Office: Davie Hall, Room 319
Office Hours: Wednesdays from 1:15-2:15 p.m. and/or by appointment
Phone: 962-7636
Email: coolsen@email.unc.edu
Course WebPage: www.unc.edu/~coolsen/psych10.html

Course Text: Kosslyn, S. M., & Rosenberg, R. S. (2001). Psychology: the brain, the person, the world.  Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Course Overview

The purpose of this course is to provide a basic understanding of psychology and the field’s major areas of research in gaining understanding of human behavior.

Attendance

Attendance is strongly encouraged – and note below that a small percentage of the course will be derived from class participation.  All material covered in class is subject to appear on the exams.  While the material in class will cover important concepts and research in the assigned reading of the text, there will be additional material apart from the assigned reading in the text that will be talked about.  Therefore, you will be responsible for this material in class not covered in the assigned readings.  All of this means that your success in this class greatly depends upon your attendance.

Research Requirement

Participation in research is a great way to understand psychology as a science.  With this in mind, a requirement of this course is that you serve as a participant in ongoing research projects or satisfy this requirement with other options to be described in a handout from the participant pool coordinator.  Please refer to this respective research requirement link on the course webpage for participant pool contact information (course webpage address listed above).

Evaluation

Your grade for this course will be based on a quiz, a midterm exam, class participation, and a final exam.

Quiz (50 points): The Quiz will cover specific material (see Class Schedule section below).  The Quiz will be given on Wednesday, May 29th (in class) from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.  Make-ups for the Quiz will be scheduled only under extreme circumstances and must be arranged with me prior to its regularly scheduled time.

Midterm and Final Exams (100 points each): Each exam, including the midterm and final exams, will cover specific material (see Class Schedule section below) and will not be cumulative.  The Midterm Exam will be given on Tuesday, June 11th (in class) from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. , and the Final Exam will be given on Monday, June 24th at from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (in class).  Make-ups for the Midterm Exam will be scheduled only under extreme circumstances and must be arranged with me prior to its regularly scheduled time.  In the case that you cannot make the scheduled time for the final exam, you will need to receive formal consent from your respective academic dean, and a time must be arranged at my convenience.  Please note that I am required by this university to only consider rescheduling the final exam for students with their respective dean’s consent.

As for the midterm exam, any well-documented emergencies will be considered.  If you miss this midterm exam without my consent, you will be given a zero for that exam.  Note: All exams will be given on the date scheduled.  They will cover material to be specified by the instructor in the review sessions (see Class Schedule section below).

Class Participation (15 points): You will regularly participate in/complete activities in class.  On 7 random class days, I will give and collect from you a class activity (i.e., a written exercise) with your name on it.  Each collected class activity will be worth 3 points for a grand total of 15 points and graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis.  If you do the math, you should notice that you can miss up to and including 2 out of these 7 randomly scheduled in-class activities and still earn all 15 class-participation points.  Also note that if you miss less than 2 in-class activity days, you will earn extra credit points that will be added on to your final point total (out of 265 total points) for your overall class grade.  If you miss an activity day, I will consider giving a makeup exercise in cases of extreme circumstances (e.g., illness accompanied by documentation from Student Health Services) or university-sanctioned absences (i.e., a letter is presented to me from the university excusing you from various days of class) – in all scenarios of absence, I will need official documentation from you if I am to consider giving you a makeup exercise.  If possible, please let me know in advance of your absences.  With excused absences, but only with excused absences, I will provide an article that you may review and critique in a 2-page, 12-pt font, double-spaced paper.

Point Distribution for Evaluation (see Class Schedule section below for exam dates)
 

Quiz	50 points
Midterm Exam	100 points
Final Exam	100 points
Participation	15 points
Total	265 points

Grading Distribution (the percentage of earned points based on 265 total points)
 

A: 93%-100%	C: 73%-76%
A-: 90%-92%	C-: 70%-72%
B+: 87%-89%	D+: 67%-69%
B: 83%-86%	D: 63%-66%
B-: 80%-82%	D-: 60%-62%
C+: 77%-79%	F: 59% and below

Honor Code

All students will be expected to abide by the Honor Code with respect to all activities and exams.  All exams and written activities must have the honor pledge written on them and signed by the student.  In addition to signing this honor code on exams, all students will be required to initial their printed name on a class roster after handing in their exams.  All exams in this class are to be taken without the assistance of books, notes, or other people.  All collected written activities in this class are to be completed without the assistance of other people.  However, you may study with your classmates.

Class Schedule*
 

Date(s)	Topic	Chapter in Textbook
5/21, 5/22	Introduction: The Science and History of Psychology	1 (pp. 7-24)
5/22	Research Methods	1 (pp. 25-40)
5/23, 5/24	The Brain No class on 5/27: Memorial Day	2
5/28	Catch up + review session**
5/29	Quiz 1: Look on class webpage link for information about this exam and the material/chapters it covers!
5/28, 5/29	Personality	10
5/30	Psychological Disorders	13
5/31	Treatment	14
6/3	Stress, Health, and Coping	12
6/4, 6/5	Sensation and Perception	3
6/5, 6/6	Consciousness	4
6/10	Catch up + review session**
6/11	Midterm Exam: Look on class webpage link for information about this exam and the material/chapters it covers!
6/7	Memory	6
6/12	Language & Thinking	7
6/13	Learning	5
6/14	Intelligence	8
6/18	Life Span	11
6/19	Emotion & Motivation	9
6/20	Social Psychology	15
6/21	Catch up + review session**
Monday, June 24th at 11:30 a.m. in Dey 204 (our classroom)	Final Exam: Look on class webpage link for information about this exam and the material/chapters it covers!

* In terms of chapter coverage, I will try my best to generally keep on track with this schedule, but in all likelihhod, I will stray from this schedule -- you will be fully informed of any and all changes in this chapter coverage schedule.  IMPORTANT: However, dates for all quizes/exams will NOT change.  Links describing what material will be covered on each exam will be provided on course webpage (address listed above).

** Questions may be submitted in beginning of class to instructor by students about material covered on the respective exam.