LOS ANGELES MISSION COLLEGE PSY. 1- GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 1 Instructor: Craig Smardan Spring 2016: Section #7803 Office Hours: Tuesday-6:10pm-645pm Class Location: Room #201 Office Location: Room #201 Class Day/Time: Tuesday 3:00pm-6:10pm Telephone: (818) 364-7600 ext. 4617 Email: smardacm@lamission.edu Course Description This introductory psychology course covers biological foundations of behavior, various theoretical perspectives including learning, personality, and intelligence theories as well as experimental and research methodology. Student Learning Outcomes (1) Identify and explain one of the four goals of psychology. (2) Compare and contrast two theories of psychological development. (3) Analyze psychological disorders, their causes, and treatment options. (4) Describe the basic structure and functioning of the brain and nervous system. Required Text/Reader (1) Wood, Ellen; Wood, Samuel; and Boyd, Denise. The World of Psychology. 7 th Ed. Pearson. 2011. (2) Class Reader. Course Requirements (1) Read weekly assigned readings (2) Complete APA Style 5-7 page paper (to be discussed in depth Week 2) (3) Complete four examinations (4) Participate in class discussions and learning activities Each student is responsible for all reading assignments whether discussed in class or not. Test questions will be taken from reading assignments, which may or may not have been discussed in class. It is each student s responsibility to be prepared to discuss various reading assignments and class materials. Attendance/Participation (80 points) Attendance to all scheduled classes is mandatory and essential for you to succeed academically. In order to earn full credit for attending a class session, you must arrive on time and stay until the class ends. Please note that there will be a 5-point deduction for the first absence and a 10-point deduction for the second class missed. If you miss class more than 2 times, I will be drop you from the class. Also, a student consistently coming late and/or leaving early will be dropped from the class. You must also participate when you attend class. This may mean contributing to class discussions, completing in-class activities, and/or working in a group. I greatly encourage you to do this, for I guarantee that the more you participate the better you will understand the material being covered in class, which will only help you earn a higher overall grade.
Course Outline Week 1: Feb 9 Week 2: Feb 16 Week 3: Feb 23 Week 4: March 1 Overview of the course. Ch. 1- Introduction to Psychology Ch. 1- Introduction to Psychology continued APA Paper Presentation Ch. 5- Learning Ch. 5- Learning continued Ch. 4- States of Consciousness Ch. 4- States of Consciousness continued Review for Test #1 Week 5: March 8 Test #1- Chapters 1, 4, 5 Ch. 7- Cognition and Intelligence Week 6: March 15 Week 7: March 22 Week 8: March 29 Week 9: April 5 Ch. 8- Child Development Spring Break- No Class Ch. 9- Adolescence and Young Adulthood Ch. 9- Middle and Late Adulthood; Death Review for Test #2 Week 10: April 12 Test #2- Chapters 7, 8, 9 Ch. 16 Social Psychology Week 11: April 19 Week 12: April 26 Week 13: May 3 Ch. 16- Social Psychology continued Ch. 11- Human Sexuality Ch. 11- Human Sexuality Continued Ch. 10- Motivation and Emotion Ch. 10- Motivation and Emotion continued Review for Test #3 Week 14: May 10 Test #3- Chapters 10, 11, 16 Ch. 2- Biology and Behavior Week 15: May 17 Week 16: May 24 **APA Style Paper Due** Ch. 13- Personality Ch. 14- Psychological Disorders/Ch. 15- Therapies Review for Test #4 Week 17: May 31 **Test #4- Chapters 2, 13, 14, 15** Tuesday, May 31st (3:00pm-5:00pm)
Important Dates (1) Deadline to Add Class- Feb. 19 (2) Deadline to Drop Class without receiving a W and with refund (by Internet only)- Feb. 21 (3) Deadline to Drop Class with a W - a letter grade is required after this date (by Internet only)-may 8 Classroom Etiquette Psychology involves discussing sensitive topics that may be uncomfortable for some students. Therefore, every student will be expected to show the proper respect for fellow students, the instructor and the facilities in which the class is held. All college policies and regulations relating to student conduct will be observed. In general, disruptive behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. This includes repeated tardiness, inappropriate language, surfing the web, texting, sleeping in class, arriving late, leaving early or walking in and out of classroom for calls, food, etc. Please do your best to take care of all personal business before or after class. As a courtesy to all, please turn off cell phones or place on vibration. If at any point in the semester you need to keep your phone on due to an important personal reason, please set it to the vibrate mode. As mentioned above, NO TEXTING ALLOWED!! If you are late, please minimize disruption to the class by coming into class quietly and taking the nearest open seat to the door. If you use a lap tops or tablet to type your notes, I ask that you sit towards the front of the class and that you DO NOT surf