General Psychology
Course Syllabus
COURSE TITLE
COURSE NUMBER
PREREQUISITES
CREDIT HOURS
CONTACT HOURS
CLASS MEETING
TIMES
CLASS METHOD
General Psychology
PSY 2012
English Composition I with a grade of “C”, or ACT Reading 018 and ACT English 017, or
CPT-R 083 and CPT-L 083, or SAT I Verbal - Enhanced 440, or FCAT Reading 355
3
45
Mondays & Wednesdays 7:00 PM to 8:15 in C233
This course blends traditional face-to-face and online learning. Students are expected to
attend classroom sessions on Mondays & Wednesdays from 7:00 PM to 8:15 as well as
participate in online activities as assigned.
INSTRUCTOR
Dr. Katheryn A. Eads, PhD
Email: katheryn.eads@fkcc.edu or keads27@att.net
Office Location: C210
Office: 305-809-3169 Cell: 305-890-6383
OFFICE HOURS
Mon & Wed 4:00- 7:00 pm/ Tues & Thurs 12:00- 2:00 pm
COURSE DESCRIPTION
General Psychology is an introduction to the field and provides the student with an overview
of the major areas of study. This course examines the behaviors and mental processes that are
affected by an organism’s physical state, mental state, and external environment. Topics
discussed include: major models in psychology, major principles of memory, research
methods used in psychology, social psychology, the organization of the human brain and the
biological bases of behavior, principles of learning, major theories of personality
development, stress and its effects on health, intelligence, development in infancy and
childhood, and psychological disorders and treatment.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course, student will be able to:
 Identify the significant characteristics of each major psychological theory.
 Discuss the role of research in the development of psychology as a science.
 Explain the biological basis of behavior.
 Explain the biological basis of behavior and how it relates to cognition.
 Explain the biological basis of behavior and how it relates to motivation and emotion.
 Explain the cognition of stress and coping.
 Describe the major approaches to human learning.
 Discuss the influences of the social environment on the individual.
 Describe how our behavior & mental processes change by being a member of a group.
 Apply knowledge of psychology to their own life & to what they learn in other courses.
 Learn to think critically about psychological issues and human behavior.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK
PUBLISHER
AUTHORS
ISBN
Psychology, 4e- Custom Textbook with MyPsychLab
Pearson Custom Library
Ciccarelli and White
etext with Mypsychlab ISBN: 978-0205977369
OR
Loose-Leaf Text with MyPsychLab ISBN: 1269703161
PROPOSED COURSE SCHEDULE
Please note:
Date
The course schedule is subject to change to meet the needs of the course and
its students. If you miss a class, it is YOUR responsibility to stay current.
Textbook Chapters—Topics
Assignments
Week 1
Aug 21st
Aug 31
st
Syllabus Review and Introduction to Course
Chapter 1: Psychology in Action
Unethical Research (15 pts)
Chapter 2: The Science of Psychology
Week 1 Quiz: Chap 1-2 (10 pts)
Chapter 3: The Biological Perspective
Stem Cell Research (15 pts)
** 9/1- Labor Day- College Closed
Week 2 Quiz: Chap 3 (10 pts)
Chapter 4: Sensation and Perception
Senses, Mood & Behavior (15 pts)
Week 2
Sept 1st
Sept 7
th
Week 3
Sept 8th
Sept 14
th
Week 3 Quiz: Chap 4 (10 pts)
Week 4
Sept 15th
Chapter 5: Learning
st
Sept 21
Operant Conditioning (15 pts)
Week 4 Quiz: Chap 5 (10 pts)
Psych I have Chosen form (45 pts)
Week 5
Sept 22nd
Sept 28
th
Chapter 6: Consciousness
Sleep (15 pts)
Chapter 7: Memory
Week 5 Quiz: Chap 6 & 7 (10 pts)
