PSY 1012 – General Psychology
Section 61
Course Syllabus
Session III 2014/2015
Instructor and Course Meeting Information
Instructor: Dr. Dolores (Lori) T. Puterbaugh, LMHC, LMFT, NCC
Office: Adjunct offices, ES Building, Clearwater Campus
Office Phone: Contact Social Sciences department at 727-791-2671
Email through MyCourses course room OR at Puterbaugh.Lori@spcollege.edu
**MyCourses email is preferred. Outside emails sent to the @spcollege.edu typically goes to
SPAM, and the SPAM notifications are only sent out once per week. Please use MyCourses
whenever possible for email **
Office Hours: 9:15 to 9:45 AM Tuesday/Thursday
Course Location: ES 314
Meeting Days: Tuesday and Thursday
Class Time(s): 10 AM to 12:50 PM
Important Dates
Drop/Add: 5/22/15
Financial Aid: CONTACT FINANCIAL AID OFFICE FOR LATEST REGULATIONS
Course Dates: 5/18/15 to 7/10/15
Last Day to Withdraw with a Grade of “W”: 6/26/2015
Final Exam: TBA by SPC administration
Academic Department
Dean: Dr. Joseph Smiley
Office Location: LY 150, 727-712-5851
Office Location: ES Building, 727-791-2671
Academic Chair: Ms. Anja Waters Norman, MA
Office Location: ES/Social Sciences, Clearwater 727-791-2671
Discipline Information
Generally defined as the study of human society and human relationships in and to society, the
discipline of social and behavioral sciences includes psychology, sociology, anthropology,
history, political science, economics, and education. Additionally, the discipline employs
qualitative and quantitative research methods, using questionnaires, focus groups, case studies,
laboratory-based data collection, statistical sampling, ethnography, archival retrieval, and
comparative approaches to the study of societies. Finally, theoretical frameworks in the
discipline include a broad range of established and more recent contributions, all of which seek
to explain and predict future human phenomena based on a body of reliable data.
ADDENDUM FOR ALL SYLLABI: http://www.spcollege.edu/addendum/
Course Description and Content
This course is an introduction to the field of psychology. It includes the history, scientific methodology,
major theoretical schools of thought, various approaches to interpersonal functioning and human
development. The effects of ethnicity, age, race, and gender are integrated into the study of the
discipline (course). This course partially satisfies the writing requirements outlined in the General
Education Requirements. 47 contact hours.
Course Objectives
1. The student will demonstrate knowledge of the historical roots of the science of psychology.
2. The student will demonstrate knowledge of research methods used in psychology.
3. The student will demonstrate knowledge of the major theories of psychology.
4. The student will demonstrate knowledge of self as both biological and social organism.
5. The student will demonstrate knowledge of universal stages of development and of individual
differences.
6. The student will demonstrate knowledge of the effects of ethnicity, age, gender, and/or race on
psychological functioning.
Required Course Textbook & Other Resource Information
Discovering psychology, 6th Ed. Hockenbury & Hockenbury. This text comes with a student
study guide. The study guide is strongly recommended but not required. The text contains
information about the free online website where students can take practice quizzes.
Expectations/Course Etiquette & Netiquette
Students are expected to be on time and prepared for class; to turn cell phones off and keep
electronic devices put away during class; to only leave for emergencies. The class begins and
ends on time. If you arrive late you are responsible for getting notes from another student. If
you miss a pop quiz because you are late you will not be permitted to take the quiz. The
classroom is a professional, educational environment and so the normal rules for work place and
classroom apply: no eating meals, no private conversations or disruptions, no inappropriate
behaviors, clothing or speech. Expect to behave as you would in an office workplace or any
academic setting. Similarly, online activities in MyCourses or through the SPC email system are
expected to be mutually respectful.
The class time will comprise lectures, some group activities, and question/answer/discussion
periods. You are expected to have read the assigned reading, and have your questions ready for
class.
