PSYC 401: Introduction to Psychology | CRN: 16685 | SEC: 9 | Meets: TR 9:40-11:00, Murkland 115

Instructor: Michael A. Mangan, MFA, PhD Telephone: 862-3404

Office: McConnell 430 Electronic communication: use Inbox (in
Office hours: T: 2:00-3:00; R: 1:00-2:00 (or by appointment) Canvas)

OBJECTIVES
Welcome to Introduction to Psychology! Much of what makes psychology interesting is that it is relevant to our
personal lives. In this class you will learn to view and to understand your own behavior, emotional life, thinking,
etc., as well as that of others, from a psychological perspective. Over the next 15 weeks we will explore the
complex worlds of mind and behavior. The primary focus of this course will be on your learning about, and
thinking critically about what psychologists know about people. In the science of psychology the unknown
greatly exceeds the known. Thus, you will also learn that there remains much work to do in trying to
understand and explain how and why we do what we do.

MATERIALS
Required text: Openstax, Psychology. Openstax 2017
ISBN: 1938168356 (Available free online: https://www.openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/psychology)

CLASS MEETINGS
Class meetings will include lecture and discussion, video clips, demonstrations and interactive activities. In
class we will critically examine psychological knowledge and I will ask that you explore the relevance of this
knowledge to your own life. Learning best takes place when students are active participants (i.e., engaged
cognitively, emotionally and behaviorally) in the process. This means your attendance and involvement are
expected. Since we will be covering new material each day, if you miss class you are responsible for getting
notes and any other information you may have missed from a classmate. You are expected to have completed
reading (or at least skimmed the chapter) for each section prior to coming to the first class of that section.

Late arrival/early departure/cell phones/texting: Please arrive to class on time. If you must leave at any
time during class, please let me know at the beginning of class. Please turn off and put away your cell phones.
Also, if you use a laptop, please do not attend to non-class material while in class.

Communicating with me: If you have questions or just want to talk, I encourage you to contact me before or
after class, during office hours, by phone or by using Inbox in Canvas. I will get back to you within 24 hours.
Please check Canvas regularly (daily) for messages/announcements. Getting the Canvas app (search for it on
your phone) will be very useful for communications and other class information.

Note taking in class: I will use PowerPoint slides to guide lecture. At times I will move quickly through the
slides. Because I cannot pace the progression through the material on how fast any one student can write (far
too many students for this to work) links to PPT PDFs (not slides) can be found in our Canvas space.

Academic honesty: Any form of academic dishonesty (suspected or actual) may result in an automatic F for
the assignment or possible the course. A link to information on academic honesty is located on Canvas.

Special issues: If you have questions about a grade(s) you received, are having any problems in the course,
or have special needs, come and talk with me. All of us have views, opinions, feelings, etc., which may not be
shared by others in the class. It is important to be at all times considerate of others' views, feelings and
experience when communicating in class. If something is said or done, either by me or someone else in class
that troubles you, then please don’t hesitate to speak with me about it.

Accessibility services: The University is committed to providing students with documented disabilities equal
access to all University programs and facilities. Students with documented disabilities who will need support
must register with Student Accessibility Services (SAS). Contact SAS at (603) 862-2607 or
[email protected]. Accommodation letters must be sent to me electronically via Clockwork (ask at
SAS). Students with accommodations for tests or other coursework are responsible for giving me
advance notice (no less than one week) before the work is due so that we may make appropriate
arrangements. Without appropriate notification, I may not be able to provide accommodations.
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 EVALUATION
Online quizzes (15%): There will be 12 online quizzes. Each quiz will cover one chapter, contain 20 items and
will be drawn directly from the learning objectives for each chapter. Online quizzes are open book, open notes.
However, you are expected to work independently. To ensure each student receives a different quiz, questions
will be generated randomly from a large pool of items. You will have 30 minutes (1.5 minutes per item) to
complete each quiz. Each quiz must be completed in the allotted time as they are set to auto-submit when
you’ve reached the end of the time limit, so please watch the time! Links to all quizzes can be found within
topic modules on Canvas. Quizzes will close at midnight on the day of section tests. After a quiz has
closed it will no longer be available to complete, so please be sure to complete quizzes prior to closing
times/dates. Note: Due to UNH testing policy, there will not be a graded quiz for the last chapter covered in
the course (psychotherapy).

