Elementary Psychology PSY 12000-003

Office: PSYC 2166
Phone: 494-0845
Email: kip@psych.purdue.edu
Web: http://www2.psych.purdue.edu/~kip/
Class Meetings: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:30am - 11:45am in LILY 1105
Office hours: Wednesdays, 10:00am - 12:00noon or by appointment

*190 will be locked in as the top score for the four exams (no matter which four exams you choose).
So, you can know exactly where you stand prior to taking (or deciding to take) Exam 5.

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Question: "My cumulative total works out to a percentage of 89.47. Can you round up so I get an A-,
or do I need to take Exam 5 in order to try to raise my grade to an A-?"

Answer: You will need to take Exam 5 in hopes of raising your total to be on or above 89.5 if you want to try for an A-."

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Review Session Meetings are as follows (come prepared with your own set of questions):

Review session is for Exam 3: in EE 129 on Wednesday, March 11 at 6:30pm - 7:30pm

The link for the podcast is: www.itap.purdue.edu/tlt/BoilerCast

There is a link to the left of the page called "BoilerCast File Access". Once this link is clicked, it will take you to an authentication page where you will need to input your career account login and password. If the PC/Mac you are using has iTunes, you will be taken to the main page where all the Purdue colleges are listed. PSYC is under Liberal Arts. If the PC you are using does not have iTunes, the browser should prompt you to install it. The install is free, as Purdue has a license agreement with Apple. Once iTunes is installed, the browser will direct you to the main page. Click on Liberal Arts and PSY12000 - Spring2009 - Williams. That is where the lectures will be posted.

Your new textbook purchase includes an on-line version of the text and access to PsychPortal, both of which expire a year after purchase. PsychPortal provides you with many aids for studying, including practice exams, flashcards, and online demonstrations. I highly recommend that you take advantage of PsychPortal.

TAs: (Please email the TA first prior to visiting them; they would prefer email to phone, as well)

Course Objectives: The purpose of this course is to introduce you to the field of psychology. There are three major sub-goals: (1) To explain how psychologists think about and study behavior. (2) To introduce you to the body of knowledge and underlying principles that currently exist in the field. (3) To encourage reflection about the implications of psychological research for everyday life.

Class Format: This class involves two lectures each week. The 75-minute lectures will speak to the topics listed on this syllabus. The text covers these same topics, but lectures and text overlap only about 50%. Consequently you will need to attend lectures and read the text to learn all of the examinable material.

Grading. Course grades will be based on your best four of the five non-cumulative midterm exams (each worth 25% of the final grade). Exams are comprised of 50 multiple-choice questions (four options for each question). So, for example, if your scores are: 26, 35, 36, 34, and 37; you would drop the 26 and have a grand total of 142/200, which would equal 71% (C-). Make-ups will be granted ONLY with a validated medical or emergency excuse, and the request for a make-up MUST be made (by phone or email) prior to the exam time. If you are granted a make-up, it will be given at a time and place convenient for your TA. The grades will follow the following breakdown. The percentages are based on the top score achieved in the class. There are NO extra credit opportunities (participation in experiments and/or alternative written assignments are NOT extra credit; they are part of the course requirement).

100 – 93% of top score achieved	=	A
92 – 90% of top score achieved	=	A-
89 – 87% of top score achieved	=	B+
86 - 83% of top score achieved	=	B
82 - 80% of top score achieved	=	B-
79 – 77% of top score achieved	=	C+
76 – 73% of top score achieved	=	C
72 – 70% of top score achieved	=	C-
69 - 67% of top score achieved	=	D+
66 – 63% of top score achieved	=	D
62 – 60% of top score achieved	=	D-
< 60% of top score achieved	=	F

Research Participation in Experiments. As an important component to learning, all students in PSY 120 are required to earn 11 experiment credit units for their participation in research sponsored by the Department of Psychological Sciences, or to complete equivalent written assignments. THIS IS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THE COURSE AND IS NOT EXTRA CREDIT. All necessary information regarding this course requirement will be explained in class. If you join the class late or are absent during the in-class explanation, you can obtain this information from Sue Phebus, Experiment Coordinator, PRCE 385G, sphebus@purdue.edu, or from the Department’s web page under the Research heading.

