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PSYCH 105 Psychology as a Science and Profession (3) Overview of history and methods of psychology as a science and profession; applications and ethical issues in psychology.
Prerequisite: PSYCH 100
Overview
PSYCH 105 is a survey course designed to cover a broad range of topics. In this course you will learn about the history and methods of psychology as a science and profession, including applications and ethical issues in psychology. PSYCH 105 is designed for students majoring in Psychology who have already completed an Introductory Psychology course. Students must earn a C or better in this course to graduate with a degree in Psychology. This course will NOT satisfy General Education requirements.
Course Objectives
This course is designed around 3 main goals:
- To help you learn about the identity of contemporary Psychology - where psychology fits in the world, where it does not, how these are misunderstood, and why.
- To help you learn about Psychology-related career paths, including ethics, and to dispel many common myths about Psychology-related careers.
- To help you learn about Psychology as a process. Surprisingly, few people understand that Psychology is a science and fewer understand how science shapes Psychology. We’ll discuss related issues and their importance for Psychology and society.
Required Course 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 Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You can view the Online Students' Library Guide for more information.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and services. Once you have a Penn State account, you will automatically be registered with the library within 24–48 hours. If you would like to determine whether your registration has been completed, visit the Libraries home page and select My Account.
Technical Specifications
| 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!
Course Schedule
| Week |
Unit |
Activity |
|---|---|---|
|
Week 1 |
Unit 1: Why Psych 105? |
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
|
|
Week 2 |
Unit 2: Do You Mind? |
Complete the following assignments for Unit 1 in the order listed below:
|
|
Week 3 |
Exam 1 Due Reading Quizzes Due Movie Analysis Paper Due |
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
|
|
Week 4 |
Unit 3:Studying Human Nature AND Unit 4: World of Modern Psychology
|
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
|
|
Week 5 |
Exam 2 Due
Reading Quizzes Due |
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
|
|
Week 6 |
Unit 5: Majoring in Psychology AND Unit 6: Advanced Schooling
|
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
|
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Week 7 |
Exam 3 Due Reading Quiz Due |
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
|
|
Week 8 |
Unit 7: Ethics and Helping Careers |
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
|
|
Week 9 |
Spring Break | NO ASSIGNMENT THIS WEEK |
|
Week 10 |
Unit 8: Unveiling the Truth |
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
|
|
Week 11 |
Unit 9: Breaking Through the Breakthrough Myth |
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
|
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Week 12 |
Exam 4 Due Reading Quizzes Due Career Paper Due |
Complete the following assignments for Unit 10 in the order listed below:
|
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Week 12 |
Unit 10: Constructing Psychology |
Complete the following assignments for Unit 10 in the order listed below:
|
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Week 13 |
Unit 11: Just Cause |
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
|
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Week 15 |
Unit 12: Nescience |
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
|
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Week 16 |
Exam 5 Due Reading Quizzes Due Myth Busters Paper Due |
Complete the following assignments in the order listed below:
|
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 refer to Graduation at the Chaiken Center for Student Success.
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.
Grading
The World Campus follows the same grading system as the Penn State resident program. The grades of A, B, C, D, and F indicate the following qualities of academic performance:
A = (Excellent) Indicates exceptional achievement
B = (Good) Indicates extensive achievement
C = (Satisfactory) Indicates acceptable achievement
D = (Poor) Indicates only minimal achievement
F = (Failure) Indicates inadequate achievement necessitating a repetition of the course in order to secure credit
Narrated Lectures & Skeletal Notes
In this course, you will begin each unit by listening to, and taking notes on, a narrated lecture. You can control the pace of the lecture and listen to narrations repeatedly (just click on the picture of the music speaker). The information in the narrated lectures will be tested by the exams. To assist you, skeletal notes are provided. You are welcome to print these and fill them in as you go. You are welcome to work ahead on the Narrated Lectures as your schedule permits.
Readings & Reading Quizzes
There are three books for this course. Two of the books are custom editions, and contain sets of readings on course topics. The third is a book on careers in psychology that you will use to complete a paper assignment.
You will be asked to complete readings for each unit of the course (except for 1). Although you will not be tested on the information on these readings on exams, you will need to complete a Reading Quiz for each unit. Some things to keep in mind:
- These quizzes are open book.
- They are designed to make sure that you are keeping up with the course reading.
- Some questions will be general, others will be very detail oriented.
- You may use your readings and your notes, but you may not accept help from nor assist another person.
- You may take each quiz twice. I will count your higher score.
- Quizzes are set up so that you will get a random subset of questions each time you take a quiz. You will not have the same quiz questions both times.
- The least time-consuming strategy is to take the time to read and do your best the first time.
- Each of the 11 Reading Quizzes is worth 10 points (2.5%) of the course grade.
