PSYCHOLOGY 2011a (Section 570)

Lectures: Mondays 1:30--3:30 p.m. Room SA151                                                                                                                                                                                     2011-12 Fall Semester

INSTRUCTOR

Professor Imants Barušs                                                                                                                         Web site: http://baruss.ca 

Telephone: 433-3491 Ext.4369 or 1-800-265-4406                                                                                        E-mail: baruss@uwo.ca

Office: Dante Lenardon Hall Room 323                                                                                                        Office Hours: Thursdays 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

PREREQUISITES AND ANTIREQUISITES

There are no prerequisites or antirequisites for this course.

TEXTBOOK

Barušs, I. (2003). Alterations of Consciousness: An Empirical Analysis for Social Scientists. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this course is to gain some understanding of altered states of consciousness and to develop a sensitive but critical attitude to the subject matter. Topics covered will include daydreaming, sleep, dreams, hypnosis, trance, psychedelics, transcendence, and death.

EVALUATION

Term Tests, 50%: There will be a term test on Monday, October 3, 2010 worth 20% and one on Monday, November 7, 2010 worth 30%. Both tests will cover material in the assigned readings and class lectures from the beginning of the course to the time of the test.

Examination, 50%: There will be a final examination during the mid-year examination period December 10–21. The examination will cover all the material in the assigned readings and class lectures from the beginning of the course.

Students must bring proper university identification cards to all tests and examinations. Students without such identification may be photographed and barred from the test or examination. Students are also required to bring a pencil and an eraser to the tests and examination for filling in the examination forms. Students are not allowed to have a cell phone, or any other electronic device, with them during the tests or examination. Computer-marked multiple-choice tests and/or exams may be subject to submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate cheating.

Students who cannot attend a test or examination for medical or other extraordinary reasons should obtain proper documentation and contact their Dean’s office as soon as possible. Students are directed to the Policy on Accommodation for Medical Illness found at http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/accommodation_medical.pdf. The Student Medical Certificate can be found at: http://kings.uwo.ca/pt5/assets/File/SMC_Revised_March_2011.pdf. Allowance will not be made for tests and assignments in other courses, employment, or family responsibilities. All students who cannot write a regularly scheduled test or examination and who receive accommodation from their Dean are required to write an appropriate alternate test or examination. All alternate tests and examinations will be essay style in format.

In-class Essays: Students may be asked to write short in-class essays that will not be graded nor contribute to the final grade but will be used as a basis for discussion and a record of attendance.

COURSE WEB SITE

The web site for this course is baruss.ca/2011.htm. Information about the course will be posted from time to time on the web site.

SCHEDULE

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students are required to maintain the standards of academic integrity set by the University of Western Ontario. Scholastic offences are taken seriously and students are directed to read the appropriate policy, specifically, the definition of what constitutes a Scholastic Offence, at the following Web site: http://www.uwo.ca/univsec/handbook/appeals/scholastic_discipline_undergrad.pdf. In particular, students must write their essays in their own words. Whenever students take an idea or a passage from another author they must acknowledge this fact by using quotation marks where appropriate and by using proper referencing. Plagiarism is a major academic offence.

The use of laptops by students during lectures shall be for matters related to the course at hand only. Students found to be using laptops for purposes not directly related to the class may be subject to sanctions under the Student Code of Conduct (http://kings.uwo.ca/pt5/assets/File/code_of_conduct_2003.pdf). Inappropriate use of laptops during lectures creates a significant disruption. As a consequence, the use of laptops may be restricted in this class. In addition, in order to provide a safe classroom environment, students are strongly advised to operate laptops with batteries rather than power cords.