PSYCH 100

Course Syllabus
Course Syllabus

The information contained on this page is designed to give students a representative example of material covered in the course. Any information related to course assignments, dates, or course materials is illustrative only. For a definitive list of materials, please check the online catalog 3-4 weeks before the course start date.

PSYCH 100 INTRODUCTORY PSYCHOLOGY (3 credits): Introduction to general psychology; principles of human behavior and their applications.



Welcome, Instructor Contact Information, and General Course Information

Welcome to Psychology 100! I am Lisa Stevenson, your course instructor. I hope that you enjoy the material in this course as much as I do. If you have any questions or comments about the course content, please let me know. This course will run through the course management system. You can use this system to contact me. Just so that you are aware, the world campus course design staff will be in the course so that they can take care of various maintenance issues. Therefore, they may have access to any email that you send through the course, though they will not actively monitor such course activities. If privacy is a concern, please feel free to email me directly at LMS152@psu.edu.

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Overview

PSYCH 100 is a survey course which introduces general psychology in terms of principles of human and animal behavior and their applications. The course is designed to support the subsequent coursework of students interested in more advanced psychology courses as well as those students choosing other academic pursuits. This course has an established start and end date. You are required to meet due dates and to have access to the Internet to complete this course.

The course will cover a wide-range of topics without going into great depth about any particular topic. Specifically, the course will cover topics from areas of cognitive, social, developmental, clinical, personality, and biological psychology. After taking this course students should be able to make more informed decisions about participating in future psychology courses and have a better understanding of both psychology as a science and of human behavior.

There are no prerequisites for PSYCH 100. PSYCH 100 may serve as a prerequisite for other PSYCH courses. Students who want to major or minor in Psychology somewhere other than Penn State should strive to earn a C or better in the course. For Penn State students, PSYCH 100 is a 3 credit General Studies course (GS). Students majoring or minoring in Psychology at Penn State must earn a C or better in this course. Some other Penn State majors also require students to earn a C or better in PSYCH 100 to graduate.


Objectives

PSYCH 100 is often students' first experience with scientific psychology. Consequently, the course is designed to help students become better consumers of psychology, understand how psychology relates to everyday life and other formal areas of study, and why science is a necessary aspect of psychology. The specific course goals are:


Materials

Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.


Library

Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can

You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service.  The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.


Technical Specifications

For this course we recommend the minimum World Campus technical requirements listed below:

Technical Requirements
Operating System Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8*; Mac OS X 10.5 or higher
*Windows 8 support excludes the tablet only RT version
Processor 2 GHz or higher
Memory 1 GB of RAM
Hard Drive Space 20 GB free disk space
Browser We recommend the latest ANGEL-supported version of Firefox or Internet Explorer. To determine if your browser fits this criterion, and for advice on downloading a supported version, please refer to the following ITS knowledge base article: Supported Browsers and Recommended Computers.
Note: Cookies, Java, and JavaScript must be enabled. Pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows
from Penn State websites.

Due to nonstandard handling of CSS, JavaScript and caching,
older versions of Internet Explorer (such as IE 6 or earlier) do not work with our courses.
Plug-ins Adobe Reader [Download from Adobe]
Flash Player (v7.0 or later) [Download from Adobe]
Additional Software Microsoft Office (2007 or later)
Internet Connection Broadband (cable or DSL) connection required
Printer Access to graphics-capable printer
DVD-ROM Required
Sound Card, Microphone, and Speakers Required
Monitor Capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution

If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.

For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!


Exams

This course includes three timed, non-proctored exams. You are welcome to use your notes and your etext (but not your friends!). You will not have the time to look up many answers, however, so you should prepare for these exams as if you would not have access to your notes or etext. The exams will be presented to you in two parts. You should plan to complete both parts of the exam together. Note that once you start part of an exam, you will not be able to pause the timer or save the exam to start again later. Make sure you have ample time to complete the entire exam before you begin. You will have a total of 90 minutes for exam 1, 2 hours for exam 2, and 2 hours for exam 3.


Course Requirements and Grading

There are four learning components for each unit found in lessons and found in activties

  1. Course author's commentary (found in Lessons on the left menu)
  2. Animated Lectures (found on the PsykTrek CD)
  3. Reading and Interactive Learning Exercises (found on the Myers in Modules eTextbook)
  4. Reading and Interactive Learning Exercises Quizzes (found on Activities in the left menu)

Course Author's Commentary
You will begin each unit by reading a commentary written by the course author. The commentary is designed to help clarify potentially confusing information and to connect course information to daily life. Please note that exams will test information included in the commentary.

