Psy 113 – General Psychology

Course IDs:  000164 (12:00 pm) or 001603 (1:30 pm) 

Announcements

12/19/13  Here are the final grades for the course.  If you have questions/concerns about your grade, please see me in person when classes resume in January.  Privacy laws prevent me from discussing grades via phone or email.  Thanks and happy holidays to you all!

12:00 final grade sheet            1:30 final grade sheet

Psy 113 Schedule

Text: Psychology: A Journey by Dennis Coon & John Mitterer (2014, 5th edition)   ISBN-10: 113395782X      ISBN-13: 9781133957829

Course Description and Goals: This course is a survey of the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. The scientific approach is emphasized as a means to gain a basic understanding of psychology on several levels – biological, behavioral, cognitive, affective, and social. Students will gain a basic knowledge of the principles of psychology as developed by major theorists. This background will help students gain an appreciation for the scientific nature of psychology while also developing an awareness of moral and ethical issues in contemporary psychology. In addition, this information will serve as a foundation for students planning to pursue future study in psychology and the social sciences.

Exams: Four exams will be scheduled during the regular semester (60 points each). Each exam will consist of 60 multiple-choice questions; each question will be worth 1 point. Exams may cover any of the materials presented in lecture, the text, or discussed in classroom demonstrations, videos, and activities. If a student misses a lecture, it is his or her responsibility to find a source for the missed information. We will not have enough time to cover all information in each chapter; the outline posted on the course website will indicate which sections in the text will NOT be tested on the exam. All other material is fair game.

Cumulative Make- Up Final Exam:  Students will not be allowed to make up a missed exam after it has been administered in class. When discussed beforehand with your professor, an exam may be taken prior to the class examination. Students missing an exam will be allowed to make up the test points by taking the 60 point cumulative multiple-choice final exam on the scheduled final exam date. Students will not be allowed to make up missed exams at any other time than the scheduled final exam date. Individuals missing more than one exam will receive a score of zero for the remaining missing test grades. Students who have taken all four scheduled exams are not required to take the final exam. However, these students may choose to take the final exam to replace their lowest test score. Students taking all five exams, will automatically have their lowest score dropped.

In-Class Activities: Nine in-class activities/assignments will be presented for opportunities to apply and discuss the material with classmates. Your grade will be based on 8 activities (worth 10 points each), for a total of 80 available activity points. Note that you may miss two activities. Activities will be unannounced; therefore, regular attendance is crucial in order to gain these points. All in-class activity assignments will be due at the end of the class period in which they are presented (no exceptions). Each student must turn in his/her own activity sheet. There will be no make-ups for class activities (no exceptions). If you participate in all 10 activities, you may keep the extra 8 points as extra credit.

Writing Assignments: Two short writing assignments (20 points each) will be required. Specific due dates and instructions will be posted on the course website and discussed in class. Late assignments will receive one letter-grade deduction for each school day past the due date.

Course Website: Students are encouraged to frequently access the course website for announcements. Students will also have access to lecture outlines, exam grades, extra credit opportunities, writing assignment instructions and due dates, and other supplementary materials.

Extra Credit: The major way you may earn extra credit is by serving as a participant in experiments conducted by psychology faculty and students. Sign-up sheets for approved projects will be posted on the bulletin board outside Bridges 360. Make sure you carefully read the instructions/qualifications on these sheets. Also, please be sure to note where and when you are to show up for the experiment. Usually you will not be called or reminded by the experimenter. You may participate in as many authorized experiments as you desire. However, the maximum number of research extra credit points that will be added to your grade is 30. You will earn 2 points for each 15 minutes of participation. Proof of your participation (a blue card) will be given to you by the experimenter; make sure to ask if you do not receive a blue card. Blue cards will be collected during the last week of classes. Students are responsible for keeping their blue cards until the collection day. A lost blue card means no credit (no exceptions). If you commit yourself to being a participant in a study and cannot show up, please call the department and leave a message for the experimenter (477-2802). There will be a couple of other opportunities for extra credit; it is essential to come to class to find out and have access to these opportunities.

Grading: Three hundred sixty total points are available in this class--Exams: 240 pts., Activities: 80 pts., and Writing Assignments: 40 pts. Final grades will be assigned as follows:

A = 323 - 360 points (90-100%)                                  D = 215 - 250 (60-69%)
B = 287 - 322 points (80-89%)                                    F = 214 points or less (59% or less)
C = 251 - 286 points (70-79%)
IMPORTANT: These grade cut-offs are fixed. The borders have already been relaxed as much as possible, so monitor your progress and earn any necessary extra credit points to secure your grade category. I will not award the higher grade if you are 1 or 2 points short; that is not a fair practice in a class this large. You have on-going access to monitor your grades and plenty of chances to earn extra credit during the semester.

Incompletes: No incompletes will be given unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor. University policy requires that the student sign a “Removal of Incomplete” contract with the instructor for completion of the work. Under this policy, an incomplete will automatically be converted to an F if the work is not completed in one semester.

Student Responsibilities: Upon missing a class, it is the student’s responsibility to check the course website for any announcements and assignments, read the assigned section of the textbook and add details/comments to the provided class notes on the material, and direct any specific questions about the material to the professor. It is also a good idea to get a copy of the notes from a classmate. Please do not ask/email the professor about what you missed, ask a classmate and use the resources on the course website instead. If you have an extended absence, please see the professor when you return.

It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of all information in the syllabus, including dates and procedures for assignments and grading; to frequently check the course web page for class announcements or changes; to complete the reading assignments before each class; to take an active role in learning the material; to seek out help from the professor in a timely fashion; to monitor your performance in this class, including keeping track of your grades and extra credit points; and to inform the professor ahead of time in the case of special needs. 

Be aware that it is common courtesy to arrive and leave class on time so as not to disturb the professor or other students. Also, all electronic devices such as cell phones and pagers must be turned off upon entering the classroom. Laptops may be used for taking class notes only. If the professor suspects a student is abusing the laptop privilege (e.g., chatting online or surfing the internet), the student’s privilege will be revoked. Student’s displaying any sort of disruptive or disrespectful behavior will be given one verbal warning by the professor. Any subsequent problems will be reported to and handled by MSUM Judicial Affairs.

Academic Honesty: The MSUM Student Handbook (http://web.mnstate.edu/sthandbook) discusses student conduct code issues including academic integrity such as cheating or plagiarism. If you have any questions regarding this conduct code or your rights, please review the handbook.

Copying test answers or papers from classmates or other sources (including the web) is considered plagiarism and is the equivalent of scholarly or “literary” stealing. Such activities reflect shabby standards of personal integrity and such conduct is professionally unethical. In the event that you are caught plagiarizing or copying, you will be failed in the course, regardless of the level of work on other class activities.

Special Accommodations: Students with disabilities who believe they may need an accommodation in this class are encouraged to contact Greg Toutges, Director of Disability Services at 477-4318 (Voice) or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY), Flora Frick 154 as soon as possible to ensure that accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.  Information regarding Disability Services is available at http://web.mnstate.edu/disability.

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