BBCHS - Everyday
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
Course Outcome 1: Demonstrate an understanding of psychological research and evidence.
- Unit 1: 1.1 Twin Studies
- Unit 2: 2.8 Psychometrics & IQ Testing
- Unit 3: 3.1 Research Methods (Longitudinal vs. Cross-Sectional Studies)
- Unit 4: 4.4 Milgram and Asch Social Studies
Course Outcome 2: Demonstrate an understanding of states of consciousness such as attention, sleep and dreaming, hypnosis and drug use.
- Unit 1: 1.3 Psychoactive Drugs
- Unit 1: 1.5 Sleep (Circadian Rhythms, Sleep Stages, Dream Theories, Sleep Disorders)
Course Outcome 3: Demonstrate an understanding of the leading social factors that influence behavior, esp. How we relate to, influence, and think about people.
- Unit 3: 3.3 Socialization
- Unit 4: 4.1 Attribution Theory and Person Perception
- Unit 4: 4.2 Attitude Formation and Persuasion
- Unit 4: 4.3 Social Situations (Bystander Effect, Altruism, Prejudice, Discrimination)
- Unit 4: 4.4 Behavioral Responses (Conformity, Obedience, Group Polarization, Social Loafing)
Course Outcome 4: Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of learning and memory, and the major kinds of learning.
- Unit 2: 2.3–2.7 Memory Processes (Encoding, Storage, Retrieval, Working Memory Model, Forgetting)
- Unit 3: 3.7 Classical Conditioning
- Unit 3: 3.8 Operant Conditioning
- Unit 3: 3.9 Observational, Cognitive, and Neurological Factors in Learning
Course Outcome 5: Demonstrate an understanding of how psychological factors influence physical health.
- Unit 5: 5.1 Health Psychology (Stressors, General Adaptation Syndrome, Coping Strategies)
- Unit 5: 5.2 Positive Psychology (Well-being, Resilience, Happiness Research)
Course Outcome 6: Demonstrate an understanding of the functions and operations of cognitive processes.
- Unit 2: 2.1 Top-Down and Bottom-Up Processing
- Unit 2: 2.2 Thinking, Problem-Solving, Judgments, Decision-Making, Heuristics, and Biases
- Unit 2: 2.8 Intelligence and Achievement
- Unit 3: 3.4 Cognitive Lifespan Development
Course Outcome 7: Demonstrate an understanding of major principles of sensation and perception.
- Unit 1: 1.6 Sensation (Thresholds, Sensory Adaptation, Visual/Auditory/Chemical Systems)
- Unit 2: 2.1 Perception (Gestalt Principles, Depth Cues)
Course Outcome 8: Demonstrate an understanding of the kinds, causes, prevention, and treatments of psychological disorders and ways of coping with them.
- Unit 5: 5.1 Coping Strategies
- Unit 5: 5.3 DSM-5-TR, Stigma, and Defining Abnormal Behavior
- Unit 5: 5.4 Neurodevelopmental and Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
- Unit 5: 5.5 Bipolar, Depressive, and Anxiety Disorders (MDD, Panic, OCD, PTSD)
- Unit 5: 5.6 Substance Use, Personality, Somatic, and Dissociative Disorders
- Unit 5: 5.7 Psychological Treatment Modalities (CBT, Behavioral, Psychodynamic, Humanistic)
- Unit 5: 5.8 Biomedical Treatment Modalities (Medications, ECT, Brain Stimulation)
Course Outcome 9: Demonstrate an understanding of major developmental changes that occur during the main stages of the lifespan.
- Unit 3: 3.2 Physical Development Across the Lifespan (Teratogens, Reflexes, Adulthood Changes)
- Unit 3: 3.3 Socialization in Gender and Sexual Orientation
- Unit 3: 3.4 Cognitive Lifespan Development (Piaget, Vygotsky, Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence)
- Unit 3: 3.5 Communication and Language Development
- Unit 3: 3.6 Social-Emotional Development (Parenting Styles, Attachment, Erikson's Stages)
Course Outcome 10: Demonstrate an understanding of the contributions of both heredity and learning to human behavior.