Animated Lectures
In the traditional classroom, students are expected to attend and take notes on lectures given by the course instructor. In this course, you will be asked to watch and take notes on animated lectures. These narrated lectures are designed to enhance learning by using state of the art technology coupled with interactive activities. Course exams will cover material from these animated lectures.

Please note that PsykTrek will give you the option of emailing you concept review and self-check quiz scores to your instructor. You don't need to do that—your grades in this course are based on the quizzes and your exams only.

Reading and Activities
After a considerable search, your course author selected the Myers' Psychology in Modules eText because it breaks longer chapters into shorter learning modules and includes interactive learning exercises: Tutorials, Activities, or Animations. Once you are logged in to the eText, you can access the learning exercises by using links on the navigation bar which is located on the left side of the screen. Some of the eTextbook modules offer several of these learning exercise and some do not. Exams will test information you lean by reading the eText and by completing these learning exercises.

Your course author also included some fun website in the course. You will not be tested on any of the information you find on websites outside of the eText website.

Activity Quizzes
After you complete each set of on-line reading and activities, you'll have to complete an on-line quiz. Again, quizzes are set up so that you will not be able to access them after midnight on their due dates. If it looks as though you might need an extension for a quiz, please email me before the quiz is due to let me know why you need more time. We may be able to work out an extension. This course requires a lot of reading, however, so it is best to keep up with the quiz schedule if it is at all possible.

Quizzes are OPEN BOOK AND OPEN NOTES (but not open friend). They are designed to help you keep up with the course and to reward you for taking the time to read and complete activities. These quizzes will be graded automatically so that you can have immediate feedback. You will need to complete 16 quizzes. Each quiz is worth 10 pts. As part of your preparations for the quizzes, remember to complete the learning exercises (Tutorials, Activities, or Animations). Again, you can access the learning exercises through the navigation bar located on the left side of the screen.

Exams
Because this is a survey course containing A LOT of information, your course author created Exam Study Sheets to make the study load more manageable. These sheets list all of the concepts/terms you need to know for the exams.

Exam 1 Study Sheet

Exam 2 Study Sheet

Exam 3 Study Sheet

These sheets contain all of the correct and incorrect multiple-choice options on the exam. I recommend studying so that you know the what, when, where, why, and how for each term (as applicable). Some exam questions will involve applying information (not just defining). Don’t get caught off guard.

Please note that the exams in this course are non proctored exams.

Information about how much each exam is worth and what each exam covers is below:

Exam

Units Covered

Points

#1

1 through 4

150 points

#2

5 through 8 (100 questions; 25 questions from information covered for Exam 1)

200 points

#3

9 through 12 (100 questions; 25 questions from information covered for Exam 2)

200 points

Grading

While teaching this class over the past couple of semesters, I have received a number of email messages with questions about grade calculation. Here is how to calculate your grade: Add up the total number of points you have earned from quizzes and exams. Divide this by the total number of possible points (each quiz is worth 10 points, exam 1 is worth 150 points, and exams 2 and 3 are worth 200 points each). Multiply your result by 100 and that will give you your grade. Note that this course does not offer any opportunities for extra credit and grades are not rounded.

The final grades of A, B, C, D, and F will be assigned as follows:

Letter Grade
Numerical Grade
A
93-100%
A-
90-92.9%
B+
87-89.9%
B
83-86.9%
B-
80-82.9%
C+
77-79.9%
C
70-76.9%
D
60-69.9%
F
0-59.9%

Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Undergraduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.

For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page.


