Psychology 1002A 001 SU23
Psychology as a Natural Science
If there is a discrepancy between the outline posted below and the outline posted on the OWL course website, the latter shall prevail.
WESTERN UNIVERSITY
LONDON CANADA
Department of Psychology
Summer Online 2023
Psychology 1002a Section 001
Psychology as a Natural Science
- CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
An introductory survey of the methods and findings within modern scientific psychology. This course focuses on the biological aspects of human behaviour. The following topics will be covered: history and methodology, biological psychology, sensation and perception, learning and motivation, and verbal and cognitive processes.
. https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/academics/timetables.html
Antirequisite(s): Psychology 1000, Psychology 1000W/X, Psychology 1010A/B, Psychology 1100E.
Antirequisites are courses that overlap sufficiently in content that only one can be taken for credit. If you take a course that is an antirequisite to a course previously taken, you will lose credit for the earlier course, regardless of the grade achieved in the most recent course.
Prerequisites: n/a
2 lecture hours; 1 tutorial hour, 0.5 course
Unless you have either the prerequisites for this course or written special permission from your Dean to enrol in it, you may be removed from this course and it will be deleted from your record. This decision may not be appealed. You will receive no adjustment to your fees in the event that you are dropped from a course for failing to have the necessary prerequisites.
2.0 COURSE INFORMATION
Instructor: Dr. Laura Fazakas-deHoog
Office and Phone Number: 519-317-7025
Office Hours: Mondays 8 p.m. by zoom
Email: lfazakas@uwo.ca or llfazakas@hotmail.com
Teaching Assistant: N/A
Office: N/A
Office Hours: N/A
Email: N/A
Time and Location of Classes: Lectures will be Online and Asynchronous. Lecture material will be posted weekly on course OWL site.
Delivery Method: Tutorials will be Online and Synchronous through Zoom. Zoom links will be posted on OWL.
Students who are in emotional/mental distress should refer to Health and Wellness @Western https://www.uwo.ca/health/ for a complete list of options about how to obtain help.
Please contact the course instructor if you require material in an alternate format or if you require any other arrangements to make this course more accessible to you. You may also contact Accessible Education at aew@uwo.ca or 519-661-2147.
2.1 Online Learning Notice: Please note: For courses delivered in an online format, include an online component, or are required to pivot online, students must have a reliable internet connection and computer that are compatible with online learning system requirements. Some courses may also require the use of a remote proctoring platform to ensure assessments are taken fairly in accordance with Western’s policy on Scholastic Discipline for Undergraduate Students and Scholastic Discipline for Graduate Students. Please refer to the course syllabus for further information.
3.0 TEXTBOOK
Required Text:
Passer, M.W., Smith, R.E., Atkinson, M.L., & Mitchell, J.B., (2020). Psychology: Frontiers and Applications. Seventh Canadian Edition. Toronto: McGraw Hill Ryerson.
Note: For this course you do not require a copy of the ask Dr. Mike” book. Also, you do not require a passkey for the CONNECT website unless you want to use CONNECT for studying.
Also, it is important to purchase the 7th edition—it has content that is not available in earlier editions.
Recommended Text: Ellis, Toft, & Dawson (2012). Becoming a Master Student. Nelson
4.0 COURSE OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES
This course is an introductory level survey of the methods and findings related to the biological and methodological elements of modern scientific psychology. The goal is to provide students with an overview of various topic domains within this realm of psychology. As such, students will be exposed to diverse theoretical viewpoints and various methods and procedures for the scientific investigation of psychological issues. Note: Modern psychology is scientific in nature. Consequently, we will spend a lot of time discussing science-related topics such as research design, neural functioning, sensory mechanisms, brain structure, etc.
