Psychology1901,Section001

Honors:IntroductiontoPsychology
Spring2015
MWF1212:50
Dr.KareemJohnson
Instructor:Dr.KareemJohnson
Office:WH518
OfficeHours:MW45:30pm

Email:kareem.johnson@temple.edu
Phone:2152041914

CourseOverview
Thepurposeofthiscourseistopresentanoverviewofmodernpsychology,aswellastoprovideyouwithadeeper
understandingofyourselfandthosearoundyou.Whenyouleavethiscourseyouwillhaveacquiredmanyofthe
factsthatmakeupthestudyofpsychology,and,perhapsmoreimportantly,youwillalsoacquirethescientific
perspectiveconcerninghowwecollectandinterpretthosefacts.Youarriveinthiscoursewithanintuitive
understandingofyourselfandthosearoundyou,butyouwillleavethecoursethinkingatleastalittlebitlikea
psychologist.
Psychologycanbebroadlydefinedasthestudyofbehaviorandthementalprocessesthataccompanybehavior.
However,psychologyisaverybroadfieldthatinvolvescontributionsfrommanyscientificdisciplinessuchasa
biology,chemistry,genetics,neuroscience,andanthropology.Throughoutthiscourse,youwillnotonlybe
learningabouthowpeoplethinkandbehave,butyouwillalsobelearningabouthowhumanbehaviorisinfluenced
byamultitudeofdifferentfactors.Genetics,evolution,hormones,brainanatomy,nutrition,sociallearning,and
culturaltraditionsareallimportantinfluencesonhowwethinkandbehave.

Prerequisites: There are no pre-requisites for this course other than your interest in learning about human behavior
and the mental processes that accompany that behavior.
RequiredTextbook(AvailableattheUniversityBookstore):
Comer,R&Gould,E.(2013).PsychologyAroundUs,2ndEdition.Wiley.(ISBN9781118012079)
Itisimportantthatyouobtainthe2ndeditionofthetext.Therearesubstantialchangesbetweenthefirst
andsecondeditions.
Afreestudentcompanionsiteisavailableforthistext.Ofparticularusemaybesamplemultiplechoice
questionsforeachchapter(foundbyclickingonflashcards,thechapterofinterest,andthenquiz.)
http://bcs.wiley.com/hebcs/Books?action=index&itemId=1118012070&bcsId=6996
Additionalreadings/assignmentswillbeavailablefromthecoursewebsiteonBlackboard.

GradingandEvaluation
Yourfinalgradebreakdown:
Fourinclassexams:
CumulativeFinalExam:
ResearchParticipation(4credits):

20%each
20%
Examgradeswillbepenalizedformissingresearchrequirements

Inclassexams:Themajorityofyourgradewilldependonyourperformanceonfourinclassexams.Theinclass
examswillconsistsofabout40multiplechoicequestions.InclassexamscannotbemadeupandIwillnotgive
examsearly.Onlyinthecaseofadireemergencywillanyspecialarrangementsbemade.
CumulativeFinalExam:BecauseIactuallywantyoutorememberwhatyouvelearnedduringthiscourse,your
finalexamwillbecumulativecoveringalltopicsofthecourse.Thefinalexamwillbeanessayexam,consistingof
about46shortessayquestions.TheFinalExamwillbegivenduringthefinalexamperiodandwillbeheldinthis
sameclassroom.
ResearchParticipation:Eachstudentisrequiredtocomplete4creditsofresearchparticipation(oritsequivalent).
Priortoeachexam,youshouldhaveparticipatedinatleasthourofresearch.Studentsthathavenocompletedtheir
researchrequirementpriortotheexamwillbepenalizedonelettergradeforthatexam.Formoredetails,see
ParticipationinResearchbelow.