In-class tests: (50%) There will be four tests. Tests will be weighted equally. Tests will be delivered in class
via Canvas so you’ll need to bring a reliable laptop on test days. Each student will receive a different test as
questions will be generated randomly from a large pool of items. Forgetting to bring your laptop (or your
laptop not working) on a test day is not an excuse for missing a test. All tests will be composed of 45
multiple-choice items. Tests 1-4 will cover three chapters and are designed to assess your overall learning of
course content covered for each section of the course. Items will pertain directly to the learning objectives for
each chapter. In preparing, studying your notes, the text, and taking chapter quizzes and pretests will be
helpful. You will have 60 minutes to complete each test. Thereafter, I’ll make your scores and answers
available and we’ll have some time for you to ask questions about the test. To review any test in more detail,
please come see me during office hours. Please see the course schedule for test dates and times. Note:
Expect questions from chapter 16 to appear in the comprehensive final as this chapter is covered the last week
of class, after test 4.

Cumulative final: (20%) The final for this course will be delivered online via Canvas at the day/time of our
scheduled final (see course schedule for final date and time). It will be composed of 80 multiple-choice items
(around 6 items from each of the 13 topic areas covered in the course). The final is designed to test your
knowledge and understanding of course content as well as your ability to apply what you’ve learned. Items will
pertain directly to the learning objectives for each chapter. In preparing, organizing and studying your notes,
PPT slides, video lectures, the text, re-taking chapter pretests and reviewing chapter quizzes will be helpful.
You will have 120 minutes (1.5 minutes per item) to complete the exam.

On preparing for quizzes/exams: Focus on the learning objectives that can be found within each topic on
Canvas. Use them as a guide for what you’ll need to get out of lecture AND out of the reading. You are
responsible for studying all relevant material that pertains to the objectives covered in lecture and in
the text. A good preparation strategy may be to find answers to all objectives using the information in both the
lecture slides and the text. Give yourself plenty of time to organize and study and quiz yourself on the relevant
material. Keep in mind that although quiz/exam items are derived from the objectives, objectives are not
intended to tell you exactly what questions will be on quizzes/exams. Rather, the objectives are intended
to indicate what you should be learning and to help you focus your study efforts. Some objectives may seem
“broad” in scope. If you have any questions about any objective, please ask me for clarification. I’ve also
provided online chapter pretests for you to complete. Although you will see a score upon completion of a
pretest (click it to see answers), pretests are not required and will NOT count toward your grade.
Completing pretests prior to taking chapter quizzes and tests will likely be helpful. Pretests will contain 20 items
that pertain to the learning objectives for each chapter. Links to all pretests can be found in topic modules on
Canvas. You can re-take pretests as many times as you like. A general rule of thumb: Take and re-take a
pretest until you’ve obtained a score that you’d be satisfied with on an actual quiz.

Very important notes on taking online tests quizzes:

1) Tests and quizzes auto-score. To review your test or quiz, click on your score in “grades” when it
becomes available. We’ll have some time in class after tests to discuss them. Should you want more
detailed feedback on any assessment, please come see me during my office hours.
2) For an online test or quiz to be completed successfully, you must do your part. This means having
reliable technology and sorting out any possible technical issues prior to attempting any assessment.

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 3) In the event of technical or other issues, I will drop the lowest quiz score from your final grade. No test
scores will be dropped.

Watch & respond (5%): Starting the third week of class and on three additional dates (see course schedule)
we will watch a video in class. Thereafter, we’ll have a short discussion and you’ll write a short response. For
credit, written responses must be submitted in class. Grading: credit/no credit.