Each chapter in the text covers a major interest area in psychology. By the end of this course, the successful student will be able to:
|
Learning Outcome |
Learning Activity |
Assessment |
|
Depth and Breadth of Knowledge Identify major concepts, theories, and topics in Psychology |
Reading & watching lectures, & tutorials |
Multiple choice exams & participation |
|
Knowledge of Methodologies Identify major methodologies and understand the strengths and weaknesses of the methodologies |
Reading & watching lectures, & tutorials |
Multiple choice exams & participation |
|
Application of Knowledge Apply concepts and theories from Psychology to everyday problems |
Reading & watching lectures, & tutorial |
Multiple choice exams, participation |
|
Communication Skills Ask questions about topics in Psychology and answer questions about Psychology |
Tutorial discussions |
Quality of answered questions |
|
Awareness of Limits of Knowledge Identify strengths and limitations of theories and information |
Reading & watching lectures, & tutorials |
Multiple choice exams, participation |
|
Autonomy and Professional Capacity Identify ethical dilemmas and principles |
Reading & watching lectures, & tutorials |
Multiple choice exams, participation |
5.0 EVALUATION
The evaluation and testing formats for this course were created to assess the learning objectives as listed in section 4.0 and are considered necessary for meeting these learning objectives.
There will two exams during the term plus tutorial participation. Each exam is worth 40%.
The first exam covers chapters 1 – 4, plus the Appendix and will consist of multiple-choice questions from both the text and lecture material. The second exam will cover chapters 5-8 and will consist of multiple-choice questions from both the text and lecture material.
Exams will be written in the following manner: During the exam periods, you will be directed to log into OWL. Once, you are in OWL, you will receive a link to log onto the exam.
Questions will be answered in a strict linear fashion. Once you move from question 1 to question 2, you cannot go back to question 1. So, you should answer each question as it appears. To get through all the questions in the time period allowed, you should spend no more than 90 - 120 seconds on each question.
Remote proctoring will be used for exams.
Weekly tutorials count for 20% of your grade (2% per tutorial for 10 tutorials). For each tutorial, you will be asked to discuss topics and answer questions related to the chapters we are currently covering in the text. The grading scheme will be posted on OWL. Tutorials missed with a valid excuse will be graded by submitting answers by email within 48 hours of scheduled tutorial. Tutorials will be scheduled on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
5.1 POLICY ON MISSING COURSEWORK
If you miss the exam for a legitimate reason (legitimate reasons are those approved by academic counselling in your home faculty), you will be allowed to write a makeup. NOTE: in order to receive credit for this course, you must write the exam. Make-Up exams will be available for the midterm and for final exams.
The expectation for course grades within the Psychology Department is that they will be distributed around the following averages:
70% 1000-level to 2099-level courses
72% 2100-2999-level courses
75% 3000-level courses
80% 4000-level courses
The Psychology Department follows Western’s grading guidelines, which are as follows (see: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/general/grades_undergrad.pdf
A+ 90-100 One could scarcely expect better from a student at this level
A 80-89 Superior work that is clearly above average
B 70-79 Good work, meeting all requirements, and eminently satisfactory
C 60-69 Competent work, meeting requirements
D 50-59 Fair work, minimally acceptable
F below 50 Fail
Note that in the event that course grades are significantly higher or lower than these averages, instructors may be required to make adjustments to course grades. Such adjustment might include the normalization of one or more course components and/or the re-weighting of various course components.
Policy on Grade Rounding: Please note that although course grades within the Psychology Department are rounded to the nearest whole number, no further grade rounding will be done. No additional assignments will be offered to enhance a final grade; nor will requests to change a grade because it is needed for a future program be considered. To maximize your grade, do your best on each and every assessment within the course.
6.0 ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION SCHEDULE
Saturday May 27, 2023 2 – 4 p.m. EXAM 1 on OWL 40%
Saturday June 17, 2023 2 - 4 p.m. FINAL EXAM on OWL 40%
7.0 CLASS SCHEDULE (week of)
Monday May 08, 2023 Chapter 1 Introduction/History of Psychology
Monday May 15, 2023 Chapter 2/Appendix Methodology/Descriptive statistics
Chapter 4 Evolution, Genetics & Behavior
Monday May 22, 2023 Chapter 3A Neurophysiology
Chapter 3B Brain Structure & Function
Saturday May 27, 2023 2 – 4 p.m. EXAM 1 on OWL
Monday May 29, 2023 Chapter 5A Sensation
Chapter 5B Perception
Monday June 05, 2023 Chapter 6 Consciousness
Chapter 7 Learning
Monday June 12, 2023 Chapter 8A Memory
Chapter 8B Memory & Forgetting
Saturday June 17, 2023 2 - 4 p.m. FINAL EXAM on OWL
* For tutorials each chapter entry (e.g. 3A) is worth 2%. Chapter 1 will not be graded. For tutorials students are expected to answer a question from both chapter sections.