Course Schedule

Unit Week Activity
Unit 1: Getting Started and Introduction to Psychology

Week 1 & 2

Please complete the following assignments in the order listed below:

  1. Read the Course Author's commentary
  2. Watch and take notes on PsykTrek Learning Module1a: History & Methods
  3. Read Module 1 Myers in Modules eText. Make sure you complete any activities included in the module (found by using the menu bar on the left side of the screen).
  4. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 1 Quiz 1.
  5. Watch and take notes on the PsykTrek Learning Module 1b: The Experimental Method
  6. Read Modules 2 & 3 in Myers in Modules eText. Make sure you complete any activities included in the module (found by using the menu bar on the left side of the screen).
  7. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 1 Quiz 2.
  8. Take a look at the Exam 1 Study Sheet and make a study plan. Remember - For an A DO (this is explained in the first commentary).
Unit 2: Nature vs. Nurture Please complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
  1. Read the Course Author’s Nature vs. Nurture Commentary
  2. Watch and take notes on PsykTrek Learning Module 7d: Heredity, Environment, and Intelligence
  3. Read Modules 6, 7, & 33 in the Myers in Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
  4. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 2 Quiz 1.
  5. Take a look at the Exam 1 Study Sheet and make a study plan. Remember - For an A DO.
Unit 3: Developmental Psychology

Week 3

Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:

  1. Read the Course Author's Developmental Psychology Commentary
  2. Watch and take notes on PsykTrek Learning Module 9b: Erikson’s Theory of Personality, 9c: Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development, and 9d: Kohlberg’s Theory of Moral Development.
  3. Read Modules 8, 9, and 10 in the Myers in Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
  4. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 3 Quiz 1.
  5. Take a look at the Exam 1 Study Sheet and make a study plan. Remember - For an A DO.
Unit 4: Friendship, Love, and Emotion

Week 4

Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:

  1. Read the Course Author's Friendship, Love, and Emotion Commentary
  2. Watch and take notes on the PsykTrek Learning Module 8c: Elements of Emotion, 8d: Theories of Emotion, 12b: Theories of Love
  3. Read Modules 36, 38, & 58 in the Myers in Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
  4. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 4 Quiz 1.
  5. Take a look at the Exam 1 Study Sheet and make a study plan. Remember - For an A DO.
  6. Prepare for Exam 1. It will test your knowledge of information from Units 1-4.
EXAM #1

Week 5

1. Complete Exam #1

75 Questions ---- Worth 150 pts.
Unit 5: Social Psychology

Week 6

Complete the following tasks in the order listed below.

  1. Read the Course Author's Commentary
  2. Watch and take notes on the  PsykTrek Learning Module 12a: Attribution Processes
  3. Read Modules 55 & 56 in Myers in Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
  4. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 5 Quiz 1.
  5. The second exam will be partially cumulative. It will contain 100 multiple-choice questions, 25 based on material covered in units 1-4.
  6. Take a look at the Exam 2 Study Sheet and make a study plan. Remember - For an A DO.
Unit 6: Sensation and Perception

Week 7

Complete the following tasks in the order listed below.

  1. Read the Course Author's Sensation & Perception Commentary
  2. Watch and take notes on the PsykTrek Learning Module 3a: Light and the Eye, Module 3b: The Retina, Module 3d: Perception of Color
  3. Read Modules 12, 13 in Myers in Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
  4. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 6 Quiz 1.
  5. Watch and take notes on Module 3e: Gestalt Psychology, Module 3f: Depth Perception
  6. Read Modules 16, 17 in Myers in Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
  7. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 6 Quiz 2.
  8.  The second exam will be partially cumulative. It will contain 100 multiple-choice questions, 25 based on material covered in units 1-4.
  9. Take a look at the Exam 2 Study Sheet and make a study plan. Remember - For an A DO.
Unit 7: Learning

Week 8

Complete the following tasks in the order listed below.

  1. Read the Course Author's Learning Commentary
  2. Watch and take notes on the PsykTrek Learning Module 5a: Overview of Classical Conditioning, 5b: Basic Processes in Classical Conditioning, and 5c: Overview of Operant Conditioning
  3. Read Modules 21, 22, and 23 in the Myers in Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
  4. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 7 Quiz 1.
  5.  The second exam will be partially cumulative. It will contain 100 multiple-choice questions, 25 based on material covered in units 1-4.
  6. Take a look at the Exam 2 Study Sheet and make a study plan. Remember - For an A DO.
Unit 8: Memory

Week 9

Complete the following tasks in the order listed below.

