Instructor:Tami Musumeci
Office:633 Tillett Hall, Livingston Campus
Office Hours:10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Fridays & by appointme
Email:tami.musumeci@gmail.com
Text: Lahey, B.B. (2007). Psychology: An introduction.(9th ed.). Boston, Massachusetts: McGraw Hill.
Course Webpage: www.rci.rutgers.edu/~tmusumec/GenPsych.html
Location: Campbell Hall, A5, College Avenue Campus

Course Objectives

I am happy to welcome you to General Psychology: a course chock full of information you will be able to use in everyday life, starting right now. Within the next 16 weeks you will learn why it is so hard to keep New Year’s resolutions, whether the SAT is a “good test” and why we shouldn’t trust everything Dr. Phil has to say. Along the way to answering these questions you will be provided with opportunities to participate in research, improve your writing, as well as sharpen your library and web browsing skills.

            Psychology is a very diverse field covering everything from the working of nerve cells to the influence of groups on behavior. A survey course such as this can’t cover any of the subfields in great depth, and so the goal of this course is to briefly expose you to each of the subfields so that you can leave with a basic understanding of the breadth of psychology. If at the end of the term your curiosity gets the better of you and you are hooked on psychology, we can discuss upper level psychology courses you can take after this one to explore your unresolved questions.

Nuts and Bolts

1) When should I read the text?

Class discussion and lecture will begin each day with the assumption that you have read the text assigned for the day. Lecture will supplement and NOT replace the text. For best results, read the assigned chapters BEFORE the session for which they are required. Be sure to consult the syllabus for specific page numbers before you read as the order of the readings for class does not always match the order in which they appear in your text.

2) When should I come to class?

Skip at your own risk. I won't grade you on attendance, but I often cover material not found in the text. Since this information usually turns up on the exams, you would be well advised to come to class as often as possible. If you must miss class, make arrangements to copy class notes from one of your classmates.

3) Testing:

There will be four exams, all equally weighted. The lowest of the four exam scores will be dropped i.e., only three will count in your final grade.

NOTE: Although Exam 4 (the final) may be dropped; 1 extra rule applies:

1) You  MUST take Exam 4 (final), AND you  MUST pass it (with at least a 59.5) to drop it.

4) Missing Exams:

Exam dates are specified in the course outline. If you have a problem making an exam, see me IMMEDIATELY. You will be allowed to take a make-up exam if, within one week of the exam, you present a note or letter from your dean's office. The dean will most likely require appropriate documentation (a doctor’s note) to verify your absence. Any make-ups must be completed prior to the next exam. Be aware that make-up exams are likely to be in essay format.

5) How can I prepare for the exams? What are MCQ’S?

My general answer to the question: “What will be on the exam?” is as follows:

1) If it’s in the book, and we talked about it in class, it is VERY likely to be on the exam.

2) If it’s not in the book, but we talked about it in class, it is VERY likely to be on the exam.

3) If it’s in the book, but we did not talk about it in class, it is less likely to be on the exam BUT is still fair game (exceptions to this rule may occur when during class I say “Due to time, we will not get a chance to discuss __________ but it is important for you to know.”)

In addition to reading, attending lecture and taking quality notes, another way to prepare for exams is to apply the course material. To get you started with this we have MCQ’s:

Multiple choice questions (MCQ’s): Before each exam, you will create 2 multiple choice questions based upon the chapters for the upcoming exam and bring them to class. For each question you will provide 4 answer options. You will identify the correct alternative, briefly explain why it is the BEST answer and then explain why the remaining alternatives are not as good or incorrect. It is in your best interest to create high quality questions as superior questions will be included in the exam! (See our class website for further details).

6) Writing Assignments: Is there any way for me to show you what I know other than my exam scores?

Over the course of the term, outside of class, you will have the opportunity to apply course concepts by completing 2 brief writing assignments, worth a possible 25 points each. Plan ahead and allow sufficient time to complete them. WA #2 in particular will require some research that will take you beyond the library and the internet. Given that this is an introductory level course and we will cover a wide variety of topics you will have the ability to choose among 3 options for each of these writing assignments.Be warned: Each writing assignment option has its own due date (but do not let that make your decision, each assignment is unique, be sure to review your options early and select the one that is most appealing).The assignments are described in detail on our class web page:

Writing Assignment #1:

Option A:Tabloid Method Review (Research Methods) Due: 2/7   OR

Option B:Beating the Princeton Review® (Memory) Due: 2/14    OR

Option C: Bringing up baby (Learning) Due: 3/7

Writing Assignment #2: 

Option A:  When I’m 64… (Life-Span Development) Due: 4/4   OR

Option B:  Barbie Vs. G. I. Joe: Gender in the toy section (Gender and Sexuality) Due: 4/13   OR

Option C:  How to win friends & influence people (or sell them something) (Social Psychology) Due: 4/25

What if my assignment is late?

Each assignment is due at the beginning of class on the due date listed on the course outline. Resist the urge to turn in your assignment until I collect it (i.e. do not leave it in a tangled pile in the front of class-this is how assignments get lost). Emailed assignments are not acceptable without prior permission. Assignments turned in 30 minutes after class begins are “late.” Late assignments will be penalized up to 10% per day it is late. Work more than 1 week late will not be accepted. Anything turned into the instructor’s mailbox (in the Department Office) must be initialed and dated by one of the departmental secretaries in Room 101, Tillett Hall, Livingston Campus.  Staff office hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. for most days.

