Psychology 101, Introductory Psychology
Prof. Michael H. Birnbaum, Ph.D. Office: H-628C (also check: H-532)
(See me after class to make an appointment)
Textbooks:
Kalat, J.W. Introduction to Psychology (any Ed.) Wadsworth,1996-2005.
Huff, D. How to Lie with Statistics. W. W. Norton & Co., 1954.
Birnbaum, M. H. Course Materials for Psych 101. 1996 (bookstore)
Outline (Chapters refer to Kalat; Read each assignment by the date shown)
Week Dates Readings Lecture Topics
1 _______ Syllabus, class readings
Kalat's preface: p. xxviii-. Introduction
2 _______ Ch. 1-2: p. 1-69; Huff: p.1-26 Philosophy
3 _______ Ch. 13, 15; Huff: p. 27-52 Freud & Psychoanalysis
4 _______ Ch. 12, Ch 16 Causation / Correlation
5 _______ Huff p. 53-99, Ch. 6 Pathology/Psychotherapy
6 _______ Ch. 11, Learning& Motivation
7 _______ Ch 2 (statistics) Intro. Statistics
Study: Ch 1, 2*, 6*, 11-15, Huff p. 1-99
8 _______ Ch 3: up to p. 86; Statistics & Genetics
****** Midterm _____ ******** EXAM 1 ***
9 _______ Ch. 9 Huff, p. 99-end IQ & Mental Tests
10 _______ Ch 10 Heredity & Environment
11 _______ Ch. 3: p. 87-119 Developmental/Physiological
12 _______ Ch. 4 Biological & Sensation
*** ______ Last Day to Withdraw with W --
13 _______ Ch. 5 Sensation & Perception
14 _______ Ch. 7, 8 Memory & Cognition
15 _______ Ch. 14 (Ch 16 some eds) Social/Applied Psychology
**** _______ Last Regular Class: Research Requirement Due *******
Study: All Kalat, All Huff, All lectures, All Homeworks & Quizes
Emphasize: last half of course and Ch. 2, 6.
**** 16 ______ FINAL EXAM: In classroom ***
SCANTRON FORM: SCANTRON F-288-ERI-L (red printing, 6" by 11", student store) COURSE WEB site: http://psych.fullerton.edu/mbirnbaum/psych101/
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Course Requirements
Attendance at all classes and exams is required. If you cannot
attend all classes and exams, you may not enroll in this class.
If you are not planning to complete the planned course of reading
and study, or if you are not willing to fulfill the other requirements
for this course, do not enroll in this class.
Examination & Grading
Attendance at examinations is mandatory. If you miss the final,
you cannot pass the class. If you miss a midterm examination,
you will receive zero (0) pts unless there is an emergency. If you
are very ill or have an equivalent emergency, you must provide
documentation (e.g., a letter from your doctor on his letterhead)
within one week of the exam missed. In such cases, the midterm grade
will be estimated from the final examination, but only if the emergency
is promptly explained and documented (within one week of the midterm).
If you miss the final, you will receive an "F" or a "U."
Grades possible: A+, A, B, C, D, F.
All exams are multiple choice. All exams will be closed book,
closed notes, and no calculators, computers, cellular phones, or
other books or communication devices. The final will have about half
of the items covering the entire course and half covering the last half
of the course.
About 50% of the questions on exams will be covered in both lecture and the
book, about 25% will come from lecture only, 15% will come from the book only,
and 10% will require integration (putting ideas from book and lecture together).
Grades will be based on the total number of points accumulated.
Advice: attend; take notes; read books; do homework; study.
Scantron Forms:
You will need No. 2 pencils, erasers, and SCANTRON FORM No. F-288-L.
Use the SAME form on all exams.You can buy them at the student store.)
You should bring 2 blank forms to Exam 1. Blank means nothing on them.
Do not write your name on them. Do not write the date on them. Blank means blank.
You must fill out these forms very carefully to avoid losing credit:
Always mark one choice (no blanks). Never mark two choices.
Erase stray marks or changed answers completely!
Be sure your student ID number is correct
Bring photo ID to exams (Drivers' license or Student ID)
Grades will be based on TOTAL points on exams, except for the guarantee below*.
Your grade will be the HIGHER of two systems of grading.
Each exam item is worth one point. There will be approximately 40-50 points on
the midterm, and about 60-70 points possible on the final, giving a total
of approximately 100-120 points.
*Guaranteed Grades (Final Exam absolute grading):
If you get 95% (A+) 90% (A), 80% (B), 70% (C), or 60% (D) on the Final, you will
receive grades of at least A+, A, B, C, or D in the course, respectively.
Your final grade is the HIGHER of the grade based on the TOTAL points only
or the grade based on FINAL ONLY. Most people are based on total points;
however, if you can show that you know the whole course at the final,
then you can receive a good grade based on that score, no matter what your midterm score.