- Unit 1: 1.1 Interaction of Heredity and Environment (Nature vs. Nurture, Twin Studies)
- Unit 3: 3.9 Social and Neurological Factors in Learning
- Unit 4: 4.6 Social-Cognitive Theories of Personality (Reciprocal Determinism)
Course Outcome 11: Demonstrate an understanding of the functions and operations of the major parts of the brain and nervous system.
- Unit 1: 1.2 Overview of the Nervous System (CNS vs. PNS, Autonomic vs. Somatic)
- Unit 1: 1.3 The Neuron, Neural Firing, and Neurotransmitters
- Unit 1: 1.4 The Brain (Cerebral Cortex, Lobes, Split-Brain Research, Neuroplasticity)
Course Outcome 12: Demonstrate an understanding of the causes, nature, and effects of emotions.
- Unit 4: 4.9 Theories of Emotion (James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, Schachter-Two-Factor)
Course Outcome 13: Demonstrate an understanding of the major principles of motivation.
- Unit 4: 4.7 Overview of Motivation (Drive-Reduction Theory, Arousal Theory, Maslow’s Hierarchy)
- Unit 4: 4.8 Specific Motivational Domains (Hunger, Social, Achievement Motivation)
Course Outcome 14: Demonstrate an understanding of the main theories of personality.
- Unit 4: 4.5 Psychodynamic and Humanistic Theories (Freud, Neo-Freudians, Rogers, Maslow)
- Unit 4: 4.6 Social-Cognitive and Trait Theories (Bandura, The Big Five, Personality Inventories)
Faculty Contact Information
Before School: 7:30-8:00
After School: 3:00-3:20
Boiler Block M, T, Th, & F
I am here to support you on your psychology journey and study habits for this class and beyond. If you need extra help, you can see me before school, after school, or during Boiler Block. The best way to get ahold of me is email: edarling@bbchs.org.
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
Myers’ Psychology for the AP Course, 4th Edition
Assignment/Grade Breakdown
Summative Assessments - 80%
Formative Assessments - 15%
Final - 5%
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Dean, Jennifer Huggins; 815-802-8484; R310; jhuggins@kcc.edu; Division Office- W102; 815-802-8700
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.” Please turn in your own work, using your own words.
Academic Integrity: Please turn in your own work.
Attendance: Regular attendance is expected as stated in the college policy. Please contact me if you will; miss class. Participation is
directly linked to learning, please participate in class discussions.
Late Assignments: All assignments and papers are due on the assigned due date. Please contact me if you are going to turn in an
assignment late.
1. Be Proactive
- Take ownership of your learning: Ask questions when you are curious or confused, and volunteer your ideas during class discussions.
- Seek knowledge: Look beyond the basic lesson by exploring books, asking for extra resources, or sharing interesting facts you discovered on your own.
2. Be Prosocial
- Build a supportive community: Treat classmates with kindness, include others in activities, and share materials.
- Collaborate effectively: Work constructively in pairs and groups by listening actively to peers' ideas and contributing your fair share.
3. Be Disciplined
- Focus on the task: Pay active attention during instruction and individual work time.
- Respect our shared space: Manage impulses, follow classroom procedures, and avoid behaviors that interrupt others' learning.
4. Be Determined
- Embrace challenges: Approach difficult problems with a growth mindset rather than giving up right away.
- Persist through obstacles: Stick with tasks even when they get tough, and consistently strive to go above and beyond the minimum requirements.
Semester 1 (August-December)
Outcome Zero - Science Practices
Outcome 1 - Biological Basis of Behavior
Outcome 2 - Cognition
Semester 2 (January-May)
Outcome 3 - Development & Learning
Outcome 4 - Social Psyhcology
Outcome 5 - Clinical Psychology
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.