General Psychology Syllabus for 2023-2024
Return to Syllabus List

Instructor Information

Course Information

COVID-19 Protocols

Recording Policy

Disability Statement

If you have a disability (learning, mental, physical) that affects your ability to participate effectively and have access to any program or service at Amarillo College please contact Disability Services at (806) 345-5639 . Our offices are located in the Enrollment Center, Suite 700. More information may be found at www.actx.edu/disability.
Disability Services facilitates access to all programs and services according to the ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other federal and state laws.

Amarillo College Web Accessibility Policy Statement

Amarillo College is committed to providing equal access to all programs and services, including all working, learning, and service environments that affect equal access for persons with disabilities. This commitment to provide equal access and opportunity for persons with disabilities is in compliance with federal and state law. Amarillo College also strives to provide Electronic and Information Resources (EIR) that are accessible to all authorized users.

If you find you are unable to access material in an accessible format please contact the Disability Services Office at (806) 345-5639 . This office will work in conjunction with other campus resources to address and accommodate your issue in a timely manner.

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:

Tutoring for Success applies to any student whose overall performance in the course falls below 75%. The instructor will create the task in the Student Engagement Portal (Watermark) to direct the student to the appropriate tutoring service, which may be faculty- or SI-led, discipline-specific, and/or general. The tutoring service assigned, the due date for when the tutoring must be completed, and the amount of tutoring required are at the discretion of the instructor. Additionally, the task will alert the student’s success team. Students who do not fulfill the assigned tutoring task may be subject to program- and course-specific penalties that could result in a grade reduction and/or in not being allowed to progress in the course until the tutoring requirement has been satisfied.

Administrative Drop Policy

Students who do not attend class on or prior to the census date will be administratively dropped. Effective Fall, 2016

Student Withdrawal Procedures

Students who wish to withdraw from a course must complete all steps indicated on the Academic Withdrawal Request form by the course withdrawal deadline.

NOTE: Students who are attending Texas institutions of higher education, for the first time fall 2007 and later, may not withdraw from more than six courses during their academic career. This withdrawal limitation does not include dual credit or developmental classes (Senate Bill 1231 Rule 4.10.) For more information on Drop and Withdrawal Policies, please visit the Registrar's Office Web site.

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-2301-003 General Psychology

Prerequisites

Course Description

General Psychology is a survey of the major psychological topics, theories and approaches to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

Student ResourcesStudent Resources Website

Department Expectations

Occupational License Disclaimer

Notice to Students enrolled in an educational program for preparation of issuance of certain occupational licenses:

Students enrolled in an educational program in preparation for obtaining certain occupational licenses are potentially ineligible for such license if the student has been convicted of an offense. For further information, please contact:

Melodie Graves
Justice Involved Advocate
Student Service Center 117
mgraves24@actx.edu
806-371-5995
Make appointment at https://melodiegraves.youcanbook.me

You can also contact the Legal Clinic, or the faculty member in charge of the educational program that you seek to enroll in. The further information you will receive will include notification to you of your right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the licensing authority in order to clarify your particular situation.

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Hybrid

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

I do not require that you get the textbook; I only recommend it. That said, because this is a very fast-paced summer course, you will do much better if you get the textbook I used while creating materials/assignments for this course. With limited time together in person, the book will be your best resource.

You can EITHER get the 11th edition OR the 12th edition of Exploring Psychology by David G. Myers & C. Nathan DeWall. The 11th and 12th editions of this book each work for this course, so you choose.

You do NOT need an access code to online materials, and again, the textbook is only recommended but not required.

Supplies

Pencil, pens, spiral notebook, and access to a computer with internet connection. If you do not have your own computer, you will need to use AC computers located on the 4th floor of Ware (the Library) or in The Underground (the basement of Ware).  Your exams will be given online, so you need to make sure you have a reliable computer AND internet connection.

Student Performance

These are the MINIMUM competencies. After studying the material presented in this course, the student will be able to do the following as evaluated by the faculty in the department/program:

1. Identify various research methods and their characteristics used in the scientific study of psychology.

2. Describe the historical influences and early schools of thought that shaped the field of psychology.

3. Describe some of the prominent perspectives and approaches used in the study of psychology.

4. Use terminology unique to the study of psychology.

5. Describe accepted approaches and standards in psychological assessment and evaluation.

6. Identify factors in physiological and psychological processes involved in human behavior.

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Log 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

Particularly because this is a fast-moving summer course, I will not be able to fully lecture over all content that will be covered on exams. I do not require a textbook in this course; however, I do recommend getting the book that goes with this course, because that will provide you with more in-depth coverage of the course material. Exam questions are taken from my in-person lectures and chapter videos, but you will also find explanations and information in the textbook about what I cover in lectures, since I used the textbook as a guide when creating my presentations. Because I do not require the textbook, you do NOT need an access code for online content through the publisher, and you can get either of the two most recent editions: either the 11th or the 12th edition will work for this course – you choose. To help guide you as you study for exams and as you listen to my in-person lectures and/or chapter videos, I have provided my PowerPoint lecture presentations in our Blackboard course. These materials will help you identify what will and will not be covered on exams.

