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Psychology 105
Foundations of Contemporary Psychology
Fall 2014 Syllabus
Course Information
Class Sessions: 11-12:20 a.m.
Mondays and Wednesdays (Shanklin 107)
Office
Judd 201
Phone
X4976
e-mail
[email protected]
Office Hours
W 10-11
Hall-Atwater
lounge
X2206
[email protected]
Fri. 3-4pm
Judd B3
Judd B3
X2206
X2206
[email protected]
Olga
Tasopoulou
Vanessa Block
Judd B3
X2206
[email protected]
Judd B3
X2206
[email protected]
Colin Mattox
Trinity Russell
Judd B3
Judd B3
X2206
X2206
[email protected]
[email protected]
Guiseppe
Amendola
Alex Rachlin
Judd B3
X2206
[email protected]
Judd B3
X2206
[email protected]
Professor
Sarah Carney
Teaching
Assistants
Alice Le
Katie
Binswanger
Eury German
[email protected]
Required Texts and Supplements
Text
Gazzaniga, M. et. al. (2011). Psychological Science. (4th Edition) W. W. Norton & Company.
Handouts and Reserved Readings
As needed and noted on the syllabus.
Course Description
Psychology is the branch of science that seeks to understand human mental processes and
behavior. Psychologists ask questions such as how we develop, how we behave in a social
context, how the environment impacts thought and behavior, how humans interact with social
structures, what constitutes healthy behavior, and how behavior can be changed…among many
others. This introductory course will provide students with an overview of the current body of
knowledge and methods of science and psychology. We will focus on the current state of the
field with an eye toward the ways in which psychology and its findings are being generated and
used by U.S. culture today.
1
Course Communication
Website
We have set up a Moodle website for this class. On the site, you will be able to find a copy of the
syllabus, required articles (listed on the reading list), and a host of supplementary references that
will help you gain a further appreciation of the course materials. All lecture slides will be posted
to the site immediately after class. You can reach the website from
www.wesleyan.edu→Information Technology Services→Moodle→Login (enter your name and
password).
e-mail
All students are expected to check their Wesleyan University e-mail account regularly (e.g. every
day) for updates regarding the course. If I have important announcements to make, updates on
course information, or amendments to the syllabus I will make them via e-mail. Students are
responsible for reading all communications regarding the course that are sent through e-mail.
Course Objectives
1. To serve as an introduction to the basic concepts and theories of a variety of subspecialty areas in psychology (including neuroscience, perception, learning, memory,
language development, personality, motivation, intelligence, psychological
disorders/treatment, and social psychology) as well as introduce the current state of
the field—its practical applications and its cutting edge research.
2. To introduce empirical methods in the study of psychology.
3. To gain some insight into how/why you and those around you think, feel, and behave.
4. To develop and practice critical thinking skills.
5. To explore a variety of perspectives on the human condition, and to foster a respect
for points of view that differ from your own.
6. To instill an interest in and enthusiasm for the field of psychology. Regardless of
whether you ever take a course in the field again I hope you will leave this semester
with an appreciation for the ways in which the theories and research of psychology
can inform and illuminate other facets of your life.
Comments
Your comments and suggestions are welcome at any time. Please do stop by my office hours or
send me an email during the semester to let me know how you are doing and how I can be of
help. I am looking forward to getting to know you!
Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities and/or learning disabilities should contact the associate dean for student
academic resources, Sarah E. Lazare (x2332, [email protected]). If you feel you may need
special accommodations, please do this as soon as possible. We will do everything we can to
comply with their recommendations.
2
Weather Advisory
In the event of a winter storm (or other emergency) students should check their emails before
coming to class. If, for some reason, I need to cancel class I will send out an email to that effect
as early as possible.
Syllabus Information Disclaimer
I reserve the right to change any information contained in this document, when necessary, with
adequate notice given to the student. Notice shall be given in the classroom during class or via email notification. No other notice is required. It is the students’ responsibility to keep up with
any changes, modifications, adjustments or amendments that are made to this document.
Course Requirements and Grading
There will be a total of 100 points possible for this course.
Exams: There will be three in-class multiple-choice examinations that will cover topics
associated with a particular segment of the course. There will be one final examination that is
cumulative, covering all material in the course. I will take your best three out of four
examination scores when computing your final grade. Thus, if you do well on the first three
exams, you would not need to take the final examination. In addition, if you feel that you need to
miss an examination for any reason (e.g. illness, unexpected life event) you may simply drop that
score for that particular examination. There will be absolutely no makeup examinations. If you
miss two examinations you will receive a zero for both exams.
Extra Credit Work: Final reaction paper (optional) due on the last day of class. This paper will
be a brief, reaction-type, reflective piece. Further instructions will be provided during the course
of the semester. Papers will be graded on a range of 0 to a potential of 3 points, the total of which
may be added to the course average.
Research Participation: Psychology Department policies state that students in Psychology 105
must participate in tfour hours of department sponsored research. You will be given more
information about this requirement during the first weeks of class.
The grading is broken down in the following way:
Examinations
Papers
25 points each (best 3 out of 4 exam scores)
Research participation 10 points
A+
A
AB+
B
B-
C+
C
CD+
D
D-
97-100
93-96
90-92
88-89
83-87
80-82
78-79
73-77
70-72
68-69
63-67
60-62
F
3
Below 60
Course Schedule
9/1/14
Introduction to the course—No required reading.
9/3/14
Overview of the Field

