1Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

Syllabus
Introductory Psychology 1020 Fall, 2014
Course: Elements of Psychology (Introduction to Psychology), Winter, 2014
Meeting times: Section 10211-5. M,W. 3:00p.m-4:25pm (0135 State); Section 10180-2.
T,Th, 1:25-2:50 pm (103 Main)
Location: building and room number: Above
Instructor: Sheldon Levy * Phone number: 7-2832
* Office: Bldg address, room number: 8th Floor, 5057 Woodward Bldg, Rm 8405.6.
Office hours: T, 11:25a-12:25p and W 2-3pm. E-mail address: aa4389@wayne. edu
To avoid unnecessary waiting and possible disappointment, arrangements should be
made ahead of time for an office visit. Class will be informed of changes, for example,
due to professional conferences. Office hours will not begin until September 10, 2014.
Scheme of this syllabus:
Course Description and Objectives
Course Materials
Tentative course schedule
Course policies
Grading Procedures
Quizzes
Written work
Other grading information
Suggestions for achieving the best grade

University and course statements on withdrawal, disabilities, and plagiarism

Directed Study Opportunity
Sample quiz
Course Description and Objectives
Overview of the Course.

The course is not especially difficult but does contain some unique aspects. Notably,
the quizzes differ somewhat in format from the standard and this may cause even good
students some problems.
Please note that no recordings of lectures are allowed. There are several reasons for this.
They include the attempt to maintain an open and non-threatening atmosphere in which

2Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

controversial points of view may be expressed without hesitation. It is also the fact that the
audio recording is a very inefficient way to review. Adequate lecture notes with diagrams
and immediate review are very important.
Objectives

The course seeks to provide a background in the major areas of psychology. However,
it attempts to do this in combination with a number of other considerations. First, you are
expected to be active learners. This is accomplished by conscientious reliance on lectures
and participation in class in both discussion and in asking questions. Secondly, the course
seeks to suggest the relationship between psychological research and ideas and real events
and this is a primary reason for the paper assignments. This aspect is also reinforced by
some filmed material that will be required periodically in class. A third goal is to encourage
you to think about the material. This is one reason for the design of the quizzes. The quizzes
are a result of years of experimentation and a conclusion that this form encourages thoughtful
study of the material. Although the quizzes are the primary basis for a grade, the papers
allow students to express themselves in essay form so that more than one method of
evaluation is included.
Assessment of course objectives
As indicated above, course objectives are assessed through both quizzes and written materials.
The quizzes assess basic information as well as the ability to integrate ideas. The written
material assesses contact with real world issues and the application of the material to
analysis of actual human interaction.
Course materials
There is a set of class materials that has been prepared for this course. These materials
are an important part of the course and the second quiz will include information in this set that
has not been discussed in lecture. Subsequent quizzes will also include sections of this
material. Information about oring the materials will be provided the first day of class. These
materials are intended as a supplement and it is important to be able to take lecture notes since
lecture material does not totally overlap the written materials and lectures are intended to
reduce substantially the amount of time required to prepare for the course. It is important that
you ensure adequate notes so that you may refer to them as a study guide. Therefore it is
important to ask for clarification during the lecture, if needed, and to ask questions in the
following class if there are topics that are unclear. You also will require access to the book,
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. It is a paperback You will read this as an outside

3Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

assignment and it will be a source for one of the required papers at the end of the course. The
book is readily available and inexpensive. There will be time to order Fahrenheit 451 after
classes begin. .
Please Note: No recordings of lectures allowed. If you feel that you are not very good at
taking notes, consider another section of introductory psychology. This is essentially a
lecture and discussion course. To be eligible for late registration in this course, you must
attend the first day of class.
Blackboard will not be used in this course except for email to the class. Therefore, it is very
important that you have your correct email in the class list and that you occasionally have
access to your email account at WSU. If you do not have a home computer, Adamany
Library has quite adequate facilities. Because of the number of students, mail is only
sent to addresses that are in the class register for this course. Should any difficulties
arise, WSU technical staff, also available at the Adamany Library, will provide expert
assistance. There are no prerequisites for this course.
Tentative course schedule
The topics discussed in lecture will generally follow the order of the topics in the text.
After the next section, a list of topics that were covered in a recent semester is included.
Tentative quiz schedule.
The course consists of 5 quizzes and two outside papers, each typewritten and no
longer than 750 words. The tentative quiz schedule is: First quiz within the early assessment
time period (tentatively last week in September) The last quiz will be on the last day of the
term on which the class will meet. One quiz may also be given on the last day of class before
the Thanksgiving break. The quizzes 2 and 3 will be about 3 weks apart with the 2 nd about 3
weeks after the first.
Tentative topics and order
The following topics were covered during a recent semester before the text was
available. Although the main topics will again be addressed, the order may change and
subsidiary topics are likely to be different, since the course attempts to integrate psychology
with real events that change frequently. Nevertheless, the following is a representative set.
Attendance is required, although not graded as such. Please note that the order this term will
be altered from that below but the topics listed will be covered. (The major difference will
be that perception will be examined before the laws of behavior.)
I. Constructs and Intervening Variables
A. Hunger as intervening variable
B. Operational definitions
C. Hunger and Intelligence as constructs
D. Constructs as hypotheses

4Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

1. Of intervening variables (as for example the black hole in astronomy.)
2. Of as if constructs such as the Id, ego, and Superego (and maybe the big bang
in astronomy.)
E. The S-[O]-R paradigm including feedback.
II. Scientific Method
A. Description, understanding/explanation, prediction
B. Occams razor. The phlogiston theory.
C. The nature of scientific theoryfalsification potential

III. Early science of psychology

A. Nonsense syllable learningreasons for the nonsense
B. The two listsPrimacy and recency effects, rehearsal
IV. Revisit constructs: Examples
A. ESP, Parapsychology
B. Subliminal perceptionLanguage learning and popcorn.
C. Intelligence and intelligence tests, indicators and operational definitions.
D. The electron (for discussion purposes) and the Heisenberg uncertainty principle.
(Note again the big bang, an as if construct.)
V. Learning, some rudiments
A. Proactive and retroactive facilitation and inhibition
Course selection, foreign languages, possible Zeigarnik effect.
B. Recency effects
1. Job interviews
2. Trial summations in criminal cases
a.) The legal assumption
b.) The psychological factThe Manson case, support for US military tribunals
currently
C. Learning in a framework. Insight, logic, problem solving and memory
VI. The Laws of Behavior
A. Classical Conditioning
1. The paradigm
2. The behavior
3. Higher order conditioning
4. Spontaneous recovery and conditioning to the surroundings (cues for learning.)
5. Strength of connectionTime to extinction (relearning time-the method of
savings, strength of response, time to response.)
6. Generalization, the generalization gradient, and discrimination. Determining the
ability to perceptually discriminate
7.
The explanation, signal properties, tests of the hypothesis, backward
conditioning, inconsistent conditioning.

5Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

B. Instrumental effects
1. The sequence
2. The principle
3. Strength of connection and comparison to classical conditioning.
4. SkinnerWhere is the construct?Variable schedules of reinforcement.
a.) Variable ratio and variable interval
b.) Strength of connection
c.) Anyone for ping-pong? Superstitious behavior
d.) Arousal, punishment, and a hypothesis favoring reward
C. ModelingBandura
1. The situation
2. The conditions
3. Behavior and learning
D. Applications in clinical settings, implosion therapy, phobias, token economies.
VII. Behavior through insightthe role of logic?
VIII. Modeling as symbolic instrumental effect. Two major hypotheses, internal connections
and internal-external hypothesis.
IX. Perception--Introduction
Physical requirements
Physiological attributes, receptors, nerves, and nerve principles
A. Audition
1. Physics of sound
2. Limits of hearing, intensity and pitch
3. Physiology in passing of hearing intensity and pitch.
4. Localization
5. Doppler effect
6.
Stereo sound
B. Vision
1. Physics
2. Limits of Vision
3. Physiology of eye, in passing, light and dark, color, the optic nerve, after-images,
peripheral and central vision
4. The brain interprets. Learning which side is up
5. Stereo
6. Motion
7. Holographic images
8. Perceptual distortion and Gestalt principles
9. Adaptation, constancy and reversibility
X. Imprinting
A. Nature of the phenomenon

6Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

B. Papa Lorenz and his goslings
C. The learning/heredity ratio
D. The question of imprinting in humans.
1. The orange juice study
2. Spitz and nursing-fondling homes
3. Other early socialization--Harlow
4. Language acquisitionadded forced vs. casual perception on the question of
language and perception and the trend toward more familiar words to become
shorter, e.g., horseless carriage, talking movies, etc.
5. Side issue on memory and behavior as affected by chemical changes and the
question of experience as having an influence on body and brain chemistry.
XI. Social psychology and perception
A. Sherifthe autokinetic phenomenon
Side topic, McGuire, inoculation and persuasion, cultural truisms.
B. Divine and stereotypes
C. Wyatt and Campbellthe role of expectations and perception
D. Language and perception
E. Asch, lines of influence
XII. The power law in perception
XIII. Intelligence
XIV Personality, concepts and dimensions of personality.
XV
Piaget and Kohlberg
XVI. Conformity and obedience
XVII Aggression
XVIII Competition, Conflict and Cooperation
Course Policies
In addition to the restriction on in-class recording, there are a number of other policies,
most of which are related to grading. First, class attendance as such is not required as part of
the grade. As explained earlier, lecture notes are quite important and most students have
difficulty achieving this if they are not in class.
There are no make-up quizzes. If a quiz is missed prior to the last two, other quizzes
will be the basis for the grade. The reason for the no make-up policy is to protect the student.
As will be explained in the grading section, evaluation of a quiz is based on the scores
achieved by the class. Since a make-up quiz would be a different quiz than that given to the
class, there would be no comparisons. The quiz would be graded on the full total of points.
However, in most quizzes, the best students frequently miss about 20% of the possible points.

7Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

Thus a student graded based on the full set of points would be at a large disadvantage. This
policy is explained under the grading section.
Please remember that the substitution of other quiz grades for a missed quiz does not
apply to quizzes four and five.
No written work is accepted if the identification inbcludes more than the code name
and section information as explained later.
Grading procedures
Your grade is based on a system of points. Most of these points are achieved through the quizzes but
an important part is also based on written work..
General Principles
The grades are developed in stages. To move to a higher stage, one must complete the
first stage and then obtain additional credit for the higher stage. Specifically, the highest course grade
that one may achieve through quizzes alone is a B. To achieve a grade higher than a B, the written
assignments must be included as described below. To achieve an A or an A-, both reaction papers and
application papers must be satisfactorily completed. Without the written assignements, the highest
grade possible is a B, since that would be based on quiz grades alone. It is important to do as well as
possible on the quizzes in order to obtain the grade that represents your effort and ability. For
example, if person is in the B category on the quizzes, they may achieve an A or A- with excellent
written work. Without the written work the grade may only be a C or C+. If a person is in the A
category on quizzes, then the written work will result in the possibility of an A or an A-, otherwise the
highest grade in the course is a B. The reason for this decision is that to achieve the course objectives,
it is necessary to show satisfactory work on both the quizzes and the written work.
Quizzes

The quizzes are objective. The pattern has been to assign points for the 5
quizzes in ascending importance with the approximate weight for each quiz as follow:
80, 120, 120, 150-180, 150-180
This results in a theoretical maximum on quizzes of 620-680 points depending upon the
length of the last two quizzes. Grades are based on a correction factor for guesses. For
example, just by chance, someone should obtain about 50 percent correct answers on a truefalse quiz even though the person had no knowledge of the material. The correction factor
results in adjusting the performance score to a knowledge score. In the example of the poor

8Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

student who didn't know anything, the performance score was 50 but the knowledge score was
zero. If you have done some studying, it is almost always better to try to answer a question.
For example, suppose a question has five possible answers. You are unsure about three of
them but know that two are definitely wrong. You should guess at the answer because the
correction factor is based on not knowing any of the five.
Grades are based on those who do best in the course. For example, suppose that the
top grade in the class is a score of 16 out of a possible 20 and this corrects to 15 (after the
adjustment for guessing.) This person would be awarded 100%. The five other questions
would be considered to have been so poorly written that no one could answer them correctly.
Suppose that you were not at the top and your score was 14. That might correct to 12.5. Your
grade is 12.5/15 or 83% which is very close to an A. You can calculate your quiz grade at any
time in the course by dividing the total corrected points that you have achieved by the total
corrected points of the person with the highest grade in the class. The grade range is as
follows (based on corrected scores.)
A: 85% - 100%,

B: 70% - 85%.

C: 60% - 70%,

Please note that no make-up quizzes are possible.

D: 50% - 60%

The grades are based on the

performance of the class and without this information it is not possible to determine the
appropriate grade. Students should make every effort to avoid missing a quiz. Quizzes four
and five are absolutely required to pass.
However, a person is not awarded an A or an A- based only on quizzes. To achieve these
grades, acceptable written work must also be submitted. This assignment is discussed next.
(See the description earlier under general principles.)
Written work
Film reaction/information papers
A number of films will be seen this term. Most of them will be available either through the
internet or at the Adamany undergraduate library reserve desk. For films at the library, it will be
necessary to bring a headphone set. Very adequate sets are available for about $5, if you do not
already own a set.

