NORTHERN VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
 HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES DIVISION
 ALEXANDRIA CAMPUS

PSYCHOLOGY 202 (Introduction to Psychology II)                         
Professor Ronald Boykin, instructor
e-mail: rboykin@nvcc.edu or nvboykr@nvcc.edu (leave phone number)

<>OFFICE HOURS: Office:  Room 252AA; Phone:  703-933-3979

COURSE DESCRIPTION</>: A survey of general principles underlying human behavior and the mind from a bio-psycho-environmental perspective.  Topics include learning, memory, thinking and language, intelligence, stress and health, personality, psychological disorders, therapy, and social psychology.

TEXTBOOK:

<>  Myers, D.G. (2010).  Psychology, (9th edition). New York: Worth


LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

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1. Be able to describe, orally and in writing, topics important in the sub-fields of psychology. (e.g. learning, memory, etc.)

2. Be able to critically evaluate ideas, theories, and research findings presented in the text and by others; be able to integrate your own personal experiences with material in the course.

3. Be able to appreciate the complexity of behavior, in terms of causal factors.

4. Be able to use the course to help you gain a better understanding of your own behavior.

FORMAT:

The course will combine lecture and discussion.  You are strongly encouraged to be active in your approach to learning in this class by contributing to discussions and asking questions or making comments during lectures.  There are several advantages for you if you do so:  first, you will be less likely to get bored; second, you will probably get a better grade; third, you will practice the skills involved in thinking critically, asserting yourself, and making the most of situations in which you choose to put yourself; finally, you may even find that you enjoy the course.  You must participate in all classroom activities.  Failure to do so can result in your withdrawal from the course.

EVALUATION:

Three multiple-choice/essay exams.  Class discussion of reading material is an integral part of this course.  You should almost always have read the material before coming to class.  Hopefully, the readings will be interesting and the discussion stimulating.  I reserve the right to give short, unannounced quizzes on the basic material as a way of encouraging and rewarding reading the material before class.  Any unannounced quiz will count 5% of your final grade.  Values for the announced quizzes should be reduced equally in order to have total points equal 100.

It is important that you take the exams when they are scheduled.  If you find that you are unable to take an exam at the scheduled time (due to your illness, or the death of someone close to you), you must call me within one hour of the exam’s start-time to maintain your eligibility for the curve or items thrown out . When you call, you must leave telephone numbers where I can reach you.  I reserve the right to require that you provide some documented proof for your absence if your attendance is below 80% or you have already missed taking an exam on time.  You cannot take all three exams late.  

If you miss an exam without a valid excuse, you may make up the exam, but there may be a penalty of two letter grades (20 points).  Failure to contact me prior to an exam to let me know you can't make that exam may make you ineligible for any curve on that exam.  Failure to contact me by phone after an exam if you miss that exam may cost 1/2 letter grade.  Exams must be made up before the next  scheduled class.

Each exam grade will count one-third of your final grade.  Your median final grade will be computed, as well as the mean.  The mean of the two grades will be used to determine your final letter grade.

GRADES:  Will be assigned as follows:

  A:   90-100%;    B:  80- 89;     C:  70- 79;     D:  60- 69;      F   Below 60%

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

Your enrollment in this course constitutes a commitment to attend class.  I encourage you to feel a sense of ownership of this course. Also, others can only benefit from your knowledge when you are in class to share it.

Attendance will be favorably considered in determining your final grade in borderline cases (one or two points below a higher letter grade).  No more than one day (150 minutes) absent = 2 extra points added to your final grade average. No more than two days (300 minutes) absent = 1 extra point.  After missing three days (450 minutes) of instruction, for any reason, you will be penalized one letter-grade on your final course grade for each day or part-days' absence.                                                                                          

A  policy is also in effect to minimize coming late to class, leaving early, and/or frequently coming and going during class.  Late means arriving ten or more minutes late or leaving ten or more minutes early (note, however, that you may only leave class early twice before you begin to be counted as leaving early, and penalized accordingly).  Each group of three violations converts to one 50- or 75-minute absence.  No more than two lates = 1 extra 50-minute absence.

You can also earn a 50-minute credit on your attendance by being on-time, every time, during the first three weeks of class.  However, only one 50-minute credit can be earned, total.

 You must attend a majority of the minutes in an instructional period to be counted present for that period.  

The row of seats nearest the door are for late arrivers.  Seating in this row is at the absolute discretion of the instructor.

WEEK                  TOPIC                                             CHAPTER

      1     Syllabus; Learning (video)                                       7

      2     Operant Conditioning; Classical Conditioning           7

      3     Memory                                                                  8

      4     Thinking                                                                 9

      5     Language; video; Exam 1 Review                           9

      6     Exam 1 (Chapters 7-9); Personality                      13

      7     Exam 1 Feedback; Social-cognitive; Self                13

      8     Social Psychology                                                  16

      9     Intelligence; Exam 2 Review                                   10

     10    Exam 2 (Chs. 10,13,16);  Disorders                      14

     11    Exam 2 Feedback; Anxiety; Mood                         14 

     12    Therapy; video                                                       15

     13    Behavior; Cognitive                                                15

     14    Stress, Health; Summary; Exam 3 Review               12

     15    Exam 3 (Chs. 12,14,15)

     16    Exam 3 Feedback

NOISY CELL PHONES AND PAGERS DISRUPT CLASS.  THE FIRST TIME YOURS GOES OFF, YOU WILL RECEIVE A WARNING. UPON SUBSEQUENT VIOLATIONS, YOU MUST LEAVE IMMEDIATELY AND BE COUNTED ABSENT FOR THAT INSTRUCTIONAL PERIOD.  IF IT GOES OFF DURING AN EXAM, YOU MAY LOSE UP TO FOUR POINTS ON THAT EXAM, AND BE REQUIRED TO FINISH THE EXAM IN THE TESTING CENTER.