No meeting times. This class is fully online.
This course consists of a survey of the major topics in psychology; analysis of psychological research; intelligence, memory, and thinking; the biological basis of behavior; emotions, perception and sensation, motivation; wellness and stress; personality; heredity and learning; developmental psychology; social psychology, abnormal psychology (including therapy and treatment); and states of consciousness. Some sections of this course are taught in the computer lab; computer literacy skills are recommended. AAS: Business elective. IAI: S6 900.
Appropriate assessment score or ENGL 1422 with a grade of C or better - Must be taken either prior to or at the same time as this course.
Course Alignment
General Education Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes, and behaviors that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with any aspect of the college, including courses, programs, and student services, both inside and outside of the classroom. The General Education Outcomes specifically learned in this course are:
- Critical Thinking
Faculty Contact Information
I am here to support you on your educational journey in the classroom and beyond. I generally come to class early and stay a little later to address any questions or concerns students might want to ask outside of class. I am also available to respond to questions or concerns by email, phone, Zoom, or in person appointment.
I have scheduled office hours as follows:
Tues/Thurs 9:00 - 9:30 and 1:00 - 2:00
If you’d like to schedule an appointment for a call, Zoom, or in my office (L325), the best way to reach me is by email (cstevenson@kcc.edu).
Dr. Cari Stevenson
Location: L325
Office Phone: 815-802-8724
cstevenson@kcc.edu
Humanities/Social Science Division
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of psychological research and evidence.
- Demonstrate an understanding of states of consciousness such as attention, sleep and dreaming, hypnosis and drug use.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the leading social factors that influence behavior, esp. how we relate to, influence, and think about people.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of learning and memory, and the major kinds of learning.
- Demonstrate an understanding of how psychological factors influence physical health.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the functions and operations of cognitive processes.
- Demonstrate an understanding of major principles of sensation and perception.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the kinds, causes, prevention, and treatments of psychological disorders and ways of coping with them.
- Demonstrate an understanding of major developmental changes that occur during the main stages of the lifespan.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the contributions of both heredity and learning to human behavior.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the functions and operations of the major parts of the brain and nervous system.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the causes, nature and effects of emotions.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the major principles of motivation.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the main theories of personality.
- Topical Outline
- Research Methods
- Biological Processes and Neuroscience
- Sensation and Perception
- Consciousness
- Learning and Behaviorism
- Memory and Cognition
- Human Development
- Personality Theory
- Social Psychology
- Stress and Health
- Psychological Disorders and Treatments
Licht, D., Hull, M., Ballantyne. (2022). Presenting Psychology, 3rd ed. New York: Worth Publishers.
Achieve Course ID: u6qg9p
Achieve is not required for this course, but if you are using an extext, or would like to use the access code that came with your textbook, you may need the Course ID.
Evaluation
Grading Scale
A 90% 315 points
B 80% 270 points
C 70% 245 points
D 60% 210 points
F <60%
Graded criteria
Assignments (25 points each) 100 points
Discussions (10 points each) 100 points
Exams (50 points each) 150 points
_________________
350 points
Description of each criterion.
Assignments (100 points): Assignments will be given to enhance learning and apply concepts outside the classroom. Assignments must be completed and turned in by the due date to receive full credit. I expect assignments to be typed in a MS doc (unless otherwise instructed) and free of errors. Assignments will be submitted in a dropbox in Canvas. I will supply specific instructions prior to the due date.
You will complete four assignments (one required and three of your choice) so that you can focus on your interests and work around other time commitments. Additional instruction will be provided during the applicable unit.
1) Research Studies Response – develop a response to a social media post that makes
a claim regarding a psychological concept.
2) Personality Analysis – using theories described in the text, analyze your own
personality and development.
3) Brain video – record a video in which you explain how neural communication works.
4) Memory Assignment (Required) - apply a strategy covered in the unit to a concept
covered in the course to better recall information.
5) Sensation and Perception Activity – record your observations of a consuming a meal
while blindfolded.
