General Psychology (PSY 2012)

Tallahassee Community College - Spring Term, 2006
Instructor: Dr. Russell McGuff
Office: History and Social Sciences Building, room 218 Phone 201-8157
E-mail: mcguffr@tcc.fl.edu Fax: 201-8164
Office hours: To Be Announced (or just drop by)
First day of class: January 9th ----- Last day of class: April 21st
Final Examination: As published in Schedule of Classes: Friday 4/28 from 9:30 - 11:30
Text: Weiten, Wayne (2004). Psychology, Themes and Variations; Sixth Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson.
Web page: accessed through Blackboard.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

To gain an understanding of each of the major theories and topics in psychology.
To develop and demonstrate critical thinking about theories and topics in psychology, in class discussion and written assignments.
To appreciate how the methods and means of science lead to better understanding of self and others.
To build written and spoken critical evaluation skills applied in all fields that study the human experience.
To develop an appreciation of psychology and its application to mental disorders.
To become familiar with the range of fields in which psychology is applied.
To begin to recognize the effect that our own psychology has on each of our individual lives, on society at large, and on our environment.
To learn new ways of thinking, feeling and behaving.
To begin to appreciate the wondrous complexity of ourselves and our world.

ATTENDANCE POLICY:

ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED.
Attendance will be taken at each class. Coming late or leaving early will be considered an absence.
You must be pre-certified to take each exam. Missing more than three times before any exam may disqualify you from taking that exam.
A zero is given for any uncertified/missed exam, and used in calculating your final grade.

! Students who are absent are responsible for all work assigned, and all information provided during their absence, just as if they had attended. If possible, CONTACT ME IN ADVANCE in the event of an absence.
! TCC's attendance policy states that any student who misses more than a class meets for any one week may be withdrawn with an AW. I will not feel responsible (though I may choose) to automatically drop you due to excessive absences. Instead you will be decertified from taking the following exam (see above).
! Please come see me first if you have plans to drop the course.
! Absences for military service, jury duty, college sponsored activities that were approved by the college president, and religious holidays are excusable if the Assistant Vice President for Instruction at TCC is given prior notification. See me as well and keep me informed. Since I have a more liberal attendance policy (I do not care why you miss a class), if these kinds of absences are coming up, you had better plan for them by attending at all other times.

Never miss an exam! If you must miss an exam I will not care WHY you missed it. Make-up exams are only given to those students who contact me in person or by phone (I have voice mail) on or before the day of the exam that is missed (and only one exam can be approved for a make-up). Coming to me with an excuse, no matter how well documented, any day AFTER missing an exam will not result in a change of your grade, or of the make-up policy; you will receive a zero. Those approved to take a make-up will appear at my office (HSS 218) on the last Thursday of the semester before finals week (April 20th) at 8:30 AM ready to take a more difficult exam than the original.

CELL - FREE CLASSROOM POLICY:

Cell phones and beepers have become a near daily distraction in many college classrooms. Their interruptions are disruptive to classes and impede learning. The following policy shall apply throughout the semester:
Classrooms in the History & Social Sciences Building are CELL PHONE -FREE academic learning environments. Cell phones may not be used in the classroom, nor will they be permitted to disturb the learning of others at any time. All cell phones must be turned off and put away upon entering the classroom. Cell phones should not be visible on desks or in students' hands or laps while our class is in session. Any student who violates this policy and/or anyone whose cell phone rings during our class must immediately leave class, will be counted absent, and may not return until the following class. If it happens during a test, that person's test will be considered complete and immediately collected.
TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE OR BEEPER BEFORE YOU WALK IN THE DOOR.

CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE:

! Turn off (or leave at home) all beepers, cell phones (see above), CD players, cassette recordings, radios, etc. Feel free to tape the class in order to assist you in reviewing your notes, but let me know if you are doing so. Laptops may be used for taking notes and course related work, but their use will be prohibited if it becomes distracting to other students.
! Be respectful of others and of their opportunity to learn. We will not waste much time on idle chit chat. Everything we talk about is part of the course. Be prepared to learn from others and to share what you know as well.
! Do not come late to class. Do not leave early. Do not leave the room except in an emergency. When I arrive, class has begun --pay attention; I often announce important things and hand back papers at the beginning of class. If you have inadvertently arrived late, slip in as quietly and unobtrusively as possible; take a seat near the door.
! Do not carry on private conversations with others around you. Do not "hit on" or try to date your classmates while in class. You can do that at other times and elsewhere.
! Raise your hand and be prepared to keep it up; I try to call on everyone eventually. Do not hesitate to ask questions offer comments or share insights; we will all benefit when you do so.
! Be prepared and well equipped. Always have two number two pencils and a pen handy.

