Course Syllabus

BARTON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Bartonline

Dr. Joel Lundstrom                                                                                                                                                             lundstromj@bartonccc.edu

  I.   GENERAL COURSE INFORMATION

Course Number: PSYC1000 

Course Title: General Psychology

Credit Hours: 3 Credit Hours

Division and Discipline:   Psychology

Course Description:  This course will provide a broad overview of the theories research findings associated with the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Topics covered may include research techniques, the biological influences of behavior, development, sensation and perception, motivation and emotion, intelligence, consciousness, learning, memory, the role of psychological factors in health, personality, mental disorders and their treatment, and social influences on behavior.

II.                Instructor Information

Students and faculty of Barton County Community College constitute a special community engaged in the process of education. The college assumes its students and faculty will demonstrate a personal code of honor that is based upon courtesy, integrity, common sense, and respect for others both within and outside the classroom.

The College reserves the right to suspend a student for conduct that is detrimental to the College's educational endeavors, as outlined in the College Catalog.

Plagiarism on any academic endeavors at Barton County Community College will not be tolerated. Learn the rules of, and avoid instances of, intentional or unintentional plagiarism.

Anyone seeking an accommodation under provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act should notify Student Support Services.

III.            COLLEGE POLICIES

 

Students and faculty of Barton Community College constitute a special community engaged in the process of education. The College assumes that its students and faculty will demonstrate a code of personal honor that is based upon courtesy, integrity, common sense, and respect for others both within and outside the classroom.

 

Plagiarism on any academic endeavors at Barton Community College will not be tolerated. The student is responsible for learning the rules of, and avoiding instances of, intentional or unintentional plagiarism. Information about academic integrity is located in the Student Handbook.

The College reserves the right to suspend a student for conduct that is determined to be detrimental to the College educational endeavors as outlined in the College Catalog, Student Handbook, and College Policy & Procedure Manual. (Most up-to-date documents are available on the College webpage.)

Any student seeking an accommodation under the provisions of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) is to notify Student Support Services via email at disabilityservices@bartonccc.edu

 

IV. COURSE AS VIEWED IN THE TOTAL CURRICULUM

PSYC1000 General Psychology is an approved general education course at Barton Community College which can be used to fulfill degree requirements as a behavioral science course in the social/behavioral sciences. In addition, the course transfers credit to all Kansas Regent Universities and may be used to help fulfill a general education requirement at many universities. General education requirements and the transferability of all college courses will

General education requirements and the transferability of all college courses will vary among institutions, and perhaps even among departments, colleges, or programs within an institution.  Institutional requirements may also change without prior notification.  Students are responsible to obtain relevant information from intended transfer institutions to ensure that the courses the student enrolls in are the most appropriate set of courses for the transfer program.

 

Completion of this course with a C or better is a prerequisite to successful completion of more advanced and specialized courses in the psychology department. These courses include Developmental Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, Social Psychology, and Theories of Personality.

 

The learning outcomes and competencies detailed in this syllabus meet or exceed the learning outcomes and competencies specified by the Kansas Core Outcomes Project for this course, as sanctioned by the Board of Regents.

 

I.          ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING/COURSE OUTCOMES

 

Barton Community College is committed to the assessment of student learning and to quality education.  Assessment activities provide a means to develop an understanding of how students learn, what they know, and what they can do with their knowledge.  Results from these various activities guide Barton, as a learning college, in finding ways to improve student learning.

Course Outcomes, Competencies, and Supplemental Competencies

1. Identify historical foundations and current trends in psychology.
2. Define psychology.
3. Differentiate the field of psychology from psychiatry.
4. Identify the major sub-fields of psychology.
5. Identify major historical schools of psychology.
6. Identify the major theoretical perspectives found in psychology.
7. Identify what is studied by the field of positive psychology.

 

1. Distinguish methods of research in psychology.
2. Explain the scientific method as it is used to explore human and animal behavior.
3. Define the important features of a case study, naturalistic observation, surveys, correlational research, and laboratory experiments, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each method.
4. Describe positive and negative correlations, the range of correlation, and correlation’s relationship to causation.
5. Define hypothesis, theory, independent variable, dependent variable, control group, and experimental group.
6. Describe the major ethical guidelines when conducting human research.
7. Identify the biological basis of behavior, including physiology of the brain.
8. Identify the structural components common to all neurons.
9. Explain the processes which occur when a nerve impulse is generated.
10. Identify at least three neurotransmitters substances and the role they play with mental disorders.
11. Identify four methods of studying the brain.
12. Identify the major divisions of the human nervous system and their functions.
13. Identify the major structures of the human brain and their chief functions.
14. Identify the major structures of the limbic system and their relevance to behavior.
15. Describe the major functions of the four lobes of the brain.
16. Describe the specialized functions of each brain hemisphere.

 

1. Distinguish principles and theories of learning and cognition.
2. Define the concept of learning.
3. Identify the three behavioral theories regarding learning.
4. Describe the elemental components involved in classical conditioning.
5. Identify the major components of the Little Albert study.
6. Distinguish classical conditioning from operant conditioning.
7. Define the following concepts found in operant conditioning: positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment.
8. Identify the application of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning theory in real-world examples.
9. Distinguish negative reinforcement from punishment.
10. Describe components of social learning theory and identify its major proponent.
11. Define the concept of circadian rhythm.
12. Describe the five stages of sleep and identify how each is measured.
13. Identify the major consequences of sleep deprivation.

 

1. Recognize theories and applications of motivation and emotion.
2. Define homeostasis.
3. Explain the Yerkes-Dodson Law.
4. Describe set point theory in relation to eating and body weight.
5. Distinguish each strata of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
6. Identify the central tenet of the James-Lang theory of emotion.
7. Contrast the Cannon-Bard and Schacter-Singer Two-Factor theories of emotion.

