General Psychology Syllabus for 2023-2024
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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-2301-012 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, but I highly recommend it.

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 8-week course, I will not be able to fully lecture over all chapters 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. Because exam questions come from my lectures, I highly recommend that you print out the handouts for the chapters, bring those printouts to classes, and take notes. If you miss a class, ask a classmate if you can review their notes. Attending classes will provide you with the information you need for exams as well as with opportunities to earn required participation points (please see more information about the Participation Grade below); however, I do not count off if you miss classes. There is no attendance grade. It simply benefits you and makes it easier for you to get a good grade in this course if you attend classes.

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. 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 Announcements in our course in Blackboard. 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 8 weeks 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 recently 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 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 the Social Responsibility Assignment, if you go to The Writers’ Corner for some help, I will give you points added to your score for the Social Responsibility Assignment.

The points will be earned:

50% of overall grade – Exams (4) – your lowest exam score will be dropped
20% of overall grade – Social Responsibility Assignment
20% of overall grade – Class Participation
10% of overall grade – Exam Reviews (4) – your lowest exam review score will be dropped

• There will be four 50-question multiple-choice Exams taken online in Blackboard. 
  • Your lowest exam grade will be dropped. I will drop your lowest score sometime during Week 6, so that before the last day to drop 8-week classes, you will have a better idea of what your final grade will be.
  • The exam questions will be taken directly from my lectures.
  • 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 a computer with 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).
• 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/.
  • 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 completing your 4 hours, you will 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. Watch the video on this assignment for more details on what is expected.
      • Do NOT submit this assignment as a PDF.  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.  You will be able to access the rubric within the assignment in Blackboard.
  • Although you can complete your volunteer hours with other classmates, you must complete the template independently.  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 must cite our textbook in your answer to #3 – use the textbook we are using in this class (one of the two recommended editions).
    • 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 instead cite my PowerPoint presentations and/or in-class 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 Common Assessment – Social Responsibility Assignment materials.
  • This full assignment is divided into 3 parts.
    • Part 1: By the due date indicated on our course calendar for this first part, please tell me at which agency you plan to volunteer. In our course in Blackboard, you can type in the name where you see Part 1, which appears with the Common Assessment – Social Responsibility Assignment materials. This is typically due Week 3.
      • If you have already arranged to complete your 4 hours at this agency, consider typing out your answer to #1 on the template. You could also answer #5. Do not wait until the last minute to start this assignment, which is worth 20% of your final grade in this course.
    • Part 2: By the due date indicated on our course calendar, submit your Works Cited page (only one page of the full assignment is required at this point). This is typically due Week 5. You can either submit your full template with only the final page (the Works Cited page) completed or just a single page with your full citations.
    • Part 3: By the 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 Week 7.
      • The template must be submitted through Blackboard.
  • 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 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:
  • Although I do not penalize you for missing classes, I do want to reward your attendance and, in particular, your effort and participation in class discussions. There are some different ways that 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 – The online participation points:
      • If you prefer not to speak up in class, you can instead contribute to class discussions and earn participation points by posting comments/questions in the online forum. Or, if you get sick and must miss several classes (only missing a few classes won’t hurt your grade significantly, but after missing several, consider posting online), you can still participate with us through this online forum. This online forum ONLY applies if you cannot participate in class discussions in person for any reason. If you speak up in class, you can ignore this second option – skip to Option 3 below.
      • I will use 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 all 8 weeks. You can post and reply whenever it is 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 2, so waiting until long after Exam 2 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 – The Quizzes:
      • All quizzes are completed in Blackboard (including the required Syllabus Quiz).
      • All are open-book/open-note.
      • The Required Syllabus Quiz includes 15 questions (some multiple choice and some true/false).
      • You can refer to course materials as you complete the Syllabus Quiz, but it IS timed. You only have 30 minutes to complete it, so it’s best to read the syllabus and review other course materials before beginning the quiz.
      • You only have one chance to complete the Syllabus Quiz, so plan to finish it all once you start it.
      • You will be able to see your grade immediately after finishing the quiz but cannot access all of your answers (seeing the correct answers) until after the due date has passed.
      • Chapter Video Quizzes:

