Psychology
Houston Community College
Psych 2301- Introduction to Psychology
Fall 2015
Angela V. Morales Building (ESID), 1.5 Hour Lecture 16weeks
Instructor: Professor Coker George
Contact Information: coker.george@hccs.edu, facebook group, groupme
Phone: 713-538-0098
Please feel free to contact me concerning any problems that you are having
in the course.
Course Description PSYC 2301 is a survey course of the basic principles
underlying human behavior and mental processes. Emphasis is placed on
major areas of study in the field of psychology, such as learning, memory,
personality, health, and stress, child and adult development, and
psychological disorders. This class is a Core Curriculum Course.
Prerequisites PSYC 2301 and PSYC 2314 require college-level reading and
writing skills. Research indicates that you are most likely to succeed if you
have already taken and passed ENGL 1301. The minimum requirements for
enrollment in PSYC 2301 and PSYC 2314 include placement in Collegelevel reading ( or take GUST 0342 as a co-requisite) and placement in
College-level writing (or take ENGL 0310/0349 as a co-requisite). If you
have enrolled in this course without having satisfied these prerequisites, you
are at higher risk of failure or withdrawal than students who have done so,
and you should carefully read and consider the repeater policy notice that
follows.
Instructional Materials:
Textbook
Wood, S.E., Wood, E. G., & Boy, D. (2014). Mastering the world of
psychology (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson
HCC Policy Statement: Academic Honesty
A student who is academically dishonest is, by definition, not showing that
the coursework has been learned, and that student is claiming an advantage
not available to other students. The instructor is responsible for measuring
each student’s individual achievements and also for ensuring that all
students compete on a level playing field. Thus, in our system, the instructor
has teaching, grading, and enforcement roles. You are expected to be
familiar with the University’s Policy on Academic Honesty, found in the
catalog. What that means is: If you are charged with an offense, pleading
ignorance of the rules will not help you. Students are responsible for
conducting themselves with honor and integrity in fulfilling course
requirements. Penalties and/or disciplinary proceeding may be initiated by
any college system official against a student accused of scholastic
dishonesty. –Scholastic dishonesty: includes, but is not limited to, cheating
on a test, plagiarism, and collusion.
Cheating on a test includes:
 Copying from another students’ test paper;
 Using materials not authorized by the person giving the test
 Collaborating with another student during a test without
authorization;
 Knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, or
soliciting in whole or part the contents of a test that has not be
administered;
 Bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered.
Plagiarism means the appropriation of another’s work and the
unacknowledged incorporation of that work in one’s own written
work offered for credit.
Collusion mean the unauthorized collaboration with another person in
preparing written work offered for credit. Possible punishments for
academic dishonesty may include a grade of ) or F in the particular
assignment, failure in the course, and/or recommendation for
probation or dismissal from the College System. (See the Student
Handbook)
Expectations of Civil Conduct
Students are expected to conduct themselves professionally in their
communication with the instructor, their classmates, and college staff and
administration. Behavior inappropriate to the collegiate setting (including
but not limited to abusive/derogatory/threatening/harassing language
directed at the instructor or towards other students, staff or administrators)
will not be tolerated, and may result in removal from the course if severe
and/or repeated.
Eagle Online
In this course we will be using Eagle online to submit a good portion if not
most of our assignments.
Exams
You will have four exams in this course. You will have an exam over
chapter 1,2,3, 4,5,6, 7,8,9, and your final will be over 10,11,12,13,14. You
will have two days to make up an exam missed, with an excuse.
Written Assignment (Project) Your project will be on the Psychology of
race relation in the City of Houston, Texas
Paper 50%
Powerpoint 50%
Quizzes: Your quizzes are composed of discussion question and chapter
summary questions.
Grading
Your instructor will conduct quizzes, discussions, worksheets, exams, and a
written assignment that you can use to determine how successful you are at
achieving the course learning outcomes (mastery of course content and
skills) outlined in the syllabus. If you find that you are not mastering the
material and skills, you are encouraged to reflect on how you study and
prepare for each class. Your instructor welcomes a dialogue on what you
discover and may be able to assist you in finding resources on campus that
will improve your performance.