GRADING POLICY:

Your grade will be based on the total of your scores on:
! APA referencing exercise ............................... ( x1 = 20) ......................................... ______
Notice: You must pass this exercise before ANY of your papers will be accepted or read.
! TWO critical write-ups @ 40 points each ....... ( x2 = 80) ......... ______+______ = ______
!BrainPower computerized tutorial .................. ( x1 = 25) ........................................ ______
! Tests # 1, 2, 4, and 5 @ 50 points each ....... ( x4 = 200) ____+____+____+____ = ______
! Cumulative Midterm (Test #3) @ 75 points ..... ( x1 = 75) ....................................... ______
! Cumulative Final @ 100 points ........................ ( x1 = 100) ....................................... ______
! = ................................................................. 500 points total ....................................._______

A = 450; B = 400; C = 350; D = 300; F = Less than 300

! Up to 20 extra credit points are available to those who participate in class the most often and the most productively. I may give you a pop quiz at some time, consisting of ten questions from your next test. Any quiz grade will be a part of your upcoming test grades.

! Any work handed in late will lose five points per day for each weekday it is late, regardless of the reason. In addition, late work will not be graded until after all other work is graded, making it nearly impossible for you to get timely feedback on your efforts. TURN IN ALL YOUR WORK ON TIME --or turn it in early to prevent falling prey to emergencies.

BRAIN-POWER COMPUTERIZED TUTORIAL:

All students in this course are required to complete, outside of class time, a computerized tutorial on the structures and functions of the human brain. The tutorial is found on computers available at the Academic Computing (AC) lab and in the Computer Technology (CT) lab.

I will provide a worksheet to allow you to operate, explore and find answers to questions about the human brain's structure and function. The tutorial worksheet must be handed in when you arrive for TEST #1 (or earlier). BRING YOUR VALIDATED STUDENT ID to gain access to these labs.

Available Hours for the Computer Lab (AC 210/CT 206) are:
MON - THU AC 210 8:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m. / CT 206 7:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
FRI 8:00/7:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

WRITING REQUIREMENTS (MEETS Gordon Rule and Writing Across the Curriculum Requirements as well):

I. First, do this:
The APA Exercise -

1. Write one small original paragraph, entirely in your own words, of your thoughts or observations about ANY topic you choose (in psychology). Include within the body of this paragraph, in your own words, a single fact, observation or idea you learned from some outside reference material (your book will do fine).

DO NOT QUOTE YOUR SOURCE. Cite that source in APA format within the body of your paragraph.

2. Attach a References page with the full APA style identification of the source (there is an example below).

3. ATTACH A PHOTOCOPY of the source material. The purpose of this exercise is merely to show me that you know how to write, cite and reference sources in APA format. That way I know you will be able to apply this skill in the papers (see below) due later.

4. Put a proper title page on the APA Exercise as well (see the example below).

5. Turn it in on January 25th.

! The APA manual for writing papers, and a handout summarizing APA format are both available at your campus library (in the reference section) and in the writing lab. I will provide a handout if needed, and I will gladly answer questions to help you acquire this skill, if you have not already learned it.

II. Next, do this:
Two Critical Write-ups -

Write-up #1: For the first one you will complete one-and-a-half (minimum) to two double-spaced, type-written pages (500 words minimum; in a normal 10 or 12 point font throughout on a topic using specific instructions and exercises that I will hand out in class.

Write-up #2: For the second one you will write an essay exploring and explaining your thoughts, critical evaluation, and impressions about a single specific topic (which you will choose) that we covered in any previous lecture.

Citations and references are needed whenever you use ideas or knowledge obtained from any source other than your own mind, or our lecture. Citations and their references must always follow APA format. Always strive to cite your sources clearly in the body of your paper. Include a separate References page, AND ALWAYS ATTACH A PHOTOCOPY of the actual material you used (even if it is from our textbook). For the purposes of this class you may NEVER DIRECTLY QUOTE (never use the actual words of) ANY SOURCE. Put everything in your own original words and thoughts. Integrate their ideas into your thoughts and writing, and cite your sources throughout your papers.

! Plagiarism is the use of someone else's IDEAS OR WORDS without giving proper credit. It is cheating. Plagiarism, or any other form of cheating on any test or assignment will result in immediate failure of the assignment, AND the course, and all penalties appropriate, including disciplinary action by TCC.