Attendance and the Withdrawal Date
You are expected to attend class. Notification of any anticipated absences that may conflict with
a scheduled assignment must be given to me prior to the absence so that the assignment can be
turned in prior to its scheduled date. You may not be able to make up tests, and you cannot make
up pop quizzes or class-activity based assignments. You cannot make up the Final. Though you
may withdraw from this course at any time prior to the voluntary withdrawal date, I retain the
right to consider you to be NOT actively participating after you have accumulated 3 absences or
missed the deadline established for the major writing assignment. If you wish to withdraw, you
can do so through 6/26/2015. After this date, I am prohibited by the College to approve
withdrawals, though you may receive a grade of “WF” if you fail to complete the course or
violate the attendance policy after the voluntary withdrawal date.
Active Participation:
Active participation is defined in two ways: regular attendance and completing assigned
coursework. In terms of regular attendance, active participation is defined as not exceeding two
unexcused absences. Active participation is also defined as completing assigned coursework.
This includes tests, quizzes, homework, projects and in-class activities. If students have more
than two unexcused absences or incomplete coursework, students must contact the instructor to
determine an academic plan for successful completion of the course. If students have violated the
active participation policy in terms of attendance or completing coursework, and if students have
not contacted the instructor to establish a plan for completion of the remaining requirements of
the course, then students will be reported as not actively participating in the course, which may
result in a grade of WF. If you are in your third attempt at completing a course, you will be given
a grade of “WF” at any point you attempt to withdraw or at any point you violate the active
participation policy.
Academic Dishonesty
Cheating during tests and quizzes or intentional plagiarism in essays or class projects will result
in 0 (zero) on that assignment and a referral to my academic chair, Ms. Anja Waters Norman.
Please refer to the SPC policy regarding this issue. Here is the link:
http://www.spcollege.edu/central/botrules/R4/4_461.doc.
TURNITIN:
The instructor of this course provides access to Turnitin.com as a tool to promote learning. The
tool flags similarity and mechanical issues in written work that merit review. Use of the service
enables students and faculty to identify areas that can be strengthened through improved
paraphrasing, integration of sources, or proper citation. Submitted papers remain as source
documents in the Turnitin database solely for the purpose of detecting originality. Students retain
full copyright to their works.
The Turnitin Usage Agreement can be reviewed at https://turnitin.com/agreement.asp?. Students
who do not wish to submit work through Turnitin must notify their instructor via course email
within the first seven days of the course. In lieu of Turnitin use, faculty may require a student to
submit copies of sources, preliminary drafts, a research journal, or an annotated bibliography.
Student Survey of Instruction
The Student Survey of Instruction (SSI) is administered in courses each semester. It is designed
to improve the quality of instruction at St. Petersburg College. All student responses are
confidential and anonymous and will be used solely for the purpose of performance
improvement. The SSI will be given online using the MyCourses Learning Management
System.
Requirements and Grading
All assignments for this course must be submitted in person to the instructor at the time of class.
Student’s total points scored on the following will determine his/her final grade:
10 chapter tests (50 points each)
500 points
1 comprehensive Final Exam
100 points
Written Assignment
300 points
Class Participation/In-Class Activities/Homework/Quizzes
100 points
Total:
1000 points
Each student can determine his/her grade at any point in the course by totaling the number of
points accumulated to date and comparing it to the total number of possible points..
Written Assignment. The written assignment is designed to integrate your understanding of the
subject matter.
Late Penalty: if assignment is submitted late, you will receive a 10-point deduction after 11:30
PM of the specified due date for electronic-submission projects, and 10-points after the class for
assignments to be submitted in class, and an additional 10-point deduction per weekday as
calculated at 11:30 PM.
FOR ALL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: Your resources must be scholarly. You should plan
on obtaining your sources through the St. Petersburg College online library. Each assignment
description contains the specific minimum sources. You may not use sources such as:
Wikipedia, About.com, eHow.com, or other non-scholarly free access internet sources. Do
not use non-scholarly sources (such as Psychology Today, The New York Times, Time
Magazine, etc.) in place of scholarly sources. See the Rubric form included in this syllabus for
specific information regarding font type and size, and other details used in grading the paper.
Note: The due date is 11:30 PM on the date specified in the course outline.
