Blain Intro Syllabus

PSY 105 Principles of Psychology Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 3:10 ​– ​4:20 Hagfors 263 Instructor: Scott Blain Email: ​blains@augsburg.edu Office: Hagfors 220 Office Hours: Fridays 2:00 ​– ​3:00 pm or By Appointment

Course Description What is psychology?

Emerging from the rich traditions of philosophy and physiology, modern psychological science is a diverse and multifaceted field. Today, psychology attempts to better understand all aspects of human behavior and mental processes. PSY105 is designed to provide you with a broad understanding of the concepts related to the scientific study of human behavior, cognition, and emotion. As the first psychology course at Augsburg, it provides a grounding in the field and is a prerequisite for all advanced psychology courses.

As a participant in this course, you will gain experience with the core methods, theories, and subfields of psychological science. Throughout the semester, we will survey the subfields of modern psychology (from perception and neuroscience to clinical and abnormal psychology). In addition to gaining new knowledge of the field, you will have the opportunity to apply psychology concepts to everyday life, popular culture, and current events. In addition, you will learn to develop a skeptical attitude toward scientific inquiry, through actively questioning and critiquing current understandings of human psychology, held throughout both the general population and in research circles.

Learning Aims While the above description gives an overview of the semester, we also have several specific learning aims, which are listed here. By the end of the semester, you will be able to: 1. Articulate the fundamental methods and subfields of psychological science.

2. Apply the theories and methods of psychology to concepts from your everyday life.

3. Develop a discerning and critical attitude toward popular psychological frameworks and theories, discerning the merits and flaws of these ideas and their alternatives.

Core Classroom Values Diversity and Equity I believe that drawing upon each of our unique backgrounds can enrich classroom discussion, especially in a field like personality psychology! All of us come to this course from different places, with different approaches to living, learning, and interacting with the world. Diversity is an essential part of creating an environment conducive to creativity and productive dialogue, regardless of the specific traits and identities we derive our diverse views and experiences from. As a teacher, I am committed to educating all students, regardless of where you come from and where your future might take you. I hope to create an open environment where issues related to culture, identity, and conflict can be discussed without fear of stigma or discrimination.

Academic Freedom As ​academic freedom​ and the right to free speech are essential for academic and personal growth, my goal is for our classroom to be a place where all viewpoints can be aired without being shut down (regardless of where your views might fall on the various political and philosophical spectrums), but also where we can examine and, sometimes, modify our views, based on the input and insight of others. Also, please note that the opinions presented by me during this course are not necessarily representative of those of the university or the department of psychology; similarly, the views presented in course texts are not always representative of my own (aside from articles where I am the listed first author).

Learning for Life The disciplines known as the Social Sciences at Augsburg College include economics, political science, psychology, and sociology. All students are required to take two Social Science courses designated as part of the Liberal Arts Foundation (LAF) of the Augsburg Core curriculum. LAF courses throughout the college are designed to provide students with a wide array of academic experiences for the ultimate purpose of the development of students as professionals and citizens. Those courses in the Social Sciences that are designated as part of the LAF are foundational to each discipline; in other words, each department teaches courses that are introductions to each field, and are thereby designated as LAF courses.

Social Science LAF courses seek to teach students the following: First, that our understandings of social reality, with all of its complexities and diversity, can be improved and clarified through systematic and critical analysis. Second, each of the social sciences utilizes different theoretical frameworks and research methods to analyze and better understand various aspects of social systems. Third, the social sciences offer ways of gaining knowledge that are different from other fields, such as the natural sciences or the fine arts, by focusing on a diverse array of social realms.

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Course Texts and Technology ● There is no textbook for this course, rather, we will use various stand-alone primary and secondary sources throughout the class. Our course texts will include a collection of empirical research articles, theory and literature review papers, case profiles, video clips, and magazine/newspaper articles. ● You can use Moodle and Google Drive to access our course readings/sources, as well as lecture slides and notes, quiz study materials, assignment guidelines, and ongoing feedback on your class performance. ● Chapters from the ​NOBA Project​ and ​OpenStax Psychology​ will be available at no cost, as supplemental readings. This resource may be helpful for students who find traditional textbook formats useful. ● For the majority of our class sessions, use of electronic devices is welcomed and encouraged. Though using computers and smartphones for social media and other off-task purposes can be distracting, I believe such technologies can also be great learning and teaching tools. Therefore, we will incorporate online demos and activities throughout the semester. Nonetheless, at specific times (e.g., during unit quizzes) I will expect students to have electronic devices put up and set to silent. ● All materials generated for this course, including those created by me, you, or your peers, are covered by a Creative Commons ​Attribution-Share Alike International license​.

