Psychology 111: General Psychology

Instructor: Christopher M. Lowry, Ph.D.

Office: 110L RKS

Office Hours: MWF 2:00-3:00 PM. Other times by appointment.

Phone: 208.496.1352

Email: lowryc@byui.edu (please note that there is not an “e” in my last name; emails fail to reach me due to this spelling error.)

Required Text: Lilienfeld, S.O., Lynn, S.J., Namy, L.L., and Woolf, N.J. (2009). Psychology: From Inquiry to Understanding. Boston: Pearson.

A Note on the Syllabus: you might be surprised to learn that I don’t really enjoy writing these things. I write them because they make life simpler for you and me. I expect you to familiarize yourself with the syllabus and to consult it before asking me questions about the requirements of the course. It tells you what to do, when to do it, how many points it is worth, etc. Please don’t be offended if you ask me a question and I say, “Check the syllabus.” Better yet, check the syllabus first and when you can’t find the answer, then ask. You will get points for completing a quiz on the syllabus so at least I’m rewarding you for trying to find answers for yourself and for familiarizing yourself with this long, detailed document. (You might be able to use this as a sleeping aid too! Let me know if it works for you and I’ll try it when I’m having difficulty sleeping.)

There’s a general principle behind this. First look for answers in resources that only require your effort. If that doesn’t work, turn to others. I would ask you to have a few classmates that you can ask about things too. I don’t have the time to help everyone who might want to know what we did in class. If you can’t be to class, check with a classmate. Consult with me when you’ve exhausted those resources.

Of course, I love talking about psychology and invite you to come to my office when you have questions about psychology itself!

COURSE OBJECTIVES

In this course you'll learn to

1) identify and understand the major psychological theories,

2) apply these theories to understanding your own behavior, thoughts, and feelings,

3) understand what psychologists do and clear up common misunderstandings about psychology, psychologists, and what we know about the behavior of humans,

4) think critically, and

5) improve your own study skills and habits.

Objectives specific to each chapter can be found in the text at the beginning of the chapter. Of course, you should also be able to explain all of the bolded terms in the chapter. I may add additional chapter objectives and will make you aware of them as the semester proceeds. These objectives should play a significant role in your preparation for class, quizzes, and exams. I highly recommend that you follow the first six steps included in the text for how to succeed in your study of psychology. I also recommend that you study and adhere to the guidelines on how to study effectively that I have posted on I-Learn.

Course Requirements

1. Exams: Exams will comprise 70% of your grade. You will take 6 exams in this course. There will be 4 unit exams, a midterm, and a final. The midterm will be cumulative for the prologue and chapters 1-7. The final exam will be cumulative for chapters 8-16. None of the cumulative items will necessarily be the same questions as in previous exams but they will address the same concepts. Structuring the exams in this way should promote studying for real, long-term understanding instead of cramming. Each regular exam will be worth 100 points. The midterm and final exams will be worth 200 points each for a total of 800 exam points. The final exam must be taken; failure to take the final on the scheduled days will result in an automatic failure of the class. There are no make ups for any exams. However, I will drop your lowest unit exam score at the end of the semester when I calculate grades. Please note that the midterm and final exams will not be dropped in any case. (The wise will always do their best for each exam and have the buffering benefit of a low test being dropped. Just to make myself clear, if you do poorly on an exam and then end up missing an exam, you will be stuck with a low exam score being used to calculate your grades. Remember that illnesses and emergencies can’t be planned for so you don’t want to miss an exam just for convenience or due to a lack of preparation because something may come up later that will cause you to miss an exam.)

Time is very valuable. It is not productive to discuss problems with test items in class and I will not do so. If you are concerned about a test question, you should come and see me in my office (during office hours unless other arrangements have been made). I will only consider these problems with the test for a week after the test has closed. Make sure you do your research before coming to me so that we don’t waste time with something that was in the book.