6) Consciousness – summarize and analyze the meaning of a dream you’ve had, keep a
diary of meditation exercises, or compare and contrast consequences of drug classes
7) Cognition Paper – find information contrary to a common misconception and
summarize the article or reflect upon results from your Multiple Intelligence
Assessment.
8) Conditioning Experiment – apply principles of classical or operant conditioning and
report your results
9) Social Behavior Assignment – select one option from a variety of choices prompting
you to explore concepts within social psychology (i.e., deviate a social norm, observe
group behavior, try to get someone to conform their behavior, etc.)
10) Mental Health Paper – consider how mental health conditions are portrayed in
popular film
Discussions (100 points)
Although we will not be meeting face-to-face, class discussion is still a very important part of this class. Each week’s discussion will be conducted via discussion board in Canvas. Each unit has at least 2 discussion questions based on the assigned readings and course content. You are responsible for posting your own answer or ideas to one the discussion questions. It is important that all postings show an understanding of the assigned readings and the psychological theories, as well as your personal opinion. You can earn up to 10 points for each response based on the depth of your answer. Late DQs will not be accepted.
Exams (150 points): Three unit exams including multiple choice and matching will be given through the course of the semester. Though most of the exam will focus on the chapters covered during that point of the term, due to the cumulative nature of course, some questions may draw upon information learned earlier in the course. A cumulative final exam will be given during finals week. These will be taken online using Canvas. Each exam must be taken within a specified time period and will have a time limit once you begin. Make up exams will be offered at half credit if not arranged prior to due date or without documented emergency. Exams require LockDown Browser. Instructions and the link for download is provided in the Welcome Module. If you are unable to install Lockdown Browser, you may also take the exam in the Testing Center. Please give me at least a week’s notice so that I can make those arrangements for you.
*If you require additional time due to an accommodation through the Office of Disability Services, please contact me at the beginning of the semester so that I can make alternative testing arrangements.
If you have read to this point of the syllabus and would like extra credit, use your KCC student email to send me a picture of your favorite animal to cstevenson@kcc.edu no later than 11:59pm Sunday of Week 1. Please be sure to include which class the class number (PSYC 1813 W03) in the subject line.
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700
Plagiarism
Plagiarism, is defined in section 16.2 of the Code of Conduct: “Representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own. Plagiarism includes claiming credit for assignments completed by someone else.” All instances of intentional plagiarism on any major assignment for this course will lead to the immediate failure of the course with no opportunity for the student to withdraw. The instance of plagiarism will be reported to the Dean of Student Development. If the student has a second instance of plagiarism reported to the Dean of Student Development, the student may be suspended from the institution.
Academic Integrity: Students are expected to submit honest, original work. Examples of cheating include copying another students’ work, using another’s work (including artificial intelligence) without appropriate references, or submitting your own work that has already been used in another class. The college regards cheating as a very serious offense and may result in failure of the class and dismissal from the college.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI programs can serve as helpful tools in the learning process. However, they cannot be used as a substitute for writing. Acceptable uses of AI for this course include assistance with grammar, spelling, and writing mechanics. However, using AI to generate content for a paper, assignment, or discussion post is considered plagiarism and is not appropriate use. Such use will result in, at minimum, a zero for the assignment without opportunity for resubmission, and may result in failure of the course. Academic dishonesty on a major assignment such as papers and exams will result in failure of the course.
Any use of AI should be properly referenced in the References. This source can provide guidance: https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgptAdditionally, the chat record should be included at the end of the paper as an Appendix.
Attendance: Regular attendance is expected in accordance with college policy. Attendance in an online course is measured by completion of assignments.
Late Assignments: All assignments and papers are expected on the due date assigned. Should unusual circumstances arise that delay your work, you may turn in your assignment up to one week late with a deduction of a full letter grade for that assignment. After one week, the assignment may not be accepted unless unusual and unavoidable circumstances warrant an additional exemption. Only two assignments may be submitted late. Late DQs are not accepted.
