Psychology 1901 – Honors Intro Psych

Instructor: Amanda Neuber, Ph.D.
Associate Director – Honors Program
Adjunct Assistant  Professor – College of Liberal Arts & College of Education

Office: 204 Tuttleman Learning Center
Contact: aneuber@temple.edu
Office Hours: M-F 8:30am-5pm by appointment

Course description from Banner:

How do scientists study human behavior? How do others influence our behavior? What is a psychological disorder? These questions and more are reviewed in this course, which covers the basic concepts, methods, theories, and findings in Psychology. Topics include research methods, the nervous system, human development, social psychology, personality, and psychopathology.

Course Overview:

The purpose of this course is to present an overview of modern psychology, as well as to provide you with a deeper understanding of yourself and those around you. When you leave this course you will have acquired many of the “facts” that make up the study of psychology, and, perhaps more importantly, you will also acquire the scientific perspective concerning how we collect and interpret those facts. You arrive in this course with an intuitive understanding of yourself and those around you, but you will leave the course thinking at least a little bit like a psychologist.

Psychology can be broadly defined as the study of behavior and the mental processes that accompany behavior.  However, psychology is a very broad field that involves contributions from many scientific disciplines such as a biology, chemistry, genetics, neuroscience, and anthropology.  Throughout this course, you will not only be learning about how people think and behave, but you will also be learning about how human behavior is influenced by a multitude of different factors.   Genetics, evolution, hormones, brain anatomy, nutrition, social learning, and cultural traditions are all important influences on how we think and behave.

Approach to teaching and learning:

This class will incorporate all teaching styles: lecture, discussion, small group work, and as much interaction and engagement as possible. It is extremely important that students participate (e.g., ask questions, provide comments) and part of your grade will be based on class participation. Students are expected to read assigned material before each class meeting in order to facilitate discussion and understanding of class lectures. Class meetings serve three functions: (1) to highlight the most important and/or difficult materials in the text; (2) to introduce ideas not covered by the text; and (3) to generate discussions on the theoretical and practical implications of specific issues in psychology.

Students will learn to read and respond critically to literary and visual texts, including films and TV shows, and also to begin to think like a social scientist, evaluating sources, marshaling evidence, and making arguments.

 

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Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, research methods, core empirical findings, and historic trends in psychology.
• Explain (including advantages and disadvantages) and compare major theoretical perspectives of psychology (e.g., behavioral, biological, cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic and socio-cultural);
• Understand and apply psychological principles to personal experience and social settings.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the following nine general domains: (1) biological bases of behavior and mental processes, (2) sensation and perception, (3) learning and memory (4) cognition, consciousness, (5) individual differences, personality, (6) social processes (including those related to socio-cultural and international dimensions), (7) developmental changes in behavior and mental processes that occur across the lifespan, (8) psychological disorders, and (9) emotion and motivation;
• Draw the distinction between scientific and non-scientific methods of understanding and analysis.
• Recognize and understand the impact of diversity on psychological research, theory and application, including (but not limited to): age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, socio-economic status, disability, and sexual orientation.
• Demonstrate critical thinking skills and information competence as applied to psychological topics.

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Course Materials:

Great news!

In connection to the Temple University Libraries Textbook Affordability Project, all materials for this course are open source and free. The main, required textbook is: 

Psychology 2e by OpenStax

https://openstax.org/details/books/psychology-2e

 

You can view the textbook through the Modules section, online through the OpenStax website above, or download a full copy to your laptop or mobile device. 

If you wish to purchase a hard copy, or you can order from Amazon for less than $40. You can use whichever formats you want. Web view is recommended -- the responsive design works seamlessly on any device.

All other readings will be posted on the Canvas site. It is recommended that you take notes while reading and refer directly to the textbook or articles during class discussions and for assignments. Please bring each week's readings and your notes to class. Readings are listed on the date they are due.

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Course Content:

Weekly Assignments: 50% in total

• Read: Each week you will read the assigned OpenStax Texbook Chapters + Supplementary Materials on Canvas

• Repeat (15%): One learning strategy is repetition of material. Therefore, each week, you will complete a weekly Canvas quiz due Sunday by midnight and can be retaken and resubmitted as many times as you would like. 
• React (15%): Prior to class, a 3-part weekly memo will also be due Sunday by midnight on discussion board. More details about the weekly memo can be found under the assignments tab. 
• Rally (once-a-week, synchronous meeting class time) (20%) 
  
  • "In-class" discussion + active learning activities
  • See “Participation” policy below if you cannot attend class in-person or synchronously virtually.

Additional Assignments: 50% in total

• 2 online application based “assessments” (tests):  10% each / 20% total
• Final research project - 10-minute virtual presentation + narrative explanation 15%

• Final project peer evaluation – 15%
• Each student will watch and evaluate 3 of their peers final presentations

More detailed information about assignments and methods of assessment will be available under the "Assignments" Tab. Instructions and due dates will always be clearly communicated. All work must be completed to be eligible for a passing grade. 

