Mon/Wed 12-2:30
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.
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
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of psychological research and evidence.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of states of consciousness such as attention, sleep and dreaming, hypnosis, and drug use.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the leading social factors that influence behavior, esp. how we relate to, influence, and think about people.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of learning and memory, and the significant kinds of learning.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of how psychological factors influence physical health.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of the functions and operations of cognitive processes.
7. Demonstrate an understanding of major principles of sensation and perception.
8. Demonstrate an understanding of the kinds, causes, prevention, and treatments of psychological disorders and ways of coping with them.
9. Demonstrate an understanding of major developmental changes that occur during the main stages of the lifespan.
10. Demonstrate an understanding of the contributions of both heredity and learning to human behavior.
11. Demonstrate an understanding of the functions and operations of the major parts of the brain and nervous system.
12. Demonstrate an understanding of the causes, nature, and effects of emotions.
13. Demonstrate an understanding of the major principles of motivation.
14. Demonstrate an understanding of the main theories of personality.
Faculty Contact Information
Please schedule by Email
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 have outside of class. I am also available to respond to questions or concerns by email, phone, Zoom, or in-person appointment. If you’d like to schedule an appointment for a call, Zoom, or in my office, the best way to reach me is by email (kwood@kcc.edu).
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, C. (2025). Psychology, 4th ed. Worth Publishers.
*Achieve will be required for this course. If you purchase the book from the bookstore, be sure to save the code that comes with your book – you will need it to access Achieve. If you purchase Achieve directly through Macmillan, be sure you are buying the Achieve program, not the Read and Practice. The Achieve program will come with a etext. When you log in to complete some of the assignments for the class or to read the online text, you will need the code below to ensure you are routed to the correct course.
Achieve Course ID: tme2f3
Assignments (300 points): Formal Assignments will be given to enhance learning and apply concepts outside the classroom. Formal Assignments must be completed and turned in by the due date to receive full credit. I expect assignments to be typed in an MS doc (unless otherwise instructed), properly APA-formatted, and error-free. Assignments will be submitted through Canvas either by the assignment submission page or in the form of an online discussion post, depending on what is communicated to you in the instructions. The last assignment in the class will be a comprehensive paper that will require you to synthesize information you have learned and apply it to several case studies.
*I completely understand that college is incredibly stressful at times, and I also recognize that many of you have multiple classes aside from this one. Considering this, EVERYONE will be able to OMIT ONE assignment during the 16-week duration. This means you will NOT have to submit the assignment during that week and will automatically receive full credit. PLEASE BE CAREFUL to choose the assignment wisely if you decide to take advantage of this offer, as you can only do this ONCE. The following action must be taken to OMIT an assignment: -A written email to me detailing the assignment and the reason for SKIPPING, as well as a summary of how you are feeling with your current course workload
Assigned Online Activities (150 points): There are various multi-media activities to complete before OR after class that will help reinforce important concepts from your text. Activities will include interactive slides, informational videos and other modes of learning. At the completion of the activity, you will take a very short comprehension quiz based on the provided material (3-4 questions). It’s important to note that these are designed to help us focus on the in-class discussion and highlight information that will be assessed later on.
Learning Curve (150 points): This is an adaptive quizzing program that will assess and enhance students’ understanding of the readings. This activity is designed to prepare students for class discussion; therefore, it must be completed by the beginning of class and will not be accepted late. The quiz will continue until the full score is achieved, so you are not penalized for incorrect answers.
Exams (400 points): Four exams will be given throughout the semester. Though most of the exam will focus on the chapters covered at that point in the term, the course's cumulative nature means some questions may draw on information learned earlier in the course. These will be taken online using Canvas. Each exam will be completed in-class, unless otherwise directed, and will allow you to use your textbook. Each exam must be taken within a specified time period and will have a time limit once you begin. Late exams will receive half credit unless arrangements have been made before the due date or you have a documented emergency.
*Please note that the final exam will be taken in class and will NOT allow the use of your text or ANY other resources. *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.
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 student's 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 grave 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 an appropriate use. Such use will result, at minimum, in a zero for the assignment, without the opportunity for resubmission, and may result in failure of the course. Academic dishonesty on a significant 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-chatgpt A record of the chat must also be submitted as an appendix.
Attendance: Regular attendance is expected in accordance with college policy. For more information, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu.
Late Assignments: All assignments and papers are due on the assigned due date. Should unusual circumstances arise that delay your work, you may turn in your assignment up to one week late with a 15% reduction in grade. After one week, the assignment will not be accepted unless unusual and unavoidable circumstances warrant an additional exemption. This decision will be left to the instructor's discretion. Writing style: The official writing style for the course is APA Style. See the link in your Canvas Course Shell for a helpful resource.
Assignment Submission: 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. Title IX Students sometimes choose to share private information with their professors. We appreciate your trust! Nonetheless, students need to be aware that KCC faculty and certain staff are required to report any incidents of sexual harassment and/or violence that they may hear about. Specifically, we will contact KCC’s Title IX Coordinator, the Dean of Student Development and Services. Please don’t feel like you can’t reach out, but be aware of our requirement to report. If you want to speak with someone who is not required to report, please know that you are very welcome to call the county’s confidential sexual assault hotline (no referral is necessary, and your anonymity is guaranteed unless you choose to share your name): 815-932-3322 (Kankakee) or 815-432-0420 (Iroquois).
Instructor Dual Role: Considering that I am operating as a current clinical mental health therapist here at KCC, I am ethically bound from engaging in a dual relationship with students and clients. This means that if you were or currently are a client of mine, we will need to move you to a different section of the course to protect your information, as outlined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Please notify me IMMEDIATELY if this affects you so that we can ensure you are placed in the proper class.
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
Resources: KCC offers a range of academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are provided both virtually and in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services
Copyright & Syllabus Disclaimer: 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.
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.