PSYC B1A – General Psychology (On-Line)
Spring 2013
Professor: Dr. Ginger M. LeBlancOffice: LA 215C; Phone: 395-4513
Contact Inforamtion: MW 1:40-3:40 p.m. & TR 7:00-7:45 am, and by appt. You may communicate with me via email through the Inside BC system and I will reply within 24 hours.
Email:
Website: www2.bakersfieldcollege.edu/gleblanc
Campus Emergency: 395-4554
BC 2011-2012 Catalog Description: Emphasis is on the scientific process and research methods employed in psychology. Biological, developmental, cognitive, and sociocultural theories are covered to explain psychological phenomena. Psychological disorders and the evolving corresponding treatment protocols are applied to a diversity of individuals and groups. This course requires a minimum of ten pages of writing. Recommended: Reading and English Level 5.
Required Textbook: Myers, D.G. (2011). Exploring psychology (8th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.
Instructor’s Goals: At the end of this course you should have a better understanding and appreciation of the multitude of factors that contribute to behavior. You should also possess a basic knowledge and comprehension of psychology as a science. Specifically, you should be familiar with the history, research methods, theoretical perspectives, and the applications of the science of psychology.
Important:
1) This is an on-line course and therefore you must have a good internet connection and computer. Your operating system and internet access must be reliable as there are no excuses allowed for technical problems (except for those produced by the BC or the publisher).
2) The only time you will work on the Moodle website is when you take the syllabus quiz and all the exams. All other course work, announcements, quizzes, grades, lectures etc will be found at Dr. LeBlanc's website www2.bakersfieldcollege.edu/gleblanc
3) You must go to the Moodle website during the first week of school and complete the syllabus quiz. You will be dropped if you do not take the quiz. The purpose of this is to ensure you can locate the exams during the semester. All other work will be at Dr. LeBlanc's website for this course.
Student Learning Outcomes:
1) Demonstrate an understanding and application of the scientific process and research methods employed in psychology.
2) Differentiate and apply various biological, developmental, cognitive, and sociocultural theories used to explain psychological phenomena.
3) Identify, classify, and differentiate psychological disorders and the evolving corresponding treatment protocols as they are applied to a diversity of individuals and groups.
Outcome Assessment Tools:
Tool Pts
Unit Exams (4@ 50 pts. each) 150
Final Exam 50
Quizzes (13@ 5 pts. each) 65
Research Papers 50
Assignments 30
Total 415
· Exams: There will be four unit exams and one final (comprehensive) delivered throughout the semester (see Tentative Outline below for approximate dates). Each exam will consist of multiple choice, essay and short-answer type questions. The exam on which you score lowest during the semester will not be counted toward your final grade. There will be no make-up exams. It is your responsibility to review the tentative schedule and inform the instructor of any prearranged conflicts. Note, however, that conflicts do not guarantee an alternative exam arrangement. Exams are scheduled from 12:01a.m. Saturdays through 11:59 p.m. Sundays. You will have 60 minutes to complete each exam so please allow enough time to take the exam and allow for any unplanned delays such as loss of internet. Using any sources (e.g., notes, books, internet sources, other students, or the textbook) during the test will be considered plagiarism. Exams can be found at the Moodle website.
All Quizzes, Research Papers and Assignments will be posted at http://www2.bakersfieldcollege.edu/gleblanc/Moodle%20General%20Psychology/General%20Psychology%20Main%20Page.htm
(this will always be referred to as the “course homepage”).
· Quizzes: There will be one quiz administered each week for a total of 15 quizzes. The quizzes will contain multiple-choice and short-answer questions. There are two versions of each quiz available from the publisher’s website (found at the course homepage). You can choose to take either quiz. You must score 100% on the quiz prior to the exam date. Any score on the quiz less than 100% will be considered a zero. Therefore you must take the quiz as many times as needed to obtain a 100%. You are allowed to use your notes and textbook to take the quiz. There will be no make-up quizzes. You will have 30 minutes to complete the quiz. All quizzes will be taken via the publisher's website Quizzes from Publisher's Student Resources Website Please register (its free) as soon as possible. Quizzes for each unit exam must be completed no later than Friday 11:00 p.m. before the unit exam.
There is a minimum of ten pages of writing in this course. All work submitted must be spell-checked, grammar-checked and conform to professional guidelines (appropriate language and writing style). Furthermore, all work will be sent to my email address as an attachment (created in microsoft word) or as an rich format text file. Word perfect documents will not be accepted.
· Research Papers: As can be seen in the tentative schedule below there are research paper assignments related to the course learning objectives. These assignments are designed to 1) extend and deepen an understanding of the topic 2) expose you to professional scholarly products within the field of psychology 3) facilitate writing that is appropriate in style and formation within the field of psychology. All written work in this course must conform to American Psychological Association (APA) guidelines.
