PSY 100-05 General Psychology

TR 10:50 12:05 pm; UNH 1775

Instructor:
Phone:
Email:
Office:
Office
hours:

Dr. Nora Murphy

310-258-8639
nora.murphy@lmu.edu
UH 4716
T 4:30-6:30 and W 2:306:30

Fall, 2013
p. 1

Teaching Assistant:
TA Email:
TA Office:
TA Office hours:

Daniele Lewin
dlewin1@lion.lmu.edu
Psychology Village
M 11-12

REQUIRED MATERIALS
Text: Myers, D.G. (2013). Psychology in Modules, 10th edition. Worth Publishers.
Scantron forms, 50 questions per side (the smaller bubbles), for exams.
Bring a pen or pencil and writing paper to every class.
Highly Recommended: Psychology 10e In Modules Study Guide
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This introductory psychology course is designed to provide an overview of the field of psychology and
human behavior. There will be emphasis on understanding the scientific method, critical thinking, and
application of psychological principles. This course incorporates the biopsychosocial approach which
involves biological, psychological, and social-cultural levels of analysis. The course is a mixture of lecture,
demonstrations, class discussions/activities, small group activities, and videos. Topics will include:
psychological research methods, development, personality, emotion, psychological disorders, social
psychology, as well as other psychology domains. This section is for non-majors and there are no
prerequisites to take this class. This class counts towards the Explorations: Understanding Human Behavior
core curriculum requirement.
In this class, students will:
- Learn about the major areas in psychology and the basic vocabulary of the discipline
- Learn about psychological theories concerning human thought and behavior
- Gain knowledge about the scientific method, and understand the benefits and limitations of this method
of inquiry
- Learn about research methodology commonly used by psychologists
- Gain insight into human behavior and into one's own behavior and psychological make-up
PROJECTED STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
Use basic psychological terminology and articulate current knowledge about psychology
Identify major fields of study and theoretical perspectives within psychology
Apply critical thinking skills to evaluate various psychological studies and theories
Apply psychological terms, concepts and methodologies in real life
Apply of critical thinking skills to daily life
Understand psychologys role in modern culture
TEXTBOOK READINGS AND READING QUIZZES
You are expected to have read the assigned material prior to attending class (see schedule). There are 8
reading quizzes. The quizzes are designed to assess your knowledge about the assigned reading modules;
the quizzes should not be difficult if you do the assigned readings and process the material. Quizzes will
emphasize psychological ideas, theories, and research more than names, dates, and statistics. Quizzes will
consist of 10-20 multiple-choice questions. Arrive on time for quizzes; you will be given 15 mins to
complete each quiz and if you are late, you do not receive extra time to complete the quiz. No makeup
quizzes are administered.
EXAMS
There are 3 exams; the exams cover material discussed in class, as well as anything from the readings.
There will be material on the exams that we will not discuss in class and there will be material on the
exams that is not in your textbook. Therefore, it is important that you do all readings and attend all
lectures. Exams will consist of a mixture of multiple choice and short-answer essay questions. There are no
special exams, optional papers, or projects offered for students to compensate for poor exam performance
- so do well on the exams. Do not miss an exam; make-up exams will be offered only under extreme

PSY 100-05 General Psychology

TR 10:50 12:05 pm; UNH 1775

Fall, 2013
p. 2

extenuating circumstances. (If one should arise, you must contact me within 24 hours of the missed
exam.) Scantron sheets and pencils are required for exams.
INTERVENTION PROJECT
The A & E television program Intervention portrays individual stories about addiction and treatment. For
this project, you will watch an episode of Intervention and complete a written assignment based on your
viewing. Further description of the assignment will be provided to you in a separate handout.
CLASS ACTIVITIES AND CLASS PARTICIPATION
Students are responsible for completing assignments and participating in class discussions during the
semester. You are required to come to every class and prepared to demonstrate that you have read and
thought critically about the material. Periodically, there will be small group activities or individual activities
during class. These activities will be handed-in and count towards your participation grade.
RESEARCH PARTICIPATION
The Psychology Departments Human Subject Pool aims to meet two major objectives: (1) to provide a pool
of human subjects from which fellow student and LMU faculty researchers can draw samples and (2) to
provide participating students with an educational experience to enhance their understanding of research
in the social sciences. Students in this course are asked to participate in three research credit hours of
studies. More information regarding research participation will be available in an additional handout.
If you prefer not to complete three hours as a research participant, you must complete a short paper on an
assigned reading. The paper will be five pages, double-spaced, 12-point font (Times New Roman style),
one-inch margins and based on a published psychology article. The paper will be a critical analysis of the
reading; a critical analysis paper is not a summary but rather a review and critique of your understanding
of a particular article. If you select the paper option, you must contact me (the instructor) by the 10/10
class period to receive approval and assignment of the chosen reading. You must complete either the 3
hours of research participation OR the research paper critique to receive the research participation points.
CLASS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
You are welcome to discuss class material with me in any number of ways including asking questions
before, during, and after class; sending email; phone message; or dropping in during office hours or by
appointment. Do note that while I regularly check email, it may take up to 48 hours for me to respond
to any email message. For any questions regarding grades or grading procedures, please meet with me
in person during office hours or by appointment. (I do not discuss grades over email.)

