Lamar State College - Port Arthur

House Bill 2504

Spring 2018 Course Syllabus

PSYC-2301-4D - General Psychology

 
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Faculty Information
SemesterSpring 2018
InstructorClark, Jamie L
Phone(409) 984-6317
E-mailclarkjl@lamarpa.edu
Department
General Education and Developmental Studies
Chair:Michelle Davis
Phone:(409) 984-6341
E-mail:davisml1@lamarpa.edu
Office
Hours:M9-10/1-2, T11-12, W12-3, R9-10/12-1, F9-10/12-1
Building:Student Center (SC)
Room:410
MyLamarPA Be sure to check your campus E-mail and Course Homepage using MyLamarPA campus web portal (My.LamarPA.edu). When you’ve logged in, click the email icon in the upper right-hand corner to check email, or click on the “My Courses” tab to get to your Course Homepage. Click the link to your course and review the information presented. It is important that you check your email and Course Homepage regularly. You can also access your grades, transcripts, and determine who your academic advisor is by using MyLamarPA.
Course Information
Course Number12185
Course Description General Psychology is a survey of the major psychological topics, theories and approaches to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.
Course Prerequisites None
Required Textbooks The RECOMMENDED textbook is Psychology by Hockenbury, 7th Edition.
ISBN # 9781464108808
Attendance Policy Research has shown a cause and effect relationship between attendance and college success. I strongly recommend regular attendance, both mental and physical. If you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get notes on what you missed in your absence from another student. Some material covered in class may not be in the textbook and may be covered by exams. Class attendance will influence your final course grade. Your presence in class will involve your attention to lectures, presentations by other students, participation in open class discussion, and reading of the text as well as other materials.
You will receive 5 points per class for attendance and participation to total 150 points.
The following procedure will be used to give students with good attendance extra points.
For 0 absences, 4 points will be added to the final course tally.
For no more than 1 absence, 3 points will be added.
For no more than 2 absences, 2 points will be added.
For no more than 3 absences, 1 point will be added.
For 4 absences, 0 points will be added.
Course Grading Scale 765-850=A
680-764=B
595-679=C
510-594=D
509 and below =F
Determination of Final Grade The final course grade will be based on total points accumulated (not percentage) from exams (500), papers (100), class participation and attendance (150), and paper presentation (100).

