Elementary Psychology – PSYC 1101

Spring 2019
MWF –10:10 – 11:00
MLC, Room 171

Instructor: Allison Howard, Ph.D.

Office: Psychology Building, Room 235
Office Hours: by appointment
Email: amhoward@uga.edu

The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor
may be necessary.
Required materials:
 Exploring Psychology in Modules, Eleventh Edition by David G. Myers & C. Nathan Dewall
There are two options for purchasing this book:
o ISBN: 978-1-319-25062-1 This is the loose-leaf version of the book with an access code
to the online course materials (LaunchPad), that is the ebook, online quizzes,
homework, etc.
OR
o ISBN: 978-1-319-12968-2 This is the LaunchPad access standalone, which also includes
the ebook. You will have no paper version of the book if you purchase this option.

 TopHat
In lieu of clickers, we will use the TopHat classroom app, available for purchase at
http://tophat.com. You must bring your own device to class in order to respond to participation
questions during class. The access code for this course is 021651.

Course description:
An introduction to the phenomena, laws, theories, and history of psychology. Topics include animal and
human learning, motivation, perception, individual differences, social behavior, and biopsychology.
Emphasis is on fundamental principles rather than on application. Students are given the opportunity to
participate in ongoing research.

Point of contact:
Because of the large number of students enrolled in this class, your first point of contact for any issues
you might be experiencing with the course or any questions you may have will be your designated
teaching assistant rather than Dr. Howard. Our fabulous TAs will be available to review your exam
grades and your answers, as well as answer questions regarding course content, online homework, and
participation.

If your last name begins with the letters A-L, your TA will be Zachary Peck (zdp28938@uga.edu).
If your last name begins with the letters M-Q, your TA will be Jaeson Song (Jaeseon.Song@uga.edu).
If your last name begins with the letters R-Z, your TA will be Lisa Bartolomeo
(Lisa.Bartolomeo@uga.edu).
Attendance and participation:
Attendance to class is expected. You are responsible for all class material and in-class announcements
whether you are present or not. If you miss class, please contact a fellow student in the class or post a
question on eLC regarding what content or announcements you might have missed.

In order to assess attendance and participation in the course, we will use TopHat technology. With
TopHat, you use your own device (web browser, smart phone, or tablet) to respond to in-class
attendance and content questions.

Attendance: TopHat will allow me to take attendance based on proximity, so I can check if you are
located in the MLC with the rest of the class. On randomly selected days this semester, I will use TopHat
to check attendance in class. If you are not found in proximity to the rest of the class on that day, you
will not receive credit for that day’s attendance. Before leaving the class on an attendance day, you
should check your attendance status and report any errors in the TopHat system directly to me.
Technical errors reported after you have left the classroom on a given day will not be considered an
excuse for missed attendance

Content: In addition, TopHat will allow me to assess student comprehension in real time, so that I can
make sure you have understood the concepts presented during class and to help you prepare for exams.

In order to gain access to TopHat, you can purchase a 4-month subscription for this semester, or you
may be interested in the longer-term subscriptions since other instructors may also use this technology
in their classes. To purchase a TopHat subscription, go to http://tophat.com and use the access code for
this course 021651.It’s important to note that the percent scores you see in the online TopHat system
may not be fully representative of your final TopHat grade.

Exams:
Students will complete five exams, with the final exam being cumulative from all course material
covered this semester. The best four of those five exam grades will count toward your final grade and
the lowest grade will be dropped. No other exam grades will be dropped and there are no make up
exams offered. Questions will be based on material from class discussions, lectures, readings, activities,
and any supplementary resources offered (e.g., eLC material, videos, etc.).

Missing an exam: Make-up exams will not be given. One of the five exam grades will be
dropped, so if unexpected circumstances should arise causing you to miss an exam, you may
drop that grade. The final exam will be cumulative and exams will be challenging, so I do not
advise that you plan to drop an exam.
Arriving late to an exam: You will have the designated class period to complete your exam, even
if you arrive late. You will not be allowed to take the exam if you arrive after the first person has
turned in the exam.
Online assignments through LaunchPad:
Throughout this semester, you will be required to complete online homework assignments via
LaunchPad, using an access code purchased with your textbook. To get started with the course, follow
the link below and input your access code.
http://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpad/exploring11einmodules/9874535
The assignments required for this course will be organized by the book modules that we cover. Your
final online homework grade will be assigned according to your performance on the online homework
assignments throughout the semester. You may use your textbook and notes to complete these
assignments, but your work should be done independently and not in collaboration with other students.

Any technical difficulties with the LaunchPad software can be resolved by contacting LaunchPad
technical support. You may contact technical support by visiting their website:
https://community.macmillan.com/community/digital-product-support

You may also access technical support by calling their toll-free number: 1-800-936-6899

Technical Support Hours (Eastern Time)

Monday - Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Saturday: 12:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m.

You should complete all online homework assignments well in advance of their due dates. We will not
make extensions or exceptions to homework due dates as a result of technical difficulties or illness.
Completing your online assignments in advance of their due dates will allow you to resolve
unanticipated issues before it is too late.

Final grade:
Your final grade will consist of a total of 600 points. These points are composed of the four highest exam
grades, each worth 100 points, your online homework assignments (LaunchPad) worth 100 points total,
and your in-class participation points (TopHat) worth 100 points total.