III. You may turn one EXTRA WRITE-UP (a very good idea) in order to get a higher grade. The extra write-up will replace your lowest write-up grade.

! Write-ups will be graded on the basis of whether they DEMONSTRATE CRITICAL THOUGHT, UNDERSTANDING AND INSIGHT into the course material, and for organization, correct grammar, spelling, etc. In your papers you should feel free to relate your understanding of the lecture to the assigned reading or any outside sources but DO NOT MERELY SUMMARIZE OR PARAPHRASE what you are learning. I will read the write-ups, make suggestions for improvement of your writing and thinking, and give them a grade.

! To satisfy State Board of Education rule 6A-10.30 (The Gordon Rule) students must write a minimum of 1,000 words with a grade of 'C' or better in this course (as in almost all Social Science courses). The write-ups must receive passing grades as well if you are to be considered proficient in writing, and thus to satisfy the Gordon Rule.

Your title pages should look just like this:

Here's the title
Your own name
General Psychology
Dr. R. McGuff
The date turned in

Citations should work like this:
(This is what might be your original writing..)
...in fact many people are unaware that the divorce rate for second and third or subsequent marriages is even higher than for first marriages (Weiten, 2004). (That was your citation.) This means that a majority of new marriages will likely end in divorce, putting a new face on the meaning of what may be our most intimate personal commitments.

NEVER put a web address in the body of a paper instead of a proper (author, year) citation!
Do not use bold, oversized type, funky, fancy fonts, or any graphics on your title pages or in your papers. A simple elegance is the best accompaniment to your good ideas.

The References page should look like this:

References

American Psychological Association (2003). Considering a Career in Psychology? Found online at: http://www.apa.org/students/student1.html.
Grassian, E. (1999). Thinking Critically about World Wide Web Resources. Found online at: http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/critical/index.htm.
Jaynes, Julian (1976). The origin of consciousness in the breakdown of the bicameral mind. Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin.
Jones, D. & Thomas, K. (1997). The basis of adult personality in early childhood attachment patterns. Journal of Personality Origins, 7(3), 241 - 267.
Weiten, Wayne (2004). Psychology, Themes and Variations; Sixth Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson.
(That last one was the reference for the citation above. The others give you examples of how to reference a website, a website with a corporate author, a journal or magazine article, and a book.)

RESPONSE WRITE-UP CHECKLIST:

Does your write-up:	YES	NO
Convey your thoughts, critical evaluation, and impressions?	Yes
Demonstrate critical analysis and understanding?	Yes
Is it typed and double-spaced everywhere?	Yes
Is it at least 500 words of text?	Yes
DOES IT QUOTE ANY SOURCE DIRECTLY?		NO
Is a proper APA style References page attached?	Yes
Are photocopies of your actual outside source material attached?	Yes
DOES IT MERELY SUMMARIZE THE MATERIAL?		NO

If you meet all the criteria above --------------------- TURN IT IN
I will grade it and offer suggestions for improving your writing and your thinking, as needed.

!I will count only your top two write-ups into your final point total, but you must hand in both before you can write an extra. Any student who tries to hand me two write-ups in the last full week of class will be summarily executed, without trial or hearing, and his or her lifeless body will be fed to rabid coffee civets in Cambodia. Or, I will simply refuse to read them, depending upon my mood at the moment. Be warned!

COURSE SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNED READINGS:

Please come prepared to ask questions and to suggest answers to them. READ THE MATERIAL IN ADVANCE so you will obtain maximum benefit from class discussion. Reading assignments are to be completed before class. In-class participation IS A REQUIREMENT of the course; active, and especially useful contributions to the class WILL BE REWARDED with extra credit as described under the Grading Policy, above.

Week, Assigned Reading & Topics:

Week 1: January 9th
.............................................. Reading:This syllabus. Weiten: Preface and Chapter 1
! Introductions, course requirements, policies.
! Why are we in this class?
! What is psychology and where does it come from?
! The History of Psychology.

.............................................. Reading:This syllabus. Weiten: Chapter 2
! The Scientific Method; means of studying the mind.

Week 2: January 18th (holiday January 16th)
............... Reading: Weiten: Appendices B, C & D

! What is the connection between psychological theory and psychotherapy?
! What fields and applications exist in psychology?
................................................ Reading: Chapters 3, & 7 (287-289)
! Intro to the structure of the nervous system
! How do the nerves work? What is brain chemistry?
................................... Complete the BrainPower assignment at the computer lab.

