El Camino College General Psychology, Fall 2013 Instructor: Lorrie Kato, Ph.D. Days/Time: WF 7:45-9:10 Office Hours: M 8:45-9:15 or by appointment E-mail: lorriekato@gmail.com Phone: (310) 660-3593 x4298 Required Text: Kosslyn, S. M., & Rosenberg, R. S. (2011). Introducing Psychology: Brain, Person, Group. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc. Course Description: This course is a survey study of human behavior and mental processes with an emphasis on basic theory and research generated by the scientific method. Major topics include psychobiology, learning, human cognition, personality, lifespan development, psychological disorders, therapeutic approaches, and social psychology. Course Objectives: 1. Identify early schools of thought in psychology and contrast them to contemporary subfields in psychology. 2. Outline the steps of the scientific method, identify common research methods, and discuss ethical considerations of psychological research. 3. Describe the functions of the neural and hormonal systems, emphasizing the functions of brain structures. 4. Explain the basics of genetics and assess the combined influence of genes and environment on a variety of human characteristics. 5. Differentiate between sensation and perception and identify the processes by which organisms recognize, organize, and make sense of stimuli in their environment. 6. Describe and discuss various states of consciousness, such a waking, sleeping, dreaming, and states induced by psychoactive substances. 7. Define learning and compare and contrast classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning. 8. Examine human cognition, focusing on memory, intelligence, and language, as well as common errors of human thought processes. 9. Describe the forces that motivate human behavior, such as instincts, drives, and needs. 10. Identify and evaluate the major theories of emotion with an emphasis on behavioral, physiological, and cognitive components. 11. Describe processes of stability and chance in the domains of biological, cognitive, and psychosocial development across the lifespan. 12. Compare and contrast the major theories of personality and describe and explain methods of assessing personality. 13. Evaluate the concept of a psychological disorder, and discuss the assessment, classification, and possible causes of psychological disorders. 14. Identify and evaluate psychological and biomedical approaches to the treatment of psychological disorders. 15. Analyze the impact of situational forces on human thought processes and behavior. 16. Discuss the influence of stress, personality, and other psychological phenomena on physical health.
Student Learning Outcomes: 1. Students who successfully complete this course and its requirements will be able to identify and explain major historical trends, theoretical perspectives, and empirical findings relevant to mental processes and behavior. 2. Students will be assessed by multiple choice exams, essay exams, oral presentations, or research-based papers. Grading Basis There will be 4 exams (covering 4 chapters each), and one comprehensive final exam which will include multiple choice and short answer items from the lecture, text, and discussion. The lowest grade obtained on ONE of the exams WILL be dropped. You will be responsible for bringing a scantron to each of the exams (4 exams (883-E) worth 75 points each and 1 final worth 100 points (882-E)). Exam grades are based on the following scale: Final Exam: A 75 68 A 100 90 B 67 60 B 89 80 C 59 52 C 79 70 D 51 45 D 69 60 F 44 0 F 59 0 **The lowest grade obtained on ONE of the four exams WILL be dropped. Students who earn A s on all four exams will earn 25 bonus points and will be excused from the final. The final exam will be worth 30% of your final course grade, so you MUST take the final if you do not earn A s on all of your exams. Course Grade: A 325-292 B 291-260 C 259-227 D 226-195 F 194-0 Course Policies:
