WHAT I S THI S C O URS E AL L AB O UT ? How is brain activity related to thought and behavior? What does it mean to learn and remember something? How do we see, hear, taste, and smell? How do we influence one another's attitudes and actions? What are the primary factors that shape a child's mental and emotional development? How and why do we differ from one another? What are the origins and most effective treatments of psychological disorders? This course introduces the science of mental processes and behavior by addressing a range of questions including: GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY P S Y C 1 0 1 0 • S E C T I O N 0 3 • F A L L 2 0 2 3 CLAS S DE TAI L S Mon & Thu 3:30 - 4:45pm Location: Bannow Science Center room 340 page | 1 Dr. Emily Hangen (she/her/hers) INS TRUCT O R Email: [email protected] (Warning: My email address ends in @fairfield.edu not @student.fairfield.edu) Office: Bannow Science Center room 465 Office Hours: Click here to schedule an office hours appointment I welcome you to sign up for my office hours! This is a time to ask questions, to discuss ideas, or to simply introduce yourself. To save your time so that you aren't waiting if students overlap, I ask that your sign up for an appointment (see link above) or email me if you need to schedule a time outside of my normal office hours. s IM yl P la O b R u T s A c NT: Please read this entire be held ac arefully because you will all the po countable for following licies and deadlines. T a b l e o f Co n t e n t s Textbook 3 Grade breakdown 4 Mastery Exams 5 Research Participation 5-6 Quizzes & Assignments 7 Final Portfolio 7 Important Policies 8-11 Support Resources 12-13 Schedule 14-16
Is psychology just common sense? Are all psychologists who earned Phd degrees able to give therapy? Have scientists figured out how the brain works? Who was Freud and is he worth discussing anymore? This class only scratches the surface so let's pick and choose questions that are fascinating to us. In class when you raise a question that I do not have an answer to (which happens often!), I invite you all to join in the search for an answer online, making sure to consider which sources are credible and which are not. Knowledge is useless if we do not use it, for that reason let's discuss how we can apply the information we learn in class in our everyday lives and find ways to help others with new information. I invite you to join me in making this class experience one where we: 1) Challenge our assumptions about psychology 2) Deepen our understanding of the human mind and behavior 3) Indulge our curiosity 4) Apply our knowledge to improve our lives and the lives of people around us. COURSE INVI TAT ION page | 2
T EXT BOOK We will be using the 7th Edition of Psychological Science by Elizabeth A. Phelps, Elliot T. Berkman, and Michael S. Gazzaniga. You can purchase a physical or digital copy through the Fairfield University book store (now associated with Barnes & Noble). Feel free to save some trees and money by using a digital copy! (You do not need to purchase the digital learning tool add-ons.) USING MY R ESEAR C H TO HE L P YOU page | 3 Mastery grading scheme: I use a grading scheme that allows you second-chances so that you can focus on learning and growing instead of worrying about knowing everything the first time. No busy work: I only assign work that has a clear purpose and I am transparent with you by explaining the purpose of each assignment. Relevance to you: I design assignments and teach skills that help you connect the course content to your own life. As a motivation researcher, I know that deep and long-lasting learning occurs when we study material that is personally relevant to us and when we enjoy deeply engaging in the learning process rather than fretting over grades. Below are a couple of the research-based practices I use to facilitate your learning experience:
Research Participation (5%) YOUR COURSE GRADE Your final grade in this course is composed of 4 different categories: Mastery Exams, Research Participation, Quizzes & Class Engagement, and a Final Portfolio. Details about each of these components is provided in the following pages of this syllabus. Mastery Grading Scheme: As a motivation researcher, I know that long-lasting learning is facilitated when we are given space to learn from our mistakes and to enjoy the learning process instead of fretting over grades. For that reason I use some researchinformed practices to enhance your class experience. For instance, I use a mastery grading scheme that favors correction and eventual mastery of the course material over immediate perfection. Mastery Exam 1 (15%) Final Portfolio (30%) Mastery Exam 2 (15%) Mastery Exam 3 (15%) Quizzes & Assignments (20%) Want to improve your score on a Mastery Exam? If you earned less than an A and you are not satisfied with your performance on any of the Mastery Exams, simply notify me 2 days after you have received your score and I will give you instructions for how you can improve your score. You cannot improve your score on the Mastery Exam 3 because it is taken on the last week of class. Viewing Your Grade No surprises! You can monitor your progress during the semester by going to our course website --> My Grades --> Current total grade. page | 4
MAST E RY EXAMS(45 % ) Purpose: To ensure that you have a solid understanding of the course concepts and to demonstrate that you have developed individual mastery of the material. Details: You will take 3 mastery exams (each worth 15% of your final grade) to demonstrate your mastery of the course material, which will account for 45% of your final grade. These exams will be taken in class and will consist of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and/or short answer questions. R ESEAR C H PAR T I C I PAT ION ( 5 % ) Purpose: Because psychology is a scientific field, we have structured the curriculum to expose you to research throughout your education. People majoring in disciplines other than psychology learn about psychology research first by being participants in studies as part of the introduction to psychology requirements. For those who major in psychology, you will further encounter research as you take courses on learning about how to design studies, conduct research, and to interpret your data through statistical tests. As you will see, scientific research is everywhere in the field of psychology and participation in research is an excellent way to begin to understand psychology as a science. Details: This course requires 4.5 hours of research participation conducted by Fairfield faculty and students. This will account for 5% of your final grade. You will need to complete (or have scheduled) at least half of those hours of participation before the mid-point of the semester. You will lose points if you have not completed this requirement by this date. (**TIP: I strongly urge you to schedule your research hours as soon as possible, because time slots fill up quickly and there may not be many left during the last month of the semester.