Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
PSY 2012-13: General Psychology
Spring 2010: TR 9:30 – 10:50 a.m.
Instructor’s Name: Cheri L. Kittrell, Ph.D.
Office Number: Building 9, Room 122
Office Hours: Office hours will be posted during the first week of classes. These hours are subject to change due to other administrative duties at SCF, but any changes will be posted on the class website as well as on my office door.
Telephone: (941) 752-5499
Email Address:
Webpage Address: www.psychclasses.org
Course Description: PSY 2012 General Psychology (3) (A.A.) This course meets Area III requirements for both the A.A./A.A.S./A.S. general education requirements. This course is an introduction to the scientific study of human behavior with emphasis on the processes of thinking and learning as the basis for individual adjustment to the physical and social environment. It is a basic foundation course in psychology for transfer students.
Course Performance Standards: Students may access course performance standards by clicking on the “Course Performances Standards” link at the following web address: http://www.scf.edu/pages/1153.asp. A hard copy may be obtained from the instructor or from the Department Office.
Text and Materials: Required Reading:
King, L. (2008). The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View (1st ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Connect and Tegrity software are also required course materials.
Lectures will correspond with assigned readings, but will not repeat the text. The assigned readings from the text or other articles should be read prior to the class period for which they are assigned to facilitate the student's understanding of the terminology commonly used in the discipline of psychology. In addition, a thorough reading of the assignments should stimulate questions for the student, which can then be brought out during class discussion. Examinations will cover all information required to be read by students. Attendance at lectures will provide the student with a clearer picture as to which topics are the most salient and, therefore, likely to appear on the exam.
Attendance Policy: Due to the inclusion of Tegrity this semester, lectures will be available online after class. This technology does not excuse students from attending class, rather it is designed to help students make certain that they have obtained all of the necessary material from the course. Class participation is essential, and it is not possible to participate in class without attending. However, it is only realistic to acknowledge that emergencies happen to everyone. Based upon these presuppositions, while I must formally take attendance, attendance does not factor directly into a student's grade (as in students will not receive X amount of points just for having decided to come to class). Nevertheless, it has been my experience that it is nearly impossible to receive a good grade in a course without consistent attendance. Please be advised that if you must miss a class session for any reason, it is up to the student to utilize Tegrity (and any other sources necessary) to obtain the notes, assignments, and/or handouts from that class. Students will not be excused from correctly completing assignments or knowing material for the exams due to absence. Please note that after 4 hours absent, students may be withdrawn by the professor or the college.
Grading Policy: There will be three exams, worth 60% of the final grade. There will also be several short written assignments and the online homework exercises, which comprise the final 40% of the grade.
Letter grades will be based on the following distribution:
A: 90 – 100 B: 80 – 89 C: 70 –79 D: 60 – 69 F: <60
Make-up exams will only be administered in the event of an emergency, as determined by the professor. In the event of an emergency, students should bring their excuse (i.e. hospital bill, doctor's note, etc.) to the next class meeting. Late assignments will not be accepted, unless pre-arranged with the professor. If you must miss a class, please e-mail the assignment to the address listed above by 5 p.m. on the day the assignment is due. Do not e-mail assignments for any other reason. Assignments should be printed out in advance so that computer or printer difficulties will not interfere with the timeliness of assignments.
Email: Students are required to communicate with their instructor using their official SCF email address.
Withdrawal Policy: In accordance with the State College of Florida policy, as stated in the college catalog, students may withdraw from any course, or all courses, without academic penalty, by the withdrawal deadline listed in the State College of Florida academic calendar. This semester, the withdrawal date is March 25, 2010. Students should take responsibility to initiate the withdrawal procedure but are strongly encouraged to talk with their instructors before taking any withdrawal action. In addition, students should note that faculty may also withdraw students for violating policies, procedures or conditions of the class, as outlined in individual class syllabi, and such action could affect financial aid eligibility.
Statement of Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the use of ideas, facts, opinions, illustrative material, data, direct or indirect wording of another scholar and/or writer—professional or student—without giving proper credit. Expulsion, suspension, or any lesser penalty may be imposed for plagiarism.
To further clarify this issue, students are required to do their own work. No student should turn in any work done by someone else under the false pretense that it is his or her own work. In other words, credit should be given where credit is due. Students should not solicit ideas from other students, reproduce (even with adjustments) another student’s work, copy source materials (without proper quotation and citation), or reuse materials from other classes. Students should turn in original work produced through good scholarship (i.e. utilizing research materials and texts to formulate one’s own theories.) Students who plagiarize their assignments will fail that assignment (and possibly the course) and be referred for disciplinary procedures, which may include expulsion or suspension.
Standards of Conduct: Students are expected to abide by all Student Handbook guidelines.
In addition, students are exhibited to observe acceptable classroom behavior, which is behavior that fosters an atmosphere of learning, free and open exchange of thought, and respect for the professor and classmates within the learning environment. Inappropriate behavior, in any form, either in-class or during online discussions, will not be tolerated and may result in the student being asked to leave the classroom, make a course section change, removal from the course, or suspension/dismissal from the university.