All students are expected to be tolerant and respectful of other students and of me. There will be zero tolerance for any type of harassment. In class discussions in person and/or online, please be courteous and respectful of the different opinions of your classmates. If you post to the online Discussion forum, remember that I (and potentially the entire class) will be reading what you post. AC also expects that each student will engage in academic honesty and refrain from cheating and/or plagiarism. I require each student to complete their own work independently rather than copying assignments from classmates or working collaboratively. Exams should be completed independently, as should all other assignments for this class. For the Common Assessment assignment (the Social Responsibility Assignment), although you can complete your volunteer hours with classmates/friends, you must complete the template on your own. Penalties for cheating as well as plagiarism are outlined in the Amarillo College Student Handbook.

In our course calendar, in the last column, I list due dates for all assignments. Due dates are also listed below in this syllabus, and I post regular reminders using Blackboard’s messaging feature and the Announcements. Please try to complete all assignments on time. Calendar all due dates, use phone reminders, take advantage of the time you have, and plan ahead. If an emergency is going to prevent you from completing an assignment by the deadline, you will need to let me know as soon as possible, before the assignment is due. If you allow a deadline to pass without communicating with me, you will receive a 0 on that assignment. I rarely grant extensions on due dates because you almost always have at least a few days to complete all assignments – more often, you have the entire session to complete assignments at your own pace. Most of my assignments are open (available to be completed) for the duration of our course, so you can work ahead and submit assignments before their deadlines. Although I do not often extend deadlines, I will always open things up early for you, if that would fit better into your schedule.

Grading Criteria

You can check your grades in our course in Blackboard.  For your final overall course grade, I will round up at the standard .5 and above.  Grading will be on the scale:

100-89.5% = A
89.4-79.5% = B
79.4-69.5% = C
69.4-59.5% = D
59.4% and below = F

AC has adopted a tutoring policy, with mandatory tutoring required for every student with an overall grade in the course below a 75. Once or twice during the course, I will assign every student falling below a 75 to mandatory tutoring. As long as I receive an emailed tutoring report from your tutor, I will give you a few extra points on a pertinent assignment. For example, prior to submitting the Social Responsibility Assignment, if you go to The Writers’ Corner for some help, I will give you points added onto your score for that assignment.

The points will be earned:

30% of overall grade – Exams (3) – your lowest exam score will be dropped
20% of overall grade – Cornell-Style Notes for at least 10 of the 15 chapters
20% of overall grade – Social Responsibility Assignment – by itself, Part 1 is worth 5% of your overall grade; the completed project is worth 15%
15% of overall grade – Class Participation
15% of overall grade – Research Article & Video

