PSYC 100 is a survey of the basic principles, research concepts, and problems in psychological science. The biological, cognitive, and social perspectives of human thought and behavior are addressed. Topics include neuroscience, sensation and perception, learning and conditioning, memory, motivation, language and intelligence, personality and social behavior, and psychopathology and therapy. Applications of psychology are also presented. Students may receive credit for only one of the following courses: BEHS 101 or PSYC 100.

The study of psychology is an exciting journey that can help us develop an understanding of human behavior. This course covers a broad range of topics and examines the scientific approach to understanding behavior. Psychology is a science, and as such, it utilizes the scientific method. As technology has allowed us to learn more and more about the biological and chemical roots of behavior, psychology has become more science oriented. You may even think you are in a biology class at times! But understanding the biological basis of behavior can help us to better cope with behavior and to change behavior when necessary. So this course will not be an extended television talk show where we examine only our feelings or eccentricities of behavior. It is a scientific exploration of human behavior.

Get off to a good start in this class. Students sometimes think that 100 level introductory courses are easy. That is not the case. In fact, introductory courses can be even more difficult than subsequent courses. Introduction to Psychology is a survey course that quickly looks at the entire field. As such, it moves quickly and not much time is spent on any one topic. If you are really interested in a particular topic, it is likely that an upper-level course exists that focuses on that particular topic. But you need PSYC 100 as a prerequisite for those courses. So, it is important for you to do well in this course.

Carefully review all materials, including the class structure, schedule, assignments, and requirements. If something is not clear, ask your course manager for clarification. Plan to spend sufficient time studying and participating in this course. Students often underestimate the time required to do well in introductory courses.

If you are having academic difficulties, let your course manager know. He or she may have some specific suggestions to help you.

This course will review psychological explanations of human behavior and the methods by which these explanations are derived. At the end of this course, you should be able to:

• identify the major concepts, principles, and research findings in the science of psychology
• describe the variety of methods that psychologists use to study behavior and the mind
• identify the elements of a psychological study and to evaluate how those findings can be used
• explain the role and relevance of psychology in a variety of domains and fields
• facilitate the development and use of critical thinking skills through analysis and evaluation of psychological information from a variety of sources
• promote application of psychological constructs to enhance the understanding of life experiences

Required:

• Psychology: A Journey, Dennis Coon, (2008), 3rd Ed., Wadsworth Publishers.
• PSYC 100 CAT course CD-ROM
• UMUC library database & Websites for the written assignments

Optional Publisher Site

* Can access critical thinking activities, interactive quizzes, downloadable support materials, crossword puzzles, a glossary, and related web-links.

MODULE 1
Chapter	Chapter Title
1	Introducing Psychology and Research Methods
2	Brain and Behavior
3	Human Development
1-3	QUIZ 1 -- Chapters 1-3
MODULE 2: SOCIAL DYNAMICS
Chapter	Chapter Title
5	States of Consciousness
6	Conditioning and Learning
7	Memory
	**Written Paper 1 due before Midterm Exam**
1-3, 5-7	MIDTERM EXAM -- Chapters 1-3, 5-7 [with emphasis on 5, 6, 7]
MODULE 3: SOCIAL DIVISIONS
Chapter	Chapter Title
8	Intelligence, Cognition, Language, and Creativity
9	Motivation and Emotion
10	Personality
8-10	QUIZ 2 -- Chapters 8-10
MODULE 4: SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Chapter	Chapter Title
12	Psychological Disorders
13	Therapies
14	Social Behavior
	**Written Paper & any extra credit due before Final Exam **
	FINAL EXAM -- Chapters 8-10, 12-14 [with emphasis on 12, 13, 14]

Using a scientific approach to the study of human behavior, this course examines and integrates physiological, intrapsychic, and social/behavioral perspectives on human thought and behavior. Major units include: biological bases of behavior, motivation, learning and memory, maturation and development, personality and social psychology. All of the course components -- Student Notebook, textbook, CD-ROM, and tests -- have been carefully designed to help you achieve the course objectives.

1. Read this section of the Student Notebook carefully to be sure you understand all course objectives, requirements, and assignments.
2. Read the textbook chapters as indicated in your lesson assignments.
3. Complete the two quizzes, the mid-term exam, and the final exam.
4. Complete the two written assignments and submit appropriately (one before you take the midterm exam and one before the final exam).

Two quizzes, a midterm exam, a final exam, and two written assignments will comprise your final grade for this course. All requirements must be completed in order to earn credit for the course and a grade will be awarded based on the quality of work submitted. Your grade for this course will be determined in the following manner:

Grading Criteria	Points
Quiz 1	50
Paper 1	25
Midterm Exam	100
Quiz 2	50
Paper 2	25
Final Exam	100
Total =	350 Points

*Maximum of 15 extra credit points possible added to overall points earned.

