General Psychology 100

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COURSE INFORMATION FOR GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 100 -- DR. TERRY F. PETTIJOHN

OVERVIEW. Psychology is the science of behavior and cognition. This course views behavior and cognition from various perspectives. Emphasis is on the experimental attitude. Psychology is relevant, and students will apply findings to personal life. The course objectives include: 1-knowledge of psychology, 2-development of scientific attitude, and 3-personal awareness development. Every student should be able to apply what he or she learns to everyday life, and have fun doing it. This is a prerequisite to all other courses. Students may be asked to participate in research studies. The schedule may be changed due to unforeseen circumstances. Always be prepared.

CLASS MEETINGS. The class will meet on a regular schedule. Please try to be on time. If late, come in without disturbing the rest of the students. If absent, obtain notes from a classmate. You are responsible for everything that is covered in every class. Please come prepared to learn about psychology. Be considerate of classmates and instructor. Ask questions when necessary, but do not talk and disrupt class. If necessary, I might need to ask a student to leave the room if disruptive. This is a large class, but if we cooperate, it will run smoothly. Take notes in class. If class is canceled, continue with the schedule. If class is canceled on the day a test is scheduled, the test will be given the next time the class meets. Requirements may change slightly.

ASSIGNMENTS. This course will have 5 in-class tests, 4 in-class tests worth 100 points each and 1 final exam worth 200 points. The tests will include multiple choice questions, essay questions, and critical thinking take home questions. The take home questions include identifying important concepts in the course, conducting a research study, and an Internet assignment (which must be posted to a discussion page). The tests will cover both the textbook and class lectures. Please try to take tests on time. If you absolutely cannot take a test, call and leave a message. A make-up will be arranged if necessary. The 5 in-class tests are worth 600 points.

STUDY SUGGESTIONS. There is a study skills handout on the Internet. The student study guide and computer study program will help you study for tests. In addition, you can be tutored, and can ask instructor for assistance. If you need help, get it early. One study skill is to keep a Psychology Journal in which you write Comprehension questions and answers, Applications of concepts, and Evaluations of theories in psychology. Perhaps the best advice is to always be prepared. Good luck in this exciting adventure.

COMPUTER ASSISTED INSTRUCTION. In addition to other options, there will be available to students a computer assisted instruction study program for students in the course. The computer program will contain a programmed review of text concepts, identification/ glossary exercises, and a multiple choice quiz for each unit of the course. We are using the IBM computers in the psych lab. If you have an IBM compatible computer, I will make the study program available for home use (you need 1 MS-DOS formatted high density disk). Part of the course study program will be available on the Internet, and students are encouraged to quickly learn how to log-on, either at home or in the computer center at OSUM. My web site contains course information and Internet resources and assignments to help you learn more effectively.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES. Every student is expected to behave ethically and morally in this class. Academic misconduct is a serious offense that will not be tolerated. Plagiarism will be handled according to University rules. Students are expected to attend class regularly and if absent get class notes. If students cannot make a test, it is their responsibility to let instructor know in advance and to turn in take-home material the next class meeting when asking about a possible make-up exam. It is also the student's responsibility to let the instructor know of any special requirements or needs early in the quarter. You should always know exactly where you stand. Always do your own work (do not even think of cheating)! Academic misconduct is very serious. Students are encouraged to keep in contact with the instructor through personal contacts, written messages, or email messages (my email address is Pettijohn.1@osu.edu). Keep up with assignments. I would like you to get your e-mail account as soon as possible so you can always communicate with me about the course.

GOOD LUCK! I hope that each student enjoys the course and is able to really get involved in psychology. I love to teach psychology, and this is one of my favorite courses. I am sure that we can all work together to learn about psychology. Please feel free to come to my office to see me whenever you can. I would like to get to know everyone in the class. Psychology is fun!

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Research Methods 300

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Psychology 300, Research Methods, is a 4 credit hour experimental methods psychology course that involves students in learning about the research methods used in psychology. It is a new course at OSU, and will probably be required of all psychology majors in the near future. The only prerequisite is General Psychology 100. It will be taught M W F 10am Winter Quarter by Dr. Pettijohn.

Students experience psychology through research and active participation in class activities. Library work, lab work, and home work are essential for the course to be a success. Goals include 1) understanding experimental research designs, 2) searching research literature, 3) writing in APA style, and 4) conducting original research.

This is the course for students to really discover research psychology for themselves. It is useful to social science, education, business, and science majors, or anyone interested in becoming actively involved in the thrill of understanding social science research experimental design. It will involve some challenging concepts, and students will have to work to understand the experimental designs.

Students will be involved in writing short abstracts of research articles, reviewing the research literature in psychology, conducting several small experiments, and conducting, an original research project. We hope to meet with students from other campuses to present research.

Specific topics in Psychology 300 include theory, hypothesis testing, APA writing style, literature reviews, ethics, subject concerns, dependent variable measurement, analysis of data, and experimental research designs (including between-subject designs, within-subject designs, developmental designs, survey designs, and observation).

Most of the 3 hours in class will be spent learning about experimental methodology. Students will use out-of- class time to do library research, laboratory research, and writing. Evaluation will probably include tests, abstracts, experiments, literature reviews, and final project.

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Psychology on the Internet 394

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OVERVIEW. PSYCHOLOGY ON THE INTERNET 394 is an exploration of psychological information.

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