• There will be three 50-question multiple-choice Exams taken online in Blackboard. 
  • Your lowest exam grade will be dropped. I will drop your lowest score after you have taken 2 exams, so that before the last day to drop this class, you will have a better idea of what your final grade will be.
  • The exam questions will be taken directly from my lectures AND chapter videos.
  • Exams will open at 12:00 a.m. on the date indicated on the course calendar and will close when indicated, at least 3 days later, at 11:59 p.m. (except for the last exam, which will be due by Noon on the last day of the course).    
  • You must complete the exam, all at once, within the allotted time of 90 minutes. 
  • Please do not wait until the last minute, when you will not find anyone to assist you with technical problems. I, and most all other AC staff, will be unavailable to answer questions after 8 p.m. each night. 
  • Do NOT take exams on a laptop connecting to the internet wirelessly, a cell phone, or when using an unreliable connection. Ideally, use an actual computer that has a dedicated cable for the internet connection. (If you do not have reliable internet service, check with the AC Library about the hotspot program – 806.371.5400).
  • You may take each exam from any location – from home, in an AC computer lab, at the public library, etc.
  • The exams are open-book/open-note.
  • You will be able to see your exam grade immediately, but you cannot access all of the questions/answers until after the due date has passed – at that point, you can access your full exams (with all of the correct answers).
• Following the Cornell style for note-taking, take hand-written notes while attending an in-person lecture OR while watching one of my pre-recorded chapter videos. These notes must be hand-written and then scanned/uploaded to Blackboard OR submitted to me in person. (OR, if you have a stylus that you use on your tablet, that will be fine. Even though you do not use notebook paper while taking notes on your computer, you will still be taking notes by hand and can simply upload those files to Blackboard – as long as they are image files viewable on any type of computer, like PDFs.)
• • You will find a video in our course providing an overview of the Cornell note-taking style. Please follow this style as closely as you can.
  • I understand that not everyone’s handwriting will be as easy to read, but I must be able to make out at least most of your writing, so please try hard to write legibly.
  • Although there is no strict page requirement, because each textbook chapter is at least 30 pages, submitting only a page or two of notes for a chapter will not adequately cover that content, so to receive full credit, aim for several pages of notes, each time you submit these.
  • To receive full credit in this category, you will need to take notes while listening to at least 10 of the 15 lectures. If you submit notes on the remaining 5 chapters, you will receive bonus points.
• For the Social Responsibility Assignment:
  • You will be required to complete 4 hours of community service at a service agency in your community. This would be a nonprofit organization that provides a service to the entire community. You will need to find an agency – volunteering for a neighbor or friend is unacceptable for this assignment. If you are not in the Amarillo area, please try to find something similar to these possibilities:
    • Possible agencies include churches, nursing homes, the High Plains Food Bank, the Ronald McDonald House, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, Maverick Girls and Boys Club, and the SPCA or local pound. 
    • If you are unsure if your agency qualifies, please ask me before you complete the volunteer hours. If you are in the Amarillo area, you might find some options by signing up for Hands On Amarillo at: https://www.handsonamarillo.org/. BUT, if you choose an agency from this website, make sure that a volunteer supervisor will be working with you and will be able to sign your hours form (please see the bullet just below).
  • You must provide signed documentation verifying that you completed all of the hours. An original signature is required. 
    • If you do not provide signed verification of all 4 hours completed, you will receive a 0 for your overall Social Responsibility Assignment. 
  • After you have completed your 4 hours, you will then answer questions about the experience, entering your answers directly onto the template provided in our course. 
    • You will complete the “Social Responsibility Assignment Template” and submit it through Blackboard as a Word document or Rich Text file. 
      • Do NOT create your own file – use the TEMPLATE, filling in your answers after each question (you can simply add your answers to the template and do not need to change anything on the template itself).
      • At least for your answers, follow MLA style. (You do not need to format the template itself, with the questions and graphs. Just format the answers you type in, according to MLA style).
      • Do NOT submit this assignment as a PDF or a link to a Google Doc.  Only Microsoft Word or Rich Text files are acceptable.
  • Each question has a rubric, which will be used for grading. The questions are worth different amounts of points. 
  • Although you can complete your volunteer hours with other classmates, you are required to complete the template on your own.  Submit your own independent work for a grade.
  • If you have done this for another class in a previous semester, you must complete another 4 hours and submit a new template, tailored to THIS class.
    • For example, you are required to cite our textbook in your answer to #3 – use the textbook we are using in this class (one of the two editions that were recommended).
    • OR, since I do not require you to get the textbook, if you do not have one that you can refer to, you could either use the Library’s copy (for the Library’s hours, visit www.actx.edu/library) OR instead of citing textbook page numbers, you can cite my PowerPoint presentations and/or video lectures. For more information on how to format those citations, please see the document entitled “MLA Citation Format,” which is in our Blackboard course, with the materials for the Common Assessment/Social Responsibility Assignment. You can also work with a Writers' Corner tutor for help with MLA formatting, and receive some extra points on this assignment.
  • This full assignment is divided into 2 parts.
    • Part 1:
      • By the due date indicated on our course calendar for this first part, decide at which agency you plan to volunteer for 4 hours and write your answer to the FIRST paragraph of #1 on the template (at this point, since you have most likely not yet volunteered, you only need to write about the history of your agency).
      • Be sure to include properly formatted in-text citations and a Works Cited page, with at least the citation for your agency (if not also the citation for materials from our class that you plan to cite in your answer to #3 – for this full project, you will need to cite TWO sources: one on your agency and one from our course materials. Please see additional materials in our Blackboard course for more information).
      • For help with MLA formatting, visit a librarian in the AC Library OR a tutor in The Writers’ Corner – and you will receive extra points for meeting with one of these citation experts. Although not required at this point, you could also complete question #5 on the template, and I will let you know which ones you miss (if any) so that before the final deadline comes around, you can hopefully correct those mistakes.
      • This portion of the Social Responsibility Assignment is worth 5% of your overall grade in this course. This is typically due Week 3.
      • Upload your template so far (as a Word or .rtf file) in the Part 1 drop-box in Blackboard.
    • Part 2:
      • By the due date indicated on our course calendar, the full template with ALL of your answers AND the form(s) signed by a volunteer supervisor, verifying your 4 completed hours, are due.
      • The full assignment, with all parts, is typically due the week before Finals Week.
      • The template must be submitted through Blackboard, as a Word or .rtf file.
  • If you take advantage of their help in The Writers’ Corner (they can help you by editing your template answers and ensuring your in-text citations and Works Cited page are formatted correctly, according to MLA style), I will give you 5 extra points added onto your grade for this assignment. OR, if you prefer, you can get the 5 points by meeting with a librarian at the AC Library (4th floor of Ware) JUST for MLA citation help (not for help editing your answers on the template but ONLY assistance with MLA formatting). Please ask the librarian (if it isn’t me) to let me know that you met with them. You can only receive 5 extra points for meeting EITHER with a tutor OR a librarian, so both visits are not necessary and will not help your grade.
  • If you are actually reading this, thank you. Please email me: “I read the syllabus” and I will give you a bonus point. My email is below.
  • Also, please find below the full citations to the two editions of our textbook, which you may need for the Works Cited page of the Social Responsibility Assignment (unless you cite my lectures/PowerPoints instead). Select the ONE for the book that you have and then you can copy/paste that citation directly onto the last page of your template – the Works Cited page.

