TEXTBOOK & MATERIALS

Required Textbook:

Kalat, J. W. (2008). Introduction to Psychology, 8th Edition.Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.

Websites:

There are several websites that may be of interest to you during the semester. In the electronic version of this document, clicking on the underlined text in this section should open the referenced site in your web browser.

1. From time to time, important materials will be posted to this course's CONTENT area of the Desire2Learn (D2L) system: https://winona.ims.mnscu.edu. It is very important that you learn to use that site. Exam scores will also be posted in the D2L GRADES area.
   
   
2. The publisher maintains a companion web site for the textbook used in this course. It provides study aides and various other items that may be of interest.
   
   
3. The Society for Neuroscience maintains a web site that includes information for both the professional neuroscientist and the general public. Of particular interest is a free book called Brain Facts that is very nicely done. Neuroscience for Kids is also a rather fun and user-friendly site for the general public to learn about the brain and nervous system. For information about the science of psychology more broadly, try the site of the Association for Psychological Science.
   
   
4. If you have any thoughts of taking additional courses in psychology, or possibly majoring in psychology, you might want to look at the site I maintain for the WSU Psychology Department.
   
   
5. I also maintain my own off-campus web site.

Other Materials:

Always come to class prepared to take notes. For exams, you will need a pencil and a full-sheet SCANTRON form.


ASSIGNMENTS and GRADING

Point Value of Exams

Mid-term Exam 1	(50 items, 1 point each)	50 points
Mid-term Exam 2	(50 items, 2 points each)	100 points
Mid-term Exam 3	(50 items, 2 points each)	100 points
Mid-term Exam 4	(50 items, 2 points each)	100 points
Mid-term Exam 5	(50 items, 2 points each)	100 points
Final Exam	(150 items, 1 points each)	150 points
Total Possible		600 points

Scale for Course Letter Grades

	A	540-600 points
	B	480-539 points
	C	420-479 points
	D	360-419 points
	F	359 or fewer points

Exams

Course grades will be based on the sum of points earned on exams. Midterm and final exams will be multiple-choice. The final exam will be cumulative, covering the entire course. All midterms will consist of 50 items. Exams 2-5 will be worth 100 points. Exam 1 will be worth only 50 points and is intended, in part, as an opportunity to assess the course's difficulty and get used to the style of question before the higher value midterms are given.

Policies on taking exams at times other than those scheduled:

1. Students with a valid documented excuse (i.e., something unexpected and unavoidable, such as a medical emergency) may take an exam late without penalty. The date of the make-up exam must be as close as possible to the regularly scheduled exam date.
   
   
2. Students with a documented conflict between an official WSU activity and a scheduled exam must notify the instructor of the conflict at least two weeks before the scheduled exam in order to avoid a penalty. An alternate time for the exam, either before or after the regular exam time, will be set at the instructor's discretion.
   
   
3. Other than in the two cases above, make-up exams will be given at the discretion of the instructor and will be subject to a 20% penalty (e.g., an A would become a C). No exam will be given more than two weeks late without a documented medical reason for a longer postponement.
   
   
4. No make-up final exams will be given for any reason other than a documented medical emergency.
   
   
5. Travel plans (with or without family and with or without prior reservations) do not qualify as an unavoidable emergency. It is up to the student to arrange travel that compatible with his/her educational responsibilities.

Extra-Credit

Options for earning extra-credit points will be explained on a separate document. Students are strongly encouraged to make full use of these options. A maximum of 36 extra-credit points may be earned. (See separate document on extra-credit included at the end of this syllabus for details).

STUDY AIDS

Study Guide. This course covers a very large quantity of information in the text and lecture, and I would like everyone to become familiar with the complete body of material. However, the volume of information can be intimidating and discouraging while you are preparing for exams. To assist with this, a Study Guide is available for download from the Desire2Learn (D2L) web site. It is a trustworthy indicator of the topics and terms about which you will be asked questions on exams. I recommend you start working with it from the first day of class.

