TROY UNIVERSITY
eTROY
PSY 4400 Advanced General Psychology
SYLLABUS
2016 Term 4
For course syllabus posted prior to the beginning of the term, the instructor reserves the right to make
minor changes prior to or during the term. The instructor will notify students, via e-mail or Blackboard
announcement, when changes are made in the requirements and/or grading of the course.
INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION
Dr. Alycia Harris
256-341-7695
alharris@troy.edu
INSTRUCTOR EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Psychology, Research and Evaluation Track, Walden University
MS, General Psychology, Walden University
TEXTBOOK(S) AND/OR OTHER MATERIALS NEEDED
Carlson, Neil R. (2010). Psychology : Science of Behavior (7th ed.). Allyn & Bacon, Inc. ISBN: 978-0205-54786-9
Students should have their textbook from the first week of class. Not having your textbook will not be
an acceptable excuse for late work. Students who add this course late should refer to the “Late
Registration” section for further guidance.
*************************
ADDITIONAL READING
Recommended:
See the weekly resources under Course Documents and Helpful Resources in the classroom.
LATE REGISTRATION
Students who register during the first week of the term, during late registration, will already be one
week behind. Students who fall into this category are expected to catch up with all of Week #1 and
Week #2's work by the end of Week #2. No exceptions, since two weeks constitutes a significant
percentage of the term's lessons. Students who do not feel they can meet this deadline should not
enroll in the class. If they have registered, they should see their registrar, academic adviser,
GoArmyEd/eArmyU representative, or Military Education officer to discuss their options.
Also note that late registration may mean you do not receive your book in time to make up the work
you missed in Week #1. Not having your book on the first day of class is not an excuse for late work
after the deadlines in the Schedule.
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ELECTRONIC OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Friday 12:00 noon to 7:00 pm Central time. Please leave a message with your name and course
name along with your question if I am not able to answer during these hours. Other times can be arranged. I
will also monitor email daily. Troy instructors are required to respond to student messages within 24 to
48 hours.
PREREQUISITES
PSY 4400 is a required course for the Psychology Major. Prerequisite: Senior status (90 semester
hours of undergraduate courses, INCLUDING a minimum of 15 semester hours of psychology.)
ENTRANCE COMPETENCIES
None.
STUDENT EXPECTATION STATEMENT
The student is expected to participate in the course via communication with the instructor, by reading
the assigned readings, submitting posts to the discussion forums, submitting assignments, and
completing other activities in a timely fashion.
Students are expected to check their e-mails daily and the announcements at least every 48 hours
CATALOG DESCRIPTION
A comprehensive study of the discipline of psychology designed to expand the student's depth and
breadth of knowledge in psychology.
PURPOSE (COURSE OBJECTIVES)
Upon completion of this course students will have deepened their knowledge of general psychological
principles and be able to explain how different facets of psychology fit together.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completion of this course, the student should:
1)
Understand the modern definition of psychology and describe what psychologists do. [APA
1.1-1.4]
2)
Describe the role of empirical knowledge in psychology. [APA 2]
3)
Explain how the nervous system communicates internally, linking world and brain. [APA
1.2a(3)]
4)
Recognize how the nervous system initiates and coordinates behavior efficiently. [APA
1.2a(3)]
5)
Recognize the basic functions of our sensory system. [APA 1.2a(3)]
6)
Understand basic issues in perception and how we interpret our sensory world.[APA 1.2a(3)]
7)
Recognize the different states of consciousness and how these states affect behavior. [APA
2]
8)
Demonstrate a basic understanding of how consciousness can be altered biochemically.
[APA1.2a(3)]
9)
Demonstrate a basic understanding of selected views on the process of learning. [APA
1.2a(1)]
10) Describe the nature of memory. [APA 1.2a(1)]
11) Understand the process of interpersonal communication and effective problem solving. [APA
3.1-3.4]
12) Recognize the general nature and measurement of intelligence.[1.2a(1)]
13) Explain various theoretical perspectives of motivation and emotion. [APA 1.2a(3)].