To obtain credit for any film, a film reaction paper must be submitted within

two weeks of the film assignment. This reaction paper is a personal reaction to the information in the
film. To obtain full credit, the paper must include a reaction to the full film, not just the first few

9Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

minutes. The papers are limited to one typed page (1.5 lines spacing) and must be submitted at a
meeting of the class. The papers are intended to constitute about 5% of the total grade.
Take home essays
The major written assignment consists of two short papers that are to be considered
equivalent to take-home quizzes. These papers must be approximately 3 typed pages long, 1.5 lines
spacing, and be no longer than 750 words each. The papers are to be submitted on the last day of the
term that the class meets. If this is not possible, you may submit the papers by email within 6 days
after the last meeting of the class.

You have the advantage of selecting those topics in

psychology with which you are most knowledgeable but the psychology you select is to be
applied to a topic as discussed next.
The papers are application papers. That is they require you to apply material in the
course (not from other sources) to topics described below. The topics will be similar for
everyone in order to achieve some standardization. The papers are required for everyone and
an A or A- will not be awarded unless this assignment is satisfactorily completed. In the first
paper, you are to apply anything from the lectures or text materials to explain, understand, or
analyze some aspect of the characters/events/situations in Fahrenheit 451. References should
be to lectures by date (e.g., L, oc8) or to other material in the course such as text (e.g., T, 152153.) or to a film, (e.g., Milgram-Obedience.) These references should occur in the body of
the text, not as footnotes or as a separate list at the end.
The second paper will be similar in that the task is to apply psychology to mass media
influences. The maximum on this paper is also 750 typewritten words. Because this has been
a difficult paper for many students, the mass media influences are likely to be those contained
in one of two films, Buying the War, or the Invisible War. A paper from another course will
be considered inadequate and the student may be penalized according to the penalties for
plagiarized work.
Please note that papers must be submitted according to the specifications that follow.
Papers may be submitted by email as described but not by deposit in the department. To ensure
that the paper can be read it is best to submit it as an *.doc rather than *.docx or some other
format.
Only code names, not actual names, are allowed. If a student's name is on the paper, it
will not be accepted. The code name must appear on all pages. The identification that is
required is:

10Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

Code Name: Four letters determined as follows, the 2 nd and 4th letters of your last name
followed by the 2nd and fourth letters of your first name, e.g., Lilian Pleasant would be LAII.
Since feedback on quizzes is reported by code name, any difficulties in identification will be
sorted out early in the course. It is a bother to go to the class list after all of the papers have
been graded, but it is worth the effort to maintain your anonymity. (I can assure you that I do
not know the code names by the end of the course. I have enough difficulty trying to learn the
names of some of you during the term.)
Course Number: for example, 2600 or 1020
Term (Winter, 2014)
Days of lectures (either M,W or T, Th

Your last quiz and the papers will remain on file for at least 5 years. Other quizzes will be
returned with the class scores within one week of the quiz except in unusual circumstances.
You, of course, may inquire about these materials and arrangements can generally be made
to review your work during the following semester (fall if the term was the winter term.).
Other grading information.
The 70% rule. There is one exception to the highest grade = 100% principle. When
the highest grade falls below 70% of the maximum points on a quiz, 70% of the maximum
will be the standard. This principle is necessary to avoid a situation in which no one in the
class does very well. In the past in this course, there has practically never been a quiz in
which this rule would need to be invoked. Further, the principle only provides the option of
using the rule, it does not require that the rule be employed. Generally, if the best grade in the
class on a cumulative basis were above 70%, the rule would not be invoked.
Last two quizzes.
The importance of the pattern of grades. The pattern of your grades is very important and the
basis for the final grade is dependent on this pattern. The basic principle is that if the
performance on the last two quizzes is poor it will lower your overall grade from that which
you would have received. Since the last two quizzes of the term are review quizzes, it is very
important to do well on both of them. Because a goal of the course is to avoid last minute
learning, good performance on both of these quizzes is important. There is a rule about that
grade in the course based on the last two quizzes that is: For A students, at least a B must be

11Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

achieved on each of these quizzes to maintain the A. For students below an A, the grade in the
course cannot be more than one letter grade above the letter grade for the combined scores on
the last two quizzes.
Suggestions for achieving the best grade

