GENERAL INFORMATION
Lectures
The function of the lectures will be to explore in depth significant psychological concepts and controversial issues at the forefront of research on human behavior. Most of the lectures will introduce new material or go well beyond what is presented in the reading assignments. The lectures are not meant to review text materials, although in a few instances appropriate time will be spent discussing and amplifying what is in the textbook.
The lectures constitute a significant portion of the course. Therefore, it is
essential that you take complete notes. To assist you in that endeavor, you
might wish to take advantage of the lecture outlines in this manual. The
lectures may diverge from the outlines as time and interests dictate, but in
general I'll stick closely to what is indicated. Do not rely on notes
taken by students in previous semesters; course material undergoes revision
each year and new findings replace old "facts." Make sure you bring your “i-clicker”
to every class.
Since this course is meant to help you prepare for life in the real world, I expect you to treat coming to class like holding an important job. You are expected to arrive on time and attend every lecture. All cell phones must be turned off during class time. Just like in a work setting, text messaging and use of laptops for non-lecture related activity (which is disruptive to those around you) is strictly prohibited and will result in your being marked absent and being asked to leave the lecture hall. Our attendance policy rewards responsible behavior. Your Psych 101 tutor will be assigned to your seating area, will take attendance at the start of each lecture, and will sit with you throughout the course. Should you have any questions regarding any course material, just arrange a consultation with your tutor, or visit the Psych 101 Tutor Office, 234 Uris Hall at times posted at www.psych101.net.
The lectures are presented in Bailey Hall. In our large class it is essential that absolute quiet be maintained to minimize distraction to your fellow students. You should plan to come early, relax, and clear your head to think PSYCHOLOGY. All seats are assigned for the semester at the second lecture. The auditorium doors will close at 10:10am. and nobody will be admitted after that time. If for any reason you must leave a lecture early, sit in the designated area in the balcony on the far right facing the stage balcony (CCC 104-124). Nobody will be permitted to leave the main floor once the lecture has started. If you permit me to begin on time at 10:10 am, I promise not to keep you past the sacred hour of 11 am. To do otherwise will disturb the rest of us. (How's that for using peer pressure and group psychology?)
If you have an official university excuse (medical or athletic) for missing a lecture, show that to your own tutor so you don't get marked absent! I do not handle those requests-- only your tutor in your seating area has the official records. If you miss two (2) lectures or less (regardless of reason such as illness without a Gannett slip, weddings, funerals, job interviews) you will receive 2 points additional credit on your final grade calculation. One lecture will be a two-way simultaneous broadcast with the Medical School in Qatar. This lecture will be moved to 8am instead of 10:10 during the semester. Class conflicts will count as an excused absence of this lecture. If you miss more than five (5) lectures, you will loose your reserved seat in Bailey Hall.
The lectures are designed to motivate you to want to learn more about psychology, to stimulate your curiosity, to inform you about what is known (and what is not yet known) about behavior, and to make you think about important issues. I will make full use of demonstrations, expert guest lecturers, and media-based educational materials to involve you directly in the excitement of the psychological enterprise. Most of the slides and films were prepared specifically for Psychology 101, although they are frequently used by other universities and occasionally on national television. I firmly believe that academic material should be presented in a stimulating (and sometimes even entertaining) manner, if doing so will aid learning and increase satisfaction with the educational process. I do not subscribe to the theory that lectures have to be dull to be truly sophisticated and intellectually worthwhile. However, if you are (or are not) amused, and still fail to see the academic point behind what is being said, shown, or demonstrated, please ask me immediately to clarify/justify what has been presented.
If you miss a lecture and would like to review the content, videotapes of Dr. Maas presenting the lectures will be available for your review in the Uris Library Media Center approximately 6 hours after each lecture. These tapes are for review purposes only, and may not be taken from the library listening facility. Due to duplication restrictions, the visuals which are integral to each lecture are not available at any time other than the "live" lecture, so do not rely solely on the audiotapes if you expect to perform well in the course. (Pre-medical students taking Psych 101 at CWMC-Q in Doha, Qatar will be provided access to course materials through the TA in residence, Rebecca Robbins).
