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PSYC 101 General Psychology

August Session 11-55 August 9 October 2, 2011 Course Description
Introduction to the field of psychology and the major sub areas including the biological basis of behavior, sensation, perception, learning, memory, motivation, emotion, personality, stress, as well as abnormal, developmental, and social psychology. Prerequisite: None Proctored Exams: Final

Instructor Information
Dr. Randi Carter rlcarter@cougars.ccis.edu

Textbooks
Psychology. Wade & Tavris. Pearson-Prentice Hall. 10th edition, 2011. ISBN 10: 0-205-71146-4 ISBN 13: 978-0-205-71146-8 Textbooks for the course may be ordered from Missouri Book Services. You can order online at http://direct.mbsbooks.com/columbia.htm (be sure to select Online Education rather than your home campus before selecting your class) by phone at 800-325-3252 For additional information about the bookstore, visit http://www.mbsbooks.com. Please note that the use of an eBook carries certain risks: information may be missing due to copyright restrictions, the book cannot be resold to MBS, and an eBook purchase cannot be refunded.

Course Overview
Material in this course will help you understand yourself and others. You will gain

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insight about why people behave the way they do, presented from a biological, behavioral, social and clinical perspective. We will explore the inner workings of the brain (our most important computer!) and discuss intelligence, memory, and motivation. We will explore child development and how to bring out the best behavior in your children. You will learn how to apply what you learn to yourself and your environment. Each week we'll focus on a different aspect of psychology with virtual tours, class discussion, and other activities that will help us understand the foundations of psychology.

Technology Requirements
Participation in this course will require the basic technology for all online classes at Columbia College: A computer with reliable Internet access, a web browser, Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office or another word processor such as Open Office.

You can find more details about standard technical requirements for our courses on our site. In addition, you may need to have the Adobe Flash Player browser plug-in installed on your computer to view some of the web-based resources. You can access it here: http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/.

Course Objectives
To understand and describe the major perspectives of psychology and the theoretical and applied aspects of each. To understand how psychologists think, conduct research, write, and provide treatments and impact human society. To begin to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills as they apply to general psychological questions. To understand the process by which scientific research in psychology is conducted. To develop an appreciation for the discipline of psychology as a science and its historical development. To understand the basics of major topics, theorists, principles and vocabulary of psychology.

Measurable Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate familiarity with the major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends in psychology. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding representing appropriate breadth and depth in selected major content areas of psychology. Describe basic research concepts in scientific psychology, including experimental method and correlation method. Recognize the necessity for ethical behavior in all aspects of the science and practice of psychology.

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Demonstrate reasonable skepticism and intellectual curiosity by asking questions about causes of behavior. Recognize and respect human diversity and understand that psychological explanations may vary across populations and contexts. Describe how psychological knowledge, skills, and values are used in occupational pursuits in a variety of settings. Recognize the relevance of psychological knowledge in occupations and other settings.

Grading
Grading Scale
GRAD E A B C D F POINTS 9001000 800-899 700-799 600-699 0-599 PERCENT 90-100 80-89 70-79 60-69 0-59

Grade Weights
ASSIGNMENT Discussion Dropbox Paper Midterm Final Total POINTS 280 120 100 200 300 1000 PERCENT 28% 12% 10% 20% 30% 100%

Schedule of Due Dates

WEEK Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 ASSIGNMENT Discussion #1 (Introduction) Dropbox Assignment #1 Discussion #2 Dropbox Assignment #2 Discussion #3 Dropbox Assignment #3 Discussion #4 Midterm Exam (NOT proctored) Discussion #5 Paper Due Discussion #6 Discussion #7 Discussion #8 Final Exam (PROCTORED) Total POINTS 0 Points 40 Points 40 Points 40 Points 40 Points 40 Points 40 Points 200 Points 40 Points 100 Points 40 Points 40 Points 40 Points 300 Points 1000 points DUE DATE Thursday Sunday Thursday Sunday Thursday Sunday Thursday Sunday Thursday Monday Thursday Thursday Thursday Saturday

Assignment Overview
Readings and Virtual Tours should be completed prior to submitting assignments or taking quizzes for the week.