The major written assignment:
You may choose from among the following two. For this semester, the choices for written
assignments are:
1. MENTAL DISORDERS AND TREATMENT
Student will:
a. Select one specific mental disorder/psychiatric diagnosis currently listed in the most
recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
b. Write a 2000-word essay that:
a. Summarizes the diagnosis criteria. Do not spend more than about 200 words
on this section. Do not provide long lists; write in paragraph form.
b. Describes two current recommended treatments and then
c. Compares and contrasts these recommendations for treatment based on peerreviewed journal articles or scholarly books
c. The sources must include: the text book; the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders 5th edition (you may use the online database for the DSM-5 found
in the SPC library online databases); at least two peer-review journal articles related
to the treatment or diagnosis of the disorder, and one other academic source related to
treatment(s). You may use more scholarly sources.
d. The paper should be in APA format including:
a. Cover page
b. Reference page in APA style
c. Times New Roman 12-pt. font
d. Proper use of in-text citations
2. Analysis of famous person. You have two choices:
a. Hector P. Garcia, MD (1914-1986)
b. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, (1906- 1945)
Student will:
a. Write a 2000-word essay about Garcia/Bonhoeffer. The essay should briefly address
his significant life events but primarily be a scholarly presentation of your perspective
on his decisions in terms of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Kohlberg’s Moral
Development theory.
b. The sources must include at minimum: the textbook, an SPC online library
biographical resource for Garcia or Bonhoeffer, one peer-review journal article
concerning Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and one related to Kohlberg’s levels of
moral development; and one additional scholarly source related to either Maslow’s or
Kohlberg’s concepts.
c. The paper should be in APA format, including:
a. Cover page
b. Reference page in APA style
c. Times New Roman 12-pt. font
d. Proper use of in-text citations
Class Participation/Homework/Quizzes:
There will be quizzes, activities and homework assignments periodically throughout the course.
These comprise 10% of your grade. Students may not be able to make up work that is missed
due to absences.
STUDY PROCESS AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
This is a demanding course. We cover a great deal of material in a short time. I recommend the
following structure to your studies:
1. Preview the chapter and look over the study guide so you are aware of the major concepts
and points of the chapter.
2. Read the chapter slowly, taking notes as you go along. Leave space in your notes for
additional explanations and info during the lecture/discussion. Make note of points you’d
like me to explain in class.
3. Have the text and your notes available in class. Add to your notes as we go along. Ask
questions during the class!
4. Use the study guide to test yourself. Review your notes and the chapter, focusing on the
areas where you were wrong on study guide questions. If you have chosen not to
purchase the recommended study guide, please use the free online study resources. You
can find the website listed on page xlv (Roman numeral 45) of your text.
5. Review your notes periodically between classes. Fifteen minutes or so each day is going
to be more effective than cramming the night before the class.
6. Consider organizing a small study group with other students. You may decide to meet
regularly on campus to compare notes, quiz one another, or review concepts. Any student
interested in this should let me know so I can post it in the announcement section of
MyCourses.
RUBRIC FOR WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: HOW IS THE INSTRUCTOR GRADING
MY WORK?
All written assignments will be subject to the following standards. I hope that providing these
standards will help you better prepare your assignments, understand the grading system, and
improve your writing and critical thinking within this course and beyond it.
1. Basic Presentation: Is the report in standard font (Times New Roman) and size (12
point)? It is double spaced? Are there separate title pages and reference pages? Are
your name, the class number, and the date included on the title page? Is the grammar and
spelling correct? The Basic Presentation Grade is 10% of your grade.
2. General Content: Did the assignment cover what it was asked to cover? Was the word
count within 5% of the required word count for the assignment? Does the assignment
show basic understanding of the topic in the textbook? Did the writer use scholarly
outside resources? The General Content Grade is 40% of your grade.
3. Critical Thinking: This course emphasizes the importance of thinking critically about
information. Thus, this is a crucial aspect of the assignment. You are expected to
demonstrate critical thinking by doing more than just a book report. You should be
comparing and contrasting multiple sources of information, e.g., the text and a journal
article’s explanation of a disorder or treatment approach. Critical thinking comprises
50% of your grade. If a paragraph has only one source cited, you may not be doing
enough critical thinking.
