General Psychology
Fall - 2009
PSYC 1010-F: Hale 204
M-W-F 2:00 - 2:50
PSYC 1010-G: Hale 204
M-W-F 3:00 - 3:50
|
| Instructor: |
Stephen T. Paul, Ph.D. |
|
Office Hours: |
M/W/F: 9:00 - 9:50 |
| Office: |
Lafayette Center: Room 110. |
|
M/W/F: 11:00 - 11:50 |
| Phone: |
(412) 397-5416. |
|
& by Appointment. |
| E-mail: |
paul@rmu.edu |
|
| Whatever you may be sure of, be sure of this - that you are dreadfully like other people. |
| -- James Russell Lowell |
|
| Overview: |
General Psychology is a survey of approaches each designed to provide a better understanding of the complexities of human thought and
behavior. The course includes an overview of the scientific methods most commonly used to study human behavior. Upon completion of this
class, the successful student should have a better understanding of their own motivations and behaviors as well as the motivations and
behaviors of others. |
| Objectives: |
- To define psychology and be aware of some of its various major sub-fields.
- To outline the scientific method as it is applied to the study of human behavior.
- To define various theories of psychology as they relate to human development.
- To explain the relationship between biology and behavior.
- To explain the distinctions between classical and operant conditioning.
- To elaborate upon higher-order mental abilities such as memory, language, and thought.
- To explore the topic of stress and the theories that relate to identifying and dealing with it.
- To explain motivation- and emotion-based influences on behavior.
- To define abnormality with regard to human behavior and describe different therapeutic approaches used to treat psychological dysfunction.
- To describe many of the social influences on behavior.
|
| Text: |
Baird, A. A. (2010). Think Psychology, 1st ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. |
| Web Site: |
http://academics.rmu.edu/~paul/courses.html |
| Examinations: |
Four exams will be given (multiple-choice). If I am persuaded (somehow) that you should be allowed to make up a missed exam, it will be in
the form of a challenging essay exam. In addition, please expect anywhere from 4 to 12 pop-quizzes (your two lowest scoring
quiz-grades will be dropped). Quizzes will be unannounced and may NOT be made up if missed. Missing class on the day of a pop-quiz could
hurt your final grade. |
| Policies: |
- Accomodation: Students who may be eligible to receive learning support or physical accommodations must contact the
Center for Student Success at 412-397-4342 to schedule an appointment with a counselor and to learn more about accommodation procedures.
To receive accommodations in this course, arrangements must be made through the Center for Student Success.
- Academic Integrity: Academic Integrity is valued at Robert Morris University. All students are expected to understand
and adhere to the standards of Academic Integrity as stated in the RMU Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found on the RMU website at
http://www.rmu.edu/academicintegrity. Any student who violates the Academic Integrity Policy is subject to possible judicial proceedings
which may result in sanctions as outlined in the Policy. Depending upon the severity of the violation, sanctions may range from receiving
a zero on an assignment to being dismissed from the university. If you have any questions about the policy, please consult your course
instructor.
- Attendance: Students should not be expected to attend any more lectures than the professor shows up to teach. If you
miss a class that I showed up to teach, you will lose points toward your final grade. My view is simply that skipping a class, for any
reason, is a bad decision. Also, be aware that if you arrive to class AFTER attendance has been taken, or, if you leave BEFORE attendance
has been taken, YOU WILL BE MARKED ABSENT FOR THAT DAY (no exceptions).
- Lectures & Readings: I expect that you will have read each chapter before we meet in class to
discuss it.
- Grading: Together, the semester exams will be worth 85 percent of your final grade: Exam 1 = 15 percent, Exam 2 = 20
percent, Exam 3 = 25 percent, Exam 4 = 25 percent. Pop-quizzes will be worth 5 percent and class participation will be worth 10 percent of
your final grade. The breakdown below will be used to determine final grades. NOTE: Students will NOT be allowed to wear baseball (etc.)
caps during exams. The instructor must be able to see everyone's eyes during exams.
| A = 93.0 - 100 | B = 83.0 - 86.9 | C = 70.0 - 74.9 |
| A- = 90.0 - 92.9 | B- = 80.0 - 82.9 | D = 60.0 - 69.9 |
| B+ = 87.0 - 89.9 | C+ = 75.0 - 79.9 | F = 0 - 59.9 |
- Extra-Credit: Extra-credit opportunities will occur at various times throughout the semester. To be eligible for most
extra-credit opportunities, you must be present in class the day that it is announced.
|
| Schedule of Events: |
This is provided as a general outline and ordering of what we will be covering throughout the semester. In addition, I've
indicated approximate dates for the various tests (the final-exam, of course, cannot be changed). |
|