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INTRODUCTION TO
PSYCHOLOGY
Section
#1162: MWF
12:00p-12:50p -> V-8
Section
#1925: MWF
1:00p-1:50p -> V-8
FACULTY INFORMATION:
Office: IAC 214 Email: clifford.j@mccd.edu
COURSE WEB PAGE:
http://www.mccd.edu/faculty/cliffordj/
Grades, lecture outlines, announcements, and course information will be
maintained on the web page. Check
this page regularly for updates.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
PSYC-01A is a
survey course designed to provide introduction to facts and theories underlying
human behavior. Special emphasis is
given to the following topics: schools of psychology, physiological factors,
sensation, perception, motivation, learning, thinking, emotion, abnormal
behavior, personality, heredity, environment, and social factors.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon successful completion of
the course, the student should be able to verbally or in writing:
1) Analyze the major
psychological approaches to the study of the behavior of organisms.
2) Demonstrate an ability to
ask and answer basic questions about human and animal behavior.
3) Demonstrate an
understanding of the scientific method.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS:
Carpenter, S. &
Huffman, K. (2008). Visualizing
Psychology: Themes and Variations.
(1st Edition).
Wiley.
·
A student companion site is available with numerous useful
resources such as quizzes, flashcards, and web links.
See the following link:
o
http://bcs.wiley.com/he-bcs/Books?action=index&bcsId=3563&itemId=0471767964
·
You may purchase the electronic version of the textbook at the
following web site:
o
http://www.wiley.com/legacy/desktopeditions/soc-psych.html
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS:
Six Scantrons (form No. 882-E)
available for purchase at the bookstore.
ACADEMIC HONESTY,
CHEATING, AND PLAGIARISM
Academic dishonesty is a
violation of the Student Code of Conduct and is handled by the Vice-President of
Student Personnel.
Academic dishonesty includes
cheating, plagiarism, collusion, misuse of college computers and software, and
other dishonest conduct. Students in
violation of the Merced College Academic Honesty Student Code of Conduct are
subject to dismissal from this course.
Plagiarism involves directly
quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing the work of others without specific
indication of sources, or handing in work that is not the student's own.
Cheating is the unauthorized giving or receiving of information in
examinations or other exercises.
Instructors have the responsibility to report such incidents and serious
penalties may be imposed, depending on the nature of the incident.
ATTENDANCE POLICY:
Students are
expected to attend each class and to be responsible for all of the materials
covered in lecture and text. In most
instances lectures will complement and NOT review the assigned reading
materials. Consequently, if for some legitimate reason you are unable to attend
class it will be advisable for you to make arrangements with another student to
acquire the lecture notes and to stop by during my office hours if you have
questions regarding the material.
PUNCTUALITY:
It is important to
be on time to each class. Quizzes
and important announcements will be presented at the beginning of class (e.g.,
reminders, expanded assignment instructions, changes to the class schedule,
etc.). If you are late, you may miss
these quizzes and announcements.
Do not come late to the final exam.
The exam will end when the last person who arrived on time has completed
their exam. This means that if the
final exam starts at
EMAILING THE PROFESSOR:
Every student has
a
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR:
For the benefit of everyone, disruptive classroom behavior will not be tolerated. Do not use your cell phones or other devices during class (i.e., do not make or receive calls, text message, take pictures or make audio or video recordings). If you must leave class early for any reason, please inform me prior to the start of class and sit near the door so that your exit does not create a disturbance. Some of the material covered in this course is controversial (e.g., human sexuality), and it is possible you may feel uncomfortable about some of the topics. Nevertheless, it is important for students to show respect for their classmates and the professor. Do not hesitate to come to me with any questions or concerns.
DISABLED STUDENT SERVICES:
If you have a verified
physical, medical, psychological, or learning disability or perhaps you feel you
may have one of these disabilities which impacts your ability to carry out
assigned course work, please contact the Disabled Student Services (DSS) office.
DSS staff will review your needs and determine what accommodations are necessary
and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential. DSS is
located in the Lesher Student Services Bldg. Room 234, phone 384-6155. In Los
Banos, DSS is located in Building A, phone 381-6423.
WITHDRAWAL FROM THE
COURSE
GRADE CONTRACT:
Your course grade will be based on the following:
Exams:
There will be 5 exams consisting of 40 questions.
Each exam is worth 40 points.
The questions will be taken from the text, lectures, guest lectures, class
activities, and videos.
(Total Possible Points: 5 X 40 = 200)
Final Exam:
The final exam is comprehensive and will consist of 80 questions, each worth .5
points.