Lecture Slides. For most lectures, I will make use of PowerPoint slides containing outlines, illustrations, and other content. As a courtesy, all slide sets will be posted either in-full or in a slightly edited version on D2L. Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to problems. Every semester I consider not posting the slides or even not showing slides in class, but in the end, I have always decided that the positives outweigh the negatives. To reduce the issues that arise regarding the slides, please read and consider the following points carefully:

1. I am under no obligation to ever use PowerPoint, let alone use it in every lecture.
   
   
2. I am under no obligation to post slides at all, and I am certainly under no obligation to post them before they are shown in class. I do so as a courtesy.
   
   
3. Simply writing down the words shown on slides is not the best strategy for taking notes during lecture. Remember, you can access the slides later, but you will not have access later to what I say in class unless you write it down.
   
   
4. Posting the slides is intended to help you fill in gaps in your class notes. Slide sets are not a substitute for attending lectures, nor are they a substitute for taking notes in class. Failing to attend class or to take notes during lecture because slides are online is a mistake that will negatively affect what you learn in the course.
   
   
5. Not taking advantage of the slides (and the study guide) is a mistake. Vast numbers of hours have gone into creating these materials over several years. I suspect that no student has ever earned an 'A' in this course without making use of the study aids provided.
   
   
6. On the other hand, over-reliance on slides is also a mistake. Keep in mind that they do not contain all the information you should learn. Keep in mind also that they will NOT always be posted before the lecture. This is intentional and will not change.

ATTENDANCE

Attendance on the first day of class is required. Students missing he first class meeting may be dropped from the course. Other than the first day of class and exam days, I will not take attendance. It is not necessary to inform me that you will miss a lecture, and it is certainly not necessary for you to explain your reasons for missing a class.

Nevertheless, you are responsible for learning the material covered in all lectures and for being aware of all class announcements. If you miss a class, you must find some means of obtaining the material you missed, such as getting notes from a classmate. Of course, the completeness and accuracy of the information in student notes can never be assured.

My personal view is that college students are adults who are responsible for making their own choices and setting their own priorities. I feel no obligation to force other adults to learn about psychology against their will. However, all students who want to learn the material and/or do well on exams should attend all lectures.


CLASSROOM CONDUCT

Students will be expected to conduct themselves with the highest level of classroom courtesy. This includes, but is certainly not limited to, the following:

• Laptops. During class, using a laptop for any purpose other than taking notes is rude and distracting. If you choose to have your computer open in class, make sure that the only window open is the one you need for taking notes.
  
  
• Other electronics. Turn off all distracting electronic devices before class begins.
  
  
• Punctuality. Arrive for class on time and leave only when class is finished. Do not begin putting your things away until class has ended. If you do need to leave class early, it is courteous to inform the instructor before class begins.
  
  
• Conversations during class. Only one person at a time should talk during class. The exception to this rule is that students should feel free to speak up during lectures to ask questions (i.e., raising your hand is not necessary). However, side conversations during lectures are rude and distracting. Although questions are encouraged, they should be related to the current topic.
  
  
• General courtesy. Treat your fellow students (and your professor!) with patience and politeness. No one should ever be rude or insulting to anyone else. Students (and the professor) should maintain the attitude that there are no "stupid questions".

E-MAIL

All students in this course are required to maintain a working WSU email account and check their mail on a regular basis. To protect students' privacy, no confidential information will be disclosed to any email address other than the assigned WSU address.


OFFICE HOURS

Please make frequent use of my office hours. Office hours are the times set aside specifically for meeting with students on a drop-in basis. You are welcome to come by to talk about class material or just to get a little better acquainted. Office hours are there for everyone, not just students having trouble in the course. However, if you do need help with course material, the sooner you start coming to office hours, the more useful those visits will be for you.

ACADEMIC HONESTY

Students in this course will be expected to conduct themselves with the highest level of academic honesty and integrity. It is my policy to assume that students are honest and take them at their word. On rare occasions, however, I have had the disappointment of discovering students violating rules regarding academic honesty. If you are not aware of university policies concerning academic integrity, please read the brief online summary: http://www.winona.edu/studentaffairs/integrity_policy.htm. Penalties for academic dishonesty can include receiving a grade of "F" in the course in which the dishonesty occurred or even dismissal from the university. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:

1. Turning in work as your own that was actually done by someone else
   
   
2. Using unauthorized notes, materials, or devices during an exam
   
   
3. Asking for, receiving, or providing information about the content of any exam before it is taken
   
   
4. Plagiarism -- turning in assignments that include words written by others (or even a close paraphrase of other's words) without indicating the true source.