- Readings Quizzes will make up 27.5% of the course grade.
- You are welcome to work ahead on Readings and Reading Quizzes as your schedule permits.
Exams & Study Sheets
This course includes five timed, non-proctored exams. You are welcome to use your notes, 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. Make sure you have ample time to complete the entire exam before you begin.
The exams are “timed exams.” They are designed to see how well you know the material by asking you to answer a number of questions in a short amount of time. Please see the table below for more information.
All of the exams, except for the first, will be partially cumulative. Exams will contain either multiple-choice questions or both multiple-choice and matching questions. Exams will be based on the information presented in the narrated lectures. To help you focus your studies, study sheets are available for each exam. These sheets include lists of terms you should focus on.
Exams are designed to be CHALLENGING. It is not enough to memorize a definition or set of facts. To do well, you will need to understand why these terms are important, the main ideas of lectures, and also the important details.
|
Exam
|
New Units Tested
|
Older Units Tested
|
#Questions
|
Time Given
|
Points
|
% of Course Grade
|
|
#1
|
1 & 2
|
|
22
|
25 min
|
30
|
7.5%
|
|
#2
|
3 & 4
|
1 & 2
|
30
|
35 min
|
40
|
10%
|
|
#3
|
5 & 6
|
3 & 4
|
26
|
35 min
|
40
|
10%
|
|
#4
|
7 - 9
|
5 & 6
|
34
|
45 min
|
50
|
12.5%
|
|
#5
|
10 - 12
|
7 - 9
|
40
|
55 min
|
60
|
15%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
220
|
55%
|
Paper Assignments
You will need to complete three short papers. These assignments will give you the opportunity to connect lecture information to the real world. The first will ask you to watch a movie and apply course concepts. The second will ask you to investigate careers in psychology. The third will ask you to apply scientific principles to evaluate a myth or superstition. Please see the paper assignments for details.
|
Paper
|
Title
|
Points
|
% of Course Grade
|
|
#1
|
Movie Analysis Paper
|
20
|
5%
|
|
#2
|
Career Paper
|
20
|
5%
|
|
#3
|
Myth Busters Paper
|
30
|
7.5%
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
70
|
17.5%
|
Course Policy on Uploading and Sharing Work
Students may not share, upload, or post ANY information in this course, including paper/assignment topics, without the written consent of the course author.
Students who want to share their own work with others must do so in ways that do not reveal ANY information about the content of this course, or risk academic misconduct.
Students are responsible for maintaining academic integrity. Violations include cheating on exams or quizzes, talking to others during an exam or quiz, getting help from others on quizzes, looking at another student's answers during an exam or quiz, plagiarizing, and dishonesty in any aspect of course participation. Also, you may not share any information from this course (including assignments/papers) with others, 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).
Avoid plagiarism:
o Always place copied information within quotation marks, cite the source, and include information about the source in a bibliography
o Always cite paraphrased information and include information about the source in a bibliography
o When in doubt, cite and include the source in a bibliography
Late Work
This is a semester-based course with deadlines. Students are expected to complete work by posted deadlines. Please contact your instructor to discuss medical problems, or emergency situations that cause lateness. If you know that you are going to miss a deadline, please contact your instructor in advance of that deadline to discuss an extension.
Letter Grades
The final grades of A, B, C, D, and F will be assigned as follows:
|
Letter Grade
|
Numerical Grade
|
| A | 100 - 93% |
| A- | 92.9 - 90% |
| B+ | 89.9 - 87% |
| B | 86.9 - 83% |
| B- | 82.9 - 80% |
| C+ | 79.9 - 77% |
| C | 76.9 - 70% |
| D | 69.9 - 6-% |
| F | 59.9 - 0% |
Course Policy on Uploading and Sharing Work
Students may not share, upload, or post ANY information in this course, including paper/assignment topics, without the written consent of the course author.
Students who want to share their own work with others must do so in ways that do not reveal ANY information about the content of this course, or risk academic misconduct.
Late Work
This is a semester-based course with deadlines. Students are expected to complete work by posted deadlines. Please contact your instructor to discuss medical problems, or emergency situations that cause lateness. If you know that you are going to miss a deadline, please contact your instructor in advance of that deadline to discuss an extension.
Letter Grades
The final grades of A, B, C, D, and F will be assigned as follows:
|
Letter Grade
|
Numerical Grade
|
| A | 100 - 93% |
| A- | 92.9 - 90% |
| B+ | 89.9 - 87% |
| B | 86.9 - 83% |
| B- | 82.9 - 80% |
| C+ | 79.9 - 77% |
| C | 76.9 - 70% |
| D | 69.9 - 6-% |
| F | 59.9 - 0% |
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.
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 .
Accommodating Disabilities
Additional 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.