 1 / All the materials though 9/20
7 / Thurs 22ndSept / Sensation and Perception I / Ch. 4
8 / Tue 27th Sept / Sensation and Perception II / Ch.4, Lecture Notes, Handouts
9 / Thurs 29th Sept / Learning / Ch.6
10 / Tue 4th Oct / Learning / Ch6, Lecture Notes, Handouts
11 / Thurs 6th Oct / Quiz 2 / Materials from 9/22 thru 10/4
12 / Tue 11th Oct / Memory / Ch7
13 / Thurs 13th Oct / Memory / Ch 7, Lecture Notes, Handouts
14 / Tue 18th Oct / Cognition/Thinking / Ch 8 pp162-169
15 / Thurs 20th Oct / Language / pp162-174
16 / Tue 25th Oct / Intelligence / pp 174-184
17 / Thurs 27th Oct / Quiz 3 / Materials from10/11 thru 10/25
18 / Tue 1st Nov / ASD. Guest Speaker: Living with Asperger’s Syndrome
19 / Thurs 3rd Nov / Review/catch up/Film / Asylum: A History of the Mental Institution in America
20 / Tue 8th Nov / Psychological Disorders / Ch 12
21 / Thurs 10th Nov / Psychological Disorders / Ch 12, Lectures Notes, Handouts
22 / Tue 15th Nov / Child Development / Pp 50-68
23 / Thurs 17th Nov / Child Development
24 / Tue 22nd Nov / Quiz 4 / Materials from 11/1 thru 11/17
Thurs 24th Nov / Thanksgiving Recess / NO CLASS
25 / Tue 29th Nov / Methods of Therapy / Ch.13
26 / Thurs 1st Dec / Social Psychology / Ch. 14
27 / Tue 6th Dec / Social Psychology / Ch.14
28 / Thurs 8th Dec (Last Class) / Review/Reflect
Week of Finals 14th -22th Dec / Final TBA / Cumulative: (All the materials)
Fri 23nd Dec. / Make up day for finals postponed because of weather

Free videos:

PsychologyDepartment, University of MassachusettsLowell

47.101 General Psychology, THE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT*

  • A Sona Systems account name and password were sent to your @student.uml.edu email account, if you were enrolled in General Psychology before the semester began.
  • If you forget your password, have it sent to your @student.uml.edu address by going to the Sona site at and clicking ‘Forgot your password?’.
  • People who did not receive an account must register for a Sona Systems account immediately. Click ‘request an account’ to register.
  • Your UMass Lowell email account name, which appears before the ‘@’ in your email address, must be used as your Sona Systems login name (e.g. James_Jones). Do not add the ‘@student.uml.edu.’ The Sona Systems computer will add the ‘@student.uml.edu’ and send information to your account. Do not use your student ID number or you will not receive account information.
  • Select your General Psychology section correctly or you may not receive credit. People who change sections must be sure you change the Sona listing or credit may not be recorded correctly.
  • An email message will be sent when studies are available. Check your email regularly. There is no need to check Sona Systems listings, unless you received notification. More opportunities for participation will be offered in the second half than in the first half of the semester. Reservations will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. People who are not among the first to register will need to wait for other opportunities to be announced.
  • Notification can only be sent to you if you are registered on Sona Systems.
  • When you receive notification of a participation opportunity, log in to Sona Systems and reserve a time slot.
  • Researchers will post credit for your participation within one week after you participate.
  • Alternatives to research participation are available.
  • Participation helps you to understand how psychologists study behaviors.
  • Participation counts for 10% of your course grade.
  • Four hours of participation are required. Satisfy your requirement as soon as possible.
  • You risk missing email correspondence if you change your email address. Please use your @student.uml.edu address.
  • Research will be conducted throughout the semester, but the majority of participation opportunities will occur during the second half of the semester.

Every General Psychology student must complete a four hour research experience requirement.Participation countsfor 10% of the course grade. For satisfactorily completing 4 hours of research experience, you earn a grade of 100 on this requirement; for 3 hours of research experience, you earn a grade of 75;for 2 hours of research experience, you earn a grade of 50; for 1 hour, a grade of 25; and for zero hours, your grade is zero. You must be at least 18 years old to participate in research studies.See the Alternative Experience information if you are not yet 18.