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR DISABILITIES

I am happy to make reasonable accommodations for disabilities if I am made aware of the need in a timely manner. Please provide me with documentation from WSU Office of Disability Services and meet with me (if necessary) to determine mutually satisfactory arrangements as soon as possible. I do not need to know the specific nature of your disability, but I do need to know the accommodations that you will require to assure you of a fair opportunity to succeed in this course.


CLASS CANCELLATION POLICY

In the event of a class cancellation, such as the university closing due to bad weather, all topics and activities (e.g., exams) scheduled for the day of the cancellation will be automatically rescheduled for the next class meeting.


CHANGES TO THE SYLLABUS

This syllabus is a plan, not an unchangeable legal contract. It is as accurate a description as possible of what will happen in this course this semester. Nevertheless, I reserve the right to make revisions to the course as needed (i.e., changes to policies, assignments, dates, and/or topics). If any changes become necessary, I will inform you in class of such changes as soon as possible. It is each student's own responsibility to be aware of all announcements made in class. If any revision to the syllabus has a serious adverse effect on you, please bring this to my attention immediately.

You may earn up to a maximum of 36 extra-credit points through any combination of the following:

Option 1. Participation in Psychology Research
      Students who are at least 18 years of age* may sign up and participate in one or more studies conducted by students and faculty in the WSU Department of Psychology. Points will be awarded on the basis the number and duration of the studies in which students participate.
      Six (6) points will be awarded for each study lasting 30 minutes or less. Twelve (12) points will be awarded for participation in longer studies lasting up to 60 minutes.
      Only unpaid research conducted by, or supervised by, WSU Psychology faculty is eligible for extra-credit. Sign-up sheets for research participation are posted on the Research Participation bulletin board near the elevator on the second (top) floor of Phelps Hall. When you sign up, keep a record of a) the study's title, 2) the day, time, and location of your appointment, and 3) the researcher's name and email address. Be sure to contact the experimenter by email if you need to cancel your appointment. (You may also cancel an appointment by removing your name from the sign-up sheet, but if you do so less than 24 hours before your appointment, you should also notify the researcher by email). Missing an appointment without notifying the researcher can cause great inconvenience and is considered extremely discourteous.
      A list of students participating in studies will be compiled by the researchers and provided to your instructor near the end of the semester. As added protection against errors in recordkeeping, it is strongly recommended that you request and keep a signed copy of the consent agreement from each study in which you participate. You may not participate in any one study more than once, and you will not receive points for more than one participation in any given study. Therefore, be sure to keep a record of the names of the studies in which your participate.

*Any students under 18 years of age who want to earn points through research participation should contact the instructor to discuss options.

Option 2. Brief Paper
You may write up to 2 brief papers for extra-credit. For each paper, select and read one chapter from the book Mind Myths, which is on reserve in the library. This is a rather fun and interesting book. It sets out to debunk common misconceptions about the mind and the brain. Some chapters are easier reading than others because each was written by a different researcher. (A similar book, Tall Tales About the Mind and Brain: Separating Fact From Fiction, also on reserve at the WSU library, may be substituted for Mind Myths). Find a chapter that interests you. The books are on 3-hour reserve, should not be taken out of the library, and must be returned promptly.
      For each paper, write 1.5 to 2 pages summarizing and commenting on the chapter you read. Remember to indicate which chapter your paper is about. Make sure your summary is entirely in your own words. (This paper is far too short for you to include quotations from the chapter you read or from any other source). The papers should be typed (i.e., laser or inkjet printed), double-spaced with 1-inch margins using a 12-point font. Do not include a title page. The heading should include your name, the course, the meeting time of your class, the name of the book, and the name of the chapter you are summarizing. A reasonably well-written good-faith effort that carefully follows instructions will receive full credit. Partial credit (or even zero credit) will be assigned for a low-quality or apparently half-hearted effort.
      Each paper is worth 18 points.

      Paper Deadline: 3:00 pm, Fri. Dec. 4, 2009 (Late papers will not be accepted).