An objective multiple-choice format will be used on all exams. There will be 5 exams during the semester. Each exam will be worth 100 points.
Final Exam Date May 9, 2018 - 7:00 AM   Through  May 9, 2018 - 10:00 AM
Major Assignments Tentative Schedule of Classes
(Subject to change with notice)
Week 1
Syllabus
Week 2
Chapter 1 Introduction and Research Methods
Week 3
Chapter 2 Neuroscience and Behavior
Week 4
Exam 1
Week 5
Chapter 3 Sensation and Perception
Week 6
Chapter 4 Consciousness and Its Variations
Week 7
Exam 2
Chapter 5 Learning
Week 8
Chapter 6 Memory
Week 9
Topics Presented to Instructor
Chapter 7 Thinking, Language, and Intelligence
Chapter 8 Motivation and Emotion
Week 10
Exam 3
Chapter 9 Life Span Development
Week 11
Chapter 11 Personality
Chapter 12 Social Psychology
Week 12
Exam 4
Chapter 14 Psychological Disorders
Week 13
Chapter 15 Therapies
Week 14
Exam 5
Paper and Presentation
Week 15
Final Exam
Calendar of Lecture Topics and Major Assignment Due Dates Tentative Schedule of Classes
(Subject to change with notice)
Week 1
Syllabus
Week 2
Chapter 1 Introduction and Research Methods
Week 3
Chapter 2 Neuroscience and Behavior
Week 4
Exam 1
Week 5
Chapter 3 Sensation and Perception
Week 6
Chapter 4 Consciousness and Its Variations
Week 7
Exam 2
Chapter 5 Learning
Week 8
Chapter 6 Memory
Week 9
Topics Presented to Instructor
Chapter 7 Thinking, Language, and Intelligence
Chapter 8 Motivation and Emotion
Week 10
Exam 3
Chapter 9 Life Span Development
Week 11
Chapter 11 Personality
Chapter 12 Social Psychology
Week 12
Exam 4
Chapter 14 Psychological Disorders
Week 13
Chapter 15 Therapies
Week 14
Exam 5
Paper and Presentation
Week 15
Final Exam
General Education/Core Curriculum Student Learning Outcomes
Communication skills:Students will demonstrate effective written, oral and visual communication.
Critical Thinking Skills:Students will engage in creative and/or innovative thinking, and/or inquiry, analysis, evaluation, synthesis of information, organizing concepts and constructing solutions.
Empirical and Quantitative Skills:Students will demonstrate applications of scientific and mathematical concepts.
Teamwork:Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with others to support a shared purpose or goal and consider different points of view.
Social Responsibility:Students will demonstrate intercultural competency and civic knowledge by engaging effectively in local, regional, national and/or global communities.
Personal Responsibility:Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making.
Program Student Learning Outcomes PSLO ALPHA: Reading skills - Demonstrates comprehension of content-area reading material.
PSLO 1: Critical Thinking Skills - Uses creative thinking, innovation, inquiry and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information.
PSLO 2: Communication Skills - Demonstrates effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and/or visual communication.
PSLO 3: Empirical and Quantitative Skills - Applies the manipulation and/or analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions.
PSLO 5: Social Responsibility Skills - Expresses intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.
Course Student Learning Outcomes 1. Students will demonstrate comprehension of content-area reading material. (PSLO alpha) Measured by pre-test/post-test scores.
2. Students will demonstrate the ability to identify research findings through the application of the scientific method. ALTERNATIVELY, Exhibit an understanding and ability to apply basic research methods in psychology including research design, data analysis, and interpretation through the successful completion of embedded exam questions, class discussions, and assignments. (PSLO 1 and 3)
3. Students will demonstrate the ability to identify factors in the historical development of the study of human behavior including current theoretical perspectives prominent in the field of psychology through the successful completion of embedded exam questions, class discussions, and assignments. (PSLO 1 and 2)
4. Students will demonstrate the ability to identify terminology unique to the study of psychology through the successful completion of embedded exam questions, class discussions, and assignments. (PSLO 1 and 2)
5. Students will demonstrate the ability to identify accepted approaches and standards in psychological assessment and evaluation through the successful completion of embedded exam questions, class discussions, and assignments. (PSLO 1 and 2)
6. Students will demonstrate the ability to identify factors in physiological and psychological processes involved in human behavior through the successful completion of embedded exam questions, class discussions, and assignments. (PSLO 1 and 2)
7. Students will demonstrate the ability to connect choices, actions
and consequences to ethical decision-making through the successful completion of embedded exam questions, class discussions, and assignments.(PSLO 1, 2, and 5)
Academic Honesty Academic honesty is expected from all students, and dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Please consult the LSC-PA policies (Section IX, subsection A, in the Faculty Handbook) for consequences of academic dishonesty.
Facility Policies
  • No food or tobacco products are allowed in the classroom.

  • Only students enrolled in the course are allowed in the classroom, except by special instructor permission.

  • Electronic devices (including but not restricted to cell phones, MP3 players, and laptop computers) shall not be used during examinations unless specifically allowed by the instructor.

  • Use of electronic devices during normal class hours distracts other students, disrupts the class, and wastes valuable time. Instructors have an obligation to reduce such disruptions.