Myers, David G., and C. Nathan DeWall. Exploring Psychology. 11th ed., Worth, 2019.

Myers, David G., and C. Nathan DeWall. Exploring Psychology. 12th ed., Worth, 2022.

• Participation:
  • I want to reward your effort and participation in class. There are 3 ways you can earn participation points.
    • Option 1 – The in-class participation points:
      • Come to class and participate by answering my questions and contributing your own ideas during our in-class discussions. Each time you participate by speaking up, I will mark a tally beside your name. At the end of the course, I will add all of these “points” and based on how often you contributed to discussions (compared to your classmates) I will assign grades for your participation in class and/or in the online forum (please see immediately below for information about the online participation option).

• • • Option 2: Post comments/questions in the online forum.
      • I will be using the Blackboard tool for online Discussions, but this is not a typical Discussion Board. You will NOT be expected to post an initial post and two replies by specific due dates.
      • There are no strict due dates for posts. This discussion forum will be open for the duration of the class. You can post and reply whenever convenient for you.
      • “Deadlines” will need to loosely follow along with the chapters as scheduled in our course calendar. In other words, if our course calendar indicates that chapter 4 will be covered that week, that’s when you should post a comment or question regarding Chapter 4. You are tested on Chapter 4 in Exam 1, so waiting until long after Exam 1 was due to post comments about that content would not be helpful. Please try to follow along with the course calendar. 
      • I ask that you routinely check this forum and reply to people who direct their comments to you (myself included).

• • • Option 3: Additionally, there are Chapter Video Quizzes that will count toward your Participation Grade.
      • All quizzes are completed in Blackboard.
      • All are open-book/open-note.

• • • • The Chapter Video Quizzes gauge your understanding of content from the videos I created.
      • While you will see a grade for each of these Chapter Video Quizzes, the grade only lets you know how many questions you missed and does NOT reflect what your final Participation Grade will be. You are merely accumulating points toward this grade. Even if you score a 10% on a Chapter Video Quiz, that will still be 10 points toward your final Participation Grade.  
      • The Chapter Video Quizzes are NOT timed.
      • You can retake the Chapter Video Quizzes as often as you’d like – your highest grade will stay in the gradebook. BUT, remember that you will not be able to access the full quiz with the questions/answers until after the due date has passed.
        • You can use the full quizzes as you take the Exam covering that content (Exams are open-book/open-note). After the due date for each quiz has passed, you can access those quizzes to see the correct answers.

