Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
PSY 2012-19: General Psychology
MW 1-2:20 PM
Spring 2015
Instructor’s Name: Cheri L. Kittrell, Ph.D.
Office Number: New Building 9, Room 121
Telephone: (941) 752-5499
Email Address: kittrec@scf.edu
Course Description: PSY 2012 General Psychology (3) (A.A.) This course meets Area III
requirements for both the A.A./A.A.S./A.S. general education requirements. This course is an
introduction to the scientific study of human behavior with emphasis on the processes of thinking
and learning as the basis for individual adjustment to the physical and social environment. It is a
basic foundation course in psychology for transfer students.
Course Performance Standards: Students may access course performance standards by clicking
on the “Course Performances Standards” link at the following web address:
http://www.scf.edu/content/Docs/CouPerSta/PSY_2012.doc.
Text and Materials:
Required Reading:
King, L. (2013). The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View (3rd ed.). New York:
McGraw-Hill.
McGraw-Hill no longer publishes a hard copy text for the class, although you can still
purchase a print copy of the text directly from McGraw-Hill, in addition to your ebook.
An additional option is to try to locate one of the original, out-of-print, hard copies of the
third edition from outside vendors (such as Amazon.com).
LearnSmart/Smartbook (which is used for course homework) is a required course
material, and it comes in the package with your ebook as sold in the bookstore. Tegrity (which
is the recorded lectures software), which is also part of the ebook package, is optional. Students
in face-to-face classes find Tegrity useful for reviewing parts of their notes, listening to lectures
missed due to illness, or studying specific topics prior to exams.
Attendance Policy: It is not possible to keep up with course material without attending,
especially in this abbreviated format; however, it is only realistic to acknowledge that
emergencies happen to everyone. Based upon these presuppositions, while I must formally take
attendance, attendance does not factor directly into a student's grade (as in students will not
receive X amount of points just for having decided to come to class). Nevertheless, it has been
my experience that it is nearly impossible to receive a good grade in a course without consistent
attendance. Please note that after missing 2 consecutive weeks, students may be withdrawn by
the professor or the college.
Grading Policy: There will be three exams, given in class, worth 60% of the final grade. There
will also be fourteen online homework exercises (called LearnSmart), one for each chapter,
which comprise the final 40% of the grade.
Letter grades will be based on the following distribution:
A: 90 – 100 B: 80 – 89
C: 70 –79
D: 60 – 69
F: <60
Make-up quizzes will only be administered in the event of an emergency, as determined by the
professor. In the event of an emergency, students should contact the professor as soon as possible
by email, and may need to supply their excuse (i.e. hospital bill, doctor's note, etc.). Late
assignments will not be accepted, unless pre-arranged with the professor.
Assignments and quizzes should be worked on in advance so that computer difficulties will not
interfere with the timeliness of assignments (i.e. your power went out at 11:54 p.m. and you now
couldn’t finish a quiz that had been open for a week that was due at 11:55 p.m.). Computer
issues (such as login difficulties, difficulties with LearnSmart materials, etc.) should be
immediately directed to Connect’s technical support at 1-800-331-5094. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE
TO RECEIVE POINTS BACK ON ASSIGNMENTS, IF YOU DO NOT CONTACT
TECHNICAL SUPPORT FIRST. Technical support is not available 24 hours a day, so it is
important not to wait until the last minute to complete assignments, especially early assignments
in the course before you are sure that your computer is compatible with all of Connect’s
products.
Email: Students are required to communicate with their instructor using their official SCF email
address.
Withdrawal Policy: In accordance with the State College of Florida policy, as stated in the
college catalog, students may withdraw from any course, or all courses, without academic
penalty, by the withdrawal deadline listed in the State College of Florida academic calendar. This
semester, the withdrawal date is March 25, 2015. Students should take responsibility to initiate
the withdrawal procedure but are strongly encouraged to talk with their instructors before taking
any withdrawal action. In addition, students should note that faculty may also withdraw students
for violating policies, procedures or conditions of the class, as outlined in individual class
syllabi, and such action could affect financial aid eligibility.
Statement of Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the use of ideas, facts, opinions, illustrative material, data,
direct or indirect wording of another scholar and/or writer—professional or student—without
giving proper credit. Expulsion, suspension, or any lesser penalty may be imposed for
plagiarism.
To further clarify this issue, students are required to do their own work. No student should turn
in any work done by someone else under the false pretense that it is his or her own work. In other
words, credit should be given where credit is due. Students should not solicit ideas from other
students, reproduce (even with adjustments) another student’s work, copy source materials
(without proper quotation and citation), or reuse materials from other classes. Students should
turn in original work produced through good scholarship (i.e. utilizing research materials and
texts to formulate one’s own theories.) Students who plagiarize their assignments will fail that
assignment (and possibly the course) and be referred for disciplinary procedures, which may
include expulsion or suspension.
To be clear, LearnSmart/Smartbook homeworks are individual student assignments. They are not
group projects, and you should not at any time solicit help from other students to complete your
work. Copying other students’ answers violates the academic dishonesty policy. While students
may use their books while completing LearnSmart/Smartbook homeworks (in fact, it is highly
encouraged and LearnSmart/Smartbook will point you to the correct pages), you may not share
answers or copy/photograph questions to provide to other students. Students who do not follow
these requirements are in direct violation of this policy and may face the same penalties listed
above.