8.0 Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that Western University is located on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak and Attawandaron peoples, on lands connected with the London Township and Sombra Treaties of 1796 and the Dish with One Spoon Covenant Wampum.
With this, we respect the longstanding relationships that Indigenous Nations have to this land, as they are the original caretakers. We acknowledge historical and ongoing injustices that Indigenous Peoples (e.g. First Nations, Métis and Inuit) endure in Canada, and we accept responsibility as a public institution to contribute toward revealing and correcting miseducation, as well as renewing respectful relationships with Indigenous communities through our teaching, research and community service.
9.0 STATEMENT ON ACADEMIC OFFENCES
Students are responsible for understanding the nature and avoiding the occurrence of plagiarism and other scholastic offences. Plagiarism and cheating are considered very serious offences because they undermine the integrity of research and education. Actions constituting a scholastic offence are described at the following link: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf
As of Sept. 1, 2009, the Department of Psychology will take the following steps to detect scholastic offences. All multiple-choice tests and exams will be checked for similarities in the pattern of responses using reliable software, and records will be made of student seating locations in all tests and exams. All written assignments will be submitted to TurnItIn, a service designed to detect and deter plagiarism by comparing written material to over 5 billion pages of content located on the Internet or in TurnItIn’s databases. All papers submitted for such checking will be included as source documents in the reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism of papers subsequently submitted to the system. Use of the service is subject to the licensing agreement, currently between Western and Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com).
Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams will be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.
In classes that involve the use of a personal response system (PRS), data collected using the PRS will only be used in a manner consistent to that described in this outline. It is the instructor’s responsibility to make every effort to ensure that data remain confidential. However, students should be aware that as with all forms of electronic communication, privacy is not guaranteed. Your PRS login credentials are for your sole use only. Students attempting to use another student’s credentials to submit data through the PRS may be subject to academic misconduct proceedings.
Possible penalties for a scholastic offence include failure of the assignment/exam, failure of the course, suspension from the University, and expulsion from the University.
10.0 POLICY ON THE USE OF EXAM PROCTORING SOFTWARE
Tests and examinations for online courses will be conducted using a remote proctoring service. By taking this course, you are consenting to the use of this software and acknowledge that you will be required to provide personal information (including some biometric data) and the session will be recorded. Completion of this course will require you to have a reliable internet connection and a device that meets the technical requirements for this service. More information about this remote proctoring service, including technical requirements, is available on Western’s Remote Proctoring website at: https://remoteproctoring.uwo.ca.
In the event that in-person exams are unexpectedly canceled, you may only be given notice of the use of a proctoring service a short time in advance.
11.0 POLICY ON ACCOMMODATION FOR ILLNESS OR OTHER ABSENCES
Western’s policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness can be found at:
https://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/PolicyPages.cfm?PolicyCategoryID=1&Command=showCategory&SelectedCalendar=Live&ArchiveID=#Page_12
If you experience an extenuating circumstance (e.g., illness, injury) sufficiently significant to temporarily make you unable to meet academic requirements, you may request accommodation through the following routes:
- For medical absences, submitting a Student Medical Certificate (SMC) signed by a licensed medical or mental health practitioner in order to be eligible for Academic Consideration;
- For non-medical absences, submitting appropriate documentation (e.g., obituary, police report, accident report, court order, etc.) to Academic Counselling in their Faculty of registration in order to be eligible for academic consideration. Students are encouraged to contact their Academic Counselling unit to clarify what documentation is appropriate.
