PSYC-2301 Introduction to Psychology

Sadaf Sajjad

Credit Spring 2024

Section(s)

PSYC-2301-051 (77436)
LEC TuTh 10:30am - 11:50am CYP CYP5 2229

Course Requirements

This course is divided into 4 modules. Each module has a set of tasks that you must complete by a designated due date (course schedule will be available on the first day of your term on Black Board).  I encourage you to submit your work before the due dates, in case unexpected situations arise, causing you to miss deadlines. NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED.

ALL TESTS must be taken by their designated date through blackboard during a scheduled class meeting time. Please carefully read all information below.

Within each module, you will need to complete the following 6 tasks:

  1. Attend the scheduled class meetings. You will be given credit points for the participation during the class such as blackboard discussions or class interactions. (To receive an A grade, you must maintain a minimum attendance of 75%)
  2. Read assigned chapters for each module.
  3. Go through the respective chapter outline of every chapter.
  4. Complete the worksheets for respective chapters
  5. There are four mandatory exams for this course. Each exam’s total is 100 points. Exams will cover materials from the Practice Work sheets which you will do at the end of each chapter. The exams will consist of 50 multiple choice questions (each question will be worth 2 points). The total points that can be earned on the exams are 400 points. Exams are to be taken within the time given on Exam schedule and due date through BB during a class meeting.

           Make-up exams will be provided only due to exceptionally difficult life circumstances (e.g., death in the family, serious illness with a note from a physician), and must be taken within one week after the missed in-class exam. No make-up will be offered for EXAM 4. All make-up exams are to be taken in the Testing Center.

 

In-Class Presentation (up to 100 points)

You will be required to give a presentation on any topic related to Psychology area. All students will have to submit the presentation topic two weeks prior to the presentation start date. The announcement will be done on blackboard and in classroom for the presentation topic submission and presentation date, you will need to choose a topic, research the topic in depth and prepare a 5-8-minute presentation to deliver in class. Your presentation needs to include a written component (Power-Point slides, handouts, etc.). A detailed description of the presentation requirement will be posted on Blackboard. Please make sure you review these presentation requirements carefully before you begin preparing for your presentation.

A sign-in sheet for presentations will be provided on the 3rd week of class meetings. Once you sign up for a date to present, you may not change the date unless you have a serious reason to do so (debilitating illness, an unforeseen serious life event, etc.). A failure to show up for your presentation without informing me ahead of time of your reason will result in a score of 0 on the presentation requirement.

There will be one class meetings partially devoted to presentation preparation. I strongly encourage you to come to class in that class, as it will help you significantly in preparing for your presentation. 

Readings

The textbook for this course is: Introduction to Psychology by Charles Stangor; FlatWorld Knowledge Publishers. (e-ISBN: 978-1-4533-9279-9) Click here to go to the publisher's web site.   An All Access Pass to a digital version of the book is available for purchase in the ACC Bookstore and paperback versions can be ordered directly from the publisher by the student at the option of the student. The All Access Pass contains the Online Web Book (Read it through your browser), eBook (Pub and mobi files compatible with your iPad, Kindle, or other device), PDF Book (Print-it-Yourself or read offline), & Study Aids (Interactive tools help reinforce key terms and concepts.). Flat World offers students a variety of low-cost digital and print choices, starting at just $30.00. All of the formats can be purchased at students.flatworldknowledge.com, where you can also find more detailed explanations of each format. For those who prefer it, there is an OER (no cost) version of the textbook, which is: Stangor, Charles. Introduction to Psychology (PDF - 14.0MB). 2010. (Courtesy of Charles Stangor and the Saylor Foundation.) This is the first version of Stangor's book, which was published in 2010. It will suffice for this class. There is a html version of the textbook at this link. It is the student's responsibility to read the assigned chapters of this book in a timely manner.

Course Subjects

Module 1

  • 1 Introducing Psychology
  • 2 Psychological Science
  • 3 Brain, Bodies and Behavior
  • 4 Sensing and Perceiving

Attendance/Participation, Worksheets,  and EXAM 1

Module 2

  • 5 Consciousness, Body Rhythm and Mental States
  • 6 Growing and Developing Across the Life Span
  • 7 Learning
  • 8 Remembering and Judging

Attendance/Participation, Worksheets and EXAM 2

Module 3

  • 9 Intelligence and Language
  • 10 Emotion and Motivation
  • 11 Psychology in our Social Life
  • 12 Personality

Attendance/Participation, Worksheets and EXAM 3

Module 4

  • 13.1 Psychological Disorders
  • 13.2 Personality Disorders
  • 14.1 Therapy and Treatment
  • 14.2 Group, Couples and Family Therapy 

Attendance/Participation, Worksheets and EXAM 4

 

 

 

Student Learning Outcomes/Learning Objectives

 The purpose of a course in Introductory Psychology is to introduce the student to the scientific study of animal & human behavior and mental processes. The Department of Psychology at ACC has directed that all PSYC 2301 classes must cover these Core Topics:

  • Research Methods
  • Personality
  • Learning
  • Life-Span Development
  • Physiological Basis of Behavior
  • Cognition (including Sensation, Perception & Memory)
  • Stress (and intellectual, social, physical and emotional health)
  • Psychological Disorders
  • Social Psychology

The ACC Course Catalog offers this description of PSYC 2301:

Survey of introductory topics such as learning, memory, sensation and perception, personality, life-span development, physiological basis of behavior, stress and health, psychological disorders, social psychology, and research methods. Additional topics such as language development, states of consciousness, and psychotherapy may also be included as determined by the instructor.

