University of Oregon, Spring 1999
PSYCHOLOGY 202: MIND AND SOCIETY
Time & place: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30-13:50 (12:30 - 1:50 p.m.), PLC 180
Instructors:
Dr. Paul Collins
Rm 329 Straub, 346-4905, pcollins@oregon.uoregon.edu
Office hours: Wednesdays 3:30 - 5 p.m. or by appointment
Dr. Gerard Saucier
Rm 312 Straub, 346-4927, gsaucier@oregon.uoregon.edu
Office hours: Mondays 9 - 10:30 a.m., Thursdays 2:30 - 5 p.m., or by appointment
Teaching Assistants:
Berni Bullock, Rm 259 Straub, 346-4986, bullock@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Office hours: Tuesdays 8:30-9:30 a.m. and 10:50-11:50 a.m.
Julie Hwang, Rm 356 Straub, 346-1060, jhwang@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Office hours: 3-5 p.m. Mondays
Jennifer Wildes, Rm 393 Straub, 346-1984, jwildes@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Office hours: Mondays 12-1 p.m., Fridays 1-2 p.m.
Textbook:
Sternberg, R. J. (1998). In search of the human mind (2nd ed.). Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company.
Copies of the textbook will be placed on reserve at the Knight Library. There is an optional Study Guide for this book which should be available in the University Bookstore.
Course Web site:
http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~gsaucier/psy202.htm
Students are encouraged to check the web site regularly for information related to this course, although the prime source of information and announcements is class sessions.
Purpose of this Course
Welcome to Psychology 202. The purpose of this course is to help you learn ways of thinking usefully and critically (i.e., carefully) about human behavior, through the most important concepts and findings found within fields of psychology. Thinking usefully and critically about human behavior patterns is useful not only in psychology and human services professions, but in many occupational environments and other aspects of human life.
This course is part of a two-term sequence in introductory psychology. Psychology 201, Mind and Brain, emphasizes learning, perception, memory, and the role of neural structures in these psychological processes. Psychology 202,Mind and Society, emphasizes developmental, clinical, personality, and social psychology.
Any students in the class who have special needs should contact the instructors and arrangements will be made.
Exams
There will be three midterm exams, a final exam, and a discussion section grade. Each of the four exams will count 20% toward your course grade. The discussion section will also count 20% (but see research requirement below). The midterms and final will be multiple choice. The final exam will test material from the last fourth of the course -- it will not be cumulative. At the time of the final, students will have the opportunity to take makeups for missed midterms. If a student takes a midterm on the scheduled date and also completes the makeup exam covering the same material, the higher of the two scores will be used for the course grade. The final exam cannot be taken earlier than the time listed in the university's final exam schedule (Thursday, June 10, 3:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m.). The only makeups for the midterms will be given at the time of the final exam.
Midterm exams will begin approximately 15 minutes into the class session on which they are scheduled. On midterm exam dates, the first 15 minutes will be devoted to answering student questions.
Grades
Course grades will be based on the total number of points from the four exams and discussion section. Letter grades will be assigned in the following way: The average of the three highest student scores (total number of points) will serve as a reference point. If your total number of points is:
90.00% or more of the reference point, you will get an A
80.00% to 89.99% of the reference point , you will get a B
70.00% to 79.99% of the reference point, you will get a C
60.00% to 69.99% of the reference point, you will get a D
Less than 60.00% of the reference point, you will get an F
Discussion Sections
You must register for a discussion section - it is a required part of this course. The sections will consist of a mixture of projects (demonstrations), discussions, and reviews before exams. You should come to these sessions up-to-date on reading assignments and prepared to discuss course content. Your discussion grade contributes 20% to your course grade. The grade will be based on two short papers (papers submitted after the due dates will be marked down by one half) and on attendance and participation. If you miss one of the meetings for your section for any reason, contact your TA as soon as possible. You must attend the specific discussion section for which you are registered.
Berni Bullock's sections: Mon. 12 p.m., Weds. 11 a.m. and 12 p.m., Thurs. 8:30 a.m.
Julie Hwang's sections: Weds. 1 p.m., Fri. 9 a.m., 12 p.m. ,and 1 p.m.
Jennifer Wildes' sections: Mon. 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., Weds. 9 a.m., Thurs. 11 a.m.
Lectures and Readings
Although the instructors have attempted to coordinate the lectures with the readings, they frequently will be independent of each other. Some material will be covered in both reading and lecture, but much of the material in the reading will not be discussed in class and new information not covered in the reading will be presented during class time. The exams will cover material from both lectures and readings. You are responsible for all assigned readings, and it is anticipated that you will need to spend a substantial amount of time outside of class (reading, studying, writing papers) to do well in this course.
Research Requirement
Students and faculty run many experiments on such topics as memory, attention, and social interactions. An important part of the introduction to psychology is some understanding of how research is conducted and a partial perspective on this can be gained by participating in research as a subject. Each student must participate in four experiments (for 50 minutes each) or write a short paper on a research topic. To participate in experiments, you use a sign up board on the first floor of Straub Hall and then show up at the time and place indicated. After participating in an experiment, you will be given a signed slip. When you have collected four credit slips, turn them in to your discussion group instructor. It is your responsibility to collect these slips and turn them in to your discussion-section instructor for recording (we cannot verify participation in any other way). This procedure will be explained in more detail in class.
If you do not wish to participate in experiments, you can write one 5-page paper that summarizes research articles on a problem of interest. To exercise this option, you must first get approval of the topic from your discussion-section leader by May 27. (If you wait until after May 27, you may not get approval of the paper topic in time for you to write the paper by the end of the term -- which will result in you getting an incomplete).
Although the research requirement will not be graded (except on a pass-no pass basis), failure to participate in research or alternatively complete research paper will result in an incomplete in the course. Students who wait until the final weeks of the quarter to participate in experiments may find that not enough experiments are being run to allow completion of this requirement. Try to schedule participation in experiments early in the quarter if possible. Research-credit slips or the research paper must be passed in to your TA by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 4.
Academic Integrity
We take academic integrity seriously. Cheating is defined as providing or accepting information on an exam, plagiarism or copying anyone's written work. Students caught cheating will be given an "F" for the course, and UO's student conduct coordinator will be informed. The instructors retain the right to assign seats for tests, to change individual's seating for test security purposes, to require and check ID for admission to tests.
PSYCHOLOGY 202: LECTURE OUTLINE
** Reading is to be completed before the first class date for which it is listed. **
DATE TOPIC READING
March 30 Introduction to course
April 1,6 Physical and cognitive development Chapter 12
April 8, 13 Social development Chapter 13
April 15 MIDTERM 1
April 20, 22 Motivation and emotion Chapter 16
April 27, 29 Clinical psychology Chapter 18, 19
May 4 MIDTERM 2
May 6, 11 Personality Chapter 17
May 13 Health psychology Chapter 20
May 18 Intelligence Chapter 11
May 20 MIDTERM 3
May 25, 27 Social judgments: Evaluating people and things Chapter 14
June 1, 3 Social influence and group behavior Chapter 15
Thursday, June 10, 3:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. -- FINAL EXAM
Schedules for each discussion section will be distributed at that discussion section's meetings.
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