• • • • If you regularly attend classes and choose to speak up in classes, you do not need to complete these optional Chapter Video Quizzes. Contributing frequently to our class discussions (in person or online) is all you need to do to earn full credit toward your Participation Grade.
      • The Chapter Video Quizzes gauge your understanding of content from the videos I created. Although not required, I highly recommend at least watching the videos (if not also taking their accompanying quizzes) over Chapters 1 & 2, because I do not lecture in class over these first two chapters, but they are covered on Exam 1. Watching these videos (and reading the textbook chapters) is the only preparation you will have for these first two chapters for Exam 1.
      • 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 your final Participation Grade. You are merely accumulating points toward this grade. Even if you score 10% on a Chapter Video Quiz, that will still be 10 points toward your final Participation Grade. Since scores on these Chapter Video Quizzes will NOT harm your grade – any earned points will add to your accumulation of Participation points – I highly recommend taking at least the first two Chapter Video Quizzes to help you prepare for Exam 1.
      • The Chapter Video Quizzes are NOT timed.
      • Unlike the Syllabus Quiz and Exams, you can retake the Chapter Video Quizzes as often as you’d like – your highest grade will stay in the grade book. However, you will not be able to see the correct answers on your quiz immediately. Immediately after taking each quiz, you will see your grade; however, you cannot 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 the Syllabus Quiz and another two 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 three activities that you complete, ignoring all of the other opportunities to participate in this class, 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 them on how often you contributed to discussions (both in person and 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 in contributing, historically, students who earned a 100 for their overall Participation Grade spoke up in class over 50 times. OR, if they did not participate in class discussions in person, they contributed to the online forum numerous times AND accumulated around 1,500 points after taking Chapter Video Quizzes. Students who only spoke up in class a few times (under 10), did not contribute to the online forum, and only took a few (under 5) of the Chapter Video Quizzes did NOT receive full points.
• Additional Discussion Topic
  • You will also find a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) topic in the Discussions area. If a student asks me a question I know is answered somewhere within materials I have provided in Blackboard or this syllabus, I will refer them to this FAQs area. If you know the answer, please help your classmates by posting answers to their questions and letting them know where they can find the information. If you help out in this way, I will award you Participation points and be eternally grateful to you for acting as a sort of TA for me!
• Exam Reviews:
  • Prior to each exam, there will be an Exam Review over the same chapters as the upcoming exam, so there are 4 total Exam Reviews.
  • Each Exam Review includes 20 multiple-choice questions taken directly from the exam pools for the chapters covered – so you might see some of the exact same questions on your Exam.
  • Exam Reviews are very similar to the Exams. You only get one chance to take them in Blackboard, and you will have a time limit (30 minutes).
  • You can access the full review (with all of the correct answers) after the due date has passed. Since these Exam Reviews are due just before the exams open, you can access them while taking them.
  • Blackboard will drop your lowest Exam Review grade. I will drop your lowest score sometime during Week 6 so that before the last day to drop 8-week classes, you will have a better idea of your final grade.
• Finally, throughout this course, I will offer chances for you to earn bonus points that are added 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 on 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. 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 in our class on the Announcements page in our course and also sent out via email, so checking your email regularly is also highly recommended.

Calendar

Additional Information

Please get in touch with 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. 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 emailing me (mlweathersbee@actx.edu).

You can also contact me on my office phone at (806)371-5462, which will only work during typical business hours. I typically work 8:15 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.  If you do not reach me when calling, leave me a message.  I will check voicemail messages periodically throughout most workdays.  If you do not leave a complete message, I may be unable to help you.  Please tell me your full name and which class you attend (for example, “Sue Smith in the General Psychology Tuesday/Thursday class”). 

I cannot guarantee that I will respond to any messages after 5:00 p.m.  I can guarantee that I will not respond to any messages left on my office number after 5:00 p.m. or to very many emails sent after 8:00 p.m.