14) Understand how an individual develops physically, intellectually, and socially. [APA 1.2a(2);
4.2-4.3;5.1-5.7]
15) Recognize selected theories and perspectives of personality. [APA 1.2a(2)]
16) Understand psychological disorders and psychological treatments. [APA 4.2]
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17)
18)
Explain different research methods used by psychologists and evaluate the appropriateness
of conclusions derived from psychological research. [APA 2.2, 2.3; 3.1]
Demonstrate effective writing skills and application of APA style. [APA 6.2, 6.3, 6.4; 7.1]
RESEARCH COMPONENT
A weekly blog requiring analysis of scholarly resources, writing, creative application, and critical
thinking and reflection in order integrate ideas from all parts of psychology.
THREE USEFUL WEB SITES FOR THIS COURSE
See the Course Documents and Helpful Resources section in Blackboard.
eTROY COURSES AT TROY UNIVERSITY
All eTROY courses at Troy University utilize Blackboard Learning System. In every eTROY course,
students should read all information presented in the Blackboard course site and should periodically
check for updates—at least every 48 hours.
TROY E-MAIL
All students were required to obtain and use the TROY e-mail address that is automatically assigned to
them as TROY students. All official correspondence (including bills, statements, e-mails from
instructors and grades, etc.) will be sent ONLY to the troy.edu (@troy.edu) address.
•
All students are responsible for ensuring that the correct e-mail address is listed in
Blackboard by the beginning of Week #1. E-mail is the only way the instructor can, at least
initially, communicate with you. It is your responsibility to make sure a valid e-mail address is
provided. Failure on your part to do so can result in your missing important information that could
affect your grade.
Your troy.edu e-mail address is the same as your Web Express user ID following by @troy.edu.
Students are responsible for the information that is sent to their TROY e-mail account. You can get to
your e-mail account by logging onto the course and clicking “E-mail Login”. You will be able to
forward your TROY e-mail to your eArmy e-mail account. You must first access your TROY e-mail
account through the TROY e-mail link found on the Web site. After you log in to your TROY e-mail
account, click on “options” on the left hand side of the page. Then click on “forwarding.” This will
enable you to set up the e-mail address to which you will forward your e-mail.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Activity
Weekly Discussion Postings
•
Initial Discussion Post (Response to question or topic provided by Instructor)
•
Substantive Response Posts (Critical analysis, response, questions etc. for
another student’s post)
Assignments
1. Movie Project
2. Weekly Blog
3. Career Connection Paper
ATTENDANCE POLICY
In addition to interaction via Blackboard and e-mail contact, students are required to contact the
instructor via e-mail or telephone by the first day of the term for an initial briefing. Although physical
class meetings are not part of this course, participation in all interactive, learning activities is required.
MAKE-UP WORK POLICY
Missing any part of this schedule may prevent completion of the course. If you foresee difficulty of
any type (i.e., an illness, employment change, etc.) which may prevent completion of this course,
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notify the instructor as soon as possible. Failure to do so will result in failure for an assignment
and/or failure of the course. See “Attendance,” above.
If I have not heard from you by the deadline dates for assignments, exams, or forums, no
make-up work will be allowed (unless extraordinary circumstances existed, such as hospitalization).
Requests for extensions must be made in advance and accompanied by appropriate written
documentation if the excuse is acceptable to the instructor. "Computer problems" are not an
acceptable excuse.
INCOMPLETE GRADE POLICY
Missing any part of the Course Schedule may prevent completion of the course. If circumstances will
prevent the student from completing the course by the end of the term, the student should complete a
request for an incomplete grade.
Note: A grade of incomplete or “INC” is not automatically assigned to students, but rather must be
requested by the student by submitting a Petition for and Work to Remove an Incomplete Grade Form.
Requests for an incomplete grade must be made on or before the date of the final assignment or test
of the term. The form will not be available after the last day of the term. A grade of “INC” does not
replace an “F” and will not be awarded for excessive absences. An “INC” will only be awarded to
student presenting a valid case for the inability to complete coursework by the conclusion of the term.