(Total Possible Points: 40)
Active
Learning/Critical Thinking:
Throughout the course, you will have many opportunities to participate in group
and individual critical thinking activities.
You must be in class and participate to
earn these points.
(Total Possible Points: 20)
Extra Credit:
For this assignment, you will write a
paper in which you will apply psychological concepts to your personal
experiences. The purpose of this assignment is to provide you with an
opportunity to practice writing, to apply what you learn, and to help develop
critical thinking skills. Grades
will be based on relevance to course, application of course material,
thoughtfulness, clarity of expression, grammar, spelling, etc.
Be sure to relate the assignment to the course material and describe key
concepts. Suggested topics are
listed below and more will be provided in class throughout the semester.
Your paper should be three to four double-spaced typewritten pages in
length. Plagiarism will not be
tolerated. Be sure to reference any
source used for your paper.
This assignment is
worth 30 points and is due on May 19th.
Late papers will not be accepted.
(Total Possible Points: 5)
So, there are a total of 220 points
available, and your course grade will be assigned according to the following
criteria:
90% = 198-220 = A
80% = 176-197 = B
70% = 154-175 = C
60% = 132-153 = D
Below 132 = F
Point Record:
The record below is provided to assist you in keeping track of your points.
All scores are recorded in my grade book and those are the official
scores.
Exam 1:
/40
Exam 2:
/40
Exam 3:
/40
Exam 4:
/40
Exam 5:
/40
Final Exam :
/40
Active Learning:
/20
Extra Credit:
/5
Make-ups:
Your lowest scoring exam or final will be dropped.
If you miss an exam for ANY reason, that will be the score that is
dropped and replaced by your score on the final exam.
Except for extraordinary circumstances, make-up tests will not be given.
If a make-up is approved, it will be administered with the final exam.
SUGGESTED
EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENT TOPICS
(Choose
from the topic list below or from topics presented in class)
Topic 1:
Design an experiment to test extrasensory perception (ESP)
Write a 2-3 page paper on
the following:
Based on the in-class
demonstration of your instructor’s “psychic” abilities, develop an hypothesis
and design a study to test your explanation utilizing key research terms from
Chapter 2 and the lecture.
Topic 2:
Improving Grades
Describe a study
routine that is supported by memory research in 2-3 pages.
What could you do to increase the likelihood of studied material
resulting in long-term storage and easy retrieval?
Compare this routine to your current study habits.
Will you try this research-supported method or continue with your current
method? Why or why not?
Topic 3:
Learning Application
The focus of the paper is to
answer the question "WHAT HAVE I LEARNED" in my life with as much depth and
detail as possible. After reviewing
Chapter 6 of your text, please submit a 2-3 page, typed and double spaced paper
that includes applications of classical conditioning and/or applications of
operant learning. You must include
all of the elements of classical and/or operant conditioning.
For example, if you choose to discuss classical conditioning you will
need to describe the unconditioned stimulus, the unconditioned response, the
neutral stimulus, the conditioned stimulus, and the conditioned response.
You will want to describe the learning situation in detail.
Your goal is to explore your past and its influence on who you are today
while demonstrating an understanding of terms, concepts, and application of
learning principles. Below are some
examples you may follow.
A.
Describe a learned food aversion that you experienced.
Show how the principles of classical conditioning (the UCS, CS, CR, etc.)
applied to your experience.
B.
Describe an adolescent emotional experience that involves classical
conditioning, such as being embarrassed in school or on a date, getting your
first kiss, or having your feelings tied up in a song.
Show how the principles of classical conditioning (the UCS, CS, CR, etc.)
applied to your experience.
C.
Describe a fear or a phobia that was learned through classical
conditioning. Show how the
principles of classical conditioning (the UCS, CS, CR, etc.) applied to your
experience.
D.
Describe one of your childhood learning experiences that involved operant
conditioning, such as having to do something to get a reward or avoid a
punishment. Discuss how the
principles of operant conditioning (emitted behavior consequences; reinforcement
or punishment/schedules of reinforcement) applied to your learning experience.
E.
Describe how you could use the principles of operant conditioning to
improve your study habits, such as studying for a longer period of time, taking
better notes, or reading assignments before they are due.
Discuss how the principles of operant conditioning (emitted behavior
consequences; reinforcement or punishment/schedules of reinforcement) applied to
your learning experience.
F.
Describe a small behavior you would like to change in someone you live
with -- a roommate, sibling, parent or partner (e.g., not taking out trash,
leaving their stuff in the living room).
Discuss how the principles of operant conditioning (emitted behavior
consequences; reinforcement or punishment/schedules of reinforcement) applied to
your learning experience.