Is there anything I can do to improve my assignments?

YES! For every assignment, be sure to proofread and edit your work—it’s amazing what Spell-check will do to your paper when you aren’t looking! For even better results, give your assignment to a friend or family member to read over *before* you turn it in. This is a great way to check whether you are getting your desired message across. Finally, for the safety of your assignment, in the event that it spans more than a single page, do use a STAPLE to keep it together. While multi-colored paperclips, shiny plastic covers and intensive origami folds may be temping options, resist them you must! Points can be earned/lost for both grammar and style (see the grammar and style link on our course web page.

7) Research Participation:
In order to successfully pass the course, you are required to participate in research either by 1) Participating in 5 Research Participation Units (RPU’s) worth of experiments OR 2) Completing a written assignment. Please pay careful attention to the rules as non-fulfillment of this requirement will result in a deduction from your final course grade. To be clear, if you choose Option 2, this written assignment is in addition to the 2 WA’s required for this course and is explained on the same page listed above. To sign up for experiments and/or to read specific details about the written assignment, go to http://psych-s.rutgers.edu/research/test/

8) Class Participation: There is no question too small to be asked in a class, and no class too big for a question to be asked. If the question is too involved to be answered during class time, arrange an appointment to talk with me. We will have several opportunities via class discussion and small group discussion for you to speak your mind—be sure to take advantage of them! Bear in mind, the potential exists, that there will be at least one person in the room personally affected by the topic, and therefore, your comments—please be sure to consider this before you make remarks.

9) Grading:  This course will operate on the total points system. This means that there are clearly stated, a priori standards for achievement, and your grade depends only on your own performance, not on the performance of your class as a whole. This also means that there will be no "curving" of grades. The distribution of possible points is as follows:

Exams:		3 @120 points each		=		360		points
WA’s:		2 @  25 points each		=		50		points
MCQ’s:		4 @  10 points each		=		40		points
						450		Total Points

                                                                                 

                                                                           

         

                                                                                                                       

Grades will be assigned as follows:

(90 %) A	=	405-450
(88 %) B+	=	396-404
(80 %) B	=	360-395
(78 %) C+	=	351-359
(70 %) C	=	315-350
(65 %)D	=	293-314
F	=	< 292

                                                                              

                                                                         

                                                                                                                                 

Note: Percentages apply to the final point total only. Letter grades are not assigned to individual exams.

Where are my grades? Grades will be posted at https://lists.fas.rutgers.edu/cgi-bin/gradebook/gb.pl.

This site allows you to view your grades with your Rutgers Net ID.

When will I know my grades? Every effort will be made to post exam grades within a week of your exam. You may request your grade AFTER 1 week has passed if you do not see it posted on FAS—do not request any earlier.

10) Extra Credit: This seems to be everyone’s favorite question at the end of the term: “Is there anything I can do for extra credit?” Well, in this course you get multiple shots at an extra credit assignment. You may select to do as many of the assignments as you wish. They are each worth up to 3 points added to your final grade. The assignments are described in detail on our class web page: http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~tmusumec/ExtraCredit.doc

Be aware: no late extra credit assignments will be accepted.

11) Weekly Evaluation:  At the end of each week, I will ask you to provide written answers to three questions. The purpose behind this is to ensure that everyone is one the same page and to give me an opportunity to get feedback from each member of the class. This course is for your benefit and I would like to tailor it to your interests and curiosities as much as possible. This is also a chance for you to anonymously voice any concerns with regard to upcoming assignments, exams, etc.

12) Problems: The day before the final exam is TOO LATE to begin worrying about your grade. It is your responsibility to come see me if you need help. It you do not do well on the first exam, see me IMMEDIATELY. Problems in the course can often be corrected if they are identified EARLY.

13) How do I get in touch with you? If you have questions about the readings, want to review your exams and study habits or need clarification of an assignment—please feel free to come to office hours or email me. A word of caution: since there are ~90 students in this class and 1 instructor, I may not be able to respond to your emails immediately. I will do my best to reply within 48 hours. Please hold off on re-sending a message until 48 hours have passed. If office hours conflict with your course schedule please let me know and I will do my best to arrange another time to meet. You do not need an appointment if you wish to see me during office hours (just drop in!)

14) Disabilities: The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that all qualified persons have equal opportunity and access to education regardless of any disabling condition. If you have a disabling condition and would be helped by arranging alternate conditions for the course and for the evaluation process (assignments, tests), please let me know as soon as possible. Feel free to make an appointment to discuss the situation privately. You should bring a letter from the Learning Resource Center to confirm that you are registered with the center.

15) Academic Honesty: You'll be expected to adhere to the university's policy on academic honesty (i.e., don't cheat) for exams, writing assignments, and homework. (Congratulations! If you have read this far in the syllabus, you have earned the right to email me by 4:29 p.m. January 19th, 2006 to earn 1 point extra credit. To claim the credit: Send me an email with “syllabus 2006” in the subject line.) Improper acknowledgement of sources and inadequate paraphrasing are often costly problems in student papers; they are mistakes that you definitely need to guard against. You’ll find the RU policy on academic honesty here: http://teachx.rutgers.edu/integrity/policy.html

COURSE OUTLINE