2. Pre-class Quizzes: Quizzes will comprise 20% of your grade. There will be a 25 item quiz (usually 25) over each chapter in the book. These quizzes will be available on I-Learn. They must be completed by 30 minutes prior to class on the day noted in the semester schedule. Your two lowest quizzes will be dropped at the end of the semester. You may use your book or notes to take a quiz and you may repeat the quiz as many times as you’d like until it closes. However, there will be a 30 minute time limit on the quiz once you open it. That time limit will renew each time you take the quiz. Any quiz that exceeds the 30 minute time limit will result in a zero. Please note that if you go over the 30 minute limit for any quiz, you will get a zero even if you retake it; this is because of the way that I-Learn works and I can’t change that. You may not take quizzes as a group. (Obviously, a 30 minute time limit for a 25 item quiz is an incentive to actually study the chapters before coming to class.)

When taking quizzes in I-Learn, do not hit the backspace or navigate to any other pages. I-Learn often closes the quizzes under those circumstances. Once you begin a quiz, you will need to work to complete it in that session.

Time is very valuable. It is not productive to discuss problems with quiz items in class and I will not do so. If you are concerned about a quiz question, you should come and see me in my office (during office hours unless other arrangements have been made). I will only consider these problems with the quiz for a week after the quiz has closed. Make sure you do your research before coming to me so that we don’t waste time with something that was in the book.

3. Participation and Classroom Behavior: I reserve the right to make modifications to your grade based on the following.

a. Cold calling: I believe that you need to be prepared and that you also need to participate to really learn. Therefore, I will call on you in class to answer questions and I will grade you on your response. I will rate your answer on a 0 to 2 point scale. Zero means you didn’t answer or your answer wasn’t even close. One means that you gave an adequate, basic answer. Two means that you gave a very complete answer. You will need to have notes to assist you in giving these answers. There will not be time to look up the answer in class. This is a very large class so I will only guarantee that you get 2 chances during the semester to answer. I hope it will be more. Your participation score will be based on these 2 responses so you’ll want to make them good. You will earn 10% of your grade in this way. It’s a full letter grade so make sure you’re prepared.

b. Appropriate classroom behaviors

i. Attendance: not attending the class can result in a reduction of your grade. If I notice that you are consistently failing to attend class, I will deduct points from your participation grade. If I call on you to answer a question and you are not there at the time I call on you, you will get a zero for that day.

ii. Laptop usage: Generally speaking, the use of laptops in class is disruptive to those around you. Use of a laptop in class without my approval will result in a 5% deduction from your grade each time it occurs.

iii. Cell phone usage: cell phones may not be used in class at all. They are to be turned off before class begins. Use of a cell phone during class (even if someone is just calling you or texting you) will result in a 5% point deduction from your grade each time it occurs.

iv. Respect and courtesy: we should treat each other respectfully and courteously. Such demonstrations toward one another invite the spirit to be with us and engender an atmosphere that is conducive to learning. (The reasons for several of the above policies actually stem from a need to have more respect and courtesy demonstrated in our classes.) If I feel that a lack of respect is being shown, I will deduct 5% from your grade each time it occurs. Multiple offenses will result in a one-on-one discussion about whether you will be allowed to continue in the course. It is my great desire that I will not have to use this. Talking during class, unless you’re part of a whole class discussion or an assigned group discussion, is a disruption and shows great disrespect for me and your classmates.

v. Honor Code and Dress and Grooming Standards: we have all agreed to abide by the Honor Code and the Dress and Grooming standards of the university. I fully expect you to do so. If you realize you are not in compliance, it is better to return home and fix the problems before coming to class. I would rather have you late with your integrity intact than have you come otherwise. If I feel that you have violated these standards, I will talk to you. At a minimum, you will lose 5% of your grade each time it occurs. It is likely that you will also be referred to the Honor Office.

You may not discuss any aspect of an exam or a quiz with anyone until after the quiz or exam has closed and you may not discuss them with people outside of the course. It is cheating to divulge any information about the assessments. Please don’t ask others about them as this puts them in a difficult situation where they have to tell you that they will not talk about it. Cheating on exams or quizzes will result in a 0 and referral to the Honor Office.

I want you to understand why I’m so concerned about these issues. I want us to have the Holy Ghost to assist us in our learning. There are few things (I can’t actually think of any at that moment) that are more crucial and rewarding than having the companionship and the assistance of the Spirit. When you disregard your integrity, you not only harm yourself but you make it more difficult for the rest of us to have that influence to the degree that we might. Although you may not be concerned enough for yourself, I believe that none of you would want to detract from the opportunities for others.