Reaction Paper #1 (35 pts)
Week 6
Sept 29th
Oct 5th
Chapter 8: Cognition: Thinking,
IQ Test (15 pts)
Intelligence and Language
Week 6 Quiz: Chap 8 (10 pts)
Chapter 9: Motivation and Emotion
Motivation in Film (15 pts)
Week 7
Oct 6th
Oct 12th
Week 7 Quiz: Chap 9 (10 pts)
Week 8
Oct 13th
Oct 19
th
Monday- Review
10/15 @ 6-8: Midterm: Chapters 1-9
Midterm (100 pts)
Oct 20th
Chapter 10: Development Across the
Preschool TV (15 pts)
Oct 26th
Lifespan
Week 9 Quiz: 10 (10 pts)
Chapter 11: Social Psychology
Social Norms (15 pts)
Week 9
Week 10
Oct 27th
Nov 2
nd
Week 10 Quiz: Chap 11 (10 pts)
Reaction Paper #2 (35 pts)
Week 11
Nov 3rd
Nov 9
th
Chapter 12: Stress and Health
AIDS in Film (15 pts)
Chapter 13: Sexuality and Gender
Wk 11 Quiz: Ch 12&13 (10 pts)
Chapter 14: Psychological Disorders
Psychosis in Film (15 pts)
Week 12
Nov 10th
Nov 16th
Week 12 Quiz: Chap 14 (10 pts)
Week 13
Nov 17th
Veterans Day HOLIDAY
Personality Test (15 pts)
Chapter 15: Theories of Personality
Week 13 Quiz: 15 (10 pts)
Reaction Paper #3 (35 pts)
Nov 24th
Monday-Poster Presentation Day
Poster/ Paper Due (250 pts)
Nov 30th
Thanksgiving Wednesday HOLIDAY
Nov 23
rd
Week 14
Week 15
Dec 1st
Chapter 16: Psychological Treatment
Dec 7th
Bad Behavior (15 pts)
Week 15 Quiz: Chap 15 & 16 (10 pt)
Week 16
Dec 10th
12/10 4:30- 8: Final: Chapters 9-16
Final (200 pts)
STUDENT EVALUATION AND COURSE POLICIES
STUDENT GRADE DETERMINATION
130 pts
195 pts
90 pts
100 pts
200 pts
35 pts
250 pts
1000 pts
Quizzes (10 pts each)
Assignments ( 15 pts each)
Reaction Papers (30 pts each)
Midterm
Final
Project Form
Poster & Paper (150pts/ 100 pts)
Final Grade
FKCC GRADING
SCALE
1000 possible points:
900 and higher
800 to 899
700 to 799
600 to 699
500 and below
90-100%
80-89%
70-79%
60-69%
Below 60%
Exam and Quiz Policy
 I recommend the following general process for studying each chapter:
o Read each chapter once to get an idea of its contents.
o Read the chapter carefully, ensuring you understand each concept.
 A total of thirteen quizzes will be given during the term. Quizzes will be given through the FKCC
D2L courseroom. Quizzes are to be completed by the end of each week (Sunday by
Midnight). These are to be completed INDIVIDUALLY! They are NOT GROUP WORK!
 The midterm and final exams will be open book/open note; and I will conduct a review in order to
answer any questions prior to you taking the exams. The questions will be challenging. You
should study as if the exams were closed book, because you won’t have time to look up every
answer. If you have to look up more than a few answers, you will run out of time.
 The midterm exam will be given in week eight. The midterm will consist of 50 questions with 5
bonus questions; covering material from the beginning of class to the midterm date. Questions
will be a mixture of multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blank and short answer. The midterm
will be given in the library on 10/15 from 6 PM to 8 PM. You will have a total of 120 minutes to
complete the midterm exam. At the discretion of the professor, a makeup Midterm exam may
be offered to students with emergencies, but only if they can provide acceptable
documentation of the emergency (e.g., hospital admit slip, etc.). The instructor reserves the
right to change the format of any makeup exams (e.g., to essay questions).
 The final exam will be given in the library on 12/10 from 4:30 to 8 PM. You will have a total of
180 minutes to complete each part of the exam. The final will consist of 100 questions with 10
bonus questions; covering material from the date of the midterm until the date of the final.