Students who do not wish to take part in research, or who cannot take part due to conflicts, may perform alternative, written assignments. Guidelines for these alternative assignments can be viewed on the Department’s web page under the Research heading. Students with course grades of A, B, or C will not receive credit for the course until the research participation or alternative project requirements are fulfilled. Ds and Fs will be assigned regardless of the number of credits earned through research participation or completion of alternative project assignments.

If you choose to participate in research projects, you must sign up for individual research sessions using the Sona Systems sign-up program. The web address is http://purdue-psych.sona-systems.com/ .

a) User ID: The user id is the same as your Purdue career account. Example: stumpc
b) Password: The password will be generated by the Sona Systems program and sent to your Purdue e-mail account (stumpc@purdue.edu). Please check your Purdue e-mail and let the Experiment Coordinator know if you do not receive a password from Sona Systems during the second week of classes.

Even if you do not plan to participate in experiments now, you are advised to try logging in to the system now. If you have trouble doing so, please contact the Experiment Coordinator, Sue Phebus, at sphebus@purdue.edu for assistance.

You may cancel your participation in an experiment by following the instructions on-line in the Sona Systems program (or by directly notifying the experimenter conducting the session for which you have signed up at least one hour in advance of the experiment session). Failure to do so will result in a penalty equal to the amount of credit you would have earned by your participation. In other words, if you miss a one-credit experiment without canceling in advance, you will be assessed a one-credit penalty, bringing your required research participation credits to 12, rather than 11. The accumulation of 4 failure-to-show penalties will result in the suspension of your participation in the research experiments.

Various experiments are scheduled throughout the semester and are run until the last day of classes, but not during finals week. You should plan to complete your research participation before that date. Also, all alternate projects must be turned in by the last day of classes, before finals week begins. Projects received after the last day of classes will receive an incomplete; these projects will not be graded until the beginning of the next semester.

If you have preexisting credits from taking PSY 120 in a prior semester, they may be transferred to your current record. Please contact the Experiment Coordinator at sphebus@purdue.edu to notify her of your existing credits and in what semester they were earned.

Purdue Student Code of Honor: Know it and follow it. For your own sake, do your own work. Plagiarism is a serious offense, and is easily detectable with the advent of search engines. It does not matter if you plagiarized intentionally or unintentionally—either way it is plagiarism. Here is a useful website to understand the definition and issues surrounding plagiarism: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html

Emergencies. In the event of a major campus emergency, course requirements, deadlines and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances. Here are ways to get information about changes in this course: MyPurdue webpage, my class web page, email address: kip@psych.purdue.edu, and my office phone: 494-0845. FOR INFORMATION on EMERGENCIES, GO TO: http://www.purdue.edu/emergency_preparedness/

This schedule is only an approximation. The instructor may extend, shorten, or even re-arrange the lectures. All students are responsible for any changes mentioned in class, including changes in test dates. PLEASE ROUTINELY CHECK THIS COURSE WEBPAGE FOR UPDATES, CHANGES, AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.

*Jan 16 is the last day for late registration
**Jan 26 is the last day to cancel a course assignment without it appearing on record
***Mar 23 is the last day to cancel a course assignment without a grade, for course additions, change of level or change of pass/not-pass option.

Do we have to attend lectures?
Purdue says you should, but I do not take roll. When you attend lectures regularly, you are more likely to know about changes in exam dates, lecture topics, and special guests. And, you are more likely to perform better on the exams. Whether you attend lectures or not, you are responsible for any information announced in lectures.

As a reminder, be courteous to all in attendance. This means: don’t read your newspaper during class, talk excessively to your neighbor, text others on your cell phones, surf on the Internet, or snore too loudly.

I bought a used book; do I get the online version of the text and access to PsychPortal free?
No. You would have to purchase it separately.

Can I use an introductory psychology textbook (e.g., by Nairne) that is used in another Psy12000 class?
No, the exams are written based upon the material in the Myers (8th edition) textbook, so you would not fare well on the exams.