You should be comfortable with using myLMU Connect to obtain course announcements, view grade
listings, and submitting assignments. You are responsible for checking your myLMU Connect account at
least once a week for any critical messages. PowerPoint slides from lecture will be available for
download through myLMU Connect before class. However, the slides should not be considered
replacement for taking lecture notes or missing a class lecture. At times, I may communicate with the
entire class using campus email systems, so it is essential that you regularly check your lion.lmu.edu
email address or forward your lion account email to your preferred email address.

You are expected to make every effort to attend class, take required exams, and hand in assignments
as scheduled. In general, you will not be able to make up in-class missed activities. If there is a grave
extenuating circumstance which causes you to miss a required graded activity (e.g., you are severely ill
and hospitalized or other grave situations), notify me as soon as possible (within 48 hours). In such
instances, the consequences of missing in-class required graded work will be evaluated on a case-bycase basis. If you miss a class session, it is your responsibility to obtain the class notes; please do not
ask me (the professor) for notes.

Missing class will adversely affect your course grade. Being consistently late is viewed as not much
better than being absent; late arrivals will adversely affect your grade. I reserve the right to dock
course points if you are consistently absent or late.

Assignments are due by the beginning of class on the dates noted in the schedule; no late submissions
are accepted.

Your cell phone and/or electronic devices should be turned off (not on vibrate) and out of sight during
class; you should not text or otherwise use your phone/device during class time (unless specifically

PSY 100-05 General Psychology

TR 10:50 12:05 pm; UNH 1775

Fall, 2013
p. 3

requested to do so). The interruptions and/or distractions they cause disrupt class and interfere with
the learning process. Refrain from chatting with fellow students, reading outside materials, or napping
during class time.

You are allowed to use a laptop computer with the following conditions: (1) you must sit in the first two
rows of the classroom; and (2) you may only use the computer to take class notes during class time. If
you violate these conditions, I will ask that you not bring the computer to future class meetings.

As an LMU Lion, by the Lions Code, you are pledged to join the discourse of the academy with honesty
of voice and integrity of scholarship and to show respect for staff, professors, and other students.
Disruptive behavior which is persistent or significantly interferes with classroom activities may be
subject to disciplinary action and affect your course grade. If your behavior constitutes a violation of
the conduct code, you may be referred to the Office of Student Judicial Affairs. (See the Community
Standards Booklet published by Judicial Affairs for a description of the conduct code.)

At the beginning of the semester, students with special needs who require reasonable modifications,
special assistance, or accommodations in this course should promptly direct their request to the
Disability Support Services (DSS) Office. Any student who currently has a documented disability (e.g.,
ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning, Physical, or Psychiatric) needing academic
accommodations should contact the DSS Office (Daum Hall 2nd floor, 310-338-4216) as early in the
semester as possible. All discussions will remain confidential. Please visit www.lmu.edu/dss for additional
information.

To report an emergency or suspicious activity, contact the LMU Department of Public Safety by phone
(x222 or 310-338-2893) or at the nearest emergency call box. In the event of an evacuation, follow the
evacuation signage throughout the building to the designated safe refuge area where you will receive
further instruction from Public Safety or a Building Captain. For more safety information and
preparedness tips, visit http://www.lmu.edu/emergency.

