Department of Psychology

The University of Hong Kong

Introduction to Psychology (PSYC1001D)

Second semester, 2010-2011

Instructor: Dr. Irene Ho Phone: 2859 2296 E-mail: itfho@hku.hk

Office: K646

Course coordinator: Ms. Ka Wai Ng Phone: 2857 8228

E-mail: kawaing@hkucc.hku.hk Office K716

Tutor: Mr. Charles Yip Phone: 2859 8993

E-mail: diburi@hku.hk Office: K727A

WebCT:
Course materials and announcements will be posted on WebCT. You are expected to check
WebCT regularly for information updates.
Students without a university account may access this website through the guest account.
Please login at http://webct.hku.hk/webct/entryPageIns.dowebct .
Login user name: “PSYC1001D_guest”; password: “guest”

Course Description
This course introduces theories and research on important individual and interpersonal factors
that affect our behavior. The applied aspect of psychological knowledge will be highlighted
and the relevance of such knowledge to everyday life will be demonstrated. Through lectures,
assignments and other class activities, students will develop a greater understanding of
psychology as an academic subject and its significance.

Objectives
In this course, students will:
1. Understand psychology as a science.
2. Learn about the relevance of psychology to everyday life.
3. Engage in critical thinking about psychological issues.

Textbook
Gerrig, R.J. & Zimbardo, P.G (2010) Psychology and Life. Boston, MA: Pearson
(Available at the HKU Bookstore; 1 copy on reserve in the Main Library)
Course Outline

Week Date of lecture Topic Textbook Tutorial

chapter
1 Jan 11 Introduction: psychology and everyday life 1, 2

2 18 Sensation and perception 4

3 25 Attention, memory, and learning 6, 7 1

4 Feb 1 Thinking and intelligence 8, 9

5 8 (Holiday)
2
6 15 Emotion; motivation 11, 12

7 22 Social psychology 16

8 Mar 1 Reading Week

3
9 8 Midterm Exam

10 15 Personality 13

11 22 Human development 10 4

12 29 Stress and health 12

13 Apr 5 (Holiday) 5
14 12 Psychological disorders 14

15 19 Therapies for psychological disorders 15

16 26 Final Exam

Course Evaluation
60% Examinations (midterm exam and final exam)
10% Tutorial attendance and participation
10% Group presentation
16% Individual paper
4% Research participation

1. Lectures
Lecture Hours: Tuesday 3:00 p.m.- 4:55 p.m. (Venue: KKLG109)
You are expected to have read the corresponding textbook chapter BEFORE coming to
lectures, which would facilitate your in-class learning. The chapter summary and Practice Test
at the end of each chapter will help you test your understanding of the concepts.
Lecture handouts will be available on WebCT at least two days before the corresponding
lecture. Please print your own copy and bring to class.

2. Tutorials and Assignments

There will be a total of five tutorials, beginning in the 3rd/4th week. Students will gain
experience of doing cognitive experiments and exploring psychological issues. You will team
up with 2 or 3 of your tutorial group members to work on a project, present the results in
class, and write up your individual paper on the topic. Details will be available in the first
tutorial.

3. Examinations
Midterm: March 8, 2011 (Tuesday, 3:00 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.)
Final: April 26, 2011 (Tuesday, 3:00 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.)
The format will be multiple-choice questions. They will cover the materials presented in
lectures, tutorials, and the textbook (Chapters 4,6,7,8,9,11,12,16 for the Midterm Exam and
all assigned chapters for the Final Exam). The Final Exam will cover the whole course. Make-
up exams are only allowed with acceptable medical documentation and will be in essay
format.
Your scores will be calculated in two ways, and you will get the higher of the two options.
• Option A: midterm (25%) + final (35%)
• Option B: final only (60%)
You are required to bring your student card along in both exams for tutors’ checking.

4. Research Participation
To gain first-hand experience in psychological research, you can participate in the research
designed by our teachers and students. You will receive credit for participation, up to a
maximum of 4 marks. If you choose not to participate in any research, you can submit an
additional paper instead. Details will be available in the first tutorial.

Important Note
A hardcopy and a softcopy are required for all written assignments. The softcopy will be
checked for plagiarism against a database of articles, books, webpages, and essays
submitted by students at HKU and other universities. No credit will be given for an
assignment that contains plagiarized materials. Further penalties will also be applied.
These penalties include a zero mark for participation in course tutorials and a zero
mark for the course. Plagiarism will also be reported to your Faculty for consideration
of possible disciplinary action.