Psy 300

|[pic] |Syllabus |
| |College of Social Sciences |
| |PSY/300 |
| |General Psychology |

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Course Description

General Psychology is a survey course which introduces the student to the major topics in scientific psychology as applied to human behavior. Applications of these principles will be made to the human experience.

Policies

Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents:

• University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum.

University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality.

Course Materials

Kowalski, R., & Westen, D. (2011). Psychology (6th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

All electronic materials are available on the student website.

|Week One: The Science of Psychology |
| |Details |Due |Points |
|Objectives |Examine the major underlying assumptions of the various schools of thought in psychology. | | |
| |Explain how psychological research applies to various aspects of personal and social life. | | |
| |Determine what guidelines should be applied to the evaluation of psychological research and | | |
| |practices. | | |
| |Identify ethical dilemmas that may arise in psychological research. | | |
| |Describe the basic biological foundations of psychology. | | |
|Readings |Read Ch. 1–3 of Psychology. | | |
| |Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | | |
|Participation |Participate in class discussion. |4 out 7 days |2 |
|Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |DQ 1: |2 |
| | |Day 3 | |
| | | | |
| | |DQ 2: | |
| | |Day 5 | |
|Nongraded Activities and |Use the link on the student web page to access and view the following video clips: | | |
|Preparation | | | |
|MyPsychLab |Branches of Psychology | | |
| |The Complexity of Humans | | |
|Learning Team Instructions |Resources: Learning Team Toolkit |Day 7 |2 |
| |Complete the Learning Team Charter. | | |
|Individual Foundations of |Prepare a 700- to 1,050-word paper in which you examine the foundations of psychology. In |Day 7 |10 |
|Psychology Paper |your paper be sure to address the following components: | | |
| | | | |
| |Identify the major schools of thought in psychology and examine their major underlying | | |
| |assumptions. | | |
| |Identify the primary biological foundations of psychology linked to behavior. | | |
| | | | |
| |Prepare to discuss this paper in class. | | |
| | | | |
| |Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. | | |

|Week Two: Sensation and Perception |
|Learning |
| |Details |Due |Points |
|Objectives | | | |
| |Describe the concepts of transduction and absolute threshold. | | |
| |Examine sensation as it relates to the visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory | | |
| |systems. | | |
| |Distinguish sensation from perception. | | |
| |Explore the conditioning processes involved with learning. | | |
| |Distinguish between classical and operant conditioning. | | |
| |Define unconditioned stimulus, conditioned stimulus, reinforcement, shaping, and extinction. | | |
| |Examine cognitive-social models of learning. | | |
|Readings |Read Ch. 4 & 5 of Psychology. | | |
| |Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. | | |
|Participation |Participate in class discussion. |4 out of 7 days|2 |
|Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |DQ 1: |2 |
| | |Day 3 | |
| | | | |
| | |DQ 2: | |
| | |Day 5 | |
|Activities and Preparation |Use the link on the student web page to access and view the following video clips: | | |
| | | | |
| |A Nobel-Winning Study in Feature Detectors | | |
| |Frequency and Amplitude of Sound Waves | | |
| |The Shaping Process | | |
| | | | |
| |Learning Team: Outline for Week 3 Paper | | |
| | |Day 7 |4 |
|Individual |Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you discuss phobias and addictions as related |Day 7 |10 |
|Phobias and Addictions Paper |to classical and operant conditioning. Phobias and addictions are two emotional difficulties| | |
| |which learning theorists can account for. Be sure to include the following: | | |
| | | | |
| |Explore how phobias can be developed through classical conditioning. | | |
| |Explore how addictions can be developed through operant conditioning. | | |
| |Distinguish between classical and operant conditioning. | | |
| |Explain what extinction means and how it is achieved in both classical and operant | | |
| |conditioning. | | |
| | | | |
| |Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. | | |

|Week Three: Memory, Thought, Language, and Intelligence |
| |Details |Due |Points |
|Objectives | | | |
| |Examine the processes of memory and information processing. | | |
| |Describe short-term memory and long-term memory in relationship to each other. | | |
| |Compare and contrast language, thought, reasoning, and problem solving. | | |
| |Explore the definitions of intelligence and the validity of intelligence measurements. | | |
| |Articulate the relationship between memory and intelligence. | | |
|Readings |Read Ch. 6–8 of Psychology. | | |
| |Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings | | |
|Participation |Participate in class discussion. |4 out of 7 days|2 |
|Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |DQ 1: |2 |
| | |Day 3 | |
| | | | |
| | |DQ 2: | |
| | |Day 5 | |
|Individual Gardner |Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you discuss the theory of multiple |Day 7 |10 |
|Intelligence paper |intelligences developed by Howard Gardner. Pick three and discuss how each can have an | | |
| |impact on your personal success. Below is a list of the eight intelligences: | | |
| | | | |
| |Linguistic | | |
| |Musical | | |
| |Logical-Mathematical | | |
| |Naturalist | | |
| |Spatial | | |
| |Bodily-Kinesthetic | | |
| |Intrapersonal | | |
| |Interpersonal | | |
| | | | |
| |Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. | | |
|Learning Team |Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you discuss the type of environment that |Day 7 |10 |
|Sensation, Perception, and |facilitates the attention and perceptive processes of each Learning Team member. In order to | | |
|Attention Paper |prepare your report, perform the following activities: | | |
| | | | |
| |Conduct an open dialogue about each team member’s threshold for auditory stimuli. | | |
| | | | |
| |Compare the experiences and comfort levels of each team member with dichotic listening, or | | |
| |the “cocktail party” phenomenon. | | |
| | | | |
| |Discuss how dividing attention facilitates or impedes each team member’s learning. | | |
| | | | |
| |Identify and articulate what you see as the sensory perception problem involved. | | |
| | | | |
| |Make recommendations and ground rules that will accommodate the auditory sensation, | | |
| |perception, and attention to learning during your Learning Team meetings. | | |
| | | | |
| |Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. | | |

|Week Four: Motivation and Personality |
|Human Development |
| |Details |Due |Points |
|Objectives | | | |
| |Examine basic theories of motivation. | | |
| |Compare and contrast theories of personality in terms of how they explain an individual’s | | |
| |unique patterns and traits. | | |
| |Determine the usefulness and the limitations of personality testing. | | |
| |Identify basic theories of development. | | |
| |Distinguish between the influences of heredity and environment on psychological development. | | |
|Readings |Read Ch. 10, 12, & 13, of Psychology. | | |
| |Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings | | |
| | | | |
| |Learning Team: Outline for the week 5 paper |Day 7 |4 |
|Participation |Participate in class discussion. |4 out of 7 days|2 |
|Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |DQ 1: |2 |
| | |Day 3 | |
| | | | |
| | |DQ 2: | |
| | |Day 5 | |
|Individual |Resources: Articles located through the University Library or other sources |Day 7 |10 |
|Life Span Development and | | | |
|Personality Paper |Select a famous individual from the 20th or 21st centuries. Conduct research concerning the | | |
| |background of your selected individual to determine what forces have impacted his or her life| | |
| |from the viewpoint of developmental psychology. | | |
| | | | |
| |Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you address the following items: | | |
| | | | |
| |Distinguish between the influences of heredity and environment on the person’s psychological | | |
| |development. Be sure to specify which area of psychological development: moral, emotional, or| | |
| |other. | | |
| | | | |
| |What family issues or social support systems may have influenced the person’s developmental | | |
| |growth and adjustment? | | |
| | | | |
| |Select two different theories of personality and apply them to your selected figure, and | | |
| |answer the following question: How does each theory differ in terms of how it explains the | | |
| |individual's unique patterns or traits? | | |
| | | | |
| |Explain which theoretical approach you believe best explains the individual's behaviors and | | |
| |achievements. Make sure to explain why you made this choice. | | |
| | | | |
| |Use a minimum of three sources and be prepared to discuss your paper in class. | | |
| | | | |
| |Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. | | |

|Week Five: Social Psychology |
|Abnormal Psychology and Therapy |
| |Details |Due |Points |
|Objectives | | | |
| |Analyze precursors and consequences of human interaction in terms of social psychology | | |
| |concepts. | | |
| |Explore basic concepts of human interaction from a social psychology perspective. | | |
| |Define abnormal psychology in contrast to “normal psychology.” | | |
| |Examine mental disorders and mental illness from the psychological perspective. | | |
| |Compare and contrast therapies designed for each school of thought in psychology for treating| | |
| |mental disorders. | | |
|Readings |Read Ch. 14-17 of Psychology. | | |
| |Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings | | |
|Participation |Participate in class discussion. |4 out of 7 days|2 |
|Discussion Questions |Respond to weekly discussion questions. |DQ 1: |2 |
| | |Day 3 | |
| | | | |
| | |DQ 2: | |
| | |Day 5 | |
|Individual |Resources: Articles located through the University library or other sources |Day 7 |10 |
|Social Influences on Behavior | | | |
|Paper |Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you examine basic concepts of human interaction| | |
| |from a psychology perspective. In your examination, describe at least two examples of how | | |
| |human behavior changes based on social situations. In your description be sure to address the| | |
| |following: | | |
| | | | |
| |Describe the specific behaviors. | | |
| | | | |
| |Describe the context in which the behaviors occurred. | | |
| | | | |
| |Analyze precursors and consequences of the behaviors in terms of social psychology concepts. | | |
| | | | |
| |Identify any associated phenomenon with your selected behaviors, such as social facilitation,| | |
| |social loafing, or groupthink. | | |
| | | | |
| |Determine if the exhibited behaviors necessitate therapeutic intervention. | | |
| | | | |
| |Prepare to discuss your paper in class. | | |
| | | | |
| |Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. | | |
|Learning Team |Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in which you discuss abnormal psychology and therapy. In|Day 7 |10 |
|Abnormal Psychology and |your paper, be sure to address each one of the following items: | | |
|Therapy Paper | | | |
| |Compare and contrast normal and abnormal psychology. | | |
| |Examine at least two mental disorders and two mental illnesses from the perspective of | | |
| |psychology. | | |
| |Discuss the similarities and differences among the therapies for each school of thought in | | |
| |psychology for treating mental disorders. | | |
| |Use a minimum of three sources and be prepared to discuss your paper in class. | | |
| | | | |
| |Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. | | |

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