This means you are free to share and adapt materials provided to you during the course, but you must give appropriate credit when using these materials and, under no circumstances, are you allowed to sell or market materials created by me or your peers.

Assignment Overview In-class Assignments (15%) Rather than directly recording or evaluating participation and attendance in this course (which are both expected), we will complete short weekly in-class assignments throughout the semester. These activities will include mini-quizzes, informal writing, and creative projects, which will serve as ongoing assessments to test your knowledge and engagement. We will have around 20 of these assignments throughout the semester, each worth 10 points. This means you can miss class a few times (I know life happens) and earn full points for this component.

Action Assignments (15%) We will have eight small writing assignments throughout the semester. The majority of these assignments will involve application of course material to everyday life and current events.

Examples might include tracking your emotions, practicing meditation, or “people watching.”

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Assignments will measure your ability to apply course material to contexts outside of the classroom. Each assignment will be worth 25 points toward your grade, with your two lowest scores (or up to two incomplete assignments) being dropped.

PsyStudies (5%) You will be able to earn up to 50 points of credit for participation in ongoing research conducted by the psychology department. Details on this course component will be posted on Moodle and explained in a brief in-class presentation by another psychology faculty member, early in the semester.

Unit Quizzes (45%) For each of our 8 course units, we will have a non-cumulative quiz. These quizzes will be closed-notes and will consist of a selection of multiple choice, matching, fill in the blank, and short essay questions. Each quiz will take around 50 minutes, and we will typically not have class sessions before or after these quizzes.

I realize that 8 quizzes may seem like a lot, but I use frequent testing for a reason. ​Frequent testing​ means that each quiz is lower-stakes and that it’s less necessary to cram for any single assessment. Test anxiety is a very real issue for many people, myself included. Frequent testing helps make this easier to manage, while also improving learning outcomes.

Also in an effort to reduce the effects of test anxiety or extenuating life circumstances, your two lowest quiz grades will be dropped. This will leave you with a total of six graded quizzes, worth 75 points each, for a total of 450 points out of a total of 1000 points for the class.

Final Exam (20%) We will end the semester with a final exam that integrates key concepts covered throughout the course. Rather than testing specific concepts like the unit quizzes, this final will ask you to apply the methods and theories in new contexts. For this exam, you will be required to complete your work independently and within a scheduled period, but you will be able to use your notes and the internet. The exam will consist of approximately five long-form essay questions.

Grading ● Your grade in the course will be determined using the components listed above. ● In-class assignments and action assignments will be graded using a ✓-, ✓, ✓+ system.

Quizzes will be graded using a 0 ​– ​75 point scale. Your final exam will be holistically graded using letter grades F ​– ​A. Intro Psychology

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● The specific breakdown of course points (1000 points total) is displayed in this table: Major Category

Points

Sub-category

Points

Assignments

350

In-class Assignments

150

Action Assignments

150

PsyStudies

50

Quizzes

450

Final Exam

200

Total

1000

Assessments

Total

650

1000

● Here is a list of the course grading scheme and a verbal description of the level of achievement associated with each letter grade. Point thresholds for each letter grade may be lowered based on student performance throughout the semester, but will never be raised. You can access ​university-wide grading policies​ online.

Grading Scale - Description

Grade

Max

Min

Achievement on assignments and assessments not only demonstrates a clear understanding of course aims, but also consistently demonstrates integration of material across units and application of personality psychology concepts in novel or creative ways.

Performance on course assignments and assessments is exemplary and demonstrates successful achievement of learning aims and mastery of content, including successful attempts to synthesize and apply material.

A

100%

94%

A-

93.99

90

Assessments and assignments are completed thoroughly and present a comprehensive knowledge of course concepts and achievement of our learning aims. Effortful attempts are made to apply and synthesize material.