If you feel that I have made a statement in lecture that contradicts what you know to be true, or that disturbs you in any way, please call it to my attention immediately so we can discuss what were (and were not) my intentions. I deeply appreciate your caring and concerns.
Readings
The required readings are listed on the syllabus contained in this manual. We will be using Psychology (Myers in Modules -- 8th edition) by David Myers. It is the most interesting, relevant and widely used introductory textbook in the field. It will take considerable effort to absorb all the material, but you will be intellectually rewarded for investing your time and attention. The writing style is engaging. While not as encyclopedic as some texts, what is presented is absolutely essential-- the core of introductory psychology. Therefore I expect you to know all the material covered in the book. The syllabus assignments do not follow the order of text modules in the book. Don't be concerned about this; Myers' organization of text modules is quite arbitrary. I prefer to assign reading material in an order that parallels the lecture topics.
The assignments are designed to provide a solid background of principles, theories, concepts and research findings across the broad spectrum of psychology. Before you read any textbook assignment, read the overview and preview sections in the Study Guide to Accompany Myers in Modules 8th Edition. After you finish any module make sure you complete all the “stepping through the section” and progress tests. If you miss any questions, re-read the relevant part of the text. You'll be amazed at how much the study guide helps you perform well on examinations. For the other reading assignments, which are mostly journal articles or reports of experiments, you should be able to identify the main hypotheses, the key concepts and scientific/conceptual theory, the research design used, the results of the investigation, and the significance or value of the findings.
PsychPortal is a teaching tool that offers resource materials, quizzes, flashcards and an electronic version of the textbook. Making good use of all the available course materials on PsychPortal will be key to getting a good grade in Psych 101! Some assignments involve using PsychSim, a series of interactive graphic computer simulations. You can access the program from PsychPortal. Go to "Course Materials", then Student Resources, then PsychSim 5.
If you desire additional stimulation, depth and challenge you might wish to consult the list of suggested readings in this manual. For more specialized references, see me or one of the course tutors or teaching assistants.
We recognize that not all of you own a personal computer. For these individuals, accessing the Psych 101 website and PsychPortal will be less convenient than for others. Nevertheless, the information that is available at the site is important to your success in the class, and you should make every effort to integrate website access into your study habits. To help you do this, we are providing you with a list of the many computer labs on campus:
* Martha Van Rensselaer Computer Lab (CIT): 14 Windows PC's, 24 Macs
* Sibley Computer Lab (CIT): 13 Windows PC's, 16 Macs
* Noyes Center (CIT): 8 Windows PC's, 18 Macs
* Robert Purcell Union (CIT): 12 Windows PC's, 20 Macs
* Upson Computer Lab (CIT): 61 PCs
* Uris Library (CIT): 48 PCs
* Riley-Robb (CIT): 20 Windows PC's, 25 Macs
* ILR Computer Lab (ILR): 20 Windows PC's, 10 Macs
* Warren Hall Computer Lab (A&LS): 24 Windows PC's, 25 Macs
* Mann Library Computer Lab (Mann Lib): 20 Windows PC's, 20 Macs
How to connect to the Psychology 101 Academic Course Web
1. Launch your web browser application. Preferred browsers include Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Netscape If you use another browser it must be forms and tables capable to view this web site properly.
2. In Internet Explorer:. Click in the navigation text bar at the top of the browser window to enter the web address. Other browsers: Click in the navigation text bar or look for the open location or URL option.
3. Enter the following web address (URL): www.psych101.net and hit "Return".
You will then be in the Psychology 101 Course Website.
4. Save this location in your bookmark file for future connections.
Psychology 103 Seminars
If you are interested in exploring a psychological topic in depth and discussing it with others in a small group, you might wish to take Psychology 103 concurrently with 101. Psychology 103 is an optional 1-credit seminar. You may sign up for a specific seminar on a first-come basis. Seminar times and locations are posted on the Psych 101 website (www.psych101.net). You can sign up for a 103 seminar anytime after the second lecture (but before the add course deadline) by going to the Department of Psychology, Room 211 Uris Hall. 103 Seminars begin the third week of the semester. The 1-credit course involves weekly discussions, some reading assignments, and a 10-page term paper. CWMC-Q students will have opportunity for discussions with their TA as part of the regular Psych 101 course.