It is ultimately the instructor’s decision to grant or deny a request for an incomplete grade,
subject to the policy rules below.
Policy/Rules for granting an Incomplete (INC)
•
An incomplete cannot be issued without a request from the student.
•
To qualify for an incomplete, the student must:
a.
Have completed over 50% of the course material and have a documented reason for
requesting the incomplete. (50% means all assignments/exams up to and including the
mid-term point, test, and/or assignments.)
b.
Be passing the course at the time of their request.
If both of the above criteria are not met an incomplete cannot be granted.
•
An INC is not a substitute for an F. If a student has earned an “F” by not submitting all
the work or by receiving an overall F average, then the F stands.
METHOD OF INSTRUCTION
This is an eTROY class. It is not a “correspondence course” in which a student may work at his/her
own pace. Each week there will be assignments, on-line discussions, and/or exams with due dates.
Refer to the schedule at the end of this syllabus for more information.
METHOD OF EVALUATION
Activity
Discussion Postings
•
Initial Discussion Post (Response to question or
topic provided by Instructor)
•
Substantive Response Posts (Critical analysis,
response, questions etc. for another student’s
post)
Movie/Media Exercise
Blog (Completed Weekly, Graded at Course Completion)
Career Connections Discussion (750 Word Initial Post and
Two Responses)
Total
Points Available
400 (50 per week)
150
300
150
1000
ASSIGNMENT OF GRADES
All grades will be posted in the student grade book in Blackboard and will be assigned according to the
following or similar scale:
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A
B
C
D
F
Postings:
FA:
90 – 100%
80 – 89%
70 – 79%
60 – 69%
59% and below
I post grades in Blackboard, in the Grade Center.
“FA” indicates the student failed due to attendance. This grade will be given to any student
who disappears from the course for three or more weeks. See the Attendance section of this
syllabus for additional information.
SUBMITTING ASSIGNMENTS
Discussions will be completed using the discussion boards. The Movie Project will also be submitted as
a discussion post. The Wiki will be completed using Bb Wiki functions.
EXAMINATION SCHEDULE & INSTRUCTIONS
There are no exams required for this course. Assessment is completed using other means.
Internet Access

This is an on-line class. Students must have access to a working computer and access to the
internet. Students can use the TROY computer lab, a public library, etc., to insure they have
access.

“Not having a computer” or “computer crashes” are not acceptable excuses for late work. Have a
backup plan in place in case you have computer problems.
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COURSE SCHEDULE
There are a lot of objectives for this course. It is an upper level course and as such is
designed to get you deeper into the field of psychology. This may resemble a
introductory course, but the goal is to get you thinking about how all of these elements
connect. This course is designed to have you:
1. Organize key ideas from the breadth of psychology (Blog)
2. Co-construct knowledge that connects ideas across psychology
(Discussion/Blog)
3. Evaluate psychological principles in the media and everyday life (Movie Project)
4. Analyze ideas from across the field of psychology (Weekly Discussions, Movie
Project, Blog, Career Connections Discussion).
5. Connect key psychology ideas to your career interests and goals (Career
Connection Discussion)
Week
1
To successfully complete this week, you must:’
1. Read Chapters 1 and 2 of the textbook.
2. Look at the other materials and resources.
3. Participate substantively in the discussion by answering at least one
discussion question and providing a minimum of three response posts.
4. Provide a 200-400 word Blog post (choose one)
a. Explain one idea from this week’s material and support with two peer
reviewed articles
b. Contrast or compare at least two ideas from this week’s material and
support with at least one peer reviewed paper
2
To successfully complete this week, you must:
1. Read Chapters 3 & 4.
2. Look at the other materials and resources.
3. Participate substantively in the discussion by answering at least one
discussion question and providing a minimum of three response posts.
4. Provide a 200-400 word Blog post (choose one)
a. Explain one idea from this week’s material and support with two peer
reviewed articles
b. Contrast or compare at least two ideas from this week’s material and
support with at least one peer reviewed paper
c. Connect at least one idea from this week’s material and at least one
idea from a previous week’s material and support with at least one
peer reviewed article.