The exam schedule is posted in this syllabus, but is subject to change. Make-up exams WILL NOT be given, so plan to take the exams on the scheduled dates. No excuses will be accepted. Students are expected to demonstrate their commitment to this class and their college education by scheduling work and vacation around this class time. Attendance in this class is REQUIRED. Students are expected to abide by the rules set forth by El Camino College with regards to appropriate classroom behaviors. Those that disregard these rules may be subject to disciplinary action by the Office of Student Affairs. o Inappropriate behaviors include, but are not limited to, lack of participation in the course (e.g., missing exams, chronic absence, tardiness, leaving early, or sleeping in class), being disrespectful to the instructor or fellow students, or disruptiveness (e.g., conversing during lecture, leaving on cell phones). Engaging in any of these o behaviors may be basis for being dropped by the professor. Anyone caught cheating during an exam will receive and automatic F for the class and may be subject to disciplinary action. Lecture content and pacing are based on the expectation that students are familiar with the material in the chapter reading assigned for that day. Students are responsible for keeping up with course announcements and exam schedules. It is not the instructor s responsibility to drop students from the course. Withdrawing students should personally drop the class through the admissions office to ensure that they are not assigned a grade at the end of the semester. The last day to drop with refund ; last day to drop without notation on permanent record ; last day to drop with a W. YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES You are responsible for reading the text, coming to lecture, studying the material, taking the required exams, and completing the assigned activities. Your task of learning psychology, however, will be much easier if you: (a) ask me questions about the reading and lecture topics; (b) keep up with the readings; (c) talk to me during office hours. This course will require approximately 15% of your week s time, and more if you are unfamiliar with the material or just beginning advanced studies. Please budget your time accordingly. You are ultimately responsible for your learning in this class. GRADE RECORD Exams Exam 1: / 75 points Exam 2: / 75 points Exam 3: / 75 points Exam 4: / 75 points Final Exam: / 100 points Total Exam/ Final Points / 325 points ** remember your lowest grade WILL be dropped Total Points / 325 Course Grade
Course Schedule: Week Date Topics Reading Assignments 1 8/28 Course Introduction Chapter 1 8/30 Psychology: Yesterday and Today 2 9/4 Psychology (cont.) Chapter 2 9/6 The Biology of Mind and Behavior 3 9/11 9/13 Biology (cont.), Sensation and Perception Chapter 3 4 9/18 Sensation and Perception (Cont.), Exam Chapter 4 9/20 Review 9/20: Exam 1 (Chapters 1-3) 5 9/25 9/27 Learning: How Experience Changes Us Learning (cont.) Chapter 4 6 10/2 10/4 Memory: Living With Yesterday Memory (cont.), Language Chapter 4 Chapter 5 7 10/9 Thinking, Intelligence Chapter 6 10/11 Emotion 8 10/16 Motivation, Review Chapter 7 10/18 10/16: Exam 2 (Chapters 4-6) 9 10/23 Personality Chapter 8 10/25 Personality (cont.) 10 10/30 Psychology Over the Lifespan Chapter 9 11/1 Psychology Over the Lifespan (cont.) 11 11/6 Stress, Health, and Coping (10a) Chapter 10 11/8 Stress, Health, and Coping (10b) 12 11/13 11/15 11/13: Exam 3 (Chapters 7-10a) Psychological Disorders Chapter 11 13 11/20 11/22 Psychological Disorders (cont.) Treatment Chapter 12 14 11/27 Treatment (Cont.), Social Psychology Chapter 13 11/29 Holiday: No Class 15 12/4 12/6 Social Psychology (cont.) 12/6: Exam 4 (Chapters 10b-13) 16 12/11 12/13 Final Review (Grade from Exam 4 MUST be picked up in person. These grades will not be e-mailed. Students who qualify for final exam exemption, but fail to attend this class, will NOT be excused from the final. ) 12/13: Final Exam *Syllabus is subject to change by the instructor. Any revisions made to the syllabus will be announced in class.
ADA Statement: El Camino College is committed to providing educational accommodations for students with disabilities upon the timely request by the student to the instructor. A student with a disability, who would like to request an academic accommodation, is responsible for identifying herself/himself to the instructor and to the Special Resource Center. To make arrangements for academic accommodations, contact the Special Resource Center. Student Code of Conduct http://www.elcamino.edu/administration/board/boarddocs/5500%20%20academic%20honesty. pdf Student Rights and Grievances Procedure 5530 http://www.elcamino.edu/administration/board/policies.asp