This section of PSYC 2301 is also part of ACC’s Interdisciplinary Studies degree in Peace and Conflict Studies (PAC), so we will also learn about brief introduction to PAC, and then use the lenses of PAC as we study the core concepts and theories of psychology.    

At the end of the semester, the successful student will demonstrate:

  1. an understanding of psychology as a science, including the steps involved in scientific inquiry
  2. the ability to explain the basic biological aspects of behavior.
  3. an understanding of the major theories and findings in areas of learning, memory, language, intelligence, consciousness, motivation, emotion, and personality.
  4. an understanding of the basic structures and functioning of the sensory systems.
  5. the ability to outline stages of human development and the corresponding developmental challenges and milestones.
  6. an understanding of the basic components and correlates of stress, coping and resilience
  7. the ability to explain several significant findings in social psychology, including conformity, obedience, prejudice, and attraction.
  8. the ability to describe the most common types of psychological disorders and the associated signs and symptoms
  9. the ability to provide an overview of different approaches to psychotherapy
  10. a basic ability to be able to apply the PAC studies lens to the core concepts in Introduction to Psychology.

COURSE GRADING SYSTEM

This grading policy outlines the following components and their relative weights                                                 

Worksheets Module 1-4: 400 points

  • Worksheets will be provided for each module of the course and will be designed to reinforce and test the student's understanding of the course material.
  • Each Module worksheets will be worth 100 points, for a total of 400 points.
  • Students will have unlimited attempts to complete the worksheets until the due date.
  • The due date for the worksheets will be announced in advance and will be specified in the course syllabus.
  • Late submissions will not be accepted.

Student presentations: 100 points 

  • Each student will be required to give a presentation on a topic related to the course material.
  • Presentations will be worth 100 points each.
  • Presentation dates and times will be arranged in individual meetings with the instructor.
  • The rules and expectations for the presentations will be discussed in these meetings.
  • Feedback will be provided on each presentation to help students understand the expectations and improve their skills.

Exams 1-4: 400 points

  • Exams 1-4 will account for the majority of the student's grade and will test the student's knowledge and understanding of the course material.
  • Each exam will be worth 100 points, for a total of 400 points.
  • Exam dates and times will be announced in advance and will be held in-class or online.
  • Make-up exams will only be granted in extenuating circumstances and must be approved in advance by the instructor.

Attendance and interaction: 90 points

  • Attendance and interaction will be evaluated based on the student's participation in class discussions, online discussions, and other forms of class participation.
  • Attendance will be taken at each class meeting
  • Students are expected to attend all classes and to actively participate in discussions.
  • Excused absences will be granted for medical and personal emergencies only, and must be documented with appropriate documentation.

Final assignment: 10 points

  • The final assignment will be a culmination of the student's learning in the course and will test their ability to apply the concepts and skills they have learned.
  • The final assignment will be worth a maximum of 10 points.
  • The final assignment will be due on the last day of class, as specified in the course syllabus.
  • Late submissions will not be accepted.

Overall Grade:  1000 points

The student's overall grade will be calculated by adding the points earned from exams 1-4, worksheets, student presentations, attendance and interaction, and the final assignment.

The grading scale for the course will be as follows :

  • 900 - 1000 points: A (excellent)                         
  • 800 - 899 points: B (good)
  • 700 - 799 points: C (satisfactory)
  • 600 - 699 points: D (poor)
  • 0 - 599 points: F (fail)

 

  • A: 90-100%
  • B: 80-89%
  • C: 70-79%
  • D: 60-69%
  • F: below 60%

Students must attend a minimum of 75% of the classes in order to be eligible for an A.

Office Hours

T Th 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM CYPRESS CREEK CAMPUS/Virtual Zoom meeting

NOTE I'll be available for 10 minutes after each synchronous and on-campus class meeting. For my online classes, please feel free to email me to request a virtual meeting. Additionally, all of you can schedule office hours by sending an email.

Office Hours

T Th 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM CYPRESS CREEK CAMPUS/Virtual Zoom meeting

NOTE I'll be available for 10 minutes after each synchronous and on-campus class meeting. For my online classes, please feel free to email me to request a virtual meeting. Additionally, all of you can schedule office hours by sending an email.

Published: 12/29/2023 07:57:56