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Discussions must be completed by Thursday of the assigned week. Please keep in mind that discussion postings will not be accepted after midnight Thursday and may not be made up. If you miss the opportunity to post your response by the midnight deadline you will earn zero points for the week. A single posting to the Discussion will meet the minimum requirement and keep you from earning zero points for the week. To get full credit you must demonstrate understanding of the reading and online material covered that week and must respond to at least two classmates' postings. Points will be earned based on the number of posts that you make and the content of the posts. More points can be earned by making posts that add more information to the discussion. Discussion points are earned from substantial participation with meaningful comments that show evidence of your understanding of the reading assignment from the textbook for the course. Adding your opinion to the online discussion is very important, but it is essential that the opinion posted is on topic and is linked to the textbook material with specific information about the discussion topic. Providing a reference to a relevant website or other resources (vs. special interest groups or pseudoscience) that provides more information about the topic can earn more points. Finally, using examples related to the topic from your personal or professional experience to elaborate on the item posted can earn points toward your grade. Postings such as, good idea, or I agree with you, are encouraged and are good to support your fellow students, but will contribute little weight toward earning points toward your weekly grade for the discussion. Discussion grades will be posted in the grade book and credited towards your final grade. The point of the discussion question posting is to spark lively class discussions. I will monitor and contribute to the discussions. Dropbox Activities: You will have three dropbox assignments in the course, including brief essays, multiple-choice questions, and a review of the website visits and required reading for the corresponding week. See detailed descriptions of each assignment in the Course Schedule section below. Midterm Exam: There will be a midterm exam at the end of Week 4. This exam will NOT be proctored. The exam will be cumulative, covering material from Chapters 1-8 of the text. The exam will be taken online. The midterm exam is worth 200 points. You will have only one attempt, 120 minutes. While you can use notes or books the time to complete the midterm, time will not really allow for the use of materials; you are expected to take the midterm based on your work during the first half of the course. You may not log on and off; you will have only one attempt. Final Exam: There will be a final exam in Week 8. This exam will be proctored. The exam will cover material from Chapters 9 through 17. The exam is worth 300 points. There are 100 multiple choice questions, each worth 3 points. You will only have 120 minutes for the final! Allow extra time for any scheduling a time with the proctor. The exam must be completed between Wednesday and Saturday of Week 8. PAPER: The human experience involves five general perspectives on human behavior: biological, learning, social and cultural, cognitive, and psychodynamic influences. Describe how each of these perspectives explains how a relationship begins, develops and is maintained. Compare and contrast the impact of those perspectives on behavior in a love relationship any relationship you choose but one that shows a loving interaction between two people, such as spouses. This

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means you are going to choose a relationship and examine it from those theoretical perspectives. You need at least 5 pages, double-spaced, for this. Spelling and grammar count! Take time to organize your thoughts and develop a clear and coherent essay. Put your paper in the dropbox. Do not post it in the discussion! The paper will be worth 100 points, and it will be due on Monday of Week 6 by midnight. I will not take the paper after the due date unless you have made prior arrangements with me. Please submit your file as a Microsoft Word document or in Rich Text Format (.rtf) to ensure that I can open it. NOTE: I will use turnitin.com to assess the originality of the scholarship papers. Work completed for other courses is not acceptable for use in this class.

Course Schedule
Week 1 What is Psychology?
Readings: Chapters 1 and 2. Virtual Tour: Take a look at the history of psychology interactive timeline on the Discovering Psychology site developed by WGBH Boston with Annenberg Media. http://www.learner.org/discoveringpsychology/history/history_flash.html (Section 1) Discussion Assignment: #1. Introduce yourself in the "Introductions" topic of our class discussion, our "virtual classroom." Please give us more than your name. Include your profession, hobbies, interest in psychology, family background, and any other information that can help us get to know you. Please include what part of the country you are joining us from! Dropbox Assignment #1. Write a one page summary of the important early work in psychology done by one of the psychologists listed in this weeks website visit. You may choose any one of the psychologists found in this weeks Virtual Tour. Discuss his or her contributions to the field.