Quizzes, essays, or assignments may be given at any time for extra credit.
Extra credit will be worth a maximum of three points total (for the course).
Research Requirement Due date: Last Meeting of Class
You are required to either participate in experiments for three hours or
to write 3 brief papers on 3 articles or a combination totaling 3
(e.g. 2 hours of experiments and 1 paper). See p. 3 for information on
experiments, and see p.4 for information on papers. If you do not complete
this requirement, you will receive an "Incomplete" in the class.
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Research Requirement: Experiments
Getting a Sona-Systems Account: You will be added to the Sona system
during the first two weeks of class. You will receive an email sent to
your school email account (unless you have already changed it with the
university). This email is sent by an automated system so it is possible
it might be routed to your "junk" or "spam" folder. Please keep an eye
out for this email. If you have not received an email from Sona system
by the end of the second week please notify your instructor.
Logging In to Sona System & Changing Your Information: The email
includes a link to the Sona-Systems website and your ID and temporary
password. Follow the link. Enter your ID (your ID should be your
Campus Wide ID). Enter your password. Once you are logged on the
system you should go to your "Profile" and enter the email address
you use most often and change your password to something you WILL remember.
1. Finding & Signing Up For Studies: Click on "Studies" to
display a list of all active studies. Each study will have a
link that shows additional information about it. Those studies
with available openings will also have a link called "Available
Timeslots." From this link you sign-up. Be sure you can make
it to the scheduled time before signing up. DO NOT schedule any
conflict with class time! Be sure to WRITE DOWN the time, place,
date, name, and phone number of the experiment. You can sign-up
until the time of the study if times are available; however, to
cancel you MUST cancel 24 hours in advance. If you have an emergency
at the last minute contact the studyıs researcher as soon as possible.
2. Show up on time for the experiment.
3. Negative Credits: if you miss an experiment for which you
signed up, you will owe another hour. If you arrive late for an
experiment, you may also receive a negative credit.
4. No credit will be given for any experiment done during
the time that the class meets. Never schedule anything to conflict
with class time.
Checking Your Scheduled Studies & Credits: Click on
"My Schedule/Credits" to view studies you have completed, upcoming
studies in which you are signed up to participate, and the number
of credits you have earned so far. If you have completed a study
and you do not find credit in the system after 3 days, contact the
researcher.
Right to Refuse: Experimenters are allowed to bore you,
but they are not allowed to ask you to do anything illegal, immoral,
or dangerous. If anyone asks you to do something improper, you should
refuse, leave the experiment and report it to me. Although impropriety
is unlikely, know that you can refuse.
Papers: You can write papers instead of being in experiments (see p.4).
Due Date: Last meeting of regular class
Late Penalty: 1 experiment hour or 4 pages of papers for each day late
(see next page) until final exam.
Incomplete: If you do not complete the research participation assignment
by the day of the Final Exam, you will receive an Incomplete.
(see next page for more info).
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Research Requirement: PAPERS
Papers can satisfy part or all of the 4-hour research participation
requirement. For example, you can do 3 hours of experiments and one paper.
All papers are due in class by the last regular meeting of class.
All papers must be typed (doubled-spaced); no handwritten papers will be accepted.
Research Participation Requirement Papers:
1. On the first page or cover page (where your name appears) state the
number of hours of research participation for which the paper is supposed to count.
2. The paper must be written in your own words giving your own opinions
about one of the topics in psychology, listed below.
3. For each hour, you need to turn in one, 4 page, typed paper
discussing a different article. See below for examples:
Hours Pages Articles
1 4 One Article
1.5 6 Two Articles
2 8 "
2.5 10 Three Articles
3 12 "
3.5 14 Four Articles
4 16 "
4. Attach a photocopy (xerox) of each article to the paper.
(No credit will be given if you cut an article out of the magazine.)
Articles Approved for this Semester:
Choose articles from the journal, "American Psychologist." The articles
must come from the most recent 9 months prior to the end of this semester.
Articles must be at least four pages long. This Journal, or magazine, is
available at the university library and is NOT available on-line from
off-campus. No other articles are approved at this time.
CAUTION: No credit will be given if any part of your paper is copied
(or closely paraphrased) from the article summarized. You must write
the paper in your own words. You must include a photocopy (not original)
of each article.
Due Date: Last day of regular class
Incomplete: You must complete this requirement before the Final Exam or you
will receive an incomplete
Date Late Penalty Requirement
Hours OR Pages & Articles
Before Last Class 4 16 4
Last Class 4 16 4
Late *
(by 4:30 pm Fri, week of last class) 5 20 5
Day of Final Exam* 6 24 6
After Final Exam = Incomplete ** 6 24 6
* If you are late, deliver your articles and list of experiment credits
(in an envelope addressed to Dr. Birnbaum) to the secretary in H-830M
during business hours (M-F 9 am -4:30 pm). Have the secretary put the
time and date on the envelope.