Exam 1: 100 points

Exam 2: 100 points
Exam 3: 100 points
Exam 4: 100 points
Final Exam: 100 points
Online Homework (LaunchPad): 100 points
In-class Participation (TopHat): 100 points

Letter grades will be assigned according to the following breakdown:

A (92.50% and up) C+ (77.50 - 79.999%)
A- (90.00 - 92.499%) C (72.50 - 77.499%)
B+ (87.50 - 89.999%) C- (70.00 - 72.499%)
B (82.50 - 87.499%) D (60.00 – 69.999%)
B- (80.00 - 82.499%) F below 60.000
Instructor decisions on grades are final, and once posted, grades will not be changed except in cases of
clerical error. Please do not ask me or your TAs to change your grade or give you extra-credit
opportunities. Emails requesting grade rounding or extra credit will not receive a response.

Research participation:
The Psychology Department requires all students of PSYC 1101 to complete 6.5 credit hours of research
participation. There are two ways to complete this requirement: 1) through participation in research
projects actively happening in the Psychology Department, or 2) by writing summaries of psychology
articles. You may exclusively write summaries, exclusively participate in research projects, or complete
the 6.5 hours of credit through some combination of the two.

If you do not complete the 6.5 credit hours for research participation, your grade in this class will be
lowered by one letter grade. This is a department level policy that is true for all sections of PSYC 1101.
There will not be a way to make this up.

More information about the research pool is available at http://psychology.uga.edu/researchpool. You

may also contact the research pool coordinator, LeeAnn Beam (rp@uga.edu) if you have any additional
questions about this course requirement. As instructor, I have no control over the scheduling of
research studies or the review of article summaries.

Academic honesty statement:

As a University of Georgia student, you have agreed to abide by the University’s academic honesty policy,
“A Culture of Honesty,” and the Student Honor Code. All academic work must meet the standards
described in “A Culture of Honesty” found at: https://honesty.uga.edu/. I consider sharing the daily
clicker attendance responses or other clicker details with a student who is not in the classroom to be a
violation of the honor code. Lack of knowledge of the academic honesty policy is not a reasonable
explanation for a violation. Any questions related to course assignments and the academic honesty
policy should be directed to the instructor.

Disability resources:
If you need special accommodations for this course, please contact the Disability Resource Center (706-
542-8719). Inform me of any necessary accommodations as soon as you become aware of them.

In particular, if your accommodations involve disability-related absences, it is important that I am made

aware of your accommodations as early as possible in the semester.

Withdrawal:
The deadline for withdrawing from the course with a grade of withdrawal-passing grade or “WP” is
March 21, 2019. A grade of “WP” will only be assigned if the student is passing the course at the time of
withdrawal, and only if it conforms to the University of Georgia policy on limited withdrawal-passing
grades.

Tentative Course Schedule

Date Topic Textbook Modules
1/9/2019 Syllabus, Overview, What is psychology?
1/11/2019 History, Methods Modules 1 & 2
1/14/2019 Nervous System Module 3
1/16/2019 Nervous System Modules 4 & 5
1/18/2019 Nervous System, Imaging techniques Modules 4 & 5
1/21/2019 MLK Day: No class
1/23/2019 Brain basics, Genetics Module 6
1/25/2019 Consciousness, Attention Module 7
1/28/2019 Attention, Dual processing Module 7
1/30/2019 Sleep Module 8
2/1/2019 Drugs & consciousness, Review Module 9
2/4/2019 Exam 1
2/6/2019 Developmental psychology Modules 10 & 11
2/8/2019 Development continued Modules 11 & 12
2/11/2019 Gender, sex, & sexuality Module 15
2/13/2019 Sensation & perception: the basics Module 16
2/15/2019 Vision Module 17
2/18/2019 Hearing & other senses Module 18
2/20/2019 Learning Module 19
2/22/2019 Classical vs operant conditioning Module 20
2/25/2019 Biological constraints & predispositions, Memory Modules 21 & 22
2/27/2019 Memory, Review Modules 23 & 24
3/1/2019 Exam 2
3/4/2019 Cognition, Decision making Module 25
3/6/2019 Language Module 26
3/8/2019 Intelligence Module 27
3/11/2019 Spring Break: No class
3/13/2019 Spring Break: No class
3/15/2019 Spring Break: No class
3/18/2019 Motivation Module 29
3/20/2019 Hunger & Emotion Module 30
3/22/2019 Emotion Module 31
3/25/2019 Stress Module 32
3/27/2019 Stress Modules 33 & 34
3/29/2019 Social psychology Modules 35 & 36
4/1/2019 Social psychology Modules 36 & 37
4/3/2019 Personality, Review Module 38
4/5/2019 Exam 3
4/8/2019 Personality Module 39
4/10/2019 Psychological disorders Module 40
4/12/2019 Psychological disorders continued, Anxiety Modules 40 & 41
4/15/2019 OCD, PTSD Module 41
4/17/2019 Major depressive disorder Module 42
4/19/2019 Bipolar disorder Module 42
4/22/2019 Schizophrenia Module 43
4/24/2019 Therapy, Review Module 44
4/26/2019 Exam 4
4/29/2019 Final Exam Review

5/3/2019 Final Exam 8 am – 11 am*****************