 

1. Demonstrate an understanding of human life-span development.
2. Compare cross-sectional research and longitudinal research designs.
3. Explain the nature/nurture question and how it is addressed by behavioral genetics.
4. Distinguish the three stages of prenatal development.
5. Define teratogen and describe the effects of at least three teratogens.
6. Compare the perceptual skills of a neonate and an adult.
7. Explain the four stages of Piaget’s theory of cognitive development.
8. Define attachment and identify its importance to development.
9. Interpret Harlow’s research on contact comfort.
10. Contrast crystalized intelligence and fluid intelligence and their trajectory over the course of adulthood.
11. Identify Erikson’s eight stages of personality development.

 

1. Identify the major theories of personality.
2. Explain the major tenets of psychoanalysis.
3. Identify the major personality components in psychoanalysis.
4. Describe Freud’s psychosexual stages of personality development.
5. Contrast the behaviorism approach to personality with those of psychoanalysis, humanism, and trait theory.
6. Explain Roger’s theory of self.
7. Identify the personality components found in Big Five theory.

 

1. Recognize categories of psychological disorders and treatments.
2. List the criteria for determining abnormality.
3. Identify the manual used for diagnosing mental disorders.
4. Define anxiety and distinguish anxiety disorders.
5. Identify etiological factors involved in the more common mental disorders (e.g. anxiety, mood disorders) and less common mental disorders such as schizophrenia.
6. Identify common factors associated with research on suicide.
7. Define psychosis.
8. Identify the symptoms of schizophrenia.
9. Identify evidenced-based treatment practices for the more common mental disorders.
10. Describe the assumptions of cognitive-behavioral therapy.
11. Identify psychotropic drugs used in the treatment of anxiety, mood disorders, and schizophrenia.

 

1. Recognize the major theories and findings of social psychology.
2. Define social psychology.
3. Define attribution and identify the types of attribution.
4. Describe the foot-in-the-door phenomenon and its relation to persuasion.
5. Describe cognitive dissonance theory.
6. Describe the findings of Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison experiment.
7. Define conformity and describe situational factors in its occurrence according to the Asch experiments.
8. Define obedience and describe the situational factors in its occurrence according to the Milgram experiments.

 

 VI.   INSTRUCTOR EXPECTATION OF STUDENTS IN CLASS

Coursework:

Students are responsible for completing all coursework by the last day of the course.  The items under course home should be completed first and are mandatory to receive a grade for the course.  Under each unit, students must complete at least one discussion question and the quiz.

Participation:

Class participation is required of all students.  This includes reading assigned material before class and actively participating in all class activities.  The course is based on the expectation that there will be class discussion led by the instructor with all students participating. 

VII.   TEXT AND SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS USED IN THE COURSE

Myers, David G. (2016). Psychology (11th Edition). Worth Publishers.  [6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, or 10th edition are also acceptable]

Copyright: My lectures and course materials, including power point presentations, tests, outlines, Softchalk presentations, and similar materials, are protected by copyright. I am the exclusive owner of copyright in those materials I create. You may take notes and make copies of course materials for your own use. You may not and may not allow others to reproduce or distribute lecture notes and course materials publicly whether or not a fee is charged without my express written consent.

VIII.  REFERENCES:

Optional Resources:

Ludwig, Thomas. PsychInquiry : Student Activities in Research and Critical Thinking / CD ROM

 

IX.  METHODS OF INSTRUCTION AND EVALUATION

Quizzes:

There are 8 quizzes which will all be completed online.  They will all be multiple-choice and must be completed by the course end date.  In addition, there is a 1 hour time limit for each quiz.  If the quiz is not finished by the end of the time limit, the student will be locked out of the exam.

Discussion Questions:

Each student must participate in at least one of the discussions per unit.  More discussions are encouraged, but only one will be included for grade.  Discussion participation can be completed either by responding to the posted question and/or to another students comments.  Discussion participation is graded throughout the semester and will be evaluated on the both the quantity and quality of posted discussions.  This is a great opportunity to raise your grade, so participate at least once a unit.  It is important to realize that discussions are used to evaluate comprehension and application of the course material.  Even though some questions will ask for your opinion, it is crucial to display knowledge of reading materials and fully explain academic information accurately and professionally.  Post should be free of spelling and grammatical errors.

Letter grades for the course will be based on the following percentages:

 

Percentages	Grade
90-100%	A
80-89%	B
70-79%	C
60-69%	D
0-59%	F

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Graded Assignments	Points
Pre Quiz	0
Universal Orientation Quiz	5
Universal College Policies Quiz	10
Discussion (8 modules x 5 points each)	40
Post Quiz	25
Quizzes (8 modules x 15 points each)	120
Total	200

X.  ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

Class attendance in BCCC distance learning classes is measured primarily by student participation in Threaded Discussion. Timely submission of assignments and participation in discussions will be a major factor in your final course grade. Participation in threaded discussion is expected.

As a part of its mission to improve the social, economic, and personal life of its students, Barton County Community College acknowledges its responsibility to prepare them for future academic and professional endeavors. Therefore, students are encouraged to develop a professional ethic that reflects personal responsibility, personal initiative, and teamwork. In context to that commitment, students are expected to attend all class meetings. Absence from a class meeting results not only in missed subject matter of the course but also in diminished opportunities for contributing to the learning environment. Poor attendance in class may cause students to lose financial aid according to federal guidelines and will diminish both professional and academic progress.

If you plan on dropping the class, you must use the drop/add link that is located on the left side of your bartonline home page. Please review the drop/add dates and refund policy that is contained in the academic calendar portion of the bartonline.org web site.

  XI.  COURSE OUTLINE