Time Schedule:
Lois J. Mc Dermott
PSYCH 101
Seattle Campus
Surveys major areas of psychological science. Core topics include human social behavior, personality, psychological disorders and treatment, learning, memory, human development, biological influences, and research methods. Related topics may include sensation, perception, states of consciousness, thinking, intelligence, language, motivation, emotion, stress and health, cross-cultural psychology, and applied psychology. Offered: AWSpS.
Class description
The topics covered in this section of 101 are human social behavior, personality, psychological disorders and treatment, perception, states of consciousness, learning, memory, human development, biological influences, and research methods. McDermott sections are held in Fall only.
Student learning goals
1) Knowledge of Psychology: Psychology 101 instructors seek to increase students' knowledge of the field of psychology. This typically is the most basic goal of the course and may be the only goal that, given the size of the class and available staff, feasibly can be evaluated directly. This goal may include enhancing students' knowledge and understanding of: a) major psychological approaches to the study of behavior; b) major issues in psychology; c) concepts, basic terminology, research findings, and applications of psychological work; d) the research process and its limitations; and e) psychology's important contributors.2) Scientific Values and Critical Thinking: Psychology 101 instructors seek to stimulate students' intellectual curiosity about human behavior, increase their appreciation of the scientific method, help students recognize factors that can lead to faulty or biased research, and enhance students' ability to critically evaluate scientific information.
2) Scientific Values and Critical Thinking: Psychology 101 instructors seek to stimulate students' intellectual curiosity about human behavior, increase their appreciation of the scientific method, help students recognize factors that can lead to faulty or biased r3) Applications to Everyday Life: Psychology 101 instructors seek to increase students' understanding of how principles learned through psychological science apply to everyday life. Examples include helping students to appreciate how psychological science a) enhances human welfare, b) enables people to better understand their own and others' behavior, c) promotes an awareness of the complexity of human behavior, and d) promotes an intelligent skepticism about accepting psychological "facts" and "truths" that are presented in the mass media.esearch, and enhance students' ability to critically evaluate scientific information.
3) Applications to Everyday Life: Psychology 101 instructors seek to increase students' understanding of how principles learned through psychological science apply to everyday life. Examples include helping students to appreciate how psychological science a) enhances human welfare, b) enables people to better understand their own and others' behavior, c) promotes an awareness of the complexity of human behavior, and d) promotes an intelligent skepticism about accepting psychological "facts" and "truths" that are presented in the mass media.
General method of instruction
The class meets in a large lecture (500+ students). PowerPoint interactive slides with student TP response devices are used during lecture to assess student understanding of the material, do demonstrations with class participation, and get student input of attitudes/experiences. Video clips are used to illustrate lecture material. Students have weekly homework assignments and online activities.
Recommended preparation
none
Class assignments and grading
Multiple choice exams cover the reading and lecture material. Quizzes cover the weekly homework assignments. Online activites are experiential learning.
Students grades will be based on performance on multiple choice exams, weekly quizzes, online activities, and class participation. The weekly quizzes and class participation credit are assessed using TP interactive slides and student response devices ("clicker"). Students have the option of earning extra credit by serving as research participants in studies run by the Psychology Dept.
