Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:00am - 12:20pm; 180 PLC; CRN 24838; 4 credits
Prerequisites: None
Official Course Web Site: http://blackboard.uoregon.edu/ ( COURSES > PSY201JJFw01)
Syllabus Also posted at: http://dynamic.uoregon.edu/~jfreyd/psy201/
Instructor: Professor Jennifer Freyd
Office: 301 Straub Hall
e-mail:
jfreyd@dynamic.uoregon.edu
Phone: 346-4950 (messages)
Office Hrs: Mondays 1-3 PM
Guest Lecturer/Blackboard Help Person: Bayta Maring
Office: 220 Straub Hall
e-mail:
bmaring@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Phone: 346-4942
Office Hrs: Mondays 1-2 PM and Wednesdays 2-3
PM
Teaching Assistant/Discussion Team Leader: Chris Graver
Office: 358 Straub Hall
e-mail:
cgraver@dynamic.uoregon.edu
Phone: 346-1982
Office Hrs: Mondays 12-1pm and by appointment
Teams: Tuesdays 1, 2, and 3 PM
Teaching Assistant/Discussion Team Leader: Rachel Goldsmith
Office: 221 Straub Hall
e-mail:
rgoldsmi@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Phone: 346-4931
Office Hrs: Tuesdays 1-2 and Fridays
11-12
Teams: Wednesdays 9, 10, 11 AM and Thursdays
8:30 AM
Teaching Assistant/Discussion Team Leader: Claudio Santos
Office: 223 Straub Hall
e-mail:
csantos@darkwing.uoregon.edu
Phone: 346-4907
Office Hrs: Mondays 9-11AM
Teams: Tuesdays 4 PM, and Wednesdays 12, 1, 2
PM
Undergraduate Assistants:
Julie Grant:
jgrant@gladstone.uoregon.edu
Lani Hoang:
lhoang@gladstone.uoregon.edu
Bridget Klest: :
bklest@gladstone.uoregon.edu
Overview
This course is an introduction to psychological research methods, brain physiology, neuroanatomy, perception, memory, learning, and cognition. This course emphasizes hands-on experience with psychological phenomena and critical thinking about research and theory in psychology.
Course Requirements
The course requirements include doing the reading, attending lecture and discussion sections, completing the writing assignments on time, participating in in-class discussions and exercises, using and participating in the interactive course web site, and taking the exams.
Contact Hours and Class Attendance
We will meet each Tuesday and Thursday 11:00-12:20 in 180 PLC. Your attendance is required. You are also required to meet with your discussion teams each week. (You must attend the discussion section you are actually registered for.) You will be graded on your participation in discussion meetings. In addition, this class includes an on-line component utilizing the course web site. Your grade for this part of the course will be based on your posted messages to your team discussion forum.
Required Readings
Readings are assigned on a weekly basis. "Focus" readings are required; you will be tested on these readings in the exams. "Background" readings are strongly recommended; they will help you comprehend focus readings as well as classroom lectures and demonstrations. Readings are to be completed BEFORE the Tuesday class meeting for which they are assigned. There is one required text book and one required packet of readings, available for purchase at the book store.
Required Text: Westen, Drew (1999) Psychology: Mind, Brain, & Culture , Second Edition. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Required Course Packet: Course Packet for Psychology 201: Mind and Brain
Research Participation
To receive credit for this course, you must participate in 4 experiments offered through the Department of Psychology by March 15, 2001. Students who do not wish to participate in experiments have the option of writing a paper. This paper should be one of the "slightly longer writing assignment" options that you HAVE NOT already completed. The paper is due no later than MARCH 15, 2001 at 4PM, and should be written in the same format as the slightly longer writing assignment. It will be graded on a pass/fail basis (C- or better is passing). If you would otherwise get a P or a C- grade or better in this class but have not satisfied this requirement then you get an Incomplete until it's satisfied. However, if your grade is a D, F, or NP you will get that grade even if you have not satisfied the requirement. You will receive more information about this requirement during the second week of class.
Grading Overview
Your grade will be computed by combining your scores in the following overall categories for a total of 200 points:
|
Points |
Course Work |
|
130 |
Exams (8 short exams will be given. Exams 1-7 will be worth up to 20 points. Exam 8 will be worth up to 30 points. We will add together the best 6 of 8 exam grades to get a total out of 130 points possible. No make-up exams will be given.) |
|
50 |
Writing Assignments (3 short assignments worth 10 points each and 1 slightly longer writing assignment worth 20 points) |
|
20 |
In-Class and Electronic Participation |
|
200 |
Total |
Final letter grades will be approximately determined from point totals as follows:
|
Points |
Letter grade |
|
180-200 |
A |
|
160-179 |
B |
|
140-159 |
C |
|
120-139 |
D |
|
Below 120 |
F |
Based on the actual distribution of final grades, this criterion might be relaxed, but not stiffened. Plusses and minuses will be used for performance near the edge of a range.