• • The Participation Grade is determined by how much you (and your classmates) actually participate in this class. In other words, if you only complete 3 Chapter Video Quizzes, scoring 100s on all 3, it is still UNLIKELY that you will receive an A on the final Participation grade. If those are the only 3 activities that you complete, ignoring the in-person chances to contribute, the online Discussion forum, and the other video quizzes, you will only receive partial credit for your overall Participation Grade.
  • I will assign grades for your participation at the end of our course and will base it on how often you contributed to discussions (in person and/or in the online forum) and how many points you accumulated after taking quizzes, compared to your classmates.
  • Although I cannot predict how active a particular class will be, historically, students who earned a 100 for their overall Participation Grade contributed to in-person discussions (or the online forum) 30+ times AND accumulated around 1,500 points after taking Chapter Video Quizzes. Students who did not contribute often to the online forum, and who only took a few (under 5) of the Chapter Video Quizzes did NOT receive full points.
• Research Article & Video –
  • This assignment is divided into 2 parts.
  • Part 1:
    • During Week 1 of this course, you will be provided with a list of common myths pertaining to psychology. Choose 1 of the myths that surprised and interested you.
    • Then, simply tell me which number you plan to research further. In Blackboard, just type in the number you’ve chosen – at this point, I only need to know which myth you will be researching.
    • This is usually due VERY early in the course – during Week 1.
  • Part 2:
    • Using one of the Amarillo College Library’s databases, find 1 article that addresses the myth you have chosen (ideally, one that provides evidence disproving the myth). You may use sources that were published within the last 10 years.
    • If you work with a librarian for some assistance with your research, please ask that librarian to let me know that they met with you, and you will receive extra points on this assignment. Librarians can meet with you in person, help you over the phone, or via the online chat box (which you will see when you visit the Library’s homepage: www.actx.edu/library).
    • You will also find a video I made walking you through how to use the Library databases in our course – please watch this if you are unable to work directly with a librarian.
    • After finding your 1 article, use VidGrid (you will find the link in our course in Blackboard) to create a 3-minute video:
      • briefly explaining the article’s findings,
      • giving more detail about why you either agree or disagree with those findings,
      • if you think the article’s authors failed to address something that might prove/disprove the myth,
      • and how can you apply all of this to your own experiences.
    • You can find the rubric that will be used for grading the videos in our course in Blackboard, but you will be assessed for:
      • how well you answer the above questions,
      • whether you find a credible source from an AC Library database,
      • whether you correctly interpreted and applied the information you learned from the article,
      • and how well you apply the information and explain everything using your own words, while making eye contact with the camera. I am not a speech teacher, so I don’t care if you say “uh” or pause to gather your thoughts. I don’t mind if you flap your hands and arms (I do that myself!) I don’t need you to follow a strict structure of providing an intro and then summarizing everything at the end. I DO however want you to use your own words. Do not simply read something you found online. Do not read the article you chose. During the majority of your speech, look into the camera (making eye contact with future viewers). You can certainly briefly refer to your notes, but, again, do not simply read them. Informally teach me what you learned and give me your own words and thoughts.
      • This is typically due Week 2.
• Finally, throughout this course, I will offer chances for you to earn bonus points that are added on to your final average in the class. This often helps people who are hovering near their target letter grade get bumped up to it. But you will have to find and take advantage of these opportunities as they come, all along the course. I don't offer last-minute chances to save a poor grade. You will find these chances incorporated in class materials in Blackboard. You have to find it to earn it! You MIGHT have already found one here, in this document?!
• In our class in Blackboard, you will find additional information about all assignments.

Attendance

Attendance is measured not only by attending in-person classes but also by way of your completion of assignments by their due dates. If you do not attend our first class, then you must complete the first assignment in this course by the deadline or communicate with me about why you are not participating, or you will be dropped from the class altogether.  Automatic withdrawals occur at the start of Week 2 if students do not submit their first assignments through Blackboard.

Although I do not require you to attend classes and there is no direct attendance grade, I will award participation points for contributing to in-class discussions, and by attending classes, you will also benefit from my explanations of information that could be on your exams.

Because I take exam content directly from my lectures, I do highly recommend you attend classes – it simply benefits you and makes it easier for you to get a good grade in this class. BUT if you feel sick, please do not come to class. I do NOT deduct points for missing classes. Each time that you are in class, however, please make sure to sign that day’s attendance sheet, which is one of the records maintained for the course and is something AC tracks.

Periodically, I will make announcements, which will be posted on our Blackboard course on the Announcements page. Often these announcements are also sent out via email, so checking your email regularly is highly recommended. I also use the messaging system to send messages directly to you through Blackboard. Emails and the Blackboard messaging system are the primary ways I will communicate directly with you.

Calendar

Additional Information

Please contact me if you have questions or problems that are impacting your performance in this class.  As much as possible, I will be happy to help you.  My contact information is below.

I work full-time in the AC Library. (I have a Master of Library Science degree – yes, that is a real degree!) Even though I work at AC full-time, I do not have regularly scheduled office hours. I will hold office hours by appointment. I am happy to schedule times that are convenient for you, even after-hours or on weekends. If you are unable to meet with me in person, we could arrange a time for a call or a Blackboard Collaborate session (like Zoom).

The best way to reach me is by sending me an email (mseder@actx.edu). You can send me an email any time of day, but I will not respond quickly to many that are sent after 8 p.m. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can on the following day.