  • Turn your cellphones to vibrate when you enter the classroom.
Additional Information WRITING ASSIGNMENT AND PRESENTATION:
Option 1. Read five articles related to the class and prepare a typed summary of each article, written in your own words and should be approximately two pages in length. These articles must be related to psychology. Articles may be found in periodicals or from the Internet and should be at least 2 pages in length. Articles or information from the text or from encyclopedias will not be allowed for this assignment. A format for this assignment is attached to the syllabus. A copy of the article should be attached to your typed summary. Hand-written work will not be accepted. Included in the paper will be an opinion of the article. The opinion should be well developed. Merely saying that I enjoyed reading the article and it was good will not be sufficient. This paper will be typed and double spaced. The grade for this article will count just like an exam in the final tally. (100 points)
Option 2. Read one book related to any topic discussed in this class. The book may be fiction or non-fiction. The book should be shown to the instructor for approval. A five page double spaced typed paper will be completed including a summary of the book and the readers opinion of the material. This opinion should be well developed. Merely saying, "The book was good,Ă‚Âť or I really enjoyed reading this book, will not be sufficient. The grade for this assignment will count just like an exam in the final course tally. (100 points)
Option 3. Watch two movies that are related to any topic discussed in this class. The movies chosen for this assignment should be clearly about some particular psychological condition. Rain Man, A Beautiful Mind,Âť or Cast Away are just a few examples. Prior to watching these movies, the student should get approval for the particular movie from the instructor. After watching the movies, the student will write a two or three page critique for each movie. This critique should include the students opinion of the movie including whether or not the movie depicts the reality of the psychological condition. Do not turn in Internet movie reviews. This paper should be written in your own words. This paper will be typed and double spaced. The grade for this assignment will count just like an exam in the final course tally. (100 points)
NOTE: IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU KEEP A COPY OF YOUR PAPER OR SAVE IT ON FLASH DRIVE. I HAVE, SO FAR, NEVER LOST A STUDENTS PAPER, BUT THIS RECOMMENDATION IS FOR YOUR PROTECTION.
PAPERS MAY NOT BE TURNED IN EARLY. IF YOU COMPLETE THE ASSIGNMENT EARLY, PLEASE HOLD IT UNTIL THE DUE DATE LISTED ON THE COURSE SCHEDULE.
Important Information
ADA Considerations The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator, Room 231, in the Madison Monroe Building. The phone number is (409) 984-6241.
Copyright Violations Some material in this course may be copyrighted. They may be used only for instructional purposes this semester, by students enrolled in this course. These materials are being used fairly and legally. No one may distribute or share these copyrighted materials in any medium or format with anyone outside this class, including publishing essays with copyrighted material, uploading copyrighted material to Facebook or YouTube, or painting or performing copyrighted material for public display.

Copyright violation is not the same thing as plagiarism. Plagiarism is intellectual dishonesty. Offenses of plagiarism result in lower grades or failing scores, and professors and the college strictly enforce plagiarism rules. There is never any acceptable use of plagiarism. Copyright violation is a legal offense, punishable by large fines and penalties.

Copyrighted material can be used if permission from the material’s creator is obtained, or if its use meets the standards of fair use in an educational setting. For example, a student can quote a line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet in a report without violating copyright but still be guilty of plagiarism if the quotation is not properly documented.

If you are in doubt about what material can be freely used, ask your professor or contact the Dean of Library Services, at (409) 984-6216.
Assessment Statement Assessment is a process by which LSCPA can help you learn better and gauge the level of progress you have made to attain knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values. It also helps your professors understand how to improve teaching and testing methods in your classes, and it helps each department understand and improve degree and certificate programs.

Periodically LSC-PA will collect assessment data for research and reporting purposes, including statistical data and sometimes copies of your work. Be assured that all material the college uses for assessment purposes will be kept confidential. To ensure anonymity, your name will be removed from any material we use for assessment purposes, including video-recorded performances, speeches, and projects.

If you object to allowing LSC-PA to use your material for assessment purposes, submit a letter stating so to your professor by the 12th class day. You will still be required to participate in whatever assessments are being done; we just won’t use your data.

What’s the difference between assessment and grades? The grades you get on papers, projects, speeches, and assignments are specific types of focused assessment. LSC-PA’s assessment efforts include class grades, surveys, standardized tests, and other tools.
Privacy Notice Federal privacy laws apply to college students. This means that college employees, including instructors, cannot divulge information to third parties, including parents and legal guardians of students. Even if the students are minors, information about their college work cannot be shared with anyone except in very limited circumstances.

