PSY 1010 : Introduction to Psychology

Fall 2024 (August 19, 2024 – Dec 13, 2024)

INSTRUCTOR: Nia D. Iyanu

OFFICE: Online (Zoom Meeting)
EMAIL: Niyanu@xula.edu
STUDENT HOURS: Appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course, Psychology 2010 is an introduction to the study of psychology as a science and the
application of the scientific method in the understanding of behavior for Psychology Majors.
Emphasis will be placed on such behavioral phenomena as cognition, development, emotions,
motivation, personality, and psychopathology. This course will examine basic research and
theories in the field of psychology, including principles of learning, developmental and social
psychology, and psychological measurement. This approach emphasizes the use of critical
thinking skills and facilitates a better integration of the knowledge acquired by students.

REQUIRED TEXT:

Weiten, W. (2022). Psychology: Themes and variations (11th ed.). Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.

Brightspace will also be a primary platform used to facilitate communication between the
students and the instructor. In addition, use of Brightspace will provide students the opportunity
to take advantage of the various resources designed to enhance understanding of the principles
and concepts covered in this course. Therefore, use of Brightspace is required! Any student
needing assistance and/or having difficulty with any aspect of Brightspace use should speak with
the instructor during the first week of class.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

1. To expose students to the general principles governing human behavior.

2. To introduce students to the various areas within psychology.

3. To introduce students to methods of scientific inquiry.

4. To introduce students to the principles of learning.

5. To introduce students to theories of motivation, emotion, and memory.

6. To help students understand the environmental and biological influences on behavior.

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LEARNING COMPETENCIES:

It is expected that upon the completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Compare and critique the major psychological principles and approaches of human behavior.

2. Evaluate the various areas of psychology.

3. Examine and assess the basic scientific inquiry methods used in psychology.

4. Compare and critique the various principles of learning.

5. Examine and compare the various concepts and theories used to understand the human brain,
neurological, and sensory functioning.

6. Compare and critique the major theories and principles of learning, memory, motivation, and
emotion.

EXPECTATIONS:
There are several things that you should do to benefit from and do well in this course:

 Attend each class. You will gain a more in-depth understanding of the material through in-class
activities, lectures, and discussion of content. Students absent from classes or missing an
assignment must apply to their department head for a leave of absence. All excuses or
explanations must be submitted in writing to the student's department head within three
school days after the student returns to classes. This is the only reason I will reopen an
assignment.

 Read the text and other assigned readings to be discussed in class (prior to the class if in
person). Lectures will assume that you are familiar with the readings. The lecture will not cover
all of the material from the book and will often introduce information not available in the text.
Reading, assignments, and studying the book should require 4-6 hours per week of your time. In
general, a 3-hour course is designed to require 3 hours of in-class instruction and 4-6 hours of
reading/studying per week.

 Although the course will use a lecture-style format for the most part, you are encouraged to
initiate discussion and ask questions during lectures. Students’ active involvement fosters
learning and makes class time more enjoyable. Also, because the course content is about human
senses, it lends itself to sharing personal accounts and opinions.

 How to contact me. Email is the most reliable way to reach me. I try to reply to all email within 1-
2 business days. When you email me, you must use your @xula.edu account to contact me. Also,
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 put PSY 2010 in the subject line of your email so that I can quickly identify which course your
email is concerning. I will not respond to emails that do not follow these guidelines. It is important
to me to know who you are and which class you are contacting me about. These guidelines assist
me in this process.

 Subject: Use a properly descriptive subject line that consists of the course number (“PSY2010”) followed by
a very brief phrase that summarizes the subject of your message, such as “Exam 1”, “Quiz 1”, or
“Appointment request.”

 Salutation: Start the body of your email off with a proper greeting, such as “Hello Professor Iyanu”

 Introduce yourself: My name is [First and Last] SID: [555555555] in your [00:00 PM; Online PSY2010]
course.

 Be comprehensive: Compose your email in paragraph form using concise and clear sentences.

 BE CLEAR: Your objective/reason for emailing should be clear (statement to inform, or question to be
answered by instructor).

 Use a proper closing: “Sincerely,” “Yours truly,” or “Thanks,” will suffice. – Then provide your name.

 How to meet with me. I usually find that a large number of students in my classes cannot make
office hours when I set office hours at specific times of the week. In order to increase my
availability to you, you can request a meeting with me by email. Please describe what you would
like to meet about in your email in a few sentences. For example, saying “I'm having a bit of
trouble understanding the difference between trichomatic theory and opponent theory. I would like
to meet and discuss this topic with you.” is a good way of requesting a meeting.

Grading: Percent Grade Letter Grade

Points of
90-100 A
Final Grade
 Quizzes 75 pts 80-89.999 B
 Participation 70 pts 70-79.999 C
 Attendance Assignment 70 pts 60-69.999 D
0-59.999 F

PLAN OF INSTRUCTION: The following techniques will be used in this class: lectures,
demonstrations, action techniques (projects, experiments, exercises, guided observations),
interactive techniques (questioning, discussions, interviewing, role-playing, committees), and
group work. In-class and out-of-class exercises, films, videos, presentations, etc., might also be
used in conjunction with lectures and reading assignments.