It is distasteful to me to point out your violations. It is embarrassing for both of us. Nevertheless, I will do so because having the Spirit is crucial to what I’m trying to accomplish and I care very much about you; your eternal progression is even more important to me than your secular progression (if the two can really be separated). I hope the issue simply doesn’t have to come up.

Other Policies

1. The syllabus is my best estimate of how the semester will proceed. I reserve the right to make changes, deletions, corrections, and additions in order to facilitate your learning. You are responsible to make note of such modifications and to act accordingly. Ignorance of the changes will not serve as an excuse for failure to comply with the modifications.

2. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all qualified students enrolled in this course are entitled to “reasonable accommodations.” It is the student’s responsibility to disclose to me, in writing in the form of a document from Br. Taylor, any special needs she/he may have before the end of the first week of classes. (If you need any information on how to get your letter from Br. Taylor, please talk with me after class as soon as possible.)

3. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits sex discrimination against any participant in an educational program or activity that receives federal funds, including federal loans and grants. Title IX also covers student-to-student sexual harassment. If you encounter unlawful sexual harassment or gender based discrimination, please contact the Personnel Office at 496-1130 (available 24 hours per day).

4. If you have concerns about tests, quizzes, or other aspects of the course, please visit with me personally during office hours or at other times we arrange. These issues are much more easily dealt with face-to-face.

5. I will use campus email to communicate. You are responsible to check it at least daily and to make sure your mail box isn’t full so that you will get the messages I send. If you email me, please include your last name, the name of the class, and your section number. I don’t have time to look you up to see what class you’re in.

Grades

You should keep a record of your scores and keep track of your standing in the class. I will keep you informed of grades when you take exams. At that time, I’ll include the other assignments that you’ve completed up to that time. If there is a discrepancy in your records and mine, please come to my office so we can make the corrections. Due to frequent and numerous problems with I-Learn’s grade center, I will be using another resource to post your grades. Quizzes will show up in I-Learn but don’t expect all of your grades to be there. The breakdown of grades is as follows: A=93% and above; A-=90%, B+=86%; B=83%; B-=80%; C+=76%; C=73%; C=70%; D+=66%; D=63%; D-=60%; F=below 60%.

Tentative Semester Schedule

Date	Reading Assignment	Other Assignments
UNIT 1 (Exam 1: 10.6-10.7)
9.10	Prologue
9.15	Chapter 1	Prologue quiz, chapter 1 quiz, syllabus quiz
9.17	Chapters 1 and 2	Chapter 2 quiz
9.22	Chapter 2
9.24	Chapter 3	Chapter 3 quiz
9.29	Chapter 3
10.1	Chapter 4	Chapter 4 quiz
10.6	Chapters 4 and 5	Chapter 5 quiz; Don’t forget to take the unit 1 exam.
UNIT 2 (Exam 2: 10.29-10.30)
10.8	Chapter 5
10.13	Chapters 5 and 6	Chapter 6 quiz
10.15	Chapter 6
10.20	Chapters 6 and 7	Chapter 7 quiz
10.22	Chapter 7
Midterm Exam (Prologue through chapter 7) 10.22-10.23 in Testing Center
10.27	Chapter 8	Chapter 8 quiz
10.29	Chapters 8 and 9	Chapter 9 quiz; Don’t forget to take the unit 2 exam.
UNIT 3 (11.17-11.18)
11.3	Chapter 9
11.5	Chapter 10	Chapter 10 quiz
11.10	Chapters 10 and 11	Chapter 11 quiz
11.12	Chapter 11 and 12	Chapter 12 quiz
11.17	Chapter 12	Don’t forget to take the unit 3 exam.
Unit 4 (Exam 4: 12.15-12.16)
11.19	Chapter 13	Chapter 13 quiz
12.01	Chapters 13 and 14	Chapter 14 quiz
12.03	Chapter 14
12.08	Chapter 15	Chapter 15 quiz
12.10	Chapters 15 and 16	Chapter 16 quiz
12.15	Chapter 16	Don’t forget to take the unit 4 exam.
Final Exam covering chapters 8-16 in Testing Center 12.17-12.18