PSYC 1000: Introductory Psychology

MWF 12:00-12:50 Rawl 130

Spring 2006

 

Instructor:                     Robert Denney, PhD, Department of Psychology

                                    Crystol Shelton, MA candidate, Department of Psychology

 

Office:                          Rawl 223

Telephone:                    (252) 328 – 1374

E-mail:                          denneyr@mail.ecu.edu

Course Web Site:         http://www.blackboard.ecu.edu

Office Hours:                8-8:45 and 10-11:30   Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

                                    And by appointment

 

Required Text:              Santrock: Psychology Essentials, 2nd ed.  McGraw-Hill

Supplemental:               USA Today and News & Observer – Raleigh

Note:                            These two daily newspapers are available free to currently enrolled students in the purple boxes located in residence halls and at Mendenhall Student Center, Joyner East, Bate Building, Wright Place, and the Croatan.

.

“It’s not about professors teaching; rather it’s about students learning.”

                                                                                    William McKeachie

 

 

Catalog Description:

 

General survey of fundamental principles underlying human behavior.  Introduction, learning and memory, development, physiological, motivation, social and abnormal behavior, and one or two additional topics as time permits.

 

 

Course Objectives:

Objective # 1 – To develop an understanding of psychology as the scientific study of human behavior.

Objective #2 – To become familiar with the major theories, theorists, both historical and contemporary, that characterize the field of psychology.

Objective #3 – To become familiar with several of the major areas of specialization within psychology.
Objective # 4 – To have an understanding of how psychology applies to your life.

 

Grading
Students’ grades are based on (a) four one-hour examinations taken in class and (b) a series of eight chapter quizzes that will be taken online through the Blackboard course site.
The four paper and pencil exams are 60% of total grade (15% each) – all exams are given in Rawl 130

The eight online chapter quizzes are 40% of the total grade (5% each)
 

 

Notes:

  • No make-up exams are given during the semester.  If you miss an exam, you can make up one and only one exam during the final examination period.  There is no final exam for this course – that period is used for making up missed exams.
  • There will be approximately 50 multiple-choice items on each exam, but the number of questions will vary from exam to exam.
  • All scores are converted to percentages for calculating the final course grade.  See scale below.
  • All exams are given in Rawl 130.
  • All exams are multiple-choice and will be computer graded.  Each student is responsible for providing a clean, fresh, unwrinkled answer sheet (blue and white General Purpose Answer Sheet – form 30423), #2 pencils, and a good eraser.  These are available at the ECU Student Store.
  • All quizzes are given online using Blackboard.  The quizzes will be announced via email and in the Announcement section of Bb.  You only have one chance to take the quiz – once you open the quiz you can’t close it and open it again later.  Each quiz has a time limit that is stated when the quiz is made available.


GRADE DISTRIBUTION:
90% = A
80% = B
70% = C
60% = D
Below 60% = F

 

Research Requirement

 

All students enrolled in PSYC 1000 are required to complete 4 credits of research activities.  This requirement can be fulfilled by:

Participating in research studies conducted by faculty and students in the Psychology Department (1 credit equals 30 minutes of participation)

Reading reports of research findings (1 credit equals 1 report)

Or a combination of #1 and #2

Both options include a quiz assessing your understanding of the report or the activity.

This is a 4% extra credit opportunity/requirement.  All students in all sections of PSYC 1000 must complete this research requirement and I have chosen to use the credit earned in an extra credit capacity. 

 

 

Academic Integrity:

 

Academic integrity is a fundamental value of higher education and East Carolina University; therefore, I will not tolerate acts of cheating, plagiarism, falsification or attempts to cheat, plagiarize or falsify.  Should I determine that an academic integrity violation has taken place, I reserve the right either to assign a grade penalty or to refer the case to the Office of Student Conflict Resolution for an Academic Integrity Board hearing.  The minimum grade penalty that I will assign is an F for the assignment/course. Should it come to my attention that you have had a prior academic integrity violation, or if there are other aggravating circumstances, I will refer the case directly to the Office of Student Conflict Resolution.  Should the Academic Integrity Board determine that you committed an academic integrity violation, you may be assigned a grade penalty and/or any other sanction allowed in the student Code of Conduct, up to and including suspension from the University.

 

More information about the academic integrity policy at East Carolina University can be found in the Student Handbook at the following site:   http://www.ecu.edu/studenthandbook/

 

 

Weather or other emergencies:

 

o       In the event of a weather emergency, information about ECU is available through the ECU emergency alert website (http://www.ecu.edu/alert) and the ECU emergency information hotline (252-328-0062).

 

For students who want accommodations because of a disability:

 

East Carolina University seeks to comply fully with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Students requesting accommodations based on a disability must be registered with the Department for Disability Support Services located in Slay 138 ((252) 737-1016 (Voice/TTY)).

 

 

Computer Assistance

 

If you have trouble with your computer, you can go to the ACE computer support center in Austin 101.  Help is available there to properly set up your computer and software as well as assistance in resolving problems.

 

Blackboard

 

The BlackBoard course management system will be used for posting course information, the chapter quizzes, and your grades.  Access Bb at www.blackboard.ecu.edu     This one of the two official university channels for communicating with students (the other is your ECU email account). 

 

Sending Email to the Instructors

 

Dr. Denney’s email address is   denneyr@ecu.edu

Ms. Shelton’s email address is   ces0603@ecu.edu

 

You can originate an email message to either of the instructors in Outlook or in the Communication section of Blackboard.  In all cases you must include your name and PSYC 1000 in the subject line of your message.  For example if George Bush were to send me an email, the subject line of the message should read

George Bush PSYC 1000

 

FYI – calling my office phone is usually a waste of time and energy.  It is very easy for me to not know a call has been recorded and I am out of my office the vast majority of the week.  It is much more reliable to send messages to my ECU email account.  I check that account at least daily.

 

 

Honors By Contract:  I do not approve request for honors by contract for this course.

 

Use of cell phones, pagers, iPods (and all their clones), laptop computers, and other electronic communication devices is not allowed during class.  If the device is used to communicate with the world outside the classroom, its use is prohibited during this class period.

 

Class attendance is your choice.  I neither give credit for attendance nor penalize absences.  However, you are responsible for all material presented in class whether or not it is covered in the textbook.  Those who attend class generally earn better grades than those who don’t – the decision is yours.