Standards of Conduct: Students are expected to abide by all Student Handbook guidelines. In
addition, students are exhibited to observe acceptable classroom behavior, which is behavior that
fosters an atmosphere of learning, free and open exchange of thought, and respect for the
professor and classmates within the learning environment. Inappropriate behavior, in any form,
either in-class or during online discussions (if ever needed for classroom maintenance, etc.), will
not be tolerated and may result in the student being asked to leave the classroom, make a course
section change, removal from the course, or suspension/dismissal from the university.
Disability Resource Center Information: SCF has a Disability Resource Center (DRC) to assist
students. To request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact the DRC at
752-5295 in Bradenton or 408-1448 in Venice, or by email at DRC@scf.edu. If you have already
requested academic accommodations through the DRC for this course please meet with me to
discuss your specific needs.
Department Chair information: If a student encounters a problem in the course, they should
work with the professor to resolve it. If the student needs help and the professor is unable to help
or is unavailable, contact Barry Puett, Chair of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department
by email, puettb@scf.edu
Course Assignments:
LearnSmart/Smartbook
Smartbook is available to those students who have purchased the ebook through the bookstore
(or other vendor) or who have purchased Connect Plus directly through the McGraw-Hill
registration page (Connect Plus means Connect PLUS the ebook). Smartbook also has
LearnSmart (which is an adaptive learning tool used in this class for students’ homework and is
further described below) integrated right into the ebook. Smartbook has a number of important
ways to help you learn:
 Preview – You’ll see a thumbnail view of the chapter and get an understanding of the basic
organization of the material.
• Read – Your eBook has been “highlighted” to show the most important content you should
focus on. No more wondering what’s important or highlighting every sentence!
• Practice – This section is just like LearnSmart. You’ll get questions to solidify your mastery of
the content and identify areas you need to focus on.
• Recharge – SmartBook is so smart, it knows what information you’re going to forget and when
you’re going to forget it. Recharge shows you that content at the exact right time to help you
keep it fresh.
LearnSmart is an adaptive learning tool. It is a flash-card like software that learns with you and
helps you study for quizzes.
LearnSmart is embedded right in Smartbook (under the Practice tab); however, in order to
complete a LearnSmart homework and receive credit for an assignment, students must
“click” on the LearnSmart homework from their Connect homepage.
Whether you have Connect or ConnectPlus, you are required to complete your homework
in LearnSmart/Smartbook. You can access your homework for each chapter directly
through Connect.
Getting to Your Online Assignments
There are fourteen LearnSmart chapter reviews to complete. Students must send in their
homework electronically through their own Connect account. Printed out assignments are not
accepted. Connect will allow students to continue working in LearnSmart after the due
date to review content; however, the grade is sealed at the time that the assignment closes.
Whatever your grade is at the time that the assignment is due will be your final grade.
Please do not ask for an extension. Each assignment is open for 1/3 of the semester. Don’t
procrastinate.
There is a direct link to Connect through your ANGEL account or you can go to:
http://connect.mheducation.com/class/c-kittrell-psy-2012-19-crn-20426-f2f
to register and complete your assignments.
Tegrity (optional)
Tegrity (which is also packaged with Connect) is a lecture-recording software. In my face-toface classes, I record all of my lectures. There may be concepts which are especially difficult and
you may wish to review or clarify your notes, if you did not get all of the information the first
time. Tegrity is not required, but it is available to you, if you are interested. Tegrity is also a
searchable database, and it can be used to locate specific topics. Specific videos may also be
recorded for class throughout the semester, if students need additional assistance. These would
be available through Tegrity.
Course Schedule
Please note: The professor reserves the right to reissue the course schedule with deletions,
additions, or revisions during the term (based upon class progress or other mediating factors).
Students are responsible for keeping up with revisions issued or discussed during class sessions.
Session:
Scheduled Topic/Assignments:
Assigned Reading:
Jan. 12
Introduction/Overview
Chapter One
Jan. 14
Overview (continued)
Chapter One
Research Methods
Chapter Two
Jan.19
MLK Day—No Classes
Jan. 21
Research Methods (continued)
Chapter Two
Jan. 26
Research Methods (continued)
Chapter Two
Jan. 28
Biology and Behavior
Chapter Three
Feb. 2
Biology and Behavior (continued)
Chapter Three
Feb. 4
Lifespan Development
Chapter Nine
Overflow/Review
Feb. 9
Exam One
Connect Due
Feb. 11
Exam Review
Sensation and Perception
Chapter Four
Feb. 16
Sensation and Perception (continued)
Chapter Four
Feb. 18
Sensation and Perception (continued)
Chapter Four
Feb. 23
Consciousness
Chapter Five
Feb. 25
Consciousness (continued)
Chapter Five
Mar. 2
Learning
Chapter Six
Mar. 4
Memory
Chapter Seven
Mar. 9
SPRING BREAK—NO CLASSES
Mar. 11
SPRING BREAK—NO CLASSES
Mar. 16
Cognition and Language
Chapter Eight
Mar. 18
Cognition and Language (continued)
Chapter Eight
Mar. 23
Overflow/Review for Exam
Mar. 25
Exam Two
Connect Due
Mar. 30
Exam Review
Intelligence
Chapter Eight
Apr. 1
Motivation/Emotion
Chapter Ten
Apr. 6
Stress and Health
Chapter Twelve
Apr. 8
Personality
Chapter Eleven
Apr. 13
Gender/Sexuality
Apr. 15
Gender/Sexuality (continued)
Apr. 20
Psychological Disorders
Chapter Thirteen
Apr. 22
Psychological Disorders (continued)
Chapter Thirteen
Apr. 27
Psychological Therapies
Chapter Sixteen
Social Psychology
Chapter Fifteen
Overflow/Review
April 29
Exam Three
Connect Due