Course Assignments:
Journals
Students will complete journal entries related to a myriad of psychology topics. Topics may be found on the psychclasses website. There are no “correct” journal writing techniques. Journaling is about the freedom to express yourself, so feel free to do so however you would like (with the realization that I will be reading them—so you may not want to share intimate sexual details or anything that would cause a psychologist to be concerned for your/others’ safety or well-being because I am required by law to report it). There is no “correct” journal format. Buy a journal, get some notebook paper and stick in a three-ring binder, start a blog—it doesn’t matter. As long as you give me a way to access it on the day it is due and I can read it, it will be fine. If journaling is new to you, this is not like writing in a diary. It takes time and discipline to journal well. Pick a specific time of day when you can concentrate. The more often you write, the more likely you are to have something you can use. If you only want me to read certain pages, just mark them for me somehow (sticky notes, paper clips, dog ear the pages, etc.). Brainstorm until something works for you. Write whatever comes to mind. Journaling is a process…the journal is all about what you think anyway, so there is no right or wrong answer. Just get something down on paper. Then, think about it some more. Is that really how you feel or how someone told you how to feel? Points will be assigned based upon: creativity/time spent on the entry, extra effort expended (extra research, etc.), and the on-topic nature of the entry (i.e. students cannot write an entry about anything they want—it must be relevant to the question). Go back and revise if you have to do so. Due dates for all journal assignments are listed in the course schedule below.
Connect Online Assignments
Your textbook has created a fabulous online site that contains videos, animations, multiple choice quizzes, PowerPoints, and a host of other useful study aids. Students will complete portions of these resources for each chapter as a way to review for exams, but they will also count as homework assignment grades as well. There are twelve review assignments to complete, but students may complete any eight of ten assignments and still receive credit. Students must receive a 75% or better in order to pass their turned in assignment. Students must send their assignment in electronically through their own Connect account. Printed out assignments are not accepted.
Optional Assignments:
World of Warcraft: (Note: You must either already be a World of Warcraft participant or be willing to purchase both the software and an online membership to participate in the program.) You must still complete your movie assignments to get your assignment grade for this semester. To complete this optional assignment, you will need to complete 30 hours of play time and three written assignments. The full instructions for the World of Warcraft assignment may be found on the psychclasses website.
World Changers Track: It is the goal of the World Changers track to provide extra credit to students who are interested in contributing their time and efforts to changing their local or global community in some significant way, relevant to psychology. Projects are completely conceived of by students, but must be approved of by the professor PRIOR to BEGINNING any work. This is an excellent option for students who are interested in majoring in psychology or distinguishing their résumés prior to applying to college or graduate school. Full details will be worked out with the professor but all projects will include volunteer time with an organization and a final video project to be submitted to document a student’s experience. You must still complete your movie assignments to get your assignment grade for this semester.
Course Schedule
Please note: The professor reserves the right to reissue the course schedule with deletions, additions, or revisions during the term (based upon class progress or other mediating factors). Students are responsible for keeping up with revisions issued or discussed during class sessions.
Session: Scheduled Topic/Assignments: Assigned Reading:
January 12 Introduction
Textbook Presentation: Cameron Goff, McGraw-Hill
January 14 Overview Chapter One
January 19 Research Methods Chapter Two
January 21 Research Methods (continued) Chapter Two
January 26 Biology and Behavior Chapter Three
January 28 Biology and Behavior (continued) Chapter Three
February 2 Lifespan Development Chapter Four
Overflow/Review
February 4 Exam One
Due: Connect Assignments One through Four
Due: Journals #1 and #2 Due
February 9 Exam Review
Sensation and Perception Chapter Five
February 11 Sensation and Perception (continued) Chapter Five
February 16 Consciousness Chapter Six
February 18 Consciousness (continued) Chapter Six
February 23 Learning Chapter Seven
February 25 Memory Chapter Eight
March 2 Cognition and Language Chapter Nine
March 4 Cognition and Language (continued) Chapter Nine
March 9 Spring Break—No Classes
March 11 Spring Break—No Classes
March 16 Movie Shown In-class
Due: Connect Assignments Five through Seven Due
Overflow/Review for Exam
March 18 Exam Two
Due: Journals #3 and #4
March 23 Exam Review
Intelligence Chapter Nine
March 25 Intelligence (continued) Chapter Nine
March 30 Motivation/Emotion Chapter Ten
April 1 Stress and Health/Personality Chapters Ten, Eleven, and Sixteen
April 6 Gender/Sexuality
April 8 Gender/Sexuality (continued)
April 13 Psychological Disorders Chapter Fourteen
April 15 Psychological Disorders (continued) Chapter Fourteen
April 20 Psychological Therapies Chapter Fifteen
April 22 No Classes
April 27 Psychological Therapies (continued) Chapter Fifteen
April 29 Social Psychology Chapter Twelve
Overflow/Review
May 4 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Exam Three
Due: Connect Assignments Eight through Ten
Due: Journals #5 and #6