Topic 4:
How do you deal with stress?
Write a 2-3 page
thoughtful response to the following:
What are the advantages and
disadvantages of relying on emotion-focused styles of coping?
Problem-focused forms of coping?
What about the use of defense mechanisms?
Do you overuse some defense mechanisms?
Do you think it possible to live free of defense mechanisms?
Why or why not? How do you
think you could improve the way you deal with stress?
Topic 5: Biological Bases of
Behavior Writing Project
Write a 2-3 page
thoughtful response to one the following (choose A or B):
(A)
The Case of Charles Whitman
As a child and young man, Charles
Whitman was kind, quiet, and known by all as a "good boy"--serving as both an
altar boy and an Eagle Scout. As a student at the
Recognizing that this area
of the brain is known to regulate aggressive behaviors in animals (the research
is less clear for humans), should Whitman be held fully responsible for his
actions? Why or why not? If Whitman
had lived, would you have been in favor of capital punishment or life
imprisonment for his crimes?
(B)
What do you think about the
possible use of brain stimulator implants to achieve control over mental
patients? Under what circumstances
would you believe such implant procedures should be considered?
What about the idea of implanting electrodes in the pleasure centers of
all newly born infants? If these
electrodes could be used to soothe a crying baby, to replace drug effects in
drug addicted teenagers and adults, would there be any disadvantages?
Would you be willing to volunteer your own child or yourself for
implantation if there was no possibility of physical harm?
Topic 6:
Destructive Obedience
Discuss an
example of destructive obedience and how one might handle best this situation in
2-3 pages. The example can be from
your own or someone else’s experience (e.g., an example from the media or
someone you know). Be sure to
include principles of obedience described in class and in the text.
Date
Topic
Week 1
Jan. 20
Introduction
Jan. 22
Introduction
Chapter 1
Week 2
Jan. 25
Research Methods
Chapter 1
Jan. 27
Research Methods
Chapter 1
Jan. 29
Research Methods
Chapter 1
Week 3
Feb. 1
Neuroscience and Biological Foundations
Chapter 2
Feb. 3
Neuroscience and Biological Foundations
Chapter 2
Feb. 5
Neuroscience and Biological Foundations
Chapter 2
Week 4
Feb. 8
Exam 1 (Chapters 1 & 2)
Feb. 10
Consciousness
Chapter 5
Feb. 12
Week 5
Feb. 15
Feb. 17
Consciousness
Chapter 5
Feb. 19
Consciousness
Chapter 5
Week 6
Feb. 22 Learning Chapter 6
Feb. 24
Learning
Chapter 6
Week 7
Mar. 1
Exam 2 (Chapters
5, & 6)
Mar. 3
Memory
Chapter 7
Mar. 5 Memory Chapter 7
Week 8
Mar. 8
Memory
Chapter 7
Mar. 10
Emotion
Chapter 11
Mar. 12
Emotion
Chapter 11
Week 9
Mar. 15
Human Sexuality
Chapter 11
Mar. 17
Human Sexuality
Chapter 11
Mar. 19
Social Psychology
Chapter 15
Week 10
Mar. 22 Social Psychology Chapter 15
Mar. 24
Social Psychology
Chapter 15
Mar.
26
Exam 3 (Chapters 7, 11, & 15)
Week 11
Mar. 29 Stress and Health Psychology Chapter 3
Mar. 31
Stress and Health Psychology
Chapter 3
Apr. 2
Good Friday—No Class
Week 12
Apr. 5-9
Spring Break—No Class
Week 13
Apr. 12 Stress and Health Psychology Chapter 3
Apr. 14
Personality
Chapter 12
Apr. 16
Personality
Chapter 12
Week 14
Apr. 19 Personality Chapter 12
Apr. 21
Sensation and
Perception
Chapter 4
Apr. 23
Sensation and
Perception
Chapter 4
Week 15
Apr.
26
Exam 4 (Chapters 3, 9, & 12)
Apr. 28
Psychological Disorders
Chapter 13
Apr. 30
Psychological Disorders
Chapter 13
Week 16
May 3
Psychological Disorders
Chapter 13
May 5
Psychological
Disorders
Chapter 13
May 7
Psychological Disorders
Chapter 13
Week 17
May 10
Therapy
Chapter 14
May 12
Therapy
Chapter 14
May 14
Therapy
Chapter 14
Week 18
May 17
Human Development
Chapter 9
May 19
Human Development
Chapter 9
***Extra Credit Due***
May 21
Exam 5 (Chapters 9, 13, & 14)
FINAL EXAMINATIONS:
May 24th through May 28th
Final Exam Time TBA