Introduction to Psychology Lecture Notes

Welcome and Course Introduction

• Introduction to the course and expectations.
• The instructor is involved with the Association for Distance Education and Independent Learning.
• Mention of an upcoming virtual conference on October 16th.
  • Conference theme: Empowering Tomorrow.
  • Open for proposal submissions and presentations.
  • Professional development opportunity.
• Encouragement to participate in study abroad programs.
  • Financial aid available through the Chancellor’s Award for study abroad.

Course Structure and Objectives

• Overview of course objectives:
  • Recognize modern definitions of psychology.
  • Understand diverse roles of psychologists beyond mental health care.
  • Appreciate the empirical knowledge base of psychology.
  • Discuss internal communication within the nervous system.
  • Explore states of consciousness and their behavioral impacts.
  • Examine learning processes: classical, operant, and observational.
  • Study memory, communication, problem-solving, intelligence measurement.
  • Theoretical perspectives on motivation and emotion.
  • Developmental psychology insights.
  • Overview of abnormal psychology and therapies.
• Textbook: Digital copy included; optional hard copy available.
• APA Style Manual for writing references; free resources available online.

Grading and Assessment

• Grade composition:
  • Introduction and syllabus post.
  • Five quizzes.
  • Midterm exam.
  • Lab report based on a visual illusion experiment.
  • Video link posts and discussion responses.
• No final exam; quizzes and participation count significantly.

Communication and Participation

• Contact methods and instructor availability.
• Encouragement to communicate proactively regarding any issues.
• Virtual sessions are optional but recorded for review.
• Instructions for online discussions:
  • Minimum word count for posts and responses.
  • Use of APA style for references.
  • Importance of professional, respectful communication.
  • Prohibition of Wikipedia as a source.

Policies and Expectations

• Adherence to academic integrity and respectful communication.
• No unauthorized recordings or reproduction of course materials.
• Late work policy: Contact instructor for accommodations.
• Turnaround for email responses and grading timeline.

Conclusion

• Encouragement for engagement and wishing students a great term.
• Psychology as a valuable field of study.