Week 2 Biology and Behavior

Readings: Chapters 3 and 4. Virtual Tour: To explore current debate about the role of nature vs. nurture on parenting, read the transcript of an interview of Judith Harris, author of The Nurture Assumption, on PBSs Newshour on October 20, 1998 (http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/july-dec98/naturenurture_10-20.html). Incorporate your opinion of the issues raised here in your response to the weekly discussion. Discussion Assignment #2: An important and ongoing debate in psychology surrounds the question of nature vs. nurture. What is more influential: genes or environment? For this week's discussion state your views about the influence of nature and nurture in child development. Be sure to reference the information in this weeks virtual tour to support your opinions and to give credit for ideas and work to

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the original author/researcher. Remember, for full credit use key terms from the text in your answer, and comment on the answers other students give. Your postings are due by midnight Thursday! Dropbox Assignment #2. Write a one page summary of your views of the differences between men and women in thoughts and behavior. Can these differences be attributed to different brain chemistry? Proctor Arrangements: Please post this information in the appropriate dropbox by the end of the week.

Week 3 Sensation and Perception

Readings: Chapters 5 and 6. Virtual Tour: On the Discovering Psychology site you visited in Week 1, go to section 7 on perception and sensation (http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html? pid=1504) and watch the video on how we use information around us to form conclusions about size, color, etc. Discussion Assignment #3: Sensation refers to an actual event; perception refers to how we interpret the event. What are some cultural differences that might affect responses to particular stimuli? Post your discussion using examples from the text as well as your own experiences. Dropbox Assignment #3. Using the information you learned in this weeks Virtual Tour, write a one page essay describing how our brain uses cues from the environment to form conclusions.

Week 4 Environment and Behavior

Readings: Chapters 7 and 8. Virtual Tour: Visit http://www.learner.org/discoveringpsychology/index.html and go to Section 8, Learning. This web site offers a guide through principles and theories of operant and classical conditioning in animal and human behavior. Learning theory is well explained, and you may learn how to keep Fido from barking too much! Discussion Assignment: #4: Use Skinner's Operant Conditioning model to explain superstitious behavior, such as refusing to open an umbrella indoors, or step on a crack in the sidewalk. Midterm: (Unproctored) It will be in the QUIZ section of the course. You will have 120 minutes and one attempt (no logging off and then back on.)

Week 5 Thinking and Intelligence

Readings: Chapters 9 and 10. Virtual Tour: Explore information about different theories of testing and intelligence at http://www.learner.org/discoveringpsychology/index.html. (Section 16.) Read about Multiple Intelligence and go to the video presentation by Dr. Zimbardo, describing the history of theories of intelligence and standardized intelligence tests.

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Discussion Assignment: #5. Intelligence tests are good predictors of school performance. What factors are not measured by IQ tests but greatly influence academic achievement? What harm might be done by identifying some students as "slow" and some as "gifted?" Make sure you post your responses by Thursday at midnight.

Week 6 Theories of Personality

Reading: Chapters 12, 13 and 14. Virtual Tour: Visit Dr. George Boerees website on Personality Theories, hosted by Shippensburg University (webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/perscontents.html) Discussion Assignment: #6. Choose one famous personality theorist and discuss how he or she would explain why most people behave in a socially appropriate manner most of the time. Post your response by Thursday at midnight. Paper: Due by midnight on Monday

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Week 7 Emotion, Stress, and Health

Readings: Chapters 11 and 15. Virtual Tour: Visit http://www.nmha.org/go/panic-disorder or http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/panicdisorder.html for definitions and links to information on many types of anxiety disorders (including symptoms and treatment) as well as stress management. Discussion Assignment: #7. Most people agree we live in stressful times. Identify common stressors and approaches to combating stress. Do you think stress contributes to illness? Support your opinions with information from the text and the website you have visited this week. Post your response in the appropriate discussion no later than Thursday, midnight.

