Semester 2, 2003/4
 

Instructor:	Uta Wolfe

Website: http://www.stolaf.edu/courses/current/Psychology/125A/

Course Description

Psychology 125 surveys major topics in psychology. Classes will contain a mixture of lectures, demonstrations, discussions, and activities.

As a result of taking this class you should:

Understand the major areas of psychology, the central questions they pose and their prominent theories and findings

Be familiar with psychological research methods and how the scientific method is used to answer psychological questions.

Understand how behavior can be thought of as the result of evolutionary and/or cultural adaptation.

Be able to apply psychological principles and theories to your own life.

5. Be able to explore psychological issues through literature.
 
 

Reading

- Psychology, Peter Gray; 4^th ed. ; Worth Publishers

- Scientific American Psychology Reader; Worth Publishing

The readings assigned are to be completed prior to class. A number of ungraded practice tests will be given on the website or via email to help you check your level of preparation. Important: Since the purpose of the course is to give an overview of the field, we will not be able to spend a long time on each topic in class. Your readings will cover each topic extensively, while in class only a few subtopics will be highlighted and/ or added. You are responsible for all materials covered in class and in the readings.
 
 

Course Requirements and Grading

A: 93-100%, A- : 90-92%

B+: 87-89%, B: 83-86%, B-: 80-82%

C+: 77-79%, C: 73-76%, C-: 70-72%

D+: 67-69%, D: 63-76%, D-: 60-62%

- three exams (60% total: lowest score: 16%; other two scores: 22%)

- Final exam (25%)

- 2 short papers (13% total: higher score: 9%, lower score: 4%)

- Research/ Seminar Participation (2%)
 
 

Exams

Because of the large class size, exams will consist of Multiple Choice Questions only. The final exam will be cumulative. Again: for the exams you are responsible for all materials covered in your readings or in class.

Papers

You will write 2 short papers (1 page each) on a small, focussed topic of your choice. In the paper you are to integrate relevant material from the book and from class, new material from at least 2 additional sources, and, where appropriate, your own experience. While you can include textbooks and websites in your reference list they do not count toward the 2 sources. At least 1 of your sources must be an original study (as opposed to a review article). The papers are due October 17 and December 1. You will receive more detailed instructions on the paper in class.

Research/ Seminar Participation

Serving as a participant in a variety of psychological studies or research seminars should increase your understanding of psychological research methods and psychological theories. To receive your participation points, you must participate in two psychological studies or seminars. If you do not want to participate in research/ seminars, you can fulfill the research requirement by watching videos about research and writing a 1-2 page paper.

All psychological research conducted at St. Olaf College has been reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board to ensure it follows the ethical principles established by the American Psychological Association.

Policies

The syllabus indicates all test and assignment dates, so plan accordingly. Since you get to drop one test score, make-up exams will only be given for extreme circumstances that are documented (note from your doctor, advisor, etc). Late assignments will lose 10% per day.

Academic Honesty

When writing papers, annotated bibliographies, or posters for psychology classes, one follows the same citation rules covered in English classes. Namely, you must properly cite all your sources, indicate direct quotes, and otherwise follow the St. Olaf Student Handbook regarding plagiarism. You are responsible for knowing and understanding the plagiarism policies of the college, which are available in the St. Olaf Student Handbook and on-line (http://www.stolaf.edu/stnlife/thebook/student/academic/plagiarism.html). Thus you cannot plead ignorance if your assignments contain plagiarized material and such assignments will receive an automatic zero.