WRITING/PRESENTATION ASSIGNMENT RUBRIC TOOL:
Student Name:
Class:
Date:
Assignment:
AREA
BASIC
10%
Typewritten,
Times New
Roman, 12
Pt, regular,
doublespaced?
Name, date,
class on title
page?
1%
Title page
and
reference
page
included?
1%
1%
GENERAL
40%
Completed
accurately?
Did the
writing
indicate a
Does it cover grasp of the
the
basic
assignment
concepts of
requirements? the text?
10%
10%
Word Count
correct? You
should be
within 5% of
required
word count
in the body
of the paper.
Grammatical SCORE:
and spelling
errors?
7% if more
than 3
errors.
Prorated for
fewer errors;
-3 for 1, -5
for 2, -7 for
3 or more
errors
Resources
cited
properly and
are scholarly
SCORE
15%
5%
CRITICAL
THINKING
50%
Did the
writing
indicate
critical
thinking, e.g.,
compare,
contrast,
check
SCORE
information?
TOTAL
SCORE
Your total points will vary according to the assignment.
Grading Scale
Use the following scale (in points or percentages) to calculate your grade:
A = 900-1000
B = 800-899
C = 700-799
D = 600-699
F = Below 600
Use the note below for courses designated as needing to meet the College Writing Requirement.
[Note: A grade below "C" will not count toward graduation and you must repeat the course.]
Weekly Assignments
The following is a guide for reading assignments, written assignments, and exams. Please use
this to manage your time. Dates and assignments are subject to change. Students are
responsible to check into MyCourses frequently for updates and information. We will be
spending one hour at the library learning about the online psychological and biographical
resources, and beginning research on your paper. This date depends on librarian
availability. It is your responsibility to stay informed on adjustments to the syllabus
schedule. Because I do not have a confirmed date from the library at the time the syllabus
must be submitted and available to students, the following dates may be flexible due to the
need to provide time at the library. Tests will be announced in class and in MyCourses.
Week 1, 5/19-5/21: Student expectations: you should have your text book and a printout of the
syllabus. You should have chapter 1 read prior to the beginning of class. We will review the
syllabus and course requirements and begin chapter 1. Student Expectation: read chapter 5 for
next week. Your signed syllabus acceptance page is due this week. Turn it in at the
beginning of class. Wrap up Chapter 1. I hope to have part of one class in the library this week.
Week 2: 5/26-5/28: Chapter 5. Chapter 1 assignment due in MyCourses 5/26 by 11:30 PM.
Worth up to 25 points. Begin chapter 6.
Week 3: 6/2-6/4: Finish 6; Chapter 7; Eating Disorders
Week 4: 6/9-6/11: chapters 8 and 9.
Week 5: 6/16-6/18: Chapter 10 and activity covering chapters 7-10 for grade * Major Papers
are due 6/16/15 by 11:30 PM
Week 6, 6/23-6/25:
Chapter 2; Positive Psychology; Chapter 13
Week 7, 6/30-7/2:
Chapter 13; Personality Disorders; Chapter 14
Week 8, 7/7-7/9:
Chapter 14; Final Exam on 7/9.
Behavior Requirements for PSY 1012:
I understand that rudeness and unprofessional behavior have no place in this class. I agree that I
will abide by the student conduct requirements for St. Petersburg College, including:
No use of cell phones or other electronic devices during class;
Being actively and appropriately involved in the class activity;
Observing SPC requirements for Netiquette while in MyCourses and other SPC
environments;
Abiding by the code of Academic Honesty
Arriving on time and staying through class unless prior arrangements are made with the
instructor;
Respecting others’ right to their education by not disrupting the class.
I agree that I may be asked to leave if my behavior is inappropriate and/or disruptive, and that if I
must leave the class I forfeit the right to make up any assignment, quiz or test that I may miss
during my absence.
Signature
I have read, understand, and agree to abide fully by the parameters set in this syllabus and the
Syllabus Addendum.
Student Signature:
Date:
Print Student Name:______________________________ Student ID:____________