Week 3: January 23rd
! How does the brain work?
! How does it interact with the body?
! Hello... Is there anybody in there?
APA Exercise due Wed, January 25th
Test #1: Friday, January 27th
-BrainPower Exercise Due at START of Class/Test

Week 4: January 30th
................................................. Reading: Chapter 4
! Sensation as input to the brain.
! Transduction of energy in each of the sense organs.
! Just how many senses are there, anyway?
! Perception and Consciousness.
................................................. Reading: Chapter 5
! What is consciousness?

Week 5: February 6th
! Sleep, dreams and hypnosis.
! Alcohol and Drugs: Types, Effects, Abuse and Addiction.

.............................................. Reading: Chapters 3 (102-108) & 11
! Intro to theories of development.

Week 6: February 13th
.............................................. Reading: Chapters 12 (500 -506)
! Biological Development and Nature vs. Nurture.

Week 7: February 20th
! Piaget's theory of cognitive development.
.............................................. Reading: Chapters 11 & 8 (302 - 322)
1st WRITE - UP DUE Wednesday, February 22nd
Test #2 Friday, February 24th

Week 8: February 27th
.....................................Reading: Chapters 10, 12 (476-490), and 15 (606 - 614).
! Sigmund Freud's Psychosexual Theory.
! The origin of the Ego, or Self, and the personality's means of defense.

March 6th - 10th: SPRING BREAK --No class

Week 9: March 13th
..............................................I may provide a supplemental reading.
! Adlerian and Jungian Theories of the mind.
! The broadening of psychology's focus.
! Erikson's theory of Psychosocial development
MIDTERM Test: March 17th

Week 10: March 20th
............ Reading: Chapters 14 and 13
! Abnormal Psychology:
! Mental Illness, Mental Disorders and their many varieties.
! The origins of mental disorders.

2nd Write-up due March 24th

Week 11: March 27th
............................. Reading: Chapters 6, 7 & 12 (490-495)
Theories of learning.
! _____ Classical and Operant conditioning.
! _____ Modeling & Observational learning. Other types of learning.
! _____ The meaning of learning theory for the modern world.

Week 12: April 3rd;
TEST # 4 on Monday April 3rd

.............Reading: Chapter 12 (495 - end of chapter) & 15 (all)
! Rogerian Psychology: Promoting effective adjustment.
! Humanistic Theory.
! Various forms of psychotherapy

Week 13: April 10th
................................................ Reading: Chapter 16
! Social Psychology: How do people influence and gain the compliance of others?
! Attributions and explanations of events in the social world.
! What is our nature?
Friday, April 14th IS THE LAST DATE on which I will accept extra or late work of any kind.

Week 14: April 17th
! Assessment of Intelligence and Personality. ................. Reading: Chapters 9 & 12 (the rest)

TEST # 5 April 19th
April 21st --Last day of class: Wrap-up.

FINAL EXAM: 10:10 class - Friday April 28th: 9:30 - 11:30 AM

Dates and requirements are subject to change, so listen up for announcements in class.
Catalogue description: PSY 2012 General Psychology (3) F, Sp, Sm. Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of College Preparatory English (ENC 0020) and College Preparatory Reading (REA 0001) or appropriate placement scores. Designed to introduce the study of behavior to both majors and non-majors. Interrelates personality, learning, perception, nervous system, emotions and other factors of human behavior. Lecture 3 hours. Written work (1,000 words minimum) is required.
This syllabus was last updated on January 4th, 2006 -R.M.

HONOR CODE

As an academic community devoted to the life of the mind, this class requires of every student complete intellectual honesty in the preparation and completion of all assigned academic work.

Honor Pledge

Honor, integrity, honesty and effort benefit everyone. I hereby recognize that my honor as a student of this class is dependent on my integrity, honesty and effort. Therefore, I will not cheat, plagiarize or otherwise misrepresent the work I submit. I shall neither give nor receive unauthorized aid on any piece of work, nor knowingly tolerate any violation of the Honor Code of this class.

I hereby certify that all the written work I submit in this course shall be my own original writing, that I will use no idea, fact, information, or phrasing from any source without giving credit by citing that source in my work, and that I shall strive to make as plain as possible the sources used in my work.

I hereby certify that the responses I give on tests in this course shall reflect only my own knowledge, study, effort and belief. I will not attempt to copy the work of others, and will not tolerate any attempt of others to copy my work. If I detect that any student in this class is attempting to copy my work or that of others, I will report my belief to my instructor immediately and without fear of the consequences for doing so.

I hereby pledge my honor, integrity, honesty and effort as a student, as a fellow human being and as a member of the academic community in this class.
Pledged on this day, ____/____/____ _________________________