You are expected to complete assignments and exams (e.g., papers to turn in, scheduled exams) in accordance to the dates that are outlined in the course schedule or announced in class. If you cannot complete assignments on time (or you miss an exam) because of an unforeseen occurrence (e.g., illness, family emergency etc.), or because of a school-related conflict (e.g., conflict with other course assignments or activities), please contact me immediately (and in advance, when possible). Acceptance of late work will be at my discretion (with the loss of points on a given assignment a possibility) and will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Information about the reading load and course content: A typical week will include 1-2 chapters in the Smith & Mackie (2007) text plus (approximately) 2-3 journal articles or other chapters.

Lecture material will overlap somewhat with readings. In addition, when time permits, classroom discussions will focus around the articles you have read. You are responsible for all material presented in class lectures and in the readings.

A listing of the assigned readings (with tentative dates) is available on the Schedule section of the course webpage.

Accommodating student needs/disabilities: Students who think they may need accommodations in this course because of the impact of a disability are encouraged to meet with me privately early in the semester. Students should also contact Rick Webb, Coordinator, Office of Disabilities Services (rwebb@haverford.edu, (610) 896-1290) to verify their eligibility for reasonable accommodations as soon as possible. Early contact will help to avoid unnecessary inconvenience and delays.

Understanding appropriate sources for citations: For all assignments and exams, the following are considered appropriate and valid sources for citations and references:

• Published journal articles (e.g., from Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Journal of Social Psychology, Personal Relationships, Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Social Cognition, Psychological Science etc. This list is not comprehensive), both in on-line and paper formats.
• Professional handbook chapters and reviews (i.e., edited volumes with chapters written by psychological researchers).
• Academic books (i.e., books written by psychological researchers).

The following are not to be used as citations in your work:

• Information found on the internet, unless it is the on-line version of a scientific journal (e.g., accessing JPSP on-line is fine). This includes Wikipedia and/or any other webpages.
• The text book for this class (Smith & Mackie, 2007), or any other undergraduate-level text book.

In short, you should always be working with the primary literature written by psychological researchers. If you have questions about a particular source, please ask.

A couple of other points:

• Buy a stapler…Unstapled papers will not be accepted (or will have their grades adjusted). This includes paper clips, folded corners, etc. In short, make sure your papers are permanently secured with a staple or other such binding. And if your stapler won’t handle the number of pages you’re trying to staple, use a bigger stapler.
• Silence your cell phones, and put them away during class. Please do not text-message or otherwise fiddle with your wireless communication devices in class.
• I will not be posting my lectures on-line for a couple of reasons. First, I would like you to come to class. Second, active learning enhances retention. The act of writing down lecture material in your own words will help you remember it better.

A few words about plagiarism and academic dishonesty: I tend to have a relaxed and laid back teaching style, but do not mistake this for a lack of rigor. I take plagiarism and academic integrity very seriously. Plagiarism involves your use of another person’s work, words, or ideas without properly crediting them. This includes copying the work from another student’s paper or exam, as well as using direct quotes from a source, such as your textbook or a journal article, without citing the author. Simply rewording a sentence or passage from another source without giving credit is also inappropriate. Furthermore, using another person’s ideas without a proper citation is considered plagiarism as well. The best way to assure that your work does not plagiarize from another source is to liberally use citations within your work (e.g., be very thorough with your references—we will discuss APA style of references in class if necessary) and to ask if you are ever in doubt.

I feel very strongly about academic dishonesty—it will not be tolerated. Do your own work, and know and follow the Haverford College Honor Code.