Tutoring and Special Help
If you need assistance in grasping the lecture or reading material, or are dissatisfied with your performance on course examinations, there is help available. You should consult your Psychology 101 tutor, whose office hours in G-94 Uris Hall are posted there and on the website. You may elect to get your questions answered by using the tutor e-mail address (psych101@cornell.edu), or through the Psychology 101 website section: “Questions and Chat.” Students enrolled in Psychology 103 should consult their teaching assistant for 101 and 103 assistance. For CWMC-Q students, there is an on-site Psych 101 TA in Doha.
Contact Hours
I would like to get to know as many of you as possible. In addition to wandering around Bailey Hall before each lecture, I will from time to time hold open discussions. These optional meetings will provide both of us with an opportunity to explore issues of mutual interest. Of course I also hold office hours (see “My Office Hours” at the end of this document.) For CWMC-Q students, I will have special contact hours several times during the semester via live satellite transmission.
Course Examination and Grading Policy
There has been considerable debate and research on the assets and liabilities of various examination procedures in large introductory-level lecture courses. It seems that objective (multiple-choice) examinations represent the least objectionable alternative if one considers content validity, objective grading standards, and immediate knowledge of results. Therefore, all exams will consist of objective items that focus on theories, concepts, and results of empirical research. Approximately 50% of each exam will be based on lecture material (including slides and videos), and 50% will cover the assigned readings. After several years of experience, I have decided not to arrange for outside note-taking services. Research has clearly demonstrated the efficacy of active note-taking in terms of learning and performance. Furthermore, note-taking services do not provide for adequate coverage of the extensive audiovisual materials used to teach this course. You may find that some note-taking services offer notes from previous semesters of Psych 101, however, each year new information is added to the course and old information is often revised, so utilizing old notes is NOT recommended. Thus, to perform well in 101 you should attend all the lectures, take good notes, and do all the reading on time. Previous exams can be used for practice and can be found on the Psychology 101 website.
There will be two in-class prelims and a comprehensive final examination. You must take all three examinations to pass the course. There are no regularly scheduled make-up examinations. If you are on a University trip, or hospitalized, you should immediately inform my assistant, Cindy Durbin (255-6266). A letter from a University official (teacher, coach, advisor) or physician is mandatory before we will make any arrangements for you to take a makeup exam.
Occasionally multiple-choice examinations contain an item considered ambiguous or misleading by at least some students. In a course of this size, it is virtually impossible to re-grade all the examinations or make item-specific adjustments for particular students. To counter for this we will ask three extra questions on each prelim and five extra questions on the final exam. That is, the prelims will have 50 questions, but will be scored on the basis of 47 items, and the final will have 100 questions, but will be scored on the basis of 95 items. In other words, you can get three questions wrong on each prelim and five questions wrong on the final and still have a perfect score (A+) in the course-- go for it! Don't bother arguing about any "ambiguous" questions unless you have a minimum of four such items on a prelim or six on the final-- it won't make any difference in your grade!
The examinations are weighted according to the following:
Prelim 1 = 30% of the final grade; Prelim 2 = 30% of the final grade; Final Examination = 40% of the final grade. All grades are calculated on a numerical basis (with no rounding up for any calculation or conversion) and converted to a letter grade scale at the end of the semester (where 97.5 to 100 = A+; 92.5 to 97.4 = A; 90 to 92.4 = A-, and so forth).
You will be graded strictly on the percent of the material an examination indicates you have mastered. This means that your grade on an examination (and, hence, the course) is not affected in any way by anyone else's performance. Grades are computed strictly on a mathematical basis. To be fair to all, there is absolutely no individual deviation from this policy. There are no "extra credit" papers at the end of the semester to raise grades, so try to work hard from the beginning and you will do just fine.