Questions will be a mixture of multiple choice, true/false, matching, fill in the blank and short
answer. The final exam cannot be made up for any reason.
Reading Assignments and Homework
 To succeed in this course, you should do all assigned textbook readings and review class notes
frequently.
 Homework is due on Sunday of each week. Any assignment not submitted by the specified date is
considered late, unless you have contacted me and I have approved an extension in advance.
 Homework will be accepted late; however you will lose points for any late work. If turned in
during the week due a 3 point penalty will be assessed. Submissions over a week late, but not
more than one month late, will be accepted for half credit. No work completed over a month
late will be accepted.
A
B
C
D
F
 In class assignments & quizzes cannot be made up. If you do not attend class on the day they are
assigned you will not be provided with the assignment to complete.
 If you are out of contact and miss a deadline due to an extenuating circumstance, I expect you to
contact me as soon as possible to discuss the situation. No exceptions will be made to the above
policies unless you can provide documentation of the situation that I consider adequate.
 Internet connection problems are not an acceptable excuse for late work. You should have a
plan in place for internet access in case your primary method is unavailable. I strongly
recommend submitting assignments at least one full day early to allow time to recover from
technical problems.
Attendance & Participation
Students will attend classes in accordance with the FKCC Attendance Policy. I will take attendance
each class, so it is important that you attend each scheduled class session. NOTE: An instructor
may withdraw a student from courses for excessive absences and/or non-attendance up to the 70%
point in the semester.
Class participation is defined as actively participating in classroom activities and discussions. In
order to receive credit for class participation, students must be present in class. There will be at
least one assignment due every week of the semester. These may include class participation,
quizzes, homework, exams, or a combination of these. In other words, class absences will have a
direct impact on your ability to participate. It is expected that students will properly participant in
class and act in a professional manner by:
 Attending class daily, arriving on time and prepared.
 Respecting the views of others before, during and after class.
 Turning off cell phones & pagers while in class unless express permission is granted to have them
on for a limited time. Answering a phone during an exam will result in expulsion from the
classroom.
 Not attending to outside matters during class (text messaging & work for other courses). If I see
you texting in class I will ask you to leave the classroom.
 Not using computers or other devices unless as a part of the course itself.
 Following the provided course calendar in order to remain up to date on all assignments, reading,
quizzes and tests.
 Turning in all work on time.
 Promptly communicating about absences or other problems affecting your ability to participate
and be successful in class.
 Staying until class is dismissed.
Classwork will be provided throughout the course and are to be completed in the course of or
following the lecture. Failure to attend class on the day the work is assigned will result in the
student being unable to complete the work.
Academic Honesty & Plagiarism
 Students are expected to respect and uphold the standards of honesty in submitting written work
to instructors. Though occurring in many forms, plagiarism in essence involves the
presentation of another person’s work as if it were the work of the presenter. This
INCLUDES use of a prior student’s homework, assignments, reaction paper or course project
materials; and cutting and pasting from ANY source.
 Any cheating or plagiarism will result in disciplinary action to be determined by the instructor
based on the severity and nature of the offense. It is the student’s responsibility to review the
College’s policy on Academic Honesty.
Special Needs
 If you have any special needs or requirements pertaining to this course, please discuss them with
the instructor early in the term.
 If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and need
assistance, please notify the Office for Students with Disabilities at 305-809-3292via email at:
karla.malsheimer@fkcc.edu or the course instructor immediately.
 Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate your special needs.
Copyright Notice
The materials and content provided in this course is intended only for registered Florida Keys Community
College students who have paid their tuition and fees to attend this course. Materials that are affected
include, but are not limited to, text, still images, audio recordings, video recordings, simulations,
animations, diagrams, charts, and graphs. Every effort has been made to insure these materials are not
disseminated to anyone beyond those who have legally registered for this course. Download, revision, or
distribution of course material with anyone other than registered classmates and the instructor is strictly
prohibited.
Students are expected to familiarize themselves with FKCC Policies,
which can be found in the current Student Handbook.