A general expectation for college courses is that you will need about 3 hours outside of class for
reading and studying for every hour of class time, which is true for this class. Take good notes! (Do not
depend on the PowerPoint lecture slides to cover everything we discuss in class.) Read all the assigned
modules, highlight important concepts, and take notes from the book. Study for exams by reviewing
the highlighted portions of the book, your book notes, lecture slides, and your lecture notes. Do the
chapter quizzes on the textbook website to practice answering items about the textbook material. Use the
study guide to assist in the learning and retention of material.

This syllabus and its contents are subject to revision; students are responsible for any changes or
modifications distributed in class or posted on MYLMU Connect.

A NOTE ON PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC HONESTY . . .

Academic dishonesty will be treated as an extremely serious matter, with serious consequences that can
range from receiving no credit for assignments/tests to expulsion. It is never permissible to turn in any
work that has been copied from another student or copied from a source (including Internet) without
properly acknowledging the source. It is your responsibility to make sure that your work meets the
standard of academic honesty set forth in the LMU Honor Code and Process which appears in the LMU
Bulletin 2013-2014.
See http://www.lmu.edu/about/services/registrar/Bulletin/Bulletins_in_PDF_Format.htm.
You are expected to uphold the LMU Honor Code. The University expects all members of its community to
act with honesty and integrity at all times, especially in their academic work. Students are held to the
highest standards of ethical conduct. You may not submit work for this class that you or anyone else has
presented, even in part, for this or another class. You should be especially vigilant with regard to
plagiarism (presenting someone elses ideas as your own, whether deliberately or accidentally). If you
have questions about proper citations and paraphrasing, please see me for further information and
additional information is available at the Academic Resource Center located in Daum Hall. Cheating will not
be tolerated under any circumstances.
COURSE SCHEDULE
Date

Critical Dates

Modules

Topic

PSY 100-05 General Psychology

TR 10:50 12:05 pm; UNH 1775
T 8/27
R 8/29
T 9/3
R 9/5
T 9/10
R 9/12
T 9/17
R 9/19
T 9/24
R 9/26
T 10/1
R 10/3

Fall, 2013
p. 4
1-3

Quiz 1

Quiz 2

14-16

Quiz 3

7-10

Introduction to the History and Science of Psychology

The Biology of Mind: Neural and Hormonal Systems

Developing Through the Life Span
Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind

EXAM 1
42

T 10/8
R 10/10
T 10/15
R 10/17
T 10/22
R 10/24
T 10/29
R 10/31
T 11/5
R 11/7
T 11/12
R 11/14
T 11/19
R 11/21
T 11/26
R 11/28
T 12/3
R 12/5

Personality: Trait Theories, Social-Cognitive Theories, and the

Self

Quiz 4

47-51

Psychological Disorders

Intervention assignment due

Quiz 5

52-54

Therapy

23-26

Memory

Quiz 7

35-37

Emotions

Quiz 8
NO CLASS THANKSGIVING

43-46

Social Psychology

EXAM 2
Quiz 6

** EXAM 3 During Final Exam Week: 11 am Tuesday 12/10

Note: The last day to withdraw from the class is Friday 11/1.

COURSE GRADE
This course is based on 500 total points across the semester. To calculate your course average,
total all your earned points and divide by 5. Then use the grading scale below for the conversion to a letter
grade.
Class Participation points
Class Activity 1
Class Activity 2
Class Activity 3
Class Activity 4
Class Activity 5
Class Activity 6
Sum of Activity Points
(Note: You cannot earn more than 25 activity
points)

Reading Quiz points

Quiz 1
Quiz 2
Quiz 3
Quiz 4
Quiz 5
Quiz 6
Quiz 7
Quiz 8
Sum of Quiz Points
(Note: You cannot earn more than 100 quiz
points)

Course Grade
Exam 1 (out of 100)
Exam 2 (out of 100)
Exam 3 (out of 100)
Intervention assignment (out of 50)
Total Activity points (out of 25)
Total Quiz points (out of 100)
Research Participation credit (3 credits; 25
points)
Sum =
This is your course grade

GRADING SCALE
A
= 93 and above
A= 90-92
B+
= 87-89
B
= 83-86
B= 80-82
C+
= 77-79
C
= 73-76
C= 70-72
D
= 60-69
F
= Below 60 (failure)
All grades will be calculated to the
second decimal point (e.g., 89.88). Final
grades will be rounded using the typical
< .5 to next lowest and >.5 to the next
highest.