Week 8 Approaches to Treatment and Therapy

Readings: Chapter 16 Virtual Tour: Visit the resources about different approaches in practice on the Discovering Psychology site (http://www.learner.org/discoveringpsychology/therapeutic/index.html). Information is readily accessible for many types of psychological treatments, therapies, and testing. This is a great web site for our concluding week. Discussion Assignment: #8. Many people suffer from anxiety disorders. Discuss what Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is. What are the symptoms? How does it interfere with an individual's functioning? What are the basic treatment interventions? Course Evaluation: Please evaluate the course, using the form available on the eServices site for Columbia College. Final Exam: This exam is proctored and must be completed between Wednesday and Saturday of Week 8. You will have 120 minutes with no notes or books for this proctored final exam!

Course Policies
Student Conduct
All Columbia College students, whether enrolled in a land-based or online course, are responsible for behaving in a manner consistent with Columbia College's Code of Student Conduct and Ethics Code for Computer Users. Students violating these codes will be referred to the Campus Life Office for possible disciplinary action. The Code for Student Conduct and the Ethics Code for Computer Users can be found in the Columbia College Student Handbook. The Handbook is available online; you can also obtain a copy by calling the Campus Life Office at 573-875-7400. The teacher maintains the right to manage a positive learning environment and all students must adhere to the conventions of online etiquette.

Plagiarism
Your grade will be based in large part on the originality of your ideas and your written presentation of these ideas. Presenting the words, ideas, or expression of another in

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any form as your own is plagiarism. Students who fail to properly give credit for information contained in their written work (papers, journals, exams, etc.) are violating the intellectual property rights of the original author. For proper citation of the original authors, you should reference the appropriate publication manual for your degree program or course (APA, MLA, etc.). Violations are taken seriously in higher education and may result in a failing grade on the assignment, a grade of "F" for the course, or dismissal from the College. Collaboration conducted between students without prior permission from the instructor is considered plagiarism and will be treated as such. Spouses and roommates taking the same course should be particularly careful. All required papers may be submitted for textual similarity review to Turnitin.com for the detection of plagiarism. All submitted papers may be included in the Turnitin.com reference database for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. This service is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Use posted on the Turnitin.com site.

Non-Discrimination
There will be no discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, ideology, political affiliation, veteran status, age, physical handicap, or marital status.

Disability Services
Students with documented disabilities who may need academic services for this course are required to register with the Coordinator for Disability Services at (573) 875-7626. Until the student has been cleared through the disability services office, accommodations do not have to be granted. If you are a student who has a documented disability, it is important for you to read the entire syllabus before enrolling in the course. The structure or the content of the course may make an accommodation not feasible.

Online Participation
You are expected to read the assigned texts and participate in the discussions and other course activities each week. Assignments should be posted by the due dates stated on the grading schedule in your syllabus. If an emergency arises that prevents you from participating in class, please let your instructor know as soon as possible.

Attendance Policy
Attendance will be counted as having posted an assignment during the week it was due (discussion, paper, quiz, etc.) A class week is defined as the period of time between Monday and Sunday (except for Week 8, when the week and the course will end on Saturday at midnight). The course and system deadlines are all based on the Central Time Zone.

Cougar E-mail
All students are provided a CougarMail account when they enroll in classes at Columbia College. You are responsible for monitoring e-mail from that account for important messages from the College and from your instructor. You may forward your Cougar e-mail account to another account; however, the College cannot be held responsible for breaches in security or service interruptions with other e-mail providers. Students should use e-mail for private messages to the instructor and other students.

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The class discussions are for public messages so the class members can each see what others have to say about any given topic and respond.