**) page | 5 Exam Policy For fairness and academic integrity reasons, exams must be taken in-person on the day scheduled. The only exception is in rare, emergency situations (hospitalization, family emergency, etc.) Please check the schedule and mark the exams in your personal calendar. R EQUI R ED WORK
Go to http:/fairfield.sona-systems.com/ and request an account. You will receive an email confirmation as soon as your account is created Read the descriptions of each study carefully and find a scheduled time for an appointment. (Tip: Be sure to check the site regularly for new studies that you may be eligible for because studies are posted at different times throughout the semester.) *If you have questions please contact the SONA administrator.* How to sign up for research studies 1. 2. Forgot when and where your research appointment is? Log into the Sona Systems website (see link above). All the information about your appointment and how to contact the experimenter is there. *If you have questions please contact the experimenter of the study you signed up for.* Need to cancel your appointment? Experimenters are counting on you to be on time. However, you may need to cancel your appointment should an emergency arise. To do so, simply log on to the Sona Systems website (see link above) and cancel your appointment at least 1 hour before your scheduled appointment. If you fail to show up for a scheduled appointment it loses valuable research time, prevents another student from being able to use that timeslot, and you may lose the opportunity to use the SONA system. *If you need to miss an appointment, immediately contact the experimenter of the study and ask if you can reschedule. Alternative to research participation - contact me before the third week of semester* Although there is no real substitute for the experience of participating in research, research participation is voluntary. For that reason, if you are opposed to participating in research you can instead complete a research-related writing assignment that will occupy about as much time as the required amount of hours for research participation. **If you want this option you must contact me before the third week of the semester.** page | 6
QUI Z Z ES & ASSIGNMENTS ( 20 % ) F INAL POR T FOL IO ( 30 % ) Purpose: You will receive full points for simply completing in-class quizzes because they are designed to help you remember newly learned concepts for longer periods of time (see research on the testing effect). Brief assignments and activities are assigned to give you greater exposure to concepts discussed and to reinforce your understanding of these ideas. Details: Throughout the semester you will complete quizzes in class (you must be physically present) along with short assignments before class. Together these account for 20% of your final grade. You cannot make-up a missed quiz. However, given that unforeseen circumstances may arise (health issues, family emergencies, etc.) you can miss up to 3 quizzes without any penalty to your grade (the 3 lowest quiz scores will be dropped). Purpose: The final portfolio gives you opportunities to evaluate myths about psychology, find original psychology research and evaluate how psychology is portrayed in the media. Details: There are 2 parts and separate deadlines for your final portfolio. Each part is worth 15% of your final grade for a total of 30% of your final grade. 1. Psychology Research. You will choose some psychology myths to bust and find and describe original peer-reviewed psychology research articles that refutes those myths. Due by midnight, Monday Oct 23. 2. Psychology in the media. You will read a book or watch a movie/documentary (a list of example books and movies will be provided) that is related to psychology. You will identify psychological concepts that are portrayed or explicitly discussed and evaluate how accurately these concepts were portrayed. Due by 3:00pm, Monday Dec 18. page | 7
A C C E S S I B I L I T Y page | 8 ed. R E Q U E S T I N G A D E A D L I N E E X T E N S I O N Ask early! You cannot request a deadline extension when a deadline is less than 2 days away. I understand that unexpected things can happen during the semester, so I offer deadline extensions on assignments to anyone who wants one. All you have to do is simply email me at least 2 days (48 hours) BEFORE the due date. You do NOT even have to give me a reason. Simply tell me which class you are in and which assignment deadline you want extended. As long as you email me more than 2 days before the due date I will give you a whole extra day. IMPOR TANT POL I C I ES Avoid the steep late penalty. When a deadline is less than 48 hours away, you must turn in your work on time or receive a late penalty which is an automatic -10% per day. (You will earn a 0% on any assignment that is 10+ days late. Important note: You cannot request a deadline extension for in-class quizzes nor exams. You also cannot request a deadline extension for the last assignment, Final Portfolio Part 3 because it is at the end of the semester. I want to ensure that you receive access to any accommodations for accessibility needs you may have. If you need academic adjustments or accommodations please follow the steps below: 1. Register with the Office of Accessibility ([email protected]) as soon as possible. (You can learn more about accommodations using this link). 2. Schedule an office hours appointment with me before the end of the 2nd week of class. (In our office hours meeting, I will review your accommodations, discuss how they work in my class, and answer any questions you have.)