the web. If you get caught doing this, you will no longer be able to use your device in class. Campus/Department Policies (a) Cheating Unauthorized material used during an examination (including electronic devices), changing answers after work has been graded, taking an exam for another student, forging or altering attendance sheets or other documents in the course, looking at another student s paper/scantron/essay/computer or exam with or without their approval is considered cheating. Any student caught cheating will receive a zero for the assignment/exam and referred to the Department Chair and/or Student Services for further disciplinary action. (b) Plagiarism Plagiarism is defined as the act of using ideas, words, or work of another person or persons as if they were one s own, without giving proper credit to the original sources. This includes definitions found online on Wikipedia, materials from blogs, twitter, or other similar electronic resources. The following examples are intended to be representative, but not all inclusive: (1) Failing to give credit by proper citations for others ideas and concepts, data and information, statements and phrases, and/or interpretations and conclusions. (2) Failing to use quotation marks when quoting directly from another, whether it be a paragraph, a sentence, or a part thereof. (3) Paraphrasing the expressions or thought by others without appropriate quotation marks or attribution (4) Representing another s artistic/scholarly works such as essays, computer programs, photographs, paintings, drawings, sculptures or similar works as one s own. For the first offense you will receive a zero for the assignment in question. Any further offenses may result in expulsion from the class, as determined by the disciplinary action from the Office of Student Services.
(c) Recording Devices in the Classroom Section 78907 of the California Education Code prohibits the use of any electronic audio or video recording devices, without prior consent of the instructor. (including cell phones, laptops, MP3 players, and more) (d) Reasonable Accommodations If you are a student with a disability and require accommodations, please send me a private email. The sooner I am aware of your eligibility for accommodations, the quicker I will be able to assist the DSP&S Office in providing them. For students requiring accommodations, the DSP&S Office at Mission College provides special assistance in areas such as registering for courses, specialized tutoring, note-taking, mobility assistance, special instruction, testing assistance, special equipment, special materials, instructor liaisons, community referrals and job placement. If you have not done so already, you may also wish to contact the DSP&S Office in Instructional Building 1018 (phone 818/364-7732 TTD 818/364-7861) and bring a letter stating the accommodations that are needed. (e) Management of Stress and Mental Health As a student, not only do you have the pressure of succeeding in school, you may also be contending with work, financial issues, relationships, managing time effectively, getting enough sleep, etc. You can learn more about the broad range of confidential student services offered on campus, including counseling and mental health services, by visiting the Student Health Center (SHC), which is currently located in the Bungalow just behind the Collaborative Studies Building*. http://www.lamission.edu/healthcenter/contacthours.aspx or calling (818) 362-6182. I also encourage you to enter the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline number (1-800-273-8255) into your cell phone in case you or someone you know is in distress and needs someone to talk to. *Please note that the SHC is slated to move into its new location, between the President s Office and Administrative Services, in the spring 2016 semester. Grading Procedures The student s final grade will be computed as the sum total of the following: a. The total of all of your tests scores during the semester. Each test is worth 50-60 points. b. The student will receive up to 110 points for the APA style paper. c. The student will receive up to 80 points for Attendance/Participation. Basis for Grading A= 90-100% B= 80-89.9% C= 70-79.9% D= 60-69.9% F= Below 60% A test can be made up only if there are extenuating circumstances that meet the approval of the instructor. Also, for a make-up test to even be considered, the student must notify the teacher PRIOR to the test date. Late assignments will not receive full credit, with a loss of 20%, which will negatively affect your final grade. Final Thoughts This syllabus is a guide to use throughout this course and is subject to change at the instructor s discretion. Please keep in mind that you will be always be notified of any changes and that all changes will be for the benefit of the class and the students. Since it s my goal that you do well in the class, please do not hesitate to ask for my assistance at any time during the semester. Please know that I want to do everything I can to help you achieve success throughout the course!! LET US ALL LEARN TOGETHER...