Can I audiotape your lectures?
Sure, no problem. I’ll try to get my lectures recording for podcasting, as well.

Are the exams cumulative?
No, they cover the material from the previous exam to the present.

How about the Final Exam; is it cumulative?
Nope, it is nothing more than Exam 5 (except it will be held on a different day, possibly a different location, and you’ll have two hours to complete it, which you shouldn’t need).

If you didn’t get finished lecturing, are we still responsible for the material that you didn’t cover?
Yes, you are responsible for the material in each assigned chapter, whether or not I have time to cover that chapter’s material. Also, you are responsible for any material on my powerpoint slides, which are posted on my class website: http://www2.psych.purdue.edu/~kip/120/index.htm

If I miss an exam, can I take a make-up?
Only if (a) you contact me by phone or email before the exam, and (b) you have a validated medical or emergency excuse that you bring me prior to your rescheduled make-up.

Can I drop my worst exam score?
Yes; only your best four exam scores will count toward your grade.

Is experimental participation a form of extra credit?
No. It is required for you to get your grade. I have nothing to do with your participation credits; that is all done by Sue Phebus. I send her your grades, she determines whether you have completed your participation requirements, and if so, she submits your grade.

Are there any special rules while we take exams?
Yes. (1) No cheating or talking to fellow students; (2) No caps or hats (or if you are surgically attached to your cap, turn it around so the bill is behind you, (3) No cell phones or computers are allowed in the classroom, (4) bring your own pencil. Try your best to cover your exam so as not to tempt others, and try to spread out as much as possible leaving an empty seat between you and any other student (if possible).

TAs	Email	Phone	Office	Office Hours
Nicole Capezza	ncapezza@psych.purdue.edu	494-6892	PSYC 2180	W 1:00-2:30pm
Jim Wirth	jwirth@psych.purdue.edu	494-6892	PSYC 2114	F 10:30-12:00pm

Date	Lecture Topic	Reading
Jan 13, Tue	Introduction - Go over syllabus; answer questions	Prologue; Ch 1
Jan 15, Thur*	Thinking Critically with Psychological Science	Ch 1
Jan 20, Tue	Neuroscience and Behavior	Ch 2
Jan 22, Thur**	The Brain (see pdf above)
Jan 27, Tue	Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity	Ch 3
Jan 29, Thur	**EXAM 1**
Feb 3, Tue	Developmental Psychology: Early	Ch 4
Feb 5, Thur	Developmental psychology: Late (guest lecture) [I will leave this up as it might be helpful, but I am not using these slides this semester]
Feb 10, Tue	Sensation Transcript from Scientific American Frontiers episode on "Tasters and Supertasters."	Ch 5
Feb 12, Thur	Perception	Ch 6
Feb 17, Tue	Perception Gestalt Principles
Feb 19, Thur	**EXAM 2**
Feb 24, Tue	Learning: Classical conditioning	Ch 8
Feb 26, Thur	Operant conditioning
Mar 3, Tue	Memory	Ch 9
Mar 5, Thur	Memory
Mar 10, Tue	Language and Thinking	Ch 10
Mar 12, Thur***	**EXAM 3**
Mar 17, Tue	SPRING VACATION (no class)
Mar 19, Thur	SPRING VACATION (no class)
Mar 24, Tue	Intelligence	Ch 11
Mar 26, Thur	Motivation	Ch 12 (will not be tested on pgs. 500-510)
Mar 31, Tue	Motivation continued….
Apr 2, Thur	Emotion	Ch 13
Apr 7, Tue	Emotion continued…
Apr 9, Thur	**EXAM 4**
Apr 14, Tue	Personality	Ch 15
Apr 16, Thur	Disorders	Ch 16
Apr 21, Tue	Disorders continued…
Apr 23, Thur	Therapy	Ch 17
Apr 28, Tue	Social Psychology	Ch 18
Apr 30, Thur	Social psych continued...
*May 7, Thursday*	*** EXAM 5 * LILY 1105**	7:00-9:00 PM