Start LockDown Browser Log into Blackboard Learn Navigate to the exam Turn off all mobile devices, phones, etc. and don't have them within reach Clear your area of all external materials - books, papers, other computers, or devices Remain at your desk or workstation for the duration of the test LockDown Browser will prevent you from accessing other websites or applications; you will be unable to exit the test until all questions are completed and submitted The Windows and Mac versions of LockDown Browser have a "Help Center" button located on the toolbar. Use the "System & Network Check" to troubleshoot issues. If an exam requires you to use a webcam, also run the "Webcam Check" from this area Respondus has a Knowledge Base available from support.respondus.com. Select "LockDown Browser & Respondus Monitor" as the product to view helpful articles. If you're still unable to resolve a technical issue with LockDown Browser, go to support.respondus.com and select "Submit a Ticket". Provide detailed information about your problem and what steps you took to resolve it This course requires the use of LockDown Browser. Watch this video to get a basic understanding of LockDown Browser: https://www.respondus.com/products/lockdown-browser/student-movie.shtml Download Instructions Download and install LockDown Browser from this link: https://download.respondus.com/lockdown/download.php?id=998146388 Once Installed Note: You won't be able to access tests with a standard web browser. If this is tried, an error message will indicate that the test requires the use of LockDown Browser. Simply start LockDown Browser and navigate back to the exam to continue. Guidelines When taking an online exam follow these guidelines: Getting Help Several resources are available if you encounter problems with LockDown Browser: page | 9 ed. L O C K D O W N B R O W S E R F O R E X A M S
Go to our course website and download and review the class slides. Ask a classmate for notes about any videos or activities that we did in class because these activities are not included in the class slides. 1. 2. (If you miss a quiz you will receive a 0, but you can miss up to 3 quizzes (have three 0's) and it won't hurt your final grade.) WARNING: Make sure to check the schedule so that you do NOT miss a mastery exam. What if you get physically or mentally sick during the semester? W H A T T O D O I F Y O U M I S S A C L A S S page | 10 C L A S S A T T E N D A N C E Class attendance is valuable part of your college experience, but I do not take attendance. For that reason, you do not need to notify me if you miss a class. However, missing a class can negatively affect your grade because you could miss an exam, in-class quiz, etc., so please carefully note the following: Mastery Exams must be taken on the scheduled day. You must take the mastery exams in-person on the day scheduled (see our course schedule on pages 13-15). There are no make-up exams (so please do not ask for a make-up exam). If you miss an exam you will receive a 0%. (The only exception is in rare emergency situations such as a hospitalization or family emergency.) You can only miss 3 in-class quizzes. There are quizzes administered in almost all of our classes and there are no-make up quizzes (so please do not ask me for a make-up quiz). However, due to unforeseen circumstances (like getting sick) you can miss up to 3 quizzes without it affecting your grade. Missing out on learning. Even though I do not require class attendance, class attendance is essential for learning and doing well in this course. In this class a lot of learning and growth happens when we are exploring ideas together. Students in my courses who come prepared to class tend to get a lot out of them and enjoy them. First and foremost, please take care of yourself and get the help you need (see support resources on page 11). Your health is more important than this course! Second, check the course schedule for upcoming exams, if you think you might miss an exam because you are sick please contact me as soon as possible and be prepared to provide a doctor's note.