You will have access to the correct scoring key for each exam on the Psychology 101 website shortly each test is administered. Within 72 hours of any exam we will have your grades available (listed, with your permission, by student ID) on the Psychology 101 website. To get to the secure grading section use the following codes:
Name: psych101
ID: gobigred
The grading computer does not make errors. On any exam we, like the LSAT and MCAT, cannot assume responsibility for your carelessness; if you skip or incorrectly record answers, or fail to completely erase unintended responses on an answer sheet, we will not remedy the error after the fact. Therefore, please check your work before you leave the exam room. Any discrepancies between posted grades and your own calculation must be resolved by contacting the course administrator, Cindy Durbin, in person in 211B Uris Hall or by e-mail: (cld1@cornell.edu) within 1 week after prelim grades are posted or within 24 hrs. after the final exam grades are posted. After those deadlines no revisions are possible.
You must take the prelim exams on the date indicated, regardless of how many other prelims you have scheduled for that date or that week. Only if you have three final exams scheduled within 24 hours are you eligible for a make-up final examination. The 101 make-up final examination is usually held in the first scheduled period for make-up examinations after the regularly scheduled final.
Academic Integrity
There will be a zero tolerance policy for cheating in Psych 101. If a student is found guilty of cheating on an exam, they will receive an F in the course. You must keep your eyes on your own paper at all times. Quarters are cramped in Bailey Hall so baseball caps must be removed for exams and wandering eyes will not be tolerated.
S/U Option
The S/U grading option is available in Psychology 101. You should complete the appropriate forms required by your college. University deadlines for adding or dropping the option are strictly maintained. A grade of C- or higher is required for "S" standing in Psychology 101.
Records
All questions regarding official enrollment status, the computation of 101 exam
and final grades, and Psychology 103 seminar registration will be handled by
the course Administrator, Cindy Durbin. She can be contacted easily via
e-mail (cld1@cornell.edu)
or in person in 211B Uris Hall.
Research Participation
Although not formally required, participation in the psychological research of honors students, graduate students and faculty is encouraged. This experience is designed to provide insight into the nature of scientific investigation in psychology. All experimenters must observe the rulings of the American Psychological Association's Ethics Committee and the guidelines instituted by the Cornell University Committee on Human Subjects. After participating in the research each subject will be given an explanation of the purpose of the experiment and its theoretical basis.
One (1) point of additional credit on your final course grade is given for one hour of actual participation in the SUSAN research program before November 30th, on a limited first come first served basis. To sign up, go to http://susan.psych.cornell.edu/ Address any questions about SUSAN to Sarah Cargill at sec57@cornell.edu
Pen Pal Program
The Pen Pal Program offers Psych 101 students on Cornell’s Ithaca campus and those at the Weil Cornell Medical College in Doha, Qatar the opportunity to engage in two-way video and email communication over the course of the semester. Involvement in the program is limited; instructions will be given during the second lecture of the semester. Any questions about the program should be directed toward the Pen Pal Coordinator, Rammy Salem (rms84@cornell.edu).
One (1) point of additional credit on your final course grade will be given to program participants. Students may participate in both the Research and Pen Pal Programs but only for a total of one point; you cannot get credit for both even though you may wish to participate in these two programs. Requirements for the program include four (4) emails to be sent by each student over the course of the semester to their Pen Pal and one two-way videoconference session to be held one morning before lecture around 8-9am on a Wednesday early in the semester. Students who have participated in this cross-cultural program have found it incredibly rewarding.
My Office Hours (211C Uris Hall)
Please feel free to talk to me about the course or any other matter where you feel I could be of assistance. If I cannot be of help, I'll try to refer you to someone who can. In a class of this size it is probably best that you first see the course teaching assistants and tutors if you are having difficulty understanding basic course materials; they are employed specifically to spend time helping you; if they don't satisfy your needs be sure to see me, and I'll be more than happy to work with you. I am most willing to talk to you about psychology as a major or career, or discuss with you anything that is on your mind.
I have regularly scheduled office hours and have found it best for all if I maintain a schedule of appointments. That way you won't have to spend unnecessary time waiting. Appointments can be made by calling my assistant, Cindy Durbin, at 255-6266, or by seeing her in 211B Uris Hall.
I try to answer all my e-mail within 48 hours. My address is: jbm1@cornell.edu
Welcome to Psych 101!
Jim Maas