Motivation
Professor: Dr. Travis Langley
Required textbook:
Motivation and Emotion, by deCatanzaro
OVERVIEW:
This course looks at why we do the things we do. It examines the motives and drives that stimulate individuals to take action. Topics of discussion include emotion, hunger, sex, aggression, love, and other appetites.
SCHEDULE:
UNIT 1 EXAM: Wednesday, February 3
Chapter 1, 3, 4
optional for bonus credit: chapter 2
UNIT 2 EXAM: Friday, February 26
Chapters 5-7
UNIT 3 EXAM: Wednesday, March 31
Chapters 8-10
UNIT 4 EXAM: Friday, April 23
Chapters 11-13
optional for bonus credit: chapter 14
EXAMS
Each unit will conclude with a 40-item multiple choice exam covering lecture notes, assigned readings, and class discussion. Bring #2 pencils for every test. Erase errors completely or use correction fluid to cover incomplete erasures. Any answer marked wrong due to an incomplete erasure is simply wrong. After all, if you know you can get credit by going up to a professor later and say, "Look, I didn't erase a couple of errors, and it counted one of them wrong," that would not MOTIVATE you to be careful and responsible in the first place.
On every test, you can earn one extra point by putting your name and ID# on the front of the answer sheet and the back of the test.
ONE test score will be dropped: either your lowest test score (even if it's the final), or one missing test score. Although the cumulative final will have twice as many questions, it will weigh the same as any other test.
There will be NO makeup tests. There's no such thing as a perfectly fair makeup test, so that's why your professor simply drops a test instead.
GRADING SCALE
Test questions range in difficulty to get an accurate idea of exactly how much you know and understand about the course material. The scale on the 40+ point tests is simply this:
A 35.1 -->
B 30.1 - 35.0
C 25.1 - 30.0
D 20.1 - 25.0
F <-- 20.0
Your professor reserves the right to assign other values for these grade cutoffs. The professor also reserves the right to subtract any number of points from the grade of someone who disrupts class, or to assign a course grade of F to someone caught cheating.
Keep track of your own grades. If you want to keep up with your grades, write down your numerical scores along the way, not the letter grade for each test. If you are not in class when a test is returned graded, you can learn the score on that test when the next test is returned graded.
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
In groups of three or four, you will all make presentations before the class at some point during the semester. those who make their presentations earliest will be graded slightly more leniently. Grades for the presentations will be based on quality of presentations, educational value, and amount of work reflected. Each presentation will be worth 40 points, the same as a test.
Point value for presentations
A+ 40 B+ 35 C+ 30 D+ 25 F 10
A 38.3 B 33.3 C 28.3 D 23.3 0 0
A- 36.6 B- 31.6 C- 26.6 D- 21.6
Examples of group presentation topics:
age changes in motivation alcohol consumption
animal instincts anxiety disorders
body language childhood elimination disorders
concentration camp effects consumer behavior
depression drug addiction
eating disorders endocrinology
evolution genetic predispositions
grief guilt
homicide hormones
humor hypothalamus
jealousy limbic system
mating rituals method acting ("What's my motivation?")
moral development parent-child bonds
phobias rape
religious fanaticism serial killers
sex hormones sexual impulsivity (so-called "sex addiction")
sexual dysfunctions sexual deviances (paraphilias)
sleep disorders stress factors
suicide survival of the fittest
With any of these topics, make very certain you've chosen an aspect of it that is clearly relevant to the topic of motivation.
You're welcome to choose topics not on this list, but doublecheck any other topic with your professor.
ATTENDANCE
The number one correlate with poor grades in any class is poor class attendance. Missing class is therefore self-punishing because you miss important material. Copying someone else's notes simply can't convey the same understanding.
If you aren't here when roll is taken, the reason does not matter, so please do not tell your professor why you were absent unless you had to miss a test. Students with patterns of profound absence might be dropped from the course. Class participation will be more likely to influence your grade than signing a roll sheet.
Motivation: Motivation to Participate
In addition to grades for tests and group presentation, there is a participation portion of the course grade. It is based on both attendance and participation.
Attendance
Value = 21 points minus 1 point per absence -- regardless of reasons for absence.
Participation
Value = Up to 20 points (up to 5 per testing period).
On the day of each test, you will provide to the professor a list of specific things you have done to participate in the class. You will earn up to 5 points per unit of course material, 1 point for each contribution to the class. You must be specific. Bluffing (saying you did things you did not really do) will be considered an attempt to cheat. Vague answers will earn no credit.
Wrong: "Said I had seen something about juvenile delinquency on TV."
Right: "Mentioned a news report that said 70% of juvenile delinquents were
abused as children."
Wrong: "I told a story about my family."
Right: "When we were talking about sleep, I said my father has to be kept on
a respirator because he has trouble breathing when he's asleep."
Wrong: "I started the roll sheet around one time."
Right: "You forgot to take roll on January 22. I was the first person to point
this out and start the roll sheet around that day."
Wrong: "Talked about a woman with delusions."
Right: "Mentioned a woman on the Howard Stern show who thought she
was Steven Seagal's wife."
Wrong: "I asked a question when you were covering the sexual disorders."
Right: "When you were covering the sexual disorders, I asked how anyone
could fall in love with a horse."
The participation/attendance grade is equal in value to a test. In consideration of people with severe stage fright, the participation/attendance grade can be dropped instead of dropping a test.
To keep some semblance of order while people are trying to earn their participation points, please raise your hands with questions or comments when the professor is actually lecturing.