Writing style: The official writing style for the course is APA Style. See Purdue Owl for a helpful resource.
All coursework must be typed. Abbreviations such as those used when texting (i.e., “u” instead of “you”) are NOT appropriate and work containing such abbreviations will not be graded. Instead, it would be returned to you for corrections, and you will immediately lose one letter grade for that assignment. Once you have made corrections, you may turn in the assignment for grading. You will lose an additional letter grade for each week the assignment is late.
| Week | Dates | Concepts | Assignments |
| 1 | 03/16 – 03/22 | Welcome to class! Unit 1: Studying Psychology Main perspectives of psychology Research methods | Take Intro Survey by Wed of Week 1 Introduce Yourself by Wed of Week 1 Read Ch 0 and 1 Set up Lockdown Browser by Sunday Week 1 DQ due by 11:59pm Sunday Week 1 Social Media Response Choice* due by 11:59pm on Sunday of Week 1 if you choose to do this assignment. |
| 2 | 03/23 – 03/29 | Unit 2: Who are you? Personality and Developmental Theories | Read Ch 10 and parts of Ch 8: Attachment (308-310), Erikson (310-313,326), Gender Identity (319-321), Parenting (327), part of Ch 9: Maslow (339-340) DQ due by 11:59pm on Sunday of Week 2 Personality Analysis Choice* due by 11:59pm on Sunday of Week 2 |
| 3 | 03/30 – 04/05 | Unit 3: Mind/Body Connection Neural communication Nervous system Parts of the brain Unit 4: Sensation and Perception
The Five Senses Processing Information Exam 1 | Read Ch 2 DQ due 11:59pm Sunday of Week 3 Brain Choice* due by 11:59pm of Week 3
Read Ch 3 DQ Due 11:59pm Sunday Week 3 Sensation and Perception Choice* due by 11:59pm Sunday of Week 3 Take Exam 1 no later than 11:59pm Sunday of Week 3 |
| 4 | 04/06 – 04/12 | Unit 5: Consciousness Sleep and Dreaming Altered States of Consciousness Unit 6: Something to Think About…
Cognition Barriers to rational thinking Intelligence
| Read Ch 4 DQ due 11:59pm Sunday Week 4 Consciousness Assignment* Choice due Sunday Week 4 Read Ch 7 (may skip the section on language) DQ due 11:59pm Sunday Week 4 Cognition Assignment Choice* will be due 11:59pm Sunday Week 4 |
| 5 | 04/13 – 04/19 | Unit 7: How Can We Remember All This? The 3-Box Model of Memory Improving our memory Forgetting False memories Exam 2 | Read Ch 6 DQ due 11:59pm Sunday Week 5 Memory Assignment Choice due 11:59pm Sunday Week 5 Take Exam 2 no later than 11:59pm Sunday of Week 5 |
| 6 | 04/20 – 04/26 | Unit 8: Motivated to learn! Theories of motivation Classical conditioning Operant conditioning | Read part of Ch 9: (334-343) and all of Ch 5 DQ due 11:59pm Sunday Week 6 Learning Assignment Choice* due 11:59pm Sunday Week 6 |
| 7 | 04/27 – 05/03 | Unit 9: Our Social World Attitudes and attributions Persuasion Conformity, obedience, and roles | Read Ch 11 DQ due 11:59pm Sunday Week 7 Social Assignment Choice* due 11:59pm Sunday Week 7 |
| 8 | 05/04 – 05/08 ***Note: 8 week classes are shortened, and final grades are due to the Registrar on Friday. This means all exams and assignments MUST be in by Friday night. No exceptions! | Unit 10: Mental Health Treatments Exam 3 | Read part of Ch 9: Emotions (385-398), part of Ch 12: Stress and Health (440- 459) and all of Ch 13 and 14 Mental Health Choice* due FRIDAY Week 8 Celebration of Learning! Take Exam by 11:59pm FRIDAY Week 8 |
*Students will select a total of FOUR assignments to complete
College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.