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Spring 2024
PSY 210-002: Introduction to Psychology
Katherine Fenton
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Fenton, Katherine, "PSY 210-002: Introduction to Psychology" (2024). Humanities Syllabi. 822.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/hum-syllabi/822
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Introduction to Psychology
PSY 210 002 Spring Semester 2024
Class Times: Our classes will meet twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 1120am both days
Location: TIER 112
Instructor: Katherine Fenton
Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: By appointment
Course Prerequisites/Co-requisites: This course does not have any prerequisites or co-requisites.
Delivery Mode: This course will predominantly be delivered synchronously in-person. There will however
occasionally be student presentations or lectures delivered online asynchronously (online recordings) as per the
class schedule below.
Course Description
This course provides an introduction to the scientific study of the mind and behaviour. Topics covered include
methodology in psychological research, the biological basis of behavior, consciousness, perception, learning,
cognition, communication, memory, development, emotion, motivation, personality, psychological disorders
and therapeutic approaches.
Course Goals
Through a combination of interactive lectures, small-group work and independent reading and reflection, this
course aims to:
• Provide introductory training in thinking like a psychologist and understanding the scientific method
and research design
• Equip students with knowledge of the major concepts, theories, approaches, historical developments,
sub-disciplines in the field of psychology
• Foster an appreciation for and desire to understand the complexity of human behavior.
Learning Goals
Throughout the course, students will have extensive and intensive experience:
• working in small groups to digest new information as well as test and advance their own understanding
• critically evaluating and contextualizing scientific findings
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
• demonstrate familiarity with the major theoretical perspectives and core empirical findings in
psychology
• compare different approaches to psychological investigation with respect to measurement, use of
statistics, conceptual orientation and implications, and ethical considerations
• demonstrate basic scientific literacy (be able to apply knowledge of the conventions of scientific
writing and data presentation in order to read and critically evaluate an original psychological journal
article)
Course Materials
• Textbook: Your textbook for this course is available for free online!
OpenStax. (2020). Psychology 2e. Houston, TX: Rice University.
Available at: https://openstax.org/details/books/psychology-2e.
You can download a PDF or read the book online. The OpenStax website also contains study guides
and other supplementary resources that may be useful to you.
• You will require a PC with internet access to engage with our Learning Management System – Canvas.
• Journal Articles which are free online or available through NJIT library
• Free thought provoking or high quality educational YouTube videos
Methods of Feedback & Assessment
Attendance & Participation (20% of final grade)
0.5% for attendance and participation in each in-person class.
0.5% for attempting each open-book Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) Quiz on Canvas (and learning
from any incorrect answers!). After each lecture on a particular Textbook Chapter, a series of MCQ
questions will be posted on Canvas for you to revise and test your learning. These are to be completed
individually but you have the option of completing these as either open- or closed-book based on your
learning style. Canvas will provide immediate feedback. As these questions are to help facilitate
engagement with and learning from course content, points will not be deducted for incorrect answers.
You will have approximately 7 days following the relevant lecture to complete these.
1% for demonstrating engagement with all group presentations. This may be achieved by posting a
brief summary of each experiment (focusing on procedure of original study and their results) or a copy
of the notes you made while watching each recording. These may be typed or hand-written.
Attendance will not be recorded for asynchronous lectures but marks will still be allocated for
completion of their corresponding MCQs.
3x In-class Exams each worth 20% of final grade
There is no cumulative final for this course. There will be three in-class (closed-book) exams each
worth 20% of your final grade. They will cover content as outlined in the assessment schedule below.
These exams have been scheduled towards the second half of the term to allow developing critical
thinking skills to be applied to important earlier topics. It also allows time for repeated self-guided
revision which is helpful for learning and longer-term retention of knowledge. Further information on
these exams will be provided closer to the exam dates.
Group Assignment (20% of final grade)
This assignment is to develop your skills relating to teamwork, communication, self-directed learning
and peer-teaching, while giving you an opportunity to learn how to perform a database search,
literature review, critical analysis and referencing using APA format.
You will be allocated to small groups to perform a deep dive into one of the following famous
historical experiments:
• The Milgram Obedience Experiment
• The Stanford Prison Experiment
• The Little Albert Experiment
• Pavlov's Conditioning Experiments
• The Asch Conformity Experiment
• The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment
• The Bobo Doll Experiment
• Harlow’s Resus Monkey Experiment
Each group will research a different topic – these will be randomly allocated to each group.
As a group you will develop an interesting and engaging 15-20min group PowerPoint presentation to
teach the class about the experiment. These presentations should be videorecorded (such as with Zoom)
and posted for the class to watch and test their learning asynchronously. Suggested approach:
• Search appropriate databases of journal articles to identify the original article. If the original
article is unavailable, you may refer to secondary resources which describe the procedure and
experiment in detail.
• As a group read and discuss the experiment in depth – you may wish to elaborate on your
understanding of this text by referring to textbook descriptions, YouTube videos
demonstrating the procedure, and (where available) documentaries & movies relating to the
experiment.
• Research & describe the sociocultural environment, previous studies and schools of thought
that lead to this experiment being performed.
