Cuyamaca College

Course Syllabus for Psychology 120: Introduction to Psychology @ Cuyamaca College Spring 2010

Section: 5760, 5761, 5763, 5764

Room: F508 (section 5763 is in F507)

Time: Various times

Days: Monday & Wednesday, Tuesday & Thursday

Dates: January 25th to June 1st

Text: Introduction to Psychology: 8^th Edition. By Rod Plotnik

Recommended: Power Study CD by Doyle

Instructor: Steve Weinert Office: F510

E-mail: steve.weinert@gcccd.edu Phone: 619-660-4552

Office Hours: Please see Website http://www.cuyamaca.net/steve.weinert

Course Description: 3 hours lecture. Introduction to the facts and theories which seek to explain and understand human thought and behavior including such topics as personality, psychotherapy, learning, memory, interpersonal relationships, adjustment and biological influences. Prerequisite: None

Grades and Learning Outcomes:

To receive credit for this class you must be able to:

· Compare and contrast the philosophy of different schools of psychology and their interpretation of behavior.

· Apply scientific methods to the exploration of human behavior.

· Describe basic the functions of the central nervous systems and their relationship to behavior.

· Explain and contrast various psychological phenomena related to sensation and perception

· Classify states of consciousness, including sleep, hypnosis and drug effects.

· Produce examples and strategies that improve the function of memory.

· Label and describe operant conditioning, observational learning, and classical conditioning leading to behavioral change.

· Discuss limitations and contrast the different theories of intelligence.

· Compare and contrast theories of emotions and an individuals behavior and reaction to stress

· Explore and define characteristics of the developmental stages from birth to adult behaviors.

· Discuss and elaborate on the theories of the development and the consistency of personality.

· Classify different mental disorders and identify possible treatments in reference to the DSM.

· Produce explanations and predictions of social behavior using various psychological theories.

Course Schedule: Materials will be delivered through the Blackboard course management system at http://bb.gcccd.edu. You will be required to log in and check your email once a week for course updates.

Grading in the course.

By the end of the semester there will be 290 points total. You earn points through exams, essays and experimental participation.

90% and above you receive an A * 87% to 89% you may receive a B+

80% to 89% you receive a B * 77% to 79% you may receive a C+

70% to 79% you receive a C

60% to 69% you receive a D

Below 60% you fail the class.

* For those students who are active participants in class, with high attendance have the ability to receive a + added to their grade.

There are 5 exams each worth 50 points each. Each exam will be comprised up to 50 questions answered on a Scantron / Grademaster form that can be purchased from the bookstore on campus.

· There will be 1 essay per unit to complete and turn in via Blackboard.

There is a comprehensive final exam, which can be used to replace your lowest exam grade.

· There will be 20 points available in classroom participation, or experimental research. You must be in class to get the points.

Attendance: For successful completion of the course you must attend class. Attendance and participation in activities is required. 5 minutes after the start of class, I will pass around a attendance sheet. If you are going to miss class for some reason make sure you e-mail the instructor. Make sure that any missed assignments can be completed. If you miss more than 4 class periods without contacting the instructor you can be dropped from the course.

Behavior Guidelines and Conduct: I like an interactive classroom, and encourage student interaction. Please be respectful to all of the people in the class around you. Everybody has opinions and they define individuals. If an opinion does not agree with your personal belief, through education we can understand each other. Through conflict there is no resolution, just a victor. Cell phones are an important part of our lives, but please put them on vibrate, or blinking light mode during class. If you have to answer your phone in class, then answer it outside and return the next class period. If you are using your phone during class I will stop the class. Texting is distracting to me and other people around you.

I have had many students turn in work that is not their own. If you copy, or use other peoples work on your assignments, then you will get a 0 for the assignment.

Students with Special needs: Students with disabilities who may need academic accommodations should notify the instructor immediately (and no later than the second week of class).

Log into Blackboard for dates and Calendar.

Here are some important dates from the College Catalog