B+

89.99

86

Assessments and assignments are completed thoroughly and demonstrate knowledge of course concepts and achievement of learning aims. Despite relatively coherent integration of material across units, there may be gaps in how material is applied to novel contexts.

B

85.99

82

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Despite mostly consistent performance on assignments and assessments, few successful attempts are made to apply material in novel contexts and there may be a lack of consistent integration across course units.

B-

81.99

78

Assignments and assessments are completed with effort and engagement, but integration and application of material is lacking. Consistent but minor gaps in content comprehension may also be present.

C+

77.99

74

Basic minimum course requirements are met, in terms of assignment and assessment completion. Nonetheless, gaps in knowledge are present and some work or portions of work may be late or missing.

C

73.99

70

Most minimum course requirements are met, despite a trend of significant knowledge gaps and/or partially completed work.

C-

69.99

66

This also represents the minimum level of achievement to pass the course.

S

100

66

Assignments and assessments are (1) mostly completed but do not demonstrate an understanding of the course content and aims and/or (2) show a trend of partial completion and consistent missing components, despite some acceptable-quality work.

D

65.99

60

This also represents an insufficient level of achievement to pass the course.

P

65.99

0

Work was (1) not completed during the course of the semester and no significant attempts were made to create a plan for makeup work and/or (2) completed but either did not demonstrate relevance to the course content and aims or did not show evidence of a significant enough level of learning to warrant even minimal credit.

F

59.99

0

Work may represent a similar level of achievement compared to a D/F grade, but a concrete plan is made that will allow makeup work to be completed in the weeks following the official course end date.

I

N/A

N/A

● In accordance with the Student Conduct Code, any form of cheating on assessments of plagiarism on assignments will not be tolerated. If you are ever in doubt about what constitutes plagiarism or academic dishonesty, please do not be afraid to address this with me. I would much rather have a candid conversation about these issues before they occur, than finding out about them later. ​You will be asked to turn in a signed copy of an Academic Honesty Statement when we take our first quiz. ● If you have any conflicts that make it difficult for you to show up to class or consistently complete on-time work, because of illness, university business (e.g., sports), or circumstances in your personal life (not limited to those listed in the university’s official policy), please feel free to reach out to me in person or through email. In the majority of situations, I am happy to make accommodations and alternative arrangements that work with your life, while still holding everyone to a high academic standard.

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● Augsburg makes student success a priority. As a result, this course is participating in the Academic Progress Report initiative. As our instructor, I may choose to refer you to your faculty advisor or other resources via the Report process if it is apparent that you are struggling with issues such as attendance, class participation/preparedness, and/or assignment/test preparation. Report messages are sent via e-mail to your Augsburg e-mail address. Additionally, alert messages are copied to your faculty advisor and other campus resources. Your advisor may choose to contact you to discuss ways to improve your performance in these areas. Referrals and departmental outreach are designed to maximize your chances of academic success at Augsburg, not as a punishment.

Campus Support Services College can be a stressful time, especially when you’re just starting! Being in a new environment with increased responsibilities often contributes to a variety of mental health issues. Many people, myself included, sometimes struggle with anxiety and depression from academic obligations, which can make keeping up in class even harder. These issues can be especially difficult to navigate for those with disabilities and members of marginalized groups.

Thankfully, there are a variety of resources available to help provide support for these issues: ● Healthcare for students dealing with psychological and/or physical health concerns is provided at a variety of locations, on and off campus. These include the ​Center for Wellness and Counseling​, as well as numerous ​off-campus mental health providers​. ● For students with disabilities (documented or undocumented), I encourage you to chat with me about ways you think these concerns might impact your learning and performance in our course. Together, we can work to develop a plan that supports your chances of success this semester. Students with documented disabilities can also reach out to the ​CLASS Office​ regarding access, accommodations, and support. ● If you are ever struggling to keep up in our course, I am happy to have a conversation about possible strategies you can use to succeed in the class! You may also want to consider resources such as ​Tutoring Support​ and the ​Writing Lab​.

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● Additional university support resources are available for those of you who might have other specific concerns, including ​LGBT+ students​, ​international students​, ​individuals of racial and ethnic minorities​, those impacted by ​interpersonal violence ​or ​sexism​, and students seeking to foster ​spiritual or religious growth​.

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