CourseSchedule
Week
Week 1

Dates
Jan 12 - 16

Week 2

Jan 19
Jan 21 -23
Jan 26 -30

Class Topic
Course Introduction
History of Psychology
No Class -- MLK DAY
Research Methods
Human Development

Week 5

Feb 2
Feb 4 -6
Feb 9 -13

EXAM 1
Neuroscience
Sensation and Perception

Week 6

Feb 16 -20

Ch. 6 p. 188 198, 203 - 214

Ch. 6 p. 198 202, 215- 224

Week 7
Week 8

Feb 23
Feb 25 -27
Mar 2 - 8

Consciousness and Sleep

Altered Consciousness
EXAM 2
Learning
NO CLASS -- Spring Break

Week 9

Mar 9 -13

Memory

Ch. 8 p. 268 - 304

Week 10

Language and Thought

Intelligence
EXAM 3
Motivation
Emotions and Stress

Ch. 9 p. 312 - 340

Ch. 10 p. 348 -355, 359 - 380

Week 12

Mar 16 - 18
Mar 20
Mar 23
Mar 25 -27
Mar 30 Apr 3

Week 13

Apr 6 - 10

Social Psychology

Ch. 14 p. 522 555

Week 14

Apr 13 -17

Abnormal Psychology

Ch. 15 p. 566 - 609

Week 15

Apr 20 -22
Apr 24
Apr. 27

Treatment of Psychlogical disorders

Exam 4
Review for Final Exam

Ch. 16 p. 540 - 575

Week 3
Week 4

Week 11

Week 16

Textbook Readings
Ch. 1 p. 7 33
Ch. 2 p. 34 -59
Ch. 3 p. 60 -103

Ch. 4 p. 112 -144

Ch. 5 p. 148 - 185

Ch. 7 p. 228 - 255

Ch. 11 p. 390 402, 417 422

Ch. 12 p. 426 450

ParticipationinResearch
Modernpsychologyisaresearchscience,andmuchofthematerialpresentedinthetextandlectureswillberesultsof
researchstudies.ManyfacultymembersoftheTemplePsychologyDepartmentcarryoutresearch,someofwhichwillbe
coveredinthetextandlecture.Inordertogiveyouabetterunderstandingfortheimportanceofresearchinpsychology,you
arerequiredtoparticipateinresearchaspartofthecourse.Youcaneitherparticipateinresearchstudiesforatotalof4hours