Late Assignment Policy

An online class requires regular participation and a commitment to your instructor and your classmates to regularly engage in the reading, discussion and writing assignments. Although most of the online communication for this course is asynchronous, you must be able to commit to the schedule of work for the class for the next eight weeks. You must keep up with the schedule of reading and writing to successfully complete the class. Discussion posts submitted late will not receive a grade. (It would be like talking to an empty room.) Quizzes (Midterm and Final) automatically close at midnight on the date they are due. Quizzes may not be submitted late. This rule can be waived for unexpected and extraordinary circumstances, such as a death in the family. Losing Internet access on Sunday night is not a good reason for missing an exam. Dropbox Assignments may be submitted up to one week late but I will deduct 5 points unless there is a documented emergency. Whenever your dropbox paper is late, you must communicate with me and request an extension. The paper may be submitted up to three days late, in the case of emergency situation, but I will deduct 10 points for late submissions (one letter grade). I will not accept papers that are more than three days late. Do not wait until the last minute to submit your paper if at all possible. If you know that your paper will be late, you must communicate with me and request an extension with penalty.

Course Evaluation
You will have an opportunity to evaluate the course near the end of the session. Course evaluations will open on Monday of the Week 7 and remain open until 5 pm Wednesday of the Week 8. You will be able to access the link from your eServices page. Be assured that the evaluations are anonymous and that your instructor will not be able to see them until after final grades are submitted.

Additional Resources
Orientation for New Students
This course is offered online, using course management software provided by Desire2Learn and Columbia College. The Student Manual provides details about taking an online course at Columbia College. You may also want to visit the course demonstration to view a sample course before this one opens.

Technical Support
If you have problems accessing the course or posting your assignments, contact your instructor, the Columbia College Helpdesk, or the D2L Helpdesk for assistance. Contact information is also available within the online course environment. CCHelpDesk@ccis.edu 800-231-2391 ex. 4357 helpdesk@desire2learn.c om

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Proctors
You must arrange an acceptable proctor. Columbia College locations are the best option for proctors. If you are able to travel to a Columbia College campus to take a proctored exam, please make an appointment with that campus and inform your instructor of your proctor choice. If you are unable to travel to a Columbia College campus, acceptable proctors include, but are not restricted to, Columbia College faculty, Columbia College nationwide campus directors or their staff, ministers, commanding officers (direct superiors are not allowed), corporate executive officers (again, direct supervisors are not allowed) and public librarians. If you are unable to locate a suitable proctor near you, check the list available through the NCTA Consortium of College Testing Centers. College Testing Centers may assess a fee for testing. Instructors must approve all proctors. I MUST approve all proctors. I will not accept proctors whose only contact information is a hotmail or yahoo.com email address. I will need the name, phone and fax number and email address of your proctor by the end of the second week of the term. Submit this information to the Proctor dropbox.

Grading Criteria
Discussion Rubric
Criteria Posting answers the question posed or provides substantive comments on the issue and reflects an understanding of the Initial Post readings. Answers are complete, concise, and Key Terms from the chapter are incorporated. Follow-up comments to at least two other students add substantively to the discussion by reflecting what is of value in Responses anothers post or by posing questions to engage classmates in further discussion. Total Points 25

15

40

Dropbox Rubric
Criteria Content Description Answers the question that was posed and reflects an understanding of the readings. Answers are complete, concise, and key terms from the chapter are incorporated One page, double-spaced, with 1 margins and 12-point font Free of major errors in spelling and grammar Points 30 5 5 40

Format Mechani cs Total

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Paper Rubric
Criteria Topic Content Description The topic for the paper is clearly stated and appropriate for the assignment. Demonstrates understanding of the five theoretical perspectives (biological, learning, social, cultural, and psychodynamic) Describes an appropriate relationship as an example Interprets the development of the relationship through the different perspectives Compares and contrasts the different theoretical perspectives Five pages, double-spaced, with 1 margins and 12-point font Free of major errors in spelling and grammar Points 10

50

Format Mechani cs Total

30 10 100