A C A D E M I C I N T E G R I T Y Can you use AI tools in this course? The use of generative AI writing tools (such as ChatGPT, GrammarlyGO, GPT-3, GPT-4, BERT, or others) is restricted in this class to 1) specific contexts/assignments where I openly allow AI to be used and 2) only if such AI tool use is properly acknowledged. Why is the use of AI tools in this course restricted? AI writing tools are restricted in this course because assignments for this course have been designed to encourage self-reflection on your own personal experiences which cannot be achieved by asking a computer to generate your response. How to credit AI tool usage in this course? IF you receive my permission to use AI, you must acknowledge the use of AI in your assignment in an "Acknowledgement of AI Use" statement that: Specifies which technology was used (ChatGPT, GPT-3, etc) and on what date Includes explicit descriptions of how the information was generated Identifies the prompts used Explains how the output was used in your work Examples of such Acknowledgments of AI Use can be found on Monash University's website. Use of AI tools The use of AI tools outside of contexts where the instructor specifies its use, or failure to acknowledge any use of AI technologies in your work will be considered an academic integrity violation. page | 11 All of us at Fairfield University are committed to upholding the value of academic honesty. As a faculty member I am committed to exemplifying academic integrity myself and to holding my students accountable as well. There are serious consequences for academic dishonesty including receiving an 0 grade on the assignment in question, receiving a mark on your file in the academic dean’s office, getting an F grade on the course, and when appropriate even expulsion. You are responsible for knowing Fairfield University’s academic integrity policy and you will be held accountable even if you commit academic dishonesty unintentionally. Please, please, please make sure you understand these guidelines which you can find here!
College can be an exciting and memorable time in your life. However, it can also be overwhelming. If you find yourself struggling, you are not alone! Fortunately, at Fairfield University the Counseling & Psychological Services offers a free, confidential service for full-time undergraduate students. For or more information or to make an appointment, call Counseling & Psychological Services (203) 254-4000 ext. 2146 or visit their website here. page | 12 M E N T A L H E A L T H & W E L L - B E I N G If you are in danger or experiencing an emergency or crisis, please call Public Safety at (203)254-4090 or the National Suicide and Crisis hotline at 988. For help with Blackboard or other technical issues, you can contact Fairfield University’s ITS Helpdesk. They can be reached by phone at 203-254-4069, by email at [email protected], by creating an online help ticket here, or by stopping by the Help Desk located in the Dimenna Nyselius Library Room 230. T E C H N O L O G Y & B L A C K B O A R D Alcohol & Drug Abuse Anxiety Bipolar Disorder Coping with trauma Depression Eating Disorders Gambling Problems Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Sexual Misconduct Sexual Harassment Services provided can help with a variety of issues including: Services for sexual misconduct or harassment Need Support? Join an online supportive community of your peers. Take control and work towards feeling happier and healthier for free with Togetherall. I encourage you to use the many resources Fairfield University offers. These resources can assist you to succeed academically and support your health and well-being. SUP POR T R ESOUR C ES
T I P S F O R C O L L E G E S U C C E S S Time management. A big difference between college and high school is refining your time management skills. In college you will spend more time working outside of class (reading, studying, assignments, etc.) than the time you spend in class. A good rule of thumb is to plan at least 2-3 hours for studying outside of class for every 1 hour of class lecture. Fairfield University has provided this excellent time management guide that you can access here. Office Hours & Study Groups. A secret to doing well in college is to make connections with others. There are so many people at Fairfield University who want to help you succeed, all you have to do is reach out. It can be as simple as attending my office hours and simply introducing yourself. I also highly recommend you to take initiative and email your classmates to form a study group. Not Ask questions! The students who learn the most are usually the ones who are asking questions. Questions are the key to learning! When you don't fully understand something and would like me to clarify I invite you to ask me--that's what I'm here for! Afraid to speak up in class? I understand. When I started college I also was timid about speaking up in class and was worried that I would look foolish for asking questions. However, if it helps, it is worth knowing that many students appreciate their classmates who ask questions because oftentimes they have the same question! Also, the classroom provided a great environment for practicing speaking in front of others and can really help you grow in that regard. page | 13 only will a study group help you learn the material but it can also be a great way to get to know more classmates and expand your social experience.
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page | 16 "We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character— that is the goal of true education." -Martin Luther King, Jr