Course Schedule (Including Assignments, Chapter Quizzes, and Exam Schedule)

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 Read Syllabus
Purchase required Chapter #1
Aug 20 textbook listed on the Aug 22
syllabus!!!
Aug 27 Chapter #1 Aug 29 Chapter #2
Sep 3 Labor Day Holiday Sep 5 Chapter #2
Sep 10 Chapter #3 Sep12 Chapter #3
(Quiz 1 Brightspace)
Sep 17 Chapter #4 Sep 19 Chapter #4
Sep 24 Chapter #5 Sep 26 Chapter #5
Oct 1 Chapter #6 Oct 3 Chapter #6
(Quiz 2 Brightspace)
Oct 8 Chapter #7 Oct 10 Chapter #7
Oct 15 Chapter #8 Oct 17 Chapter #8
Oct 22 Chapter #9 Oct 24 Fall Holiday (24th & 25th)
Oct 29 Chapter #10 Oct 31 Chapter #10
(Quiz 3 Brightspace)
Nov 5 Chapter #11 Nov 7 Chapter #11
Nov 12 Chapter #12 Nov 14 Chapter #12
(Quiz 4 Brightspace)
Nov 19 Chapter #13 Nov 21 Chapter #13
Nov 26 Chapter #14 Nov 28 Thanksgiving
Dec 3 Chapter #15 Dec 5 (Quiz 5 Brightspace)

1. The above-noted dates are meant to serve as a guide for students and instructor. Students should use
these dates to assist in planning a weekly study schedule, however, dates are subject to change.
2. Once the due dates of quizzes and have past, you can no longer get access to the quizzes.
3. Other readings may be assigned as well.
4. All quizzes will be in person.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:
1. There will be 1 Final Exam, which will vary in scope and content.
2. MAKE-UP EXAMS: Make-up exams will only be given with the proper Excused
Absence Forms. These exams must be made-up within one week following the
exam in question. Please make every attempt Not to miss any exams.
3. I GRADES: “I” grades will only be given in exceptional circumstances. Failure to
complete course requirements (i.e., exams, paper) will result in a Reduction in the
Course Grade (i.e., an F” grade will be computed for each assignment not
completed).

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 4. WITHDRAWAL POLICY: The FAMU Withdrawal Policy states that if you
decide to withdraw from this course after the end of the drop/add period, you must
contact the instructor who will help with the withdrawal procedures. If you do not
formally withdraw from the course but stop attending class, you will be given a
grade of “F” for the course.
5. POSTING OF GRADES: The raw scores for the exams and quizzes will be posted
in the publisher’s website once you complete each requirement. Please note that
Brightspace is the grading system of record. Points accumulate and will be posted
in Brightspace per the course grading matrix. At the end of the term, the
assignments and quizzes grade will be posted in Brightspace.
GRADING SYSTEM
In this course, the final letter grade will include:
Measure points of Final Grade
Quiz 1 15
Quiz 2 15
Quiz 3 15
Quiz 4 15
Quiz 5 15
Attendance 56
Participation 56

Letter Grade Equivalent:

A = 90 – 100%
B = 80 - 89
C = 70 – 79
D = 60 - 69
F = 59 & Below

GRADED MATERIALS:
Your grade will be based on Participation/Attendance and 5 Quizzes. All quizzes will consist of
questions based on materials from lectures, the text, and other assigned readings, and films/videos. The
final Exam will not be multiple choice. Please note: grades will not be rounded (i.e., 79.99% = C and
80.00% = B).

EXTRA CREDIT:
One extra credit assignment may be given for the term. This will be a substantive assignment with the
opportunity for “10 - 20” points to be added to the final course grade. Please note that there are no
make-ups for missed extra credit opportunities.

REMOVED CREDIT:
In the event you are perceived by the instructor as disrespectful (intentionally harmful or hurtful), you
will have points taken off your grade (5 points, 10 points). Disrespect can consist of yelling at each
other, name calling, threatening, cursing, bullying each other, and using cell phones inside the

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classroom. This can happen several times. Each time that the instructor perceives that you are
disrespectful, she will take points from you.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY:
As an educator, I see myself as a facilitator of learning in the classroom, in an active and interactive
classroom setting. I hold high expectations for all students and insist on continuously building critical
thinking and problem-solving skills in students. Linking theory with practice as much as possible is
important to me as well as providing an opportunity for students to develop their own theories and to
be innovative thinkers.

Building a strong foundation in the subject area is important so that students will be equipped to
develop new theories and techniques to advance knowledge in the field of Psychology and in other
fields – I consider this a partnership between myself and the students. This means that students must do
their part in this collaborative learning process. I expect that my students will put forth the necessary
work to augment this partnership and that you are taking an active investment in your learning to
ensure your academic success.

Finally, it is important for students to determine how concepts can be applied to their own environment
and to the environment of others (knowledge of self, history and community). Ultimately, it is
important to develop students as competent researchers with a priority to advance knowledge by
whatever means possible, including symposiums, conference presentations, and publications.

PREPARING FOR SUCCESS:

Please do not hesitate to use the designated office hours to talk with me individually throughout the
semester if you have any questions concerning course material, or about how you are doing in the
class. If you cannot make it to my posted office hours, I will be glad to make an appointment for
another time. To make an appointment, please call, or email me.

RECORD OF SCORES
Please write down your exam grades, quiz grades, and assignment grades after completing them, so
that you might know how you stand throughout the term.

Quiz 1_____
Quiz 2_____ Attendance ______ Participation ______
Quiz 3_____
Quiz 4_____
Quiz 5_____