** If you receive an incomplete, the university will change it to an "F"
unless you remove it by university procedures within one semester. It
can be removed by fulfilling the requirement as shown above (6 hours or
6 papers) within one semester.
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Advice to Students: Attend, Read, Study
Attend Every Lecture
Attendance is required in this class, as in all college classes, whether
attendance is recorded or not. Never plan anything to conflict with the
class hours. If you miss a class, you are still responsible for assignments,
announcements, and the material covered during your absence. It is a good idea
to make friends with a few people who can give you notes, in case sudden illness
or injury forces you to miss a class.
Listen Actively
Don't let your mind wander in class, but pay close attention and try to
learn as much in class as you can.
Take Careful Notes
It is a good idea to write down as much of each lecture as you can.
Lectures contain information that is not in the book and also let you know
what to emphasize in your study of the texts. Do not expect to understand
everything immediately. In many cases you will need to study your notes to
understand difficult concepts.
Read the Assigned Texts
Read assignments carefully. It is a good idea to glance through a chapter
before reading it to get an overview; then read it carefully. Use the glossary
of terms at the end of the book, and use a dictionary when needed.
Study
The rule of thumb for college classes is: "For every hour of lecture, you
should allow three hours for study." Therefore, for a three unit class such
as Psych 101, you should plan to study nine hours per week outside of class.
Set aside time to study in a quiet environment. Different people like different
methods of study, but here are some tips:
1. At the end of each week, recopy your class notes neatly, concentrating on
the flow of ideas. Things will fit together better, and you will discover
the important themes that reoccur. Keep a list of questions to ask in class.
2. Study sections of the text (that means re-read and re-think until you
understand). Pay special attention to topics mentioned in class as important.
3. Make flash cards of key definitions and ideas. Make sure you memorize key
definitions as soon as possible. Use the Summaries, Terms, and quizzes in
the book. The Study Guide is also recommended for those who like to
practice with exam items and additional work.
4. Form study groups with other students in the class. Get together and review
notes, discuss readings, and pose questions to one another.
5. Use campus resources. Some schools have counselors who can provide tutoring
and other strategies for studying, test-taking, dealing with test-anxiety,
etc. As needed, contact:
University Learning Center, 278-2738, MH-33.
For Entry Level Mathematics contact:
Intensive Learning Experience, Intensive Learning Experience MH-28 (714) 278-7236.
6. Don't wait until the last minute to read or to study for exams. Keep up
with the class.
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DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY
Student Responsibility Code
The department of psychology is dedicated to providing you with the highest
quality educational program. In order to maximize the benefits of our program,
it is important that you meet your responsibilities as a student. Listed below
are some of the responsibilities.
1) Advisement
You are responsible for knowing university and psychology department policies
and deadlines. You should obtain and read pertinent sections of the University
Catalog, Class Schedule booklet, the Psychology Student Handbook and instructor
course outlines. You should meet with a psychology faculty member at least once
a year and review your study plan and career goals.
2) Class Attendance and Promptness
You are responsible for attending all classes and laboratory meetings, and for
being on time.
3) Workload
You are responsible for adjusting your outside responsibilities (Work, family,
social, etc. ) in order to allow sufficient time for your education.
As a general rule you should allow three hours outside of class, for study
purposes, for each hour spent in class. Additional information on this topic
is discussed in the Psychology Student Handbook.
4) Authorship
It is a requirement of the department that exams, homework, research reports,
and term papers reflect your own work, unless you are explicitly directed
otherwise by your instructor. Proper methods of referencing outside sources
of information should be used at all times. Additional information on this
requirement may be obtained by reading the University Catalog section on
Academic Dishonesty. If you have any questions concerning the above
responsibilities, please contact your psychology instructor or the psychology
department chair.
INFORMATION ON GRADES
Grades cannot be sent by email or telephone. Once assigned, grades are final
and will not be changed except in case the instructor made an error
in computing the grade based on the policy stated in the syllabus. Attempts
to obtain a grade by policy not stated in the syllabus is considered cheating.
For more information, click here.
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First Lecture Attendance Form Psych 101
Name: _______________________________________________
Student No. __________________________________________
I attended the first lecture in Psych 101, I received a copy of the syllabus,
and the course requirements were explained to me. I have received a copy of
the Department of Psychology's Student Responsibility Code. I wish to undertake
the study of Psychology 101, Introductory Psychology.
I hereby agree to the following:
1. I will attend all classes and examinations.
2. I will complete all assigned readings and homework.
3. I agree to abide by the requirements for the course as set forth in the
syllabus and the Department of Psychology's Student Responsibility Code.
Signed, _______________________________________________Date: _________
Print Name:____________________________________________