Laboratory participation (10%): Students are expected to complete four credits of laboratory experience. The
Web-based lab sign-up procedure requires you to register for Sona Systems. It is very important that you sign
up, register for the correct section, and understand all the “rules of the game,” so please read all of the Lab
Experience materials that are located under the “Lab Experience” link in our Canvas space. As you complete
labs, don’t expect to see credit in the “Labs” space in your Grades until the end of the class. I will enter your
lab score (0-4) sometime during finals week when I am given the final report from experimenters. If there is a
discrepancy between your records and the score I enter, then you will need to let me know and we can sort it
out before I enter your final grade. To resolve any registration (or other issues) with Sona Systems contact the
study experimenter(s) and/or Sona administrator (contact information is on Canvas).

LATE/MISSED WORK POLICY

For the next 15 weeks, my assumption is that you have made a commitment to this course and that you
understand your responsibilities. To avoid conflicts, please let family members, employers, coaches, etc. (and
anyone else) know of your responsibilities for this course. If you anticipate conflicts, please see me
immediately.

• Students are responsible for notifying me of any late/missing work within 24 hours of the due date.
• Missed labs cannot be made up.
• I will drop one lowest online quiz score for the term.
• In-class tests cannot be made up except in cases of illness/emergency or documented pre-scheduled
UNH-related events (athletics, etc.). I will allow one test makeup.
• No test (including the final) will be given earlier or later than its scheduled date.
• The final must be taken as scheduled and cannot be made up.

FINAL GRADES
Your final grade will be based upon a weighted percentage of the total possible points you earn. The Weighted
Total you see in Grades throughout the term will fluctuate quite a bit as various scores are entered. The tables
below show the letter grade associated with ranges of weighted total percentages and the category weights for
each activity upon which your final grade will be based. In assigning final grades, I will use grades as
computed by Canvas, which assigns letter grades to weighted total percentages taken out to the second
decimal place (e.g., 89.45%, 89.54%, 89.89%, 89.98% are all assigned a letter grade of B+). This means that
small amounts count!

A: 100%-94% B+: 87%-89% B-: 80%-83% C: 74%-76% D+: 67%-69% D-: 60%-63%
A-: 90%-93% B: 84%-86% C+: 77%-79% C-: 70%-73% D: 64%-66% F: <60%

Evaluation Activities Category Weights Evaluation Activities Category Weights

Test 1 12.5% Final 20%
Test 2 12.5% Online quizzes 15%
Test 3 12.5% Watch & respond 5%
Test 4 12.5% Lab experience 10%

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 COURSE SCHEDULE
Mtg. Date Topic Read Watch & Respond Video Lecture Quizzes

1 8/27 Syllabus day

2 8/29 What Is Psychology? Chpt. 1 View lecture
3 9/3 Psychological Research Chpt. 2
4 9/5 Psychological Research Chpt. 2
5 9/10 Biopsychology Chpt. 3
6 9/12 Biopsychology Chpt. 3 Who Will We Be? View lecture
7 9/17 Test 1 1-3 close
8 9/19 Sensation & Perception Chpt. 5
9 9/24 Sensation & Perception Chpt. 5
10 9/26 Consciousness Chpt. 4
11 10/1 Consciousness Chpt. 4 The Secret You View lecture
12 10/3 Learning Chpt. 6
13 10/8 Learning Chpt. 6
14 10/10 Test 2 4-6 close
15 10/17 Memory Chpt. 8
Memory Chpt. 8 How Does Your View lecture
16 10/22
Memory Work?
17 10/24 Thinking & Intelligence Chpt. 7 View lecture
18 10/29 Development Chpt. 9 View lecture
19 10/31 Test 3 7-9 close
20 11/5 Personality Chpt. 11 View lecture
21 11/7 Social Behavior Chpt. 12
Social Behavior Chpt. 12 Why Do I Need View lecture
22 11/12
You?
23 11/14 Psychological Disorders Chpt. 15
24 11/19 Psychological Disorders Chpt. 15
25 11/21 Test 4 10-12 close
26 11/26 Review day
Thanksgiving
27 12/3 Therapy & Treatment Chpt. 16
28 12/5 Therapy & Treatment Chpt. 16
Online Test
Final 12/11 Date: 12/11
Time: 10:30-12:30