The research experience requirement is intended to familiarize you with ways that psychologists study behaviors. Research is very important to psychologists. Many interesting psychological phenomena that you will study in psychology courses have been discovered in research involving students like you.

You may fulfill the research experience requirement by participating in approved studies, conducted on campus by faculty members or advanced psychology students, who work under faculty supervision. Approved studies will appear only on Sona Systems. You may participate in one 4-hour study, one 3-hour study and one 1-hour study, two 2-hour studies, or four 1-hour studies. By the end of the semester, every General Psychology student will have the opportunity to experience 4 hours of participation. People who delay participation until the very end of the semester may not be able to complete the requirement. Please complete your requirement as soon as possible.

You may cancel participation up to 2 hours before the time scheduled for your participation. Do not use alternate means to cancel participation. ONLY register for opportunities in which you intend to participate. People who sign up and cancel at the last minute interfere with other students fulfilling requirements and researchers conducting studies.

PROCEDURE FOR PARTICIPATING IN RESEARCH STUDIES

Anyone who is not yet 18 or anyone who prefers not to participate in researchhas Alternative Experiences available. For each of the alternative research assignments, you must (1) attend a live research talk in the Psychology Department’s Colloquium series or watch a 1-hour videotape of a psychology research talk at a colloquium that took place in the current or previous academic year; and (2) provide written answers to questions about the talk. Copies of the questions for each assignment are available from Prof. Siegel in Mahoney Hall 110A. Typed or clearly written answers must be returned to Prof. Siegel no later than December 2, 2011. Answers that are too brief or do not accurately reflect the content of the talk will not receive credit. Copying the work of another student is strictly forbidden.

You must have an account on Sona-Systems to receive credit for participating in studies and Alternative Experiences. To access/create an account, and to sign up for studies:

  1. Use your UML email account to register for an account on Sona-Systems. Information regarding email accounts is available at:
  2. Most students will have an account created for them. Please do not duplicate accounts.

If you do not have an account, request one at

a) Complete the online form with the information requested:

1) User ID: Type your UML email name, e.g. Firstname_Lastname (Jillian_Snow). Do notuse your student ID number. Do not add the ‘@student.uml.edu.’ The Sona Systems computer will add @student.uml.edu.

2) Course: Select the correct section number of your General Psychology class or you may not receive credit that you earn

3) To finish, click on Request Account.

4) A password will be sent to your @student.uml.edu email address.

b) If you change your course registration to another section of General Psychology, please

change your section listing in your Profile or you may not receive participation credits.

  1. Click on Browse a list of experiments and sign up for your choices. For any of the experiments listed, you can click first on Timeslots available, then click on View time slots for this experiment, and across from a time that fits into your schedule, click on Sign up.

A screen confirming your success will appear—Copy and save the information on this screen.

To go back to a previous page, DO NOT click the browser BACK button; instead, use the tabs on the bar near the top of the web pages. To signup for another experiment, click on the Experiments tab. To cancel your participation in an experiment (at least 2 hours in advance) or to confirm your credits, click on the My schedule/credits tab. To change your password, click on the My profile tab. To exit the Sona website, click on the Logout tab. If you cancel participation, make a copy of the information to document your success in cancelling.

  1. Come to the experiment on the scheduled date and arrive on time. SIGN IN when you arrive at the study so that the experimenter can give you credit for attending. When you register to participate in research, attend the study for which you registered. You may not earn credit for attending another study held at the same time. The investigators rely on your participation and students who would have signed up in your stead rely on your good faith as well.
  2. Researchers shall complete all studies on or before December 2, 2011.

The faculty and students who conduct research this semester thank you for participating with seriousness of purpose.

*Research participants remain anonymous in all of the research studies published by faculty members and students. Before any study involving General Psychology students can be conducted, it must pass through an ethical review process and receive IRB approval.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RESEARCH EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT OR THESE PROCEDURES, PLEASE CONTACT YOUR GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY INSTRUCTOR, DR. SIEGEL (x3950) or DR. LANDRIGAN (x3958) IN THE PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT, MAHONEY HALL.