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3
To successfully complete this week, you must:
1. Read Chapters 6 & 7.
2. Look at the other materials and resources.
3. Participate substantively in the discussion by answering at least one
discussion question and providing a minimum of three response posts.
4. Provide a 200-400 word Blog post (choose one)
a. Explain one idea from this week’s material and support with two peer
reviewed articles
b. Contrast or compare at least two ideas from this week’s material and
support with at least one peer reviewed paper
c. Connect at least one idea from this week’s material and at least one
idea from a previous week’s material and support with at least one
peer reviewed article.
4
To successfully complete this week, you must:
1. Read Chapters 5 & 8.
2. Look at other materials and resources.
3. Participate substantively in the discussion by answering at least one
discussion question and providing a minimum of three response posts.
4. Provide a 200-400 word Blog post (choose one)
a. Explain one idea from this week’s material and support with two peer
reviewed articles
b. Contrast or compare at least two ideas from this week’s material and
support with at least one peer reviewed paper
c. Connect at least one idea from this week’s material and at least one
idea from a previous week’s material and support with at least one
peer reviewed article.
5. Begin working on the Movie/Media project.
5
To successfully complete this week, you must:
1. Read Chapters 9. 10 & 11.
2. Look at the other materials and resources.
3. Participate substantively in the discussion by answering at least one
discussion question and providing a minimum of three response posts.
4. Provide a 200-400 word Blog post (choose one)
a. Explain one idea from this week’s material and support with two peer
reviewed articles
b. Contrast or compare at least two ideas from this week’s material and
support with at least one peer reviewed paper
c. Connect at least one idea from this week’s material and at least one
idea from a previous week’s material and support with at least one
peer reviewed article.
5. Submit your Movie/Media Project
6. Review the Projects submitted by the others – this can continue into future
weeks.
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6
To successfully complete this week, you must:
7
1. Read Chapters 12 & 14.
2. Look at the other materials and resources.
3. Participate substantively in the discussion by answering at least one
discussion question and providing a minimum of three response posts.
4. Provide a 200-400 word Blog post (choose one)
a. Explain one idea from this week’s material and support with two peer
reviewed articles
b. Contrast or compare at least two ideas from this week’s material and
support with at least one peer reviewed paper
c. Connect at least one idea from this week’s material and at least one
idea from a previous week’s material and support with at least one
peer reviewed article.
5. Begin working on your Career Connections Paper for Week 7
To successfully complete this week, you must:
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1. Read Chapters 13 & 15.
2. Look at the other materials and resources.
3. Participate substantively in the discussion by answering at least one
discussion question and providing a minimum of three response posts.
4. Provide a 200-400 word Blog post (choose one)
a. Explain one idea from this week’s material and support with two peer
reviewed articles
b. Contrast or compare at least two ideas from this week’s material and
support with at least one peer reviewed paper
c. Connect at least one idea from this week’s material and at least one
idea from a previous week’s material and support with at least one
peer reviewed article.
5. Submit your Career Connections Discussion
a. at least 700 words
b. Explain how at least three areas of this course connect to your
current or future career interests and why – this must be work
related to your degree
c. Explain at least one area from the course where you might be
interested in doing research or being part of a research project.
d. Explain your thinking about the role of research as you see it in your
psychology related career.
e. Respond to at least two other students postings.
To successfully complete this week, you must:
1. Read Chapters 16 & 17.
2. Participate substantively in the discussion by answering at least one
discussion question and providing a minimum of three response posts.
3. Complete the end of course survey you will receive from the school – it is
anonymous.
4. Provide a 200-400 word Blog post (choose one)
a. Explain one idea from this week’s material and support with two peer
reviewed articles
b. Contrast or compare at least two ideas from this week’s material and
support with at least one peer reviewed paper
c. Connect at least one idea from this week’s material and at least one
idea from a previous week’s material and support with at least one
peer reviewed article.
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