duringthesemester,orspendthesameamountoftimeinthewritingofshortpapersreviewingresearch,ordoanycombination
totalingfourhours.
Ifyouchoosetocompleteresearchrequirementbyparticipatinginresearch:
First,youmustsignuponsonasystemstoseethestudiesthatareavailable.Tosignupforexperiments,goto:
http://temple.sonasystems.com(donotuseWWW).Inthelowerlefthandcorner,clickonNewparticipant?Requestan
accounthere.Followtheinstructions.Thesystemwillsendyouapassword.Onceyouobtainyourpassword,youlogin,goto
studiesandsignup.Studiesshouldbeavailablebythebeginningofclasses,socheckoutthesitesoon.
Next,youcanbrowsesonasystemsforinformationaboutwhattypesofstudiesareavailable,whenthestudiestakeplace,
andwherethestudiestakeplace.Eachsignupwilldescribearesearchstudyandtellyouwhereitislocatedandhowmany
hoursittakes.Youmaysignupforstudysessionsattimesthatareconvenienttoyouandofinteresttoyou.Youmaybeable
toparticipateinsomeofthestudiesonline,butformanyofthemtherewillbealocationoncampusforthestudy.Youcan
earnnomorethanoneofyourtotalcreditsonline.Afteryougotothestudysession,youwillreceiveacreditnotificationby
email,whichyouthenprintoutandhandintoyourinstructortoreceivecreditforparticipatingintheexperiment.Keepthe
creditnotificationinyourfiles,justincase,soyouwillhavearecordattheendofthesemester.
Onceyousignupforaresearchappointment,itisyourobligationtobethereatyourassignedtime.Ifyouarrivetoolate,
youmaynotbeabletoparticipateinthestudyandthereforewouldnotgetcreditresearchparticipation.Ifyoucannotattenda
scheduledresearchsession,youmustremoveyournamefromthesignupsheetinordertobeexcusedfromthatsession.You
candothatonlineuptoadeadlinethatispostedforeachexperiment.
Ifyouarriveforasessionatyourassignedtime,andtheresearcherisnotthere,youwillreceivecreditforattending.Leave
anotefortheresearcher,includingyourname,timeofappointment,andnameofthiscourse(Psych1901,HonorsIntro),and
thenameofyourinstructor(KareemJohnson).Also,notifyyourinstructoraboutthedetailsofthestudy(studytitle,contact
person)andthattheresearcherwasabsenthenyouattemptedtoparticipate.
Ifyouchoosetocompleteresearchrequirementbyreadingandwritingaboutresearch:
Youcanalsoreceiveresearchcreditbyreadingarticlesrelevanttothecourseandwritingaonepagesummaryforeach.
Articlescanbetakenfromnewspapers,magazines,ortheworldwideweb.Makeacopyofthearticle,andwriteapage,
summarizingthearticle,anddiscussinghowitisrelevanttothecourse.Eacharticlesummarycountsasonecredit.Ifyou
choosetowritearesearchsummarytofulfillareparticipationrequirement,youmustreceiveapprovalfromyourinstructor
whocanconfirmwhetheryourchosenarticleisappropriatefortheassignment.
DisabilityStatement:Thiscourseisopentoallstudentswhomeettheacademicrequirementsforparticipation.Anystudentwhohas
aneedforaccommodationbasedontheimpactofadisabilityshouldcontacttheinstructorprivatelytodiscussthespecificsituationassoon
aspossible.ContactDisabilityResourcesandServicesat2152041280in100RitterAnnextocoordinatereasonableaccommodationsfor
studentswithdocumenteddisabilities.
StatementonAcademicFreedom:Freedomtoteachandfreedomtolearnareinseparablefacetsofacademicfreedom.TheUniversityhas
adoptedapolicyonStudentandFacultyAcademicRightsandResponsibilities(Policy#03.70.02)whichcanbeaccessedthroughthe
followinglink:http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.02.
Plagiarism:TempleUniversitybelievesstronglyinacademichonestyandintegrity.Plagiarismandacademiccheatingare,therefore,
prohibited.Plagiarismistheunacknowledgeduseofanotherperson'slabor,anotherperson'sideas,anotherperson'swords,anotherperson's
assistance.Normally,allworkdoneforcoursespapers,examinations,homeworkexercises,laboratoryreports,oralpresentationsis
expectedtobetheindividualeffortofthestudentpresentingthework.Anyassistancemustbereportedtotheinstructor.Iftheworkhas
entailedconsultingotherresourcesjournals,books,orothermediatheseresourcesmustbecitedinamannerappropriatetothecourse.It
istheinstructor'sresponsibilitytoindicatetheappropriatemannerofcitation.Everythingusedfromothersourcessuggestionsfor
organizationofideas,ideasthemselves,oractuallanguagemustbecited.Failuretociteborrowedmaterialconstitutesplagiarism.
UndocumenteduseofmaterialsfromtheWorldWideWebisplagiarism.Formoreinformationonplagiarism,seetheTempleUniversity
WritingCenterwebsite:www.temple.edu/writingctr/handouts/researchandplagiarism/plagiarismfaq.htm

Academiccheatingis,generally,thethwartingorbreakingofthegeneralrulesofacademicworkorthespecificrulesoftheindividual
courses.Itincludesfalsifyingdata;submitting,withouttheinstructor'sapproval,workinonecoursethatwasdoneforanother;helpingothers
toplagiarizeorcheatfromone'sownoranother'swork;oractuallydoingtheworkofanotherperson.Anystudentcaughtcheatingonany
assignmentwillreceiveagradeofFforthecourse(thatis,notjustfortheexam,fortheentirecourse).