Anyone requesting information about a student should be referred to the Registrar. Instructors will be notified in writing by that Office about what information may be released and to whom.

Please remember that releasing private information about a student, however innocuous it may seem, can be a violation of federal law, with very serious consequences.

Circumstances under which information may be released:

An adult student may submit, to the Registrar, a handwritten, signed note granting permission for release of information. The note must specify what information may be divulged, and it must specify the name of the person to whom the information may be given.

A parent or guardian may be given access to information about a student by providing a copy of a filed tax return that shows that the student was listed as a dependent of that parent or guardian. The tax return must be for last complete tax year. Again, this documentation must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office.

A parent or guardian may be given access to information about a student if the student logs on to My.LamarPA.edu and sends an email to the Registrar granting permission. The email must specify what information may be given and the name of the person to whom it may be given.

Co-enrollment students are protected by the same privacy laws as adult students.

The Registrar’s office is located in the Student Center room 303B, and can be reached at (409) 984-6165.

College-Level Perspectives This course helps add to the students’ overall collegiate experience in the following ways:

  • Establishing broad and multiple perspectives on the individual in relationship to the larger society and world in which s/he lives, and to understand the responsibilities of living in a culturally and ethnically diversified world.

  • Stimulating a capacity to discuss and reflect upon individual, political, economic, and social aspects of life in order to understand ways in which to be a responsible member of society.

  • Developing a capacity to use knowledge of how technology and science affect their lives.

  • Developing personal values for ethical behavior.

  • Developing the ability to make aesthetic judgments.

  • Using logical reasoning in problem solving.

  • Integrating knowledge and understand the interrelationships of the scholarly disciplines.

Degree Plan Evaluation A Degree Plan Evaluation will help you determine which classes you need to complete your program.

  1. Sign in to your my.lamarpa.edu account.

  2. Click on the “My Services” tab.

  3. Click on the “Student” tab.

  4. Click on Student Records.

  5. Click on Degree Evaluation.

  6. Select the term you are planning on registering for (i.e. Summer I, Summer II, Fall, or Spring)

  7. Verify that the Curriculum Information (your MAJOR) is correct

  8. Click on “Generate New Evaluation” at the bottom of the screen.

  9. Click the radio button next to Program

  10. Click on the Generate Request button.

All of the classes that you have taken that apply to your declared major will be listed on the right. If you have a class that still needs to be completed, a “NO” will be listed on the right next to the required class.

HB 2504 This syllabus is part of LSC-PA’s efforts to comply with Texas House Bill 2504.

Lamar State College - Port Arthur

Mission
Lamar State College - Port Arthur, a member of The Texas State University System, is an open-access, comprehensive public two-year college offering quality and affordable instruction leading to associate degrees and a variety of certificates. The College embraces the premise that education is an ongoing process that enhances career potential, broadens intellectual horizons, and enriches life.

Core Values
  • Shared commitment by faculty, staff and administration to a mission characterized by student learning, diversity, and community involvement

  • General education/core curriculum that develops the values and concepts that allow the student to make a meaningful contribution in the workplace or community

  • Academic and technical programs designed to fulfill our commitment to accommodate students with diverse goals and backgrounds, using a variety of delivery methods, on and off campus

  • Technical education programs that provide for the acquisition of the knowledge, skills and behavior necessary for initial and continued employment

  • Student achievement characterized by attainment of individual goals and measured by successful accomplishments and completion of curriculum

  • Co-curricular opportunities that develop social, financial and civic acuity

Principles
Lamar State College - Port Arthur operates in the belief that all individuals should be:

  • treated with dignity and respect;

  • afforded equal opportunity to acquire a complete educational experience;

  • given an opportunity to discover and develop their special aptitudes and insights; and,

  • provided an opportunity to equip themselves for a fulfilling life and responsible citizenship in a world characterized by change.

 
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