  1. Read the Course Author's Memory Commentary
  2. Watch and take notes on the PsykTrek Learning Module 6a: Memory encoding, and 6b: Memory storage
  3. Read Modules 24, 25, and 26 in Myers in Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
  4. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 8 Quiz 1.
  5. Watch and take notes on PsykTrek Learning Module 6d: Forgetting
  6. Read Modules 27, 28 in Myers in the Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
  7. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 8 Quiz 2.
  8. The second exam will be partially cumulative. It will contain 100 multiple-choice questions, 25 based on material covered in units 1-4.
  9. Take a look at the Exam 2 Study Sheet and make a study plan. Remember - For an A DO.
  10. Study and prepare for Exam 2. Exam 2 will test your knowledge of information from Units 5-8. It will be partially cumulative, also testing you on select information from Units 1-4.
EXAM #2

Week 10

1. Complete Exam #2

100 Questions ---- 25 from Exam 1 material
Unit 9: States of Consciousness

Week 11

Complete the following tasks in the order listed below.

  1. Read the Course Author's Consciousness Commentary
  2. Watch and take notes on the PsykTrek Learning Module 4a: Biological Rhythms, Module 4b: Sleep, and Module 4c: Abused Drugs and Their Effects
  3. Read Modules 18, 19, and 20 in the Myers in Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
  4. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 9 Quiz 1.
  5.  The third exam will be partially cumulative. It will contain 100 multiple-choice questions, 25 based on material covered in units 5-8.
  6. Take a look at the Exam 3 Study Sheet and make a study plan. Remember - For an A DO.
Unit 10: Personality

Week 12

Complete the following tasks in the order listed below.

  1. Read the Course Author's Personality Commentary
  2. Watch and take notes on the PsykTrek Learning Module 10a: Freudian Theory, Module 10b: Behavioral Theory, and Module 10c: Humanistic Theory.
  3. Read Modules 44, 45, and 46 in the Myers in Modules eText. Complete any demonstrations or activities.
  4. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 10 Quiz 1.
  5. The third exam will be partially cumulative. It will contain 100 multiple-choice questions, 25 based on material covered in units 5-8.
  6. Take a look at the Exam 3 Study Sheet and make a study plan. Remember - For an A DO.
Unit 11: Psychological Disorders

Week 13

Complete the following tasks in the order listed below.

  1. Read the Course Author's Psychological Disorders Commentary
  2. Watch and take notes on the PsykTrek Learning Module 11a: Anxiety Disorders
  3. Read Modules 47, 48, and 49 in Myers in Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
  4. Go to ANGEL and take unit 11 Quiz 1.
  5. Watch and take notes on PsykTrek Learning Module 11b: Mood Disorders, Module 11c: Schizophrenic Disorders
  6. Read Modules 50 and 51 in Myers in Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
  7. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 11 Quiz 2.
  8. Take a look at the Exam 3 Study Sheet and make a study plan. Remember - For an A DO.
Thanksgiving Holiday

Week 14

Please catch up on anything that you need to do and study for Exam #3.
Unit 12: Psychological Therapies

Week 15

Complete the following tasks in the order listed below.

  1. Read the Course Author's Psychological Therapies Commentary
  2. Watch and take notes on PsykTrek Learning Module 11d: Insight Therapies, 2a: Neuron and the Neural Impulse, Module 2b: Synaptic Transmission, and 11e: Behavioral and Biomedical Therapies
  3. Read Modules 4, 52, and 54 in the Myers in Modules eText. Complete any included activities and demonstrations.
  4. Go to ANGEL and take Unit 12 Quiz 1.
  5. The third exam will be partially cumulative. It will contain 100 multiple-choice questions, 25 based on material covered in units 5-8.
  6. Take a look at the Exam 3 Study Sheet and make a study plan. Remember - For an A DO.
  7. Study and take Exam 3. Exam 3 will test your knowledge of information from Units 9-12. It will be partially cumulative, also testing you on select information from Units 5-8.

EXAM #3

Week 16

1. Complete Exam #3.

100 Questions ---- 25 from Exam 2 material

Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.

Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.


Academic Integrity

According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.

Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.

How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and others, as well as a civil community.

In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.

All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .

Students are responsible for maintaining academic integrity. Violations include cheating on exams, talking to others during exams, looking at another student's answers during an exam, and dishonesty in any aspect of course participation. Also, you may not share any information from this course (including notes and assignments) with others who are not currently registered for the course, nor post such information electronically without the permission of the instructor. Violations of academic integrity may result in a grade of F for the course as well as other penalties (see Faculty Senate Policy 49-20).Violations of academic integrity may result in a grade of F for the course as well as other penalties (see Faculty Senate Policy 49-20).

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Accommodating Disabilities

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Policies

For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.


Disclaimer: Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.


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