Take careful notes during the lecture. Ask questions during lecture if material is unclear.
Examine your notes as soon as you have time before the next class. Rewrite those sections of
your notes that are sketchy and ask questions about material that is unclear.
Ask questions in class including those about major points that the lecture is intended to cover
or the organization of the course to a particular point in the term. Present points of view that
are not presented by the lecturer or by others in the class.
Attend lectures, quizzes, and films.
Do not cram. Spend some time on a number of days to review and examine the material.
Review previous quizzes. Try to understand why any answer that you gave that was marked
as incorrect was graded that way.
Communicate with the instructor. If you are bothered by some aspect of the course, discuss it.
If you do, you will be aiding yourself and others in the course.
University and course policies on withdrawal, disabilities, and plagiarism
Policy on Withdrawal.
The University has altered its withdrawal policy. Withdrawals are now coded as WP,
WF, and WN which represent passing at time of withdrawal, failing at time of withdrawal, or
no record. No withdrawals will be allowed for students who take the last quiz of the term.
Obviously, WP is the only acceptable mark someone who has attended class and I am willing
to provide this grade if at all possible. The new University policy is that withdraws are not
allowed after the 10th week of the term. The University may enter an F for a student who does
not officially withdraw. It is important to discuss this with me if you have questions.
Policy on Students with Disabilities.
The following statement was sent by the undergraduate administration. "If you have a
documented disability that requires accommodations, you will need to register with Student
Disability Services for coordination of your academic accommodations. The Student
Disability Services (SDS) office is located at 1600 David Adamany Undergraduate Library in
the Student Academic Success Services department. SDS telephone number is 313-577-1851

12Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

or 313-577-3365 (TTY: telecommunication device for the deaf; phone for hearing impaired
students only). Once you have your accommodations in place, I {the instructor] will be glad
to meet with you privately during my office hours to discuss your special needs. Student
Disability Services mission is to assist the university in creating an accessible community
where students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to fully participate in their
educational experience at Wayne State University." Please refer to the SDS website for
further information about students with disabilities and the services we provide for faculty and
students: http://studentdisability.wayne.edu/
University and course statement on plagiarism and non-independent work.
Your instructor expects to read a paper that is in your own words. Quoted material should be
used sparingly. All phrases, sentences and sections of another persons writing must be in
quotation marks, have the source cited in the body of the paper and have the source fully
reported as a reference at the end of the paper. Without all three, the quotation marks, the
citation and the reference, copied material will be considered intentional plagiarism and will
result in a failing grade in the course. The same grade will apply to individuals who violate
the independent work on the quizzes which are closed-book.
Directed study opportunity:
I am quite happy to work with students who, after the class, wish to work on a directed
study. Although my research has predominately been conducted in the areas of inter-group
conflict, prejudice, and political psychology, you will not be given a task from my research. Your
research should be an idea that you would like to pursue. It does not need to be in the above areas.
We may take the early part of the directed study to examine procedures for analyzing the problem.
It is not essential, for an undergraduate directed study with me to necessarily collect data. The
primary goal is to have you think about a topic in which you are interested and have the
opportunity to pursue it. You will turn in a short paper at the end to identify your efforts on the
directed study. No statistics is required and I prefer there to not be statistical analysis. It restricts
your thinking.

You do not need to be an A student. I would be willing to supervise anyone at about the C+
level or above, if that person is conscientious. In the past I have supervised a number of
undergraduates. Two of them (one current) have been interested in psychology and
music. One student was interested in non-verbal communication. Another did a senior
thesis on racial prejudice and politics. Please do not hesitate to contact me. Even if you

13Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

are not planning to major in psychology, it is an area in which you may have many
interests and would like the opportunity to pursue an interest without the burden of a
classroom and exams.

14Psychology, Introduction 1020LevyFall, 2014

Sample quiz: You obviously will not be expected to answer the questions correctly but you

should examine the structure of the quiz very carefully. Questions that you may have
about what the quiz requires should be asked at the beginning of the term.
Following are some matching. Select from the B column an item that goes with the particular
A word. Do the same in the C column. List your answers below the question for A1. Then do
the same for A2, etc. Your answers will appear as follows (the example is for answers to the
third A term): A3B2C1
Set I A1 = Insight; A2 = Audition--localization; A3 = Visionmonocular cues;
A4 = Nervesbasic functions:

A5 = Vision--motion

B1 Time difference

C1 Frequency for smoothness

B2 Image persistance

C2 Blocking

B3 Card game and math problem

C3 Recovery period

B4 Interposition

C4 Parallax

B5 All or None

C5 Short circuit law of effect

A1 B

A2 B

A3 B

A4 B

A5 B

Set II A1 = Weber-FechnerLaws of perception; A2 = StevensThe power law;

A3 = Stereo films; A4 = Hearingpitch; A5 = FilmBehavior modification
B1 Nerve length

C1 Constant in mid-ranges

B2 An as if calculation

C2 Limits about 20-20,000 CPS

B3 Harmful extinction

C3 Expansion of electric shock

B4 Two images merged

C4 Polarized lenses

B5 JND

C5 Regression without continuation

A1 B

A2 B

A3 B

A4 B

A5 B