Policies:

What you can expect from me:

• Appreciation of student interests and experiences: I understand that each student is coming to this class with different experiences and knowledge. It is my expectation that these diverse backgrounds will contribute to how each student will feel about each of the topics we will discuss.
• Constructive feedback: The best way to improve your learning is by receiving feedback. I will emphasize the importance of performance feedback throughout this course by providing comments on your assignments. I will make every effort to grade and provide feedback on assignments quickly.
• Fair grading standards: I will provide a rubric for each assignment, explicitly outlining my expectations. Students may come to me with questions if they do not understand why they received the grade they did.
• Purposefulness: I have a reason for asking you to complete every assignment, including all readings, viewings, written assignments, and presentations. I do not assign work for no reason. If you are unclear about why I have asked you to do something, come ask me after class or during office hours, and I will explain.
• Facilitation of discussions: This course will not follow a lecture format. As the instructor, my role is to facilitate discussion and help students to integrate the readings and videos into their growing understanding of psychology. This course will provide a seminar atmosphere. I reserve the right to play devil’s advocate. I will never impose my personal beliefs and opinions on you as “fact” or “truth” and welcome civilized debate and argument.
• Well prepared and organized class time: This is a once a week class, therefore, time will always be of the essence. I promise not to waste your time and expect the same in return.
• Availability: I will be available to discuss questions before/after class or by appointment. I will also respond to email on a regular basis. However, I may take up to 24 hours to respond to an email, so do not leave questions about an assignment for the night before it is due. GENERAL RULE OF THUMB: If it is a question that takes more than 3 sentences to ask, it should probably be done in person.

What I expect from you:

Participation:

• Participation is 20% of your final grade. There are two ways to earn full participation points for a given week:
  • 1. Attend class = full participation points for that week
  • 2. If you cannot attend class synchronously you can earn full participation points by completing the following:
    • You must “answer” three of your peer’s reaction questions on the discussion board for that week. A satisfactory answer is at least 300 words and will consist of at least 2 different sources. These must be completed by Tuesday of class week at midnight. (Ex: If you miss class Monday, September 7, the assignment is due Tuesday by midnight.)
    • You must complete the in-class learning activity listed in Canvas on your own and submit by Tuesday of class week at midnight. (Ex: If you miss class Monday, September 7, the assignment is due Tuesday by midnight.)
  • Other notes on participation: Class participation is important and necessary. I expect every member of the class to have read the assigned readings and actively participate in discussions. Bring the articles and your notes to class so that you are prepared for discussion. Information and ideas flow not just from professor to students but from students to the professor and among students. I will take your ideas seriously and respond to them seriously and expect you to treat each other the same way.  Class participation also involves active listening and RESPECT – not only for me, but most importantly, your fellow classmates. This includes respecting all opinions and point-of-views shared by classmates, even if you do not agree. I encourage discussion and civilized debate, but will not tolerate rudeness or disrespect. Self-disclosure is encouraged but not necessary, and all personal information shared in class will remain confidential. 

• Attendance Protocol and Your Health If you feel unwell, you should not come to campus, and you will not be penalized for your absence. Instructors are required to ensure that attendance is recorded for each in-person or synchronous class session. The primary reason for documentation of attendance is to facilitate contact tracing, so that if a student or instructor with whom you have had close contact tests positive for COVID-19, the university can contact you. Recording of attendance will also provide an opportunity for outreach from student services and/or academic support units to support students should they become ill. Faculty and students agree to act in good faith and work with mutual flexibility. The expectation is that students will be honest in representing class attendance. 

Other Course Policies and Important Things to Know:

How This Course Will Be Taught: This course will be a hybrid-course. All in-person weeks will meet Monday at 5:30pm in Paley 000G4. Any zoom weeks will meet Monday at 5:30pm at https://temple.zoom.us/my/amandaneuber. If there are week's we do not meet synchronously in-person or on zoom, expecations will be clearly announced and explained ahead of time. All In-person activities and instruction for the fall 2020 semester will end Nov. 20, at the start of the fall break. The remaining week of classes, study period and finals will be conducted remotely at the same zoom link above. 

TEMPLE AND COVID-19: Temple University’s motto is Perseverance Conquers, and we will meet the challenges of the COVID pandemic with flexibility and resilience. The university has made plans for multiple eventualities. Working together as a community to deliver a meaningful learning experience is a responsibility we all share: we’re in this together so we can be together.

Contacting the Instructor: The best way to contact me is email, aneuber@temple.edu

Disability Disclosure Statement: Please bear in mind that COVID-19 may result in a need for new or additional accommodations.  Any student who has a need for accommodations based on the impact of a documented disability or medical condition should contact Disability Resources and Services (DRS) in 100 Ritter Annex (drs@temple.edu; 215-204-1280) to request accommodations and learn more about the resources available to you. If you have a DRS accommodation letter to share with me, or you would like to discuss your accommodations, please contact me as soon as practical. I will work with you and with DRS to coordinate reasonable accommodations for all students with documented disabilities. All discussions related to your accommodations will be confidential.