• Describe the procedure in the original experiment
• Describe the findings of this experiment
• Critically appraise this experiment, including by commenting on any limitations of the
experiment. There any many guides on how to perform critical appraisal available online but
you may wish to start with the following resources. (You do not need to perform critical
appraisal checklist.)
o https://deakin.libguides.com/c.php?g=558207&p=6505765
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8Y-
yfi3vp4&list=PLKav5fAJIAOJark_WyTcOb_wKIwjNJ35s&index=1
• Describe the implications of the original experiment for human behaviour, culture, etc.
• Perform a literature review to determine how subsequent researchers have built on this work
over the years. Where available, you may discuss any discrepancies or controversies in this
field. (A literature review involves identifying and summarising a variety of peer reviewed
journals on a particular subject.)
• Write 3 questions and answers to allow the audience to test their learning during your
presentation
• Write a bibliography using American Psychological Association (APA) formatting. This
should be included on the last slide of your presentation.
Course grades will be awarded as follows:
Percentage Letter (description)
90 & above A (superior)
85 – 89.5 B+ (excellent)
80 – 84.5 B (very good)
75 – 79.5 C+ (good)
70 – 74.5 C (acceptable)
60 – 69.5 D (minimum)
59.5 & below F (unsuccessful)
Any extenuating circumstances that could interfere with your ability to complete the requirements for this
course should be taken to the Dean of Students. The Dean of Students will discuss your situation with you,
assess any relevant documentation, and make the determination of whether any special accommodations will be
granted (e.g., late withdrawal from the course, request for a make-up exam, request for an Incomplete, etc).
Academic Integrity
Academic Integrity is the cornerstone of higher education and is central to the ideals of this course and the
university. Cheating is strictly prohibited and devalues the degree that you are working on. As a member of the
NJIT community, it is your responsibility to protect your educational investment by knowing and following the
academic code of integrity policy that is found at: http://www5.njit.edu/policies/sites/policies/files/academic-
integrity-code.pdf.
Please note that it is my professional obligation and responsibility to report any academic misconduct to the
Dean of Students Office. Any student found in violation of the code by cheating, plagiarizing or using any
online software inappropriately will result in disciplinary action. This may include a failing grade of F, and/or
suspension or dismissal from the university. If you have any questions about the code of Academic Integrity,
please contact the Dean of Students Office at [email protected].
Accessibility, Academic Accommodations & Counselling Services
If you anticipate any issues related to the format or materials of this course, or if you would like to discuss any
accommodations that might be helpful, please contact me at the start of the semester. If you have a documented
disability, or if you think you might have a disability, you should also be in touch with the Office of
Accessibility Resources and Services (OARS), request an official accommodation or to discuss requesting one.
More information about OARS is available here: https://www.njit.edu/accessibility/.
The Centre for Counselling and Psychological Services (C-CAPS) provides a number of confidential resources
for any student interested in seeking help with personal issues, emotional concerns, or stress. Visit
https://www.njit.edu/counseling/ to learn more.
Class & Assessment Schedule
Week Date Topic
1 Tues 16th Jan Orientation & Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY
1 Thurs 18th Jan Chapter 2 PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH
2 Tues 23rd Jan Chapter 3 BIOPSYCHOLOGY
2 Thurs 25th Jan Critical Thinking Tutorial (Chapters 1-3)
3 Tues 30th Jan Chapter 4 STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS
3 Thurs 1st Feb Chapter 5 SENSATION AND PERCEPTION
4 Tues 6th Feb Critical Thinking Tutorial (Chapters 4 & 5)
4 Thurs 8th Feb Chapter 6 LEARNING
5 Tues 13th Feb Chapter 7 THINKING AND INTELLIGENCE
5 Thurs 15th Feb Chapter 8 MEMORY
6 Tues 20th Feb Critical Thinking Tutorial (Chapters 6-8)
6 Thurs 22nd Feb Chapter 9 LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT
7 Mon 26th Feb Group Presentations Due 5pm Monday 26th Feb
7 Tues 27th Feb Asynchronous Online Group Presentations
7 Thurs 29th Feb Asynchronous Online Group Presentations
8 Tues 5th March Asynchronous Online Lecture: Ch. 10 MOTIVATION & EMOTION
8 Thurs 8th March Asynchronous Online Lecture: Chapter 11 PERSONALITY
Spring Break Tues 12th March No classes
Spring Break Thurs 14th March No Classes
9 Tues 19th March Critical Thinking Tutorial (Chapters 9-11) & Exam Revision
9 Thurs 21st March In-class Exam on Chapters 1-5
10 Tues 26th March Chapter 12 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
10 Thurs 28th March Chapter 13 INDUSTRIAL-ORGANIZATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
11 Tues 2nd April Critical Thinking Tutorial (Chapters 12 & 13) & Exam Revision
11 Thurs 4th April In-class exam for Chapters 6-10
12 Tues 9th April Chapter 14 STRESS, LIFESTYLE, AND HEALTH
12 Thurs 11th April Critical Thinking Tutorial (Chapters 14) & Revision for Exam
13 Tues 16th April Chapter 15 PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
13 Thurs 18th April Chapter 15 PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS continued
14 Tues 23rd April Chapter 16 THERAPY AND TREATMENT
14 Thurs 25th April Critical Thinking Discussion (Chapters 15 & 16) & Exam Revision
15 Tues 30th April In-class Exam on Chapters 11-16
Please note that this syllabus may be subject to change by author during the Spring Semester according to
student needs.