Grading and Requirements - More Details
Exams -130 points
EIGHT short exams will be given. Each of the first 7 exams will have 20 questions and will be worth up to 20 points. The 8th exam will have 30 questions and it will be worth up to 30 points. Your SIX highest exam scores will be added together to determine your total score out of a possible 130 points. Because you may drop two of your exam grades, there will be NO MAKE-UP exams. The exams will be challenging. They will be structured to assess your knowledge of the readings, in-class films and lectures, and class discussions. The format will be multiple choice. The questions will primarily pertain to the readings assigned for the week immediately preceding the quiz. Other questions will pertain to classroom discussion, lecture, and/or demonstrations. In order to test your cumulative knowledge of the material, some questions from previous exams will also appear. On Exam 8, at least 10 of the 30 questions will be questions from Exams 1-7.
Writing Assignments - 50 points
There will be a total of four writing assignments over the course of the term. These assignments appear on the course web site (look under "assignments"). For each assignment, there are 2 or 3 (or more) different options to choose from. Only choose ONE of these to complete and turn in. However, it would be extremely helpful for you to think about the other options in preparation for exams.
Short Writing Assignments (10 points each for a total of 30 points):
Three of the writing assignments are short. They involve either going to a web site and answering questions about it, or responding to brief questions about the focus readings. Although these assignments are short, they do involve critical thought on your part. The short assignments can be typed or hand written.
Slightly Longer Writing Assignment (20 points):
The final writing assignment is slightly longer. This one involves responding to a series of questions about the course material (text, focus readings, background readings) in a thoughtful, well-organized, 3-4 page paper.
Format for Writing Assignments:
On each assignment, make sure to include (either on a cover sheet
or at the top of the paper) the following information:
Your Name
Your Student I.D.
Name of the Class (Psychology 201: Mind and Brain)
Your Discussion Team Day and Time
Your Discussion Leader's Name
Turning in Writing Assignments
These assignments should be turned into your discussion team leader AT THE BEGINNING of the discussion section meeting time for which they are due (see web site for due dates; they are also listed on this syllabus in the section below with weekly list of readings and assignments). If you need to turn in the assignment at another time, please give it to the psychology department secretary in Straub Hall Room 131 no later than 4:00pm. The secretary will put it in the box of your discussion team leader, so make sure the leader's name is on your assignment! Short assignments will be marked down 2 points for every late day. Slightly longer assignments will be marked down 4 points for every late day.
In-Class and Electronic Participation - 20 points
In-Class Participation (8 pts.):
Your in-class participation will be assessed during your discussion team meetings. Therefore, attendance at these meetings is essential to your success in this class. Throughout the term, you will engage in both individual and group activities in your discussion teams. In the case of group activities, group members will evaluate the performance of each person in the group (including themselves). These evaluations will be confidential and turned into the discussion team leader. No one except the team leader will know how many points you assigned to yourself and other people in your group. These group member evaluations will calculate into your in-class participation grade.
Electronic Participation (12 pts.):
The web site for this course was constructed using "BlackBoard" software. This allows the web site to be extensive and interactive. On the web site, you will find general announcements for the class, all documents for the course (including this syllabus), lecture notes, descriptions of all writing assignments, practice exams, on-line discussions, links to relevant web sites, and much, much more! As you can imagine, this web site will be a very useful tool for you in learning the material for this class, and in further exploring topics you find interesting. We require that you participate at least 3 times in on-line discussions for your team. Your on-line discussion participation is worth 12 points and will be graded. If you do not participate in on-line discussions at least 3 times over the course of the term, you will not receive the 12 points. Particularly good content in on-line discussion may receive extra credit.
You will learn how to log-on to the course web site in your first discussion team meeting. In addition, there is further support available from the BlackBoard Help Person, Bayta Maring (bmaring@darkwing.uoregon.edu). She will be happy to answer any questions you might have about this software.
Additional Notes
Academic Honesty
All work submitted in this course must be your own and produced exclusively for this course. The use of sources (ideas, quotations, paraphrases) must be properly acknowledged and documented. For the consequences of academic dishonesty, refer to the Schedule of Classes published quarterly. Violations will be taken seriously and are noted on student disciplinary records. If you are in doubt regarding any aspect of these issues as they pertain to this course, please consult with your discussion section leader or the instructor before you complete any relevant requirements of the course. (Text adopted here as recommended from the UO web site regarding academic honesty at: http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~conduct/).
Students with Directory Restricted Access
This course includes required on-line participation (posting messages on the course web site). If you have restricted access to your directory information and wish to have special arrangements made for this course, please notify the instructor immediately.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodations in this course, please make arrangements to meet with the instructor soon. Also please request that the Counselor for Students with Disabilities send a letter verifying your disability. [Counselor for Students with Disabilities: Hillary Gerdes, 346-3211, TTY 346-1083, hgerdes@oregon.uoregon.edu]
Weekly Schedule of Topics, Readings, Assignments, and Deadlines
Week 1: Intro overview
Focus Reading due by January 11: Provine (1996); Westen CHAPTER 1
Background: Harris (1999)
Discussion Teams: NO MEETINGS THIS WEEK
Exam: No exam this week
Week 2: Research Methods, Statistics, & Ethics
Focus Reading due by January 16: Woodward & Goodstein (1996); Westen CHAPTER 2
Background: Stein (1988)
Discussion Teams: Your first discussion meeting this week.