Academic Dishonesty: Academic Dishonesty Plagiarism will not be tolerated in this course. Any student who plagiarizes or cheats on any assignment or exam in this class will automatically receive a failing grade FOR THE CLASS, along with university disciplinary action.  Please refer to the Temple University Student Handbook for a full description of academic dishonesty: (www.temple.edu/bulletin/Responsibilities_rights/responsibilities/responsibilities.shtm ). To avoid any possible problems with plagiarism, all assignments will be submitted to the electronic Turnitin.com “SafeAssign” tool in Canvas. This program generates a report indicating how much, if any, of the paper was take verbatim from other sources.  PLEASE DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. The following is an example of providing appropriate American Psychological Association (APA) citation when copying or borrowing significant amounts of someone else’s work.:

“Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of another person's labor, another person's ideas, another person's words, and another person's assistance. Normally, all work done for courses -- papers, examinations, homework exercises, laboratory reports, and oral presentations -- is expected to be the individual effort of the student presenting the work. Any assistance must be reported to the instructor. If the work has entailed consulting other resources, such as journals, books, or other media, these resources must be cited in a manner appropriate to the course. It is the instructor's responsibility to indicate the appropriate manner of citation. Everything used from other sources—suggestions for organization of ideas, ideas themselves, or actual language—must be cited. Failure to cite borrowed material constitutes plagiarism. Undocumented use of materials from the World Wide Web is plagiarism (Temple website, 2005).”

Controversial Subject Matter: This class may discuss subject matter that some students may consider sensitive or controversial. Some students may find some of the readings and/or comments in class or in discussion conducted through a Canvas forum challenging to their beliefs. The purpose in this class is to explore this subject matter deeply and consider multiple perspectives and arguments. Students are expected to listen to both the instructor and to one another, but of course, are free to disagree, respectfully. Students are expected to practice open-mindedness and professionalism at all times.

Temple’s Policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities: Freedom to teach and freedom to learn are inseparable facets of academic freedom. The University has adopted a policy on Student and Faculty Academic Rights and Responsibilities (Policy # 03.70.02) which can be accessed through the following link: http://policies.temple.edu/getdoc.asp?policy_no=03.70.02 .  

Student Support Services: The following academic support services are available to support you. 

• Student Success Center
• University Libraries
• Career Center
• Tuttleman Counseling Services
• Disability Resources and Services
• If you are experiencing food insecurity or financial struggles, Temple provides resources and support. Notably, the Temple University Cherry Pantry and the Temple University Emergency Student Aid Program are in operation as well as a variety of resources from the Office of Student Affairs. 

Technology specifications for this course: A laptop or other mobile/tablet device should be brought to each class if available.  

• Note: Limited resources are available for students who do not have the technology they need for class. Students with educational technology needs, including no computer or camera or insufficient Wifi-access, should submit a request outlining their needs using the Student Emergency Aid Fund form. The University will endeavor to meet needs, such as with a long-term loan of a laptop or Mifi device, a refurbished computer, or subsidized internet access.

Temple's Four Public Health Pillar Compliance: In order to maintain a safe and focused learning environment, we must all comply with the four public health pillars: wearing face coverings, maintaining physical distancing, washing our hands and monitoring our health. It is also important to foster a respectful and productive learning environment that includes all students in our diverse community of learners. Our differences, some of which are outlined in the University's nondiscrimination statement, will add richness to this learning experience. Therefore, all opinions and experiences, no matter how different or controversial they may be perceived, must be respected in the tolerant spirit of academic discourse. 

Treat your classmates and instructor with respect in all communication, class activities, and meetings. You are encouraged to comment, question, or critique an idea but you are not to attack an individual. Please consider that sarcasm, humor and slang can be misconstrued in online interactions and generate unintended disruptions. Profanity should be avoided as should the use of all capital letters when composing responses in discussion threads, which can be construed as “shouting” online. Remember to be careful with your own and others’ privacy. In general, have your behavior mirror how you would like to be treated by others. 

Statement on Recording and Distribution of Recordings of Class Sessions: Any recordings permitted in this class can only be used for the student’s personal educational use. Students are not permitted to copy, publish, or redistribute audio or video recordings of any portion of the class session to individuals who are not students in the course or academic program without the express permission of the faculty member and of any students who are recorded. Distribution without permission may be a violation of educational privacy law, known as FERPA as well as certain copyright laws. Any recordings made by the instructor or university of this course are the property of Temple University.

Note about Psychology Undergraduate Research Opportunities: Additional information about undergraduate research opportunities, including an FAQ, can also be found on the Psychology Advising and Student Resources Canvas page: https://templeu.instructure.com/courses/77157. You are encouraged to access these resources! 

GRADE BREAKDOWN:

A=94-100%

A-=90-93%

B+=87-89%

B=83-86%

B-=80-82%

C+=77-79%

C=73-76%

C-=70-72%

D+=67-69%

D=63-66%

D-=60-62%