4 Exams, 25% each
Assignment 20%
Quizzes/Worksheets/Discussions 15%
Department Final Exam 20%
Total 100 %
HCCS Grading Scale
All work will be scored 0-100. The final percentage value resulting from the
sum of the above components will be converted into a letter grade according
to the following scale:
A=100-90 4 points per semester hour
B= 89-80 3 points per semester hour
C=79-70
2 points per semester hour
D=69-60
1 point per semester hour
59 and below=F 0 percent per semester hour
1.1 Major schools of thought in psychology
1.2 Components of the neuron
1.3 Components of the Synapse
1.4 Major neurotransmitters
1.5 Medulla
1.6 Cerebellum
1.7 Hypothalamus
1.8 Limbic system
1.9 Components of the cerebrum
1.10
Action Potential
1.11
Plasticity
1.12
Endocrine System
1.13
Learning
1.14
Reinforcement
1.15
Punishment
1.16
Observational Learning
1.17
Characteristics of Short-term memory
1.18
Characteristics of long-term memory
1.19
Phases of prenatal development
1.20
Piaget’s stages of cognitive development
1.21
Alzheimer’s disease
1.22
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
1.23
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
1.24
Definition of personality
1.25
Conscious, unconscious, preconscious mind
1.26
Id, ego, and superego
1.27
Freud’s psychosexual stages
1.28
Phobias
1.29
Panic disorder
1.30
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
1.31
Dissociative identity disorder
1.32
Schizophrenia
1.33
Major subtypes of schizophrenia
1.34
Major depressive disorder
1.35
Bipolar disorder
1.36
Personality disorders
1.37
Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development
Objective #2
2.1 Scientific method
2.2 Descriptive methods
2.3 Representative sample
2.4 Correlational Method
2.5 Experimental method
2.6 Causal hypotheses
2.7 Independent variable
2.8 Dependent Variable
2.9 Experimental group
2.10 Control group
2.11 Random assignment
2.12 Placebo effect
2.13 Random Assignment
2.14 Double-blind procedure
2.15 Methods of studying the brain
2.16 Methods used by Pavlov, Watson, and Skinner
#3
3.1 Differences among the major theoretical perspectives in psychology
3.2 Processes that occur when a neuron is activated
3.3 How neurotransmitters affect behavior
3.4 Functions of the frontal lobes
3.5 Differences between the central and peripheral nervous systems
3.6 Functions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
3.7 How the pituitary gland affects behavior
3.8 How the adrenal glands affect behavior
3.9 How classical conditioning modifies an organism’s responses to stimuli
3.10 How operant conditioning modifies an organism’s responses to stimuli
3.11 Difference between positive and negative reinforcement
3.12 Factors that influence the effectiveness of punishment
3.13 Information-processing approach to memory
3.14 Reconstructive memory
3.15 The function of schemas
3.16 Causes of forgetting
3.17 Effects of teratogens and other negative factors on prenatal
development
3.18 Relationship between contact comfort and attachment
3.19 Differences among the various patterns of attachment
3.20 Difference between the social learning theory and gender schema
theory explanations of gender role development
3.21 Process of cognitive development as Piaget explained it
3.22 Proposed causes of Alzheimer’s disease
3.23 Effects of stress on the immune system
3.24 Effects of daily hassles on stress
3.25 Factors that influence individual
S capacity for resisting the effects of stress
3.26 Function of defense mechanisms in Freud’s theory
3.27 Views of humanistic theorist regarding the personality
3.28 Bandura’s concept of reciprocal determinism
3.29 Criteria for abnormal behavior
3.30 Possible causes of schizophrenia
3.31 Symptoms of major depressive disorder.
3.32 Symptoms of bipolar disorder
#4
4.1 Ethical standards for psychological research
4.2 Principles of behavior modification
4.4 Improving memory
4.5 Effects of the authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive parenting
styles on children’s development
4.6 Differences between problem-focused and emotion-focused coping
4.7 Views of Abraham Maslow regarding self-actualization
4.8 Differences between psychologist and psychiatrist
HCC Course Withdrawal Policy
If you feel that you cannot complete this course; you will need to withdraw
from the course prior to the final date of withdrawal. Before, you withdraw
from the course; please take the time to meet with the instructor to discuss
why you feel it is necessary to do so. The instructor may be able to provide
you with suggestions that would enable you to complete the course. Your
success is very important. Beginning in fall 2007, the Texas Legislature
passed a law limiting first time entering freshmen to no more than six total
course withdrawals throughout their educational career in obtaining a
certificate and/or degree.
To help students avoid having to drop/withdraw from any class, HCC has
instituted an Early Alert process by which your professor may alert you and
HCC counselors that you might fail a class because of excessive absences
and/or poor academic performance. It is your responsibility to visit with
your professor or a counselor to learn about what, if any, HCC interventions
might be available to assist you- online tutoring, child care, financial aid, job
placement, etc. – to stay in class and improve your academic performance.
If you plan on withdrawing from your class, you MUST contact a HCC
counselor or your professor prior to withdrawing (dropping) the class for
approval and this must be done PRIOR to the withdrawal deadline to receive
a WII on your transcript. **Final withdrawal deadlines vary each semester
and/or depending on class length, please visit the online registration
calendars, HCC schedule of classes and catalog, any HCC Registration
Office, or any HCC counselor to determine class withdrawal
deadline. Remember to allow a 24-hour response time when
communicating via email and/or telephone with a professor and/or
counselor. Do not submit a request to discuss withdraw options less than
a day.