9/8/14
Biological Bases of Behavior

9/10/14
Gazzaniga: Chapter 6, pp. 223-263
Roediger, H. et al (2011). Using Testing to Improve Learning and
Memory. (Moodle)
Memory

9/24/14
Gazzaniga: Chapter 4, pp. 131-139; 159-176
Wolfe, J. (2011). Visual Search: Is it a Matter of Life and Death?
(Moodle)
Learning


9/22/14
Gazzaniga: Chapter 3, pp. 73-127
Perception


9/17/14
Gazzaniga: Chapter 3, pp. 73-127
Biological Bases of Behavior continued…

9/15/14
Gazzaniga: Chapter 1, pp. 1-25
Gazzaniga: Chapter 7, pp. 267-297
Memory continued…Eye Witness Testimony


Gazzaniga: Chapter 7, pp. 298-313
Loftus, E. (2011). Crimes of Memory: False Memories and Societal
Justice. (Moodle)
9/29/14
EXAM ONE
10/1/14
Language



Gleitman: Chapter 9, 313-323, 326-329 (posted on Moodle)
Goldin-Meadow, S. (2011). Creating and Learning Language by
Hand. (Moodle)
Terrace, H. (2011). Thinking Without Language. (Moodle)
4
10/6/14
Language continued…


10/8/14
Developmental Psychology


10/13/14
Gazzaniga: Chapter 9, pp. 365-417
Rogoff, B., Correa-Chavez, M., & Silva, K. (2011). Cultural
Variation in Children’s Attention and Learning. (Moodle)
Social Psychology


10/22/14
Gazzaniga: Chapter 9, pp. 365-417
Rovee-Collier, C. (2011). Preserving Infant Memories. (Moodle)
Developmental Psychology


10/15/14
Gleitman: Chapter 9, 330-351(Posted on Moodle)
Rymer, R. (1992). The silent childhood. Parts 1 & 2. The New
Yorker, April 13 & April 20
Gazzaniga: Chapter 12, pp. 513-563
Aronson, E. (2011). Reducing Prejudice and Building Empathy in
the Classroom. (Moodle)
Social Psychology—Social Comparison and Conformity

Gazzaniga: Chapter 12, pp. 513-563
10/27/14
EXAM 2
10/29/14
Intelligence



11/3/14
Personality

11/5/14
Gazzaniga: Chapter 8, pp. 344-361
Greenfield, P. (1997). You can’t take it with you: why ability
assessments don’t cross cultures. American Psychologist, 52 (10),
1115-1124. (Moodle)
Sternberg, R. (2011). The Rainbow Project: Using a Psychological
Theory of Intelligence to Improve the College Admissions Process.
(Moodle)
Gazzaniga: Chapter 13, pp. 567-613
Personality


Gazzaniga: Chapter 13, pp. 567-613
Snyder, M. (2011). Products of their Personalities or Creatures of
their Situations? Personality and Social Behavior Have the Answer.
(Moodle)
5
11/10/14
Psychopathology/Abnormal Psychology


11/12/14
Gazzaniga: Chapter 14, pp. 617-669
Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2011). Lost in Thought: The Perils of
Rumination. (Moodle)
Psychopathology/Abnormal Psychology

Gazzaniga: Chapter 14, pp. 617-669
11/17/14
Abnormal Psychology (catch-up day)
11/19/14
Treatment of Psychopathology

11/24/14
Gazzaniga: Chapter 15, pp. 673-723
Treatment continued…

Barlow, D. (2011). The Development and Evaluation of
Psychological Disorders for Panic. (Moodle)
12/1/14
Catch up day
12/3/14
EXAM 3
12/10/14
Final Exam 2:00 p.m. in Shanklin
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