315-350 points = A
280-314 points = B
245-279 points = C
210-244 points = D
209 and below = F

Quizzes and Exams:

All quizzes and exams will be closed book and must be proctored by your test administrator.  You decide when to take them within the 10 weeks but it will be a good idea to space them out evenly.

Criteria	Content	Format	Points
Quiz 1	Chapters 1,2,3	50 multiple choice	1 pt per M/C Total 50
Midterm Exam	Chapters 1,2,3, 5,6,7 Emphasis 5,6,7	70 multiple choice 3 essays from chapters 5-7	1 pt per M/C 10 per essay Total 100
Quiz 2	Chapters 8,9,10	50 multiple choice	1 pt per M/C Total 50
Final Exam	Chapters 8,9,10,12,13,14 Emphasis 12,13,14	70 multiple choice 3 essays from chaps 12,13,14	1 pt per M/C 10 per essay Total 100

*Note: In order to receive credit for the objective part of the exam, you will have to provide complete answers to the essay questions as well.

Practice Quizzes: You will have the opportunity to take practice chapter quizzes (located on this CD-ROM) before taking a graded (paper) quiz or exam.  This practice method is designed to help prepare you for the proctored quizzes and exams you will take as required with this course.  

Written Assignments:

You will be required to submit two written assignments for the course. Further details are provided for each in the following pages. For both papers:

• Format: Cover sheet + 3–4 double-spaced typed pages + a reference page; 1 inch margins all sides; 12-point font similar to the one used here; save as a Word document (.doc or .rtf file) and submit as an e-mail attachment to your CAT course manager (option: if you have to mail this in by postal mail, just make sure the date is before you take the midterm exam).

• Grade: Based on the quality of your paper, you can earn a maximum of 25 points [A = 22.5–25; B = 20–22; C = 17.5–19.5; D=15–17; F = 14.5 and below]

• Due date: paper 1: before the midterm exam; paper 2: before the final exam

PAPER 1: Research Paper: For this assignment, you will be required to conduct some brief research and summarize the information.  Please make sure to use your own words or you will be reported for plagiarism. You need to utilize the UMUC Online Library or the online journals from Psych Web to complete this assignment.  

To access the UMUC Online Library: Go to www.umuc.edu/library/database/

1. Under the list for “Search for Subjects,” click on the Psychology link.
2. Under “Most recommend Resources,” select PsycARTICLES.* (this one contains full-text articles that can be read online)
3. A Security Alert box may appear with the message “You are about to view pages over a secure connection.”  Click Ok.  It should then take you to the login page.
4. Enter your last name (as your username) and your 14-digit library barcode** or 7-digit EMPLID (as your password) in the corresponding boxes.  Another Security Alert box may pop up.  Just click “Yes.”
5. You will then be taken to a page where you can begin your search.  Enter in the topic you wish to research and click on Search.  There will be a list of articles pertaining to that topic.  To look at the full text of the article, simply click on the HTML Full Text link of the article.

*You may use another database in the UMUC online library for your research, but please note that the full text of the article may not be available. 

**To access your library barcode sign into MyUMUC and follow this path: Student Portal > My Info > ID Card/Library Barcode > ID Card/Library Barcode. 

To Access online journals from Psych Web

1. Go to http://www.psychwww.com/resource/journals.htm
2. Search for the journal you are seeking.  You may also browse until you find the journal that contains the subject you are researching.  
3. Once you decide on a journal, review the articles for that particular journal.

Once you have found a variety of articles on the topic of your choice:  

• Choose two articles, one from the UMUC library PsycArticles and one from Psych Web, and summarize their content in your own words. (They do not have to be on the same topic)
• Apply the information from these two articles into something that you studied or are studying in your text.  Be specific in how these articles apply to your reading.

PAPER 2:  Application Paper: Pick one of the following 2 options. This writing assignment requires you to take psychological concepts and apply them to yourself.

1. Book Report:  This can be done with any book that is directly or indirectly related to the field of psychology and you may even consider finding a book online if you desire.  Make sure to read the book and understand what it is about. This assignment requires more than a summary although a short one would be nice. You need to provide your impressions and reactions to the book. Provide the title and author and date of publication and a brief description of what the book was about. Importantly, analyze and apply the information to yourself, to others, or to human behavior in general.

1. Movie Review: Your personal evaluation of a movie that dealt with some psychological issues.  You are expected to apply what you saw in the movie with the appropriate parts of your textbook and analyze what you learned about human behavior watching it.  Examples:  “Primal Fear,” “The Three Faces of Eve,” etc…

EXTRA CREDIT OPTIONS

Students in Psychology 100 may prepare a 2 page paper (follow general format guidelines of other papers) each in response to a maximum of three of the following questions/issues in order to earn extra credit points. Keep in mind that the quality of your response will be graded and that you may earn a maximum of 5 points for each response. The due date for any of these options is before you take the final exam.

• Chapter 1: Sketch out a plan to conduct a research project involving a case study.  Indicate what you will use as the independent and dependent variables.  Include a theory and a hypothesis.
• Chapter 3: Summarize how you would go about teaching a young child to say “please” and “thank you” using the operant conditioning method.  When, and for what reason would you use punishment during this process?
• Chapter 6: Describe a time in your own life in which you learned something through classical conditioning.  Identify the unconditioned stimulus, the neutral stimulus, and the conditioned response.
• Chapter 9: Describe behaviors that you engage in that represent the six stages of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.  How will you know if/when you become self-actualized?  What kind of life would self-actualization create for you?
• Chapter 12: Choose one of the disorders listed in this chapter.  Create a fictional person and describe the daily behaviors of a person that would be suffering from this particular disorder.
• Chapter 14: Describe a situation in which a person would be ignored or condemned by a group of other people because of a particular personal attitude.  Where would a person learn such an attitude, and how could this person’s attitude be changed?

SIMULATIONS

The field of psychology involves a wide variety of experimental outcomes and applied exercises.  Many of these are fascinating and provide a means for the student to further appreciate the extent of the research that is involved in this important behavioral science discipline.  So, for that reason, you are invited to explore and enjoy the following information provided on your CAT CD-ROM:

1. “Web Links” folder:  For each chapter, you are provided information about various psychology-related web sites to supplement the material you are learning for this course. Just to name some of material you can find: research summaries, research simulations, online surveys, interactive exercises, and video clips.
2. “Digital Video Library” folder: For each chapter, you are provided with simulations and videos to reinforce concepts presented in the text.  

*In order to view these simulations, you will need Quick Time. If you do not have or cannot download Quick Time onto your computer, you may view them at your local UMUC computer lab.    

Closing Advice: 

The learning system you will use as you work your way through this PSYC 100 course involves two primary components: a CAT CD-ROM (containing this Student Notebook and individual chapter information) and the course textbook. To master the 12 lessons of the course, you should use the following sequence of learning activities:

1. Review the lesson assignments found in Section III of the Student Notebook in regard to:
• Textbook reading assignment in Psychology: A Journey.
• Individual chapter information [chapter outline, digital video library, glossary, learning objectives, PowerPoint slides, practice chapter quiz, and web links]


2. After studying the chapter, test your knowledge of the material with chapter quizzes on the CD-ROM. There are questions for each chapter that will strengthen your psychology vocabulary and reinforce key concepts from the textbook. Answers are provided for the quizzes and provide an excellent tool for preparing for exams.
3. Make sure to follow this sequence to complete course requirements: take quiz one, turn in the first paper, and take the Midterm Exam; then, take quiz two, turn in the second paper and any extra credit work, and complete the course by taking the final exam.  

*Importantly, space out all these tasks and make proper arrangements to complete all this over the course of 10 weeks.

Keep in mind that taking personal responsibility for completing requirements in a timely manner will play a large role in your successful completion of this CAT PSYC 100 course.

All the Best!

One last word about ACADEMIC HONESTY …

As members of an academic community, which places a high value on truth and the pursuit of knowledge, students are expected to be honest in every phase of their academic life and to present as their own work only that which is genuinely theirs.  Each student has the responsibility to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity and to refrain from cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty. 

According to UMUC policy, academic dishonesty is the failure to maintain academic integrity. Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's idea or product as one's own. The university has low tolerance in cases of academic dishonesty.

Please use the following website to educate yourself on avoiding plagiarism: http://www.umuc.edu/ugp/ewp_writingcenter/modules/plagiarism/guidelines.html. 

UMUC’s Effective Writing Center also provides help with writing task in your classes; for more information, check out: http://www.umuc.edu/ugp/ewp_writingcenter/

UMUC Academic Policies: 

Please find below general information links to policies at UMUC: 

• UMUC's Policy on Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism: http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa15025.shtml
• UMUC's Policy on the Grade of Incomplete and Withdrawal: http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa17071.shtml
• UMUC's Policy on the Code of Student Conduct: http://www.umuc.edu/policy/stud15100.shtml 
• Procedures on Arbitrary and Capricious Grading Appeals: http://www.umuc.edu/policy/aa13080.shtml