Exam: No exam this week
By the end of week 2, you should have enrolled on the Blackboard Web Site!
Week 3: Biological Bases
Focus Reading due by January 23: Whalen (1998); Westen CHAPTER 3
Background: Garraghty et al. (1998)
Discussion Teams: Your second discussion meeting this week.
Exam: Exam #1, Tuesday, January 23
Week 4: Sensation & Perception:
Focus Reading due by January 30: Massaro & Stork (1998); Westen CHAPTER 4
Background: Barinaga (1977)
Discussion Teams: First short writing assignment due.
Exam: Exam #2, Tuesday, January 30
Week 5: Learning & Memory:
Focus Reading due by February 6: Hearst (1991); Westen CHAPTER 5
Background: Wasserman (1995)
Discussion Teams: Second short writing assignment due.
Exam: Exam #3, Tuesday, February 6
Week 6: Learning & Memory:
Focus Reading due by February 13: Freyd (1999); Westen CHAPTER 6
Background: Eich et al (1997); Freyd (1994); Freyd (1998)
Discussion Teams: Third short assignment due.
Exam: Exam #4, Tuesday, February 13
Week 7: Mental Imagery & Thought
Focus Reading due by February 20: Finke (1986); Westen CHAPTER 7
Background: Spellman & Mandel
Discussion Teams: Go to your discussion section meeting.
Exam: Exam #5, Tuesday, February 20
Week 8: Thought & Language
Focus Reading due by February 27: Krauss (1999); Westen CHAPTER 7
Background: Meier (1991); Pennebaker (1997)
Discussion Teams: Sightly longer writing assignment due.
Exam: Exam #6, Tuesday, February 27
Week 9: Intelligence & Creativity
Focus Reading due by March 6: Sternberg (1996); Westen CHAPTER 8
Background:None this week
Discussion Teams: Go to your discussion section meeting.
Exam: Exam #7, Tuesday, March 6
Week 10: Consciousness
Focus Reading due by March 13: Winson (1990); Westen CHAPTER 9
Background: Lewis (1995)
Disucssion Teams: Go to your discussion section meeting.
Exam: Exam #8, THURSDAY, March 15
Course Packet Contents
Provine, R. R. (1996) Laughter. American Scientist, 84, (1), 38-45.
Harris, C.R. (1999) The Mystery of Ticklish Laughter, American Scientist, 87, (4) 344-351.
Woodward, J. & Goodstein, D. (1996) Conduct, misconduct, and the structure of science. American Scientist, 84, 479-490.
Stein, G.J. (1988) Biological science and the roots of Nazism,American Scientist, 76, (1), 50-58.
Garraghty, P.E., Churchill, J.D., & Banks, M. K. (1998) Adult neural plasticity: Similarities between two paradigms. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 7, (3), 87-91.
Whalen, P.J. (1998) Fear, vigilance, and ambiguity: Initial neuroimaging studies of the human amygdala. Current Directions in Psychological Science,, 7, (6), 177-188.
Massaro, D.W. & Stork, D.G. (1998) Speech recognition and sensory integration, American Scientist, 86, 236-244.
Barinaga, M. (1977) Visual system provides clues to how the brain perceives, Science, 275, 1583-1585.
Hearst, E. (1991) Psychology and nothing, American Scientist, 79, (5), 432-443.
Wasserman, E.A. (1995) The conceptual ability of pigeons. American Scientist, 83, (3), 246-255.
Freyd, J.J. (1999) Blind to betrayal: new perspectives on memory for trauma. Harvard Mental Health Letter, 15, 12, 4-6.
Eich, E., Macaulay, D., Lowenstein, R.J., & Dihley, P.H. (1997). Memory, amnesia, and dissociative identity disorder. Psychological Science, 8, 417-422.
Freyd, J.J. (1994). Betrayal-trauma: Traumatic amnesia as an adaptive response to childhood abuse. Ethics & Behavior, 4, (4), 307-329.
Freyd, J.J. (1996) Science in the Memory Debate. Ethics & Behavior, 8, (2), 101-113.
Finke, R.A. (1986) Mental imagery and the visual system. Scientific American, 254, 88-95.
Spellman, B.A. & Mandel, D.R. (1999) When possibility informs reality: Counterfactual thinking as a cue to causality, Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8, (4), 120 - 123.
Krauss, R. M. (1998) Why do we gesture when we speak? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 7, (2), 54-60.
Meier, R.P. (1991) Language acquisition by deaf children. American Scientist, 79, (1), 61-70.
Pennebaker, J.W. (1997) Writing about emotional experiences as a therapeutic process. Psychological Science, 8, 162-166.
Sternberg, R.J. (1996) Myths, countermyths, and truths about intelligence. Educational Researcher, 25, (2), 11-16.
Winson, J. (1990) The meaning of dreams. Scientific Amercian, 263, (5), 86-96.
Lewis, M. (1995) Self-conscious emotions. American Scientist, 83, (1), 68-78.