· Assignments: Each student will be required to participate in a variety of activities throughout the semester. The activities will vary from answering questions posed by Dr. LeBlanc, watching relevant videos and discussing content with other students, to participating in psychological demonstrations and explaining the results based on learning derived from the course. More information will be given as the course begins.
· Students with disabilities
"Students with disabilities who believe they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact Disabled Student Programs & Services located at Student Services Building, 1st Floor, Counseling Center (661-395-4334), as soon as possible to better ensure such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion."
· Academic Honesty: “pla∙gi׀a∙ize (plā´jə rīz´; -jē ə-) to take (ideas, writings, etc.) from (another) and pass them off as
one’s own.” (Neufeldt, V. (Ed.). (1988). Webster’s new world dictionary. New York: Webster’s New World.)
Plagiarism occurs when you use the exact written or spoken words, a summary of written or spoken words, and/or the ideas that someone else has produced without giving the original author credit. When you use another author’s material you must give that person credit by indicating the source of the material in your text. Buying a paper or having someone write your paper is also considered plagiarism. A plagiarized paper will receive no (0%) credit.
Tentative Course Outline
Week Content Assessment SLO Measured
Week 1Thinking Critically with Psychological Science / Psychology's Roots & Methods / · Syllabus Quiz available at the Moodle website· Chapter 1 Quiz 1 / 1) Demonstrate an understanding
and application of the scientific
process and research methods
employed in psychology.
2) Differentiate and apply various
biological, developmental, cognitive,
and sociocultural theories used
to explain psychological phenomena.
Week 2 Biology of Mind / Nervous and Endocrine Systems / · Chapter 2 Quiz 2
Week 3Consciousness and the Two-Track Mind
Exam 1 Feb. 2-3 / Brain and Consciousness
Sleep and Dreams
Hypnosis
Drugs and Consciousness / · Chapter 3 Quiz 3
Quizzes 1-3 Due Feb 1. before 11:00 p.m.
Week 4 Nature, Nurture, and Human Diversity / Behavior and Genetics
Evolutionary Psychology
Cultural Influences
Gender Development
Reflections on Nature and Nurture / · Chapter 4 Quiz 4 / 2) Differentiate and apply various
biological, developmental, cognitive,
and sociocultural theories used
to explain psychological phenomena.
Week 5Developing Through the Life Span / Prenatal Dev. and the Newborn
Infancy through Adulthood
Reflections on Nature and Nurture / · Chapter 5 Quiz 5
Week 6 Sensation and Perception
Exam 2 Feb. 23-24 / Vision and Other Important Senses
Perceptual Organization/ Interpretation / · Chapter 6 Quiz 6
Quizzes 4-6 Due Feb. 22 before 11:00 p.m.
Week 7 Learning / Classical and Operant Conditioning
Learning by Observation / · Chapter 7 Quiz 7 / 2) Differentiate and apply various
biological, developmental, cognitive,
and sociocultural theories used
to explain psychological phenomena.
Week 8 Memory / Information-Processing Models
Encoding, Storage, Retrieval
Forgetting
Memory Construction
Improving Memory / · Chapter 8 Quiz 8
Week 9 Thinking, Language, and Intelligence
Exam 3 Mar. 16-17 / Thinking, Solving Problems, Making Decisions, and Formation Judgments
Language and Intelligence / · Chapter 9 Quiz 9
Quizzes 4-6 Due Mar. 15 before 11:00 p.m.
Week 10 Motivation / Motivational Concepts
Hunger and Sex / · Chapter 10 Quiz 10 / 2) Differentiate and apply various
biological, developmental, cognitive,
and sociocultural theories used
to explain psychological phenomena.
Week 11
Emotions, Stress and Health / Theories of Emotion
Stress and Health / · Chapter 11 Quiz 11
Week 12
Personality
Exam 4 Apr. 6-7 / Personality Perspectives / · Chapter 12 Quiz 12
Quizzes 10-12 Due Apr. 5 before 11:00 p.m.
Week 13 Psychological Disorder / Perspectives and types of Psychological Disorders / · Chapter 13 Quiz 13 / 2) Differentiate and apply various
biological, developmental, cognitive,
and sociocultural theories used
to explain psychological phenomena.
3) Identify, classify, and differentiate psychological disorders and the evolving corresponding treatment protocols as they are applied to a diversity of individuals and group.
Week 14Therapy / Types of Psychological Therapies
Preventing Psychological Disorders / · Chapter 14 Quiz 14
Week 15Social Psychology
Exam 5 Apr. 27-28
Week 16 Final Examination
Final Exam May 4-5 / Social Thinking, Influence, and Relations / · Chapter 15 Quiz 15
Quizzes 13-15 Due Apr. 26 before 11:00 p.m.