Students must see the Academic Counsellor and submit all required documentation in order to be approved for certain accommodation.
https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/faculty_academic_counselling.html
Students seeking academic consideration:
- are advised to consider carefully the implications of postponing tests or midterm exams or delaying handing in work;
- must communicate with their instructors no later than 24 hoursafter the end of the period covered by the SMC, or immediately upon their return following a documented absence.
Students seeking accommodation for religious purposes are advised to contact Academic Counselling at least three weeks prior to the religious event and as soon as possible after the start of the term.
12.0 Contingency Plan for Return to Lockdown: IN-Person & Blended classes
In the event of a COVID-19 resurgence or any other event that necessitates the course delivery moving away from face-to-face interaction, all remaining course content will be delivered entirely online, either synchronously (i.e., at the times indicated in the timetable) or asynchronously (e.g., posted on OWL for students to view at their convenience). The grading scheme will not change. Any remaining assessments will also be conducted online, as determined by the course instructor.
13.0 STATEMENTS CONCERNING ONLINE ETIQUETTE
In courses involving online interactions, the Psychology Department expects students to honor the following rules of etiquette:
- please “arrive” to class on time
- please use your computer and/or laptop if possible (as opposed to a cell phone or tablet)
- please ensure that you are in a private location to protect the confidentiality of discussions in the event that a class discussion deals with sensitive or personal material
- to minimize background noise, kindly mute your microphone for the entire class until you are invited to speak, unless directed otherwise
- Please be sure that your computer camera is functioning as you will need to have your video turned on for the duration of the tutorials.
- Unless invited by your instructor, do not share your screen in the meeting
The course instructor will act as moderator for the class and will deal with any questions from participants. To participate please consider the following:
- If you wish to speak, use the “raise hand” function and wait for the instructor to acknowledge you before beginning your comment or question.
- Please remember to unmute your microphone before speaking.
- Self-identify when speaking.
- Please remember to mute your mic after speaking (unless directed otherwise).
General considerations of “netiquette”:
- Keep in mind the different cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the students in the course.
- Be courteous toward the instructor, your colleagues, and authors whose work you are discussing.
- Be respectful of the diversity of viewpoints that you will encounter in the class and in your readings. The exchange of diverse ideas and opinions is part of the scholarly environment. “Flaming” is never appropriate.
- Be professional and scholarly in all online postings. Use proper grammar and spelling. Cite the ideas of others appropriately.
Note that disruptive behavior of any type during online classes, including inappropriate use of the chat function, is unacceptable. Students found guilty of Zoom-bombing a class or of other serious online offenses may be subject to disciplinary measures under the Code of Student Conduct.
14.0 OTHER INFORMATION
Office of the Registrar: https://registrar.uwo.ca
Student Development Services: www.sdc.uwo.ca
Psychology Undergraduate Program: https://www.psychology.uwo.ca/undergraduate/index.html
If you wish to appeal a grade, please read the policy documentation at: https://www.uwo.ca/univsec/pdf/academic_policies/appeals/appealsundergrad.pdf
Please first contact the course instructor. If your issue is not resolved, you may make your appeal to the Undergraduate Chair in Psychology (psyugrd@uwo.ca).
Copyright Statement: Lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, outlines, videos and similar materials, are protected by copyright. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own educational use. You may not record lectures, reproduce (or allow others to reproduce), post or distribute any course materials publicly and/or for commercial purposes without the instructor’s written consent.
Policy on the Recording of Synchronous Sessions: Some or all of the remote learning sessions for this course (if scheduled) may be recorded. The data captured during these recordings may include your image, voice recordings, chat logs and personal identifiers (name displayed on the screen). The recordings will be used for educational purposes related to this course, including evaluations. The recordings may be disclosed to other individuals participating in the course for their private or group study purposes. Please contact the instructor if you have any concerns related to session recordings. Participants in this course are not permitted to privately record the sessions, except where recording is an approved accommodation, or the student has the prior written permission.
