Dr. Faye Steuer Office: 55 Coming St. (just inside 1st door on porch)
Phone: 953-8196 (o); 884-7766 (h) Email: steuerf@cofc.edu
(If calling me at home, please call before 9:00 PM.)
Required Reading Materials
Packet of materials from SAS-E Ink (79 Wentworth St., across from Andolini's Pizza)
Structure and Content of the Course
This class will be divided into two segments.
In the first (and longer) segment, we will be reading classic articles--some older, some newer-- from several of the subdisciplines of psychology. (The subdisciplines covered appear in the course schedule later in this syllabus.) As we read the articles, I expect that you will refresh your memory and extend your knowledge of the areas we cover. Articles will run the gamut from short to lengthy and from simple to very complex. It will be essential to stay up to date in your reading assignments. We will have a short test on the reading assignment for the day at the beginning of each class period. These tests--in addition to other data described below--will form the basis for your grade in the course. After the test, we will discuss the articles and then, on most days, I will attempt to provide you with background information that will help you place the assignment for the next class in perspective.
During the second segment of the course (the last two and a half weeks of the semester), students will work together to make oral reports to the class. During this segment, you will have some choice in the topic you choose to pursue. I will be telling you more about this part of the course in a few weeks.
The final exam will be a take-home test that will give you an opportunity to rethink all the material we have covered in the course and to write about it. A specific assignment for the final will be given toward the end of the semester. As it will cover both readings and information given in class, you should take notes during lectures and during student reports.
Prerequisites
The prerequisites for this course are Psychology 103 (Introductory Psychology) and at least 15 additional hours in psychology.
Grading
Your grade in this course will be based on the following information:
the points you earn on your top 20 of the 22 daily 10-point tests,
the points you earn out of a possible 20 for your class presentation, and
the points you earn out of a possible 30 on your final exam
250 = TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS
Your final grade will be based on the total number of points you accumulate, as follows:
Attendance
I expect you to attend every class, to participate in discussions, and to take notes during lectures and reports. Leaving class early will result in the loss of one point from your point total.
A Word About Reading
A defining--and liberating--characteristic of an educated person is the ability to acquire new knowledge independently. Most often this is accomplished through reading. For this reason, I stress reading independently in all the classes I teach. The reading load in this course will be particularly demanding because it is composed of primary source material.
Although this is an advanced course, there may be people in the class who feel they are not skilled readers--at least not as skilled as they want to be. If you should be one of these people, please don't suffer in silence. Talk with me about it. The sooner the better. I have some suggestions that may help.
Office Hours
Mon. & Wed., 2 - 3 PM; Tues. & Thurs., 10:50 - 11:50 AM; or by appointment.
Schedule
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Day/Date Assignment (Test)
Tues., Aug. 26 ---
History of Psychology
Thur., Aug. 28 Dittmann (pp. 1-2), Darwin (pp. 6-11), Wundt (pp. 12-28)
Tues., Sept. 2 James (pp. 29-45), Watson (pp. 46-48)
Methods
Thur., Sept. 4 Cohen (pp. 49-55), Shrout (p. 56)
Learning
Tues., Sept. 9 Watson & Rayner (pp. 57-70), Skinner (pp. 71-78)
Thur., Sept. 11 Skinner (pp. 78-88), Skinner (pp. 89-93)
Tues., Sept. 16 DeCasper & Spence (pp. 94-103), Tryon (pp. 104-108)
Biological Bases
Thur., Sept. 18 Rosenzweig, Bennett, & Diamond (pp. 109-116)
Tues., Sept. 23 Hubel & Wiesel (pp. 117-129)
Sensation and Perception
Thur., Sept. 25 Neisser (pp. 130-137)
Tues., Sept. 30 Cherry (pp. 138-142), Fantz (pp. 143-149)
Cognition
Thur., Oct. 2 Piaget (pp. 150-153)
Tues., Oct. 7 Kendler & Kendler (pp. 154-168)
(last day to withdraw w/ "w")
Memory
Thur., Oct. 9 Atkinson & Shiffrin (pp. 169-177)
Tues., Oct. 14 Loftus (pp. 178-197)
Schedule - continued:
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Day/Date Assignment (Test)
Development
Thur., Oct. 16 McNally (pp. 198-201), Watson (pp. 202-204), Gesell (pp. 205-211)
Tues., Oct. 21 (fall break)
Thur., Oct. 23 Piaget (pp. 212-221), Harlow (pp. 222-228), Gibson &
Walk (pp. 229-236)
Personality
Tues., Oct. 28 Bandura (pp. 237-246), Thomas, Chess, & Birch (pp. 247-254)
Thur., Oct. 30 Freud (pp. 255-269), Jung (pp. 270-289)
Tues., Nov. 4 Maslow (pp. 290-303), Clay (pp. 304-305)
Social Psychology
Thur., Nov. 6 Costa & McCrae (pp. 306-318)
Tues., Nov. 11 Darley & LatanJ (pp. 319-327)
Thur., Nov. 13 Levine et al. (pp. 328-341), Sternberg (pp. 3-5), Milgram (pp. 342-end)
Student Reports
Tues., Nov. 18 Student reports
Thur., Nov. 20 Student reports
Tues., Nov. 25 Student reports
Thur., Nov. 27 (Thanksgiving)
Tues., Dec. 2 Student reports
Thurs., Dec. 4 Student reports
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If class should be canceled on a day when we have a reading assignment and a test, we will stick to the printed schedule and move on to the next assignment and next test when the class reconvenes on the next scheduled class day. In other words, we will stick to the schedule printed here. Major time out for a hurricane or the like may necessitate revising the schedule.
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Final Exam
The final exam will be a take-home exam worth 30 points. It will be due in my office no later than 11:00 AM on Saturday, December 13. Complete instructions for the exam will be handed out well before the end of classes. It will cover readings and class notes from both lectures and student reports.
Record of Grades
Points on Test 1 _____
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Points on Test 21 _____
Points on Test 22 _____ Total points on top 20 tests: _______
Points on class report: _______
Points on final exam: _______
Subtotal: _______
Subtract any points lost for leaving class early: _______
Grand Total: _______
Final grade in course will be based on grand total, as follows: