General Psychology Syllabus for 2011-2012
Return to Syllabus List
Instructor Information
Instructor
Deborah Harding (Curriculum Vitae)Office Location
Dutton Hall 202-J
Office Hours
TO SET UP A MEETING: CONTACT ME BY PHONE: The VERY BEST WAY TO REACH ME IS AT MY CELL PHONE AT 
(806) 584-7569 between 9 AM and 9 PM, any day of the week.
PLEASE...NO TEXTING: Please note that I DO NOT TEXT MY STUDENTS and I DO NOT ACCEPT TEXT MESSAGES. If you can text me, then you can call me! AGAIN, my cell phone is 806 584-7569! If there is an occasion where I am traveling or cannot respond to you in a timely manner by phone, I will let you know that you can text me for that period of time. However, outside of that, PLEASE CALL! I enjoy talking to my students! If you text me, I will not respond to you! Sorry...I want to handle all student business over the phone or in an email!
If I'm not available when you call, I will call you back so please tell me your name, the best time to call you AND WHAT CLASS YOU ARE IN! That way, I can better answer your questions! Thanks! Also, we can set up a face to face conference if you want to!
EMAIL ME: You can also email me through the BLACKBOARD COURSE EMAIL feature! Again, if you email me outside the CLASSROOM ONLINE EMAIL SYSTEM, your email may not get to me. It may be treated as spam. SO, USE THE EMAIL FUNCTION IN THE ONLINE CLASS! It's in the MENU to the left of the screen and it says Send an EMAIL! Click on that and then select SEND AN EMAIL TO THE INSTRUCTORS in the CLASS!
OFFICE HOURS and APPOINTMENT TIMES:
FOR ONLINE CLASSES or ON-CAMPUS TECHNOLOGY ASSISTED CLASSES: THE BEST WAY TO SET UP AN INDIVIDUAL APPOINTMENT is to CALL ME ON MY CELLPHONE at 806 584-7569.
FOLKS: Please, I give you my cell phone number so you can call me between 9 am and 9 pm, 7 days a week! Feel free to CALL me OR EMAIL ME SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHERE AND WHEN we can either visit by phone or in person! Please do not abuse your privilege of having my cell number. Again, please call me or email me. ....please DO NOT TEXT MESSAGE ME! I want to communicate with you directly!
Course Information
Recording Policy
Disability Statement
Any student who, because of a disabling condition, may require some special arrangements in order to meet course requirements should contact disAbility Services (Student Service Center room 119, phone 371-5436) as soon as possible.
Statement for Mental Health and Advocacy & Resource Center:
As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student's ability to participate in daily activities. Amarillo College offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing. If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus by calling the AC Counseling Center at 806-371-5900. The AC Counseling Center website is https://www.actx.edu/counseling/ . Also, if you are in need of social services (affordable housing, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, childcare, medical/dental/vision, legal), please call the AC Advocacy & Resource Center at 806-371-5439. The AC Advocacy & Resource Center website is https://www.actx.edu/arc
Amarillo College Tutoring for Success Policy:
Administrative Drop Policy
N/A
Student Withdrawal Procedures
N/A
Privacy Statement
The Amarillo College Privacy Policy is found at https://www.actx.edu/-amarillo-college-privacy-notice , and applies to all Amarillo College students. If you have questions about this privacy statement or you believe that your personal information has been released without your consent, send email to humanresources@actx.edu .
Course
PSYC-2301-005 General Psychology
Prerequisites
RDNG 0331-minimum grade of C or a score on a state-approved test indicating college-level reading skills
Course Description
An introduction to psychology covering the principles of human behavior relating to heredity, maturation, intelligence, learning, motivation, perception, emotions and personality.
Student Resources Student Resources Website
Department Expectations
\N
Occupational License Disclaimer
Hours
(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)
Class Type
Hybrid
Syllabus Information
Textbooks
PSYCHSMART,1st edition (2011) MCGRAW HILL PUBLISHER (this is an edited book so you will not see an author's name on the cover).
This instructor makes her own study guides for all exams. IT IS THE STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PRINT OFF STUDY GUIDES AVAILABLE IN YOUR AC ONLINE CLASS. IF YOU NEED HELP ACCESSING AC ONLINE, GO TO THE 2ND FLOOR OF THE LIBRARY AND THEY WILL GET YOU SET UP.
You will have all EXAMS, ASSIGNMENTS and EXAM STUDY GUIDES posted in your AC ONLINE CLASSROOM for this course. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO GET ALL ASSIGNMENTS, STUDY GUIDES, AND, IF YOU LIKE, THE POWER POINT NOTES (Power point NOTES ARE OPTIONAL, however, the EXAMS, STUDY GUIDES, and ASSIGNMENTS ARE REQUIRED!). If you do not have your OWN COMPUTER in order to access AC ONLINE, be sure and familiarize yourself with the computers available to you at the AC Library.
Supplies
YOU MUST HAVE ACCESS TO A WORKING COMPUTER OR BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE AC COMPUTERS DURING THE TIMES THEY ARE OPEN. If yo
Student Performance
- Define psychology and list and discuss the goals of psychology
- Compare and contrast the major theoretical perspectives in contemporary psychology.
- Explain what is meant by the scientific method and describe the various research methods.
- Describe the parts and functions of the nervous system.
- Define and discuss sensation and perception.
- Describe learning from the behavioral and the cognitive perspectives.
- Describe the functioning of sensory, short-term and long-term memory.
- Define motives, needs, drives, and incentives.
- Explain and evaluate the cognitive-appraisal theories of emotion.
- Discuss the nature-nurture controversy in developmental psychology.
- Define Piaget's concepts and outline Piaget's four stages of cognitive development, describing the major characteristics of each.
- Describe the major personality theories and projective and objective measures of personality.
- Describe the psychological disorders and the biomedical and psychological therapies that are used.
- Describe the social context of human behavior, emphasizing attribution theory, relationships between attitudes and action, conformity, group/cultural influences, prejudice, aggression, social conflict, attraction, altruism, and peacemaking.
Students Rights and Responsibilities
Student Rights and ResponsibilitiesLog in using the AC Connect Portal
In order to receive your AC Connect Email, you must log in through AC Connect at https://acconnect.actx.edu .
If you are an active staff or faculty member according to Human Resources, use "Exchange". All other students, use "AC Connect (Google) Email".
Expected Student Behavior
\ Students are expected to attend class, to participate in class and to prepare for class lectures and discussions by reading the text and doing homework assignments. Students are expected to turn off all electronic devices (if you have a sick child, you may bring your phone and put it on vibrate). Please do not engage in side conversations during class time, texting, reading newspapers, taking naps, and any other distracting behaviors. If you miss class, you are expected to contact the instructor and/or other students in the class to get information about the class. Since this instructor emails reminders via the AC ONLINE classroom announcement page, it's best to check into your AC ONLINE class frequently. As well, all course notes and assignments are in the AC ONLINE classroom folders, as directed by your instructor. It is your responsibility to get the information and printed materials, as well as take EXAMS in the AC Online classroom. If you don't have a computer, simply check the ones in the library. You can get onto AC ONLINE from any computer anywhere!
\\ Each student is expected to engage in academic honesty, refraining from cheating or plagiarism. YOUR EXAMS ARE MEANT TO BE TAKEN BY YOU! IF THIS INSTRUCTOR LEARNS THAT YOU ARE COLLABORATING ON EXAMS, YOU WILL FAIL THE COURSE!
\\
Plagiarism on written work will NOT be tolerated. PLAGIARISM IS USING SOMEONE ELSES MATERIAL AS IF IT WERE WRITTEN OR ORIGINATED BY YOU. If you plagiarize, you can fail the assignment and receive a 0. Plagiarism means copying off of the internet, quoting directly without giving credit to the source, or using parts of another persons work as your own. Copying and pasting material off the internet is strictly forbidden! YOU MUST CITE ALL SOURCES AND HAVE A REFERENCE SECTION WITH APA STYLE CITATIONS FOR YOUR PAPER! PLEASE DO NOT ENGAGE IN THIS BEHAVIOR. We have access to a plagiarism checker program and any paper that this instructor sees is plagiarized in part or in full, will be getting a 0 on the paper, and a letter of reprimand will be filed in your academic record. IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AS TO WHETHER SOMETHING IS CONSIDERED PLAGIARISM, PLEASE ASK YOUR INSTRUCTOR BEFORE YOU ENGAGE IN QUESTIONABLE BEHAVIOR! AGAIN, I CONSIDER THIS A VERY SERIOUS OFFENSE AND WILL NOT TOLERATE IT!!!
\
\ All students are expected to be tolerant and respectful of other students in the classroom. There will be zero tolerance for any type of harrasment or disrespect based on gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious ideals. Thank you for making our class a safe place to discuss ideas and to learn.! ~ Dr. Harding
Grading Criteria
FOR SUMMER: There will be approximately 400 points for the semester. YOU CAN ALWAYS SEE YOUR GRADES IN YOUR AC ONLINE GRADEBOOK FOR THIS COURSE. TO CALCULATE YOUR GRADE, DIVIDE THE NUMBER OF POINTS THAT YOU HAVE EARNED (USUALLY THE SMALLER NUMBER IN MYAC GRADE BOOK) BY THE POSSIBLE NUMBER OF POINTS IN THE CLASS (USUALLY THE LARGER NUMBER). Grading will be on a standard Grade Scale
90-100% = A 80-89% = B 70-79% = C 50- 69% = D
Below 50 is an F.
GRADES WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
300 EXAM POINTS ( 3 100 point exams: Eam 1 over chapters 1, 2, and part of 4. Exam 2 over chapters 3, parts of 4, 5, 6 . Exam 3 over chapters 8. 11, 12 and a little bit of 13.
IN SUMMER, NO EXAMS WILL BE DROPPED! ALL EXAMS ARE ONLINE! .
40 POINTS ATTEDANCE AND IN-CLASS LABS (Attendance will be taken 8 times worth 5 pts each...DO NOT MISS CLASS! We only have 11 class meetings!).
60 POINTS for online discussions and some labs, several which we will cover in class. Your discussions and several films will be shown ONLINE. .
5 extra credit points for exam 1 and 2 completed study guides. .
TOTAL: 400 PTS.
ALL EXAMS FOR THIS COURSE ARE GIVEN ONLINE IN YOUR AC ONLINE CLASSROOM.
Because your exams are open for several days, there will be NO MAKE UPS GIVEN. As well, you get to drop your lowest exam score, so if you happen to miss an exam, that will be your dropped exam.
If you happen to miss more than one exam, ONLY IN THE MOST DIRE OF CIRCUMSTANCES WILL A MAKE UP BE GIVEN. PLEASE SEE YOUR INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY IF THIS IS THE CASE.
Attendance
"90% of success is just showing up." ~ Woody Allen
Because this course is a hybrid course, only 50% of our time is spent IN CLASS! The other 50% of this course is done BY YOU, as an ONLINE COURSE. We have a LOT to cover in class! While it may be tempting to skip classes, know that the #1 factor linked with good grades IS class attendance. I will be taking attendance at the beginning of the class, 10 times during the semester, worth 5 points each time. Some of those times, we have an in-class lab. Each student will be allowed to miss only ONE class over these 15 weeks of classes, with NO PENALTY to their grade. Since attendance points are given at the beginning of class, tardiness will result in a loss of points. PLEASE...BE READY FOR CLASS, READ YOUR CHAPTER before class AND PRINT OFF YOUR POWER POINT NOTES! BE THERE, BE CONSCIOUS, AND BE ON TIME! IT'S DISRUPTIVE TO OTHERS TO SHOW UP LATE! IT'S DISRUPTIVE TO YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE TOPIC TO NOT BE IN CLASS! ~ THANKS! DR. HARDING
__________________________________________________________________________
Calendar
There are THREE required exams for this course. All exams will be ONLINE and open for 5 days.
UNIT 1:Exam 1 will cover chapters 1, 2 and part of chapter 4 worth 100 points.
UNIT 2: Exam 2 will cover chapters 3, parts of 4, 5, & 6 and will be worth 100 points.
UNIT 3: Exam 3 will cover chapters 8, 11, 12 and a film over 13 (and the handouts you will have), and will be worth 100 points.
There is no comprehensive final exam for this course.
There will also be in class labs, discussions and various exercises worth attendance points throughout the semester. At each exam, you will turn in your Exam 1 and exam 2 Study guide and receive 5 extra points on your exam for each if they are completed.
This calendar is only meant to be a flexible outline of this course. IT IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING UPDATED! PLEASE CHECK BACK!
Unit I: Week 1
Day 1: Intro and Chapter 1: Introduction to Psychology
Day 2: CH 2 The Brain and Nervous System
Day 3 is HOLIDAY
Day 4: Ch 3 on Sensation and Perception
Exam 1 over chapters 1, 2, 3 and lecture notes, handouts, and in class labs. (100 pts)
Unit II: Week 2
Day 5: Ch 4 Consciousness and Dream Analysis: In class lab for attendance points)
Day 6: Ch 5: Learning (in class lab for attendance points)
Day 7: Ch 6 Memory
Day 8: Ch 8 Motivation and Emotion
Exam 2 over chapters 4, 5, 6 and 8 (Worth 100 points)
Unit III Week 3
Day 9: Chapter 9: Development and ONLINE FILM TO WATCH (questions on exam 3)
Day 10: Ch 11: Health Stress, Coping and Well-Being
Day 11: Ch 12 Psychological Disorders and Treatment: all handouts and Inclass lab (worth 5 points)
LAST DISCUSSION over a TOPIC OF INTEREST TO YOU WILL BE DUE! TONIGHT, DAY 11 at 10:55 pm in DISCUSSION BOX.
Day 12 and last class: Chapter 13: Social Psychology. You will have an in class lab for this lecture worth 5 points.
EXAM 3: over chapters 9, 11, 12 and 13. Worth 100 points.
Additional Information
Note: Any work that is turned in to this instructor MUST BE STAPLED! I do not accept unstapled pages nor do I accept work that is paper-clipped or corners folded over. IT MUST BE STAPLED TOGETHER (for example, your study guides must be stapled!). DO NOT TURN IN WORK THAT IS UNSTAPLED. I SUGGEST YOU INVEST IN A TINY TOT STAPLER IN ORDER TO MEET THIS REQUIREMENT!
CREDIT HOURS and PREREQUISITE: 3 Credit HRS. Scores on state-approved test indicating college-level reading skills or a C or higher in RDNG 0331. Test scores indicating college-level reading skill (THEA or state-approved alternative test)
COURSE DESCRIPTION:An introduction to psychology covering the principles of human behavior relating to heredity, maturation, intelligence, learning, motivation, perception, emotions and personality.
Syllabus Created on:
11/30/-1 12:00 AM
Last Edited on:
11/30/-1 12:00 AM