PSYC101

Course Summary

Course : PSYC101 Title : Introduction to Psychology

Length of Course : 8

Prerequisites : N/A Credit Hours : 3

Description

Course Description: The course introduces students to the art and science of Psychology. Course emphasis is on applying the “science of human behavior” to a variety of settings: vocational, personal, academic, and clinical. Course content introduces the history of psychology, major theories of personality and learning, current research and developmental issues. The course has a holistic approach and integrates the biological basis of behavior, social factors, learning and the unique coping styles of the individual to understand human behavior.

Course Scope:

This course introduces the student to the scientific and theoretical foundations of psychology. It examines biopsychology, sensation/perception, learning, memory, language, thought, motivation, personality, emotion, stress, development, social psychology, psychological disorders and therapies, and scientific research methods.

Objectives

1. Students will be able to identify and define the key tenets and theories in the field of psychology (perceptual, cognitive, developmental, abnormal, social, and health).
2. Students will be able to apply basic psychological principles and theoretical concepts to their daily life, work, and relationships.
3. Students will be able to describe how human behavior and mental processes are affected by culture and social situations and roles.
4. Students will be able to apply the scientific method and research methodology to critique a simple psychological experiment.
5. Students will be able to identify the main symptoms and treatments for common psychological disorders.
6. Students will be able to describe the findings of major/critical psychological experiments and theorists in the field of psychology.
7. Students will be able to summarize the mind/body connection as it relates to psychological concepts.

Outline

Week 1: Introduction to Psychology

Readings

Lesson Week 1: Topic 1 – Introduction to Psychology Topics and Weekly Learning Outcomes

Week 1 Topics

Introduction to Psychology

Week 1 Module 1 Learning Outcomes – Introduction to Psychology

1. Students will establish a collaborative learning community and discuss strategies for successfully completing the course learning activities and assignments.
2. Students will be able to define psychology and discuss its relevance to their daily lives.

Assignments/Deliverables Week 1 Discussion Forum

Week 2: Psychological Research and Biological Psychology

Readings

Lesson Week 2: Topic 1 – Psychological Research Lesson Week 2: Topic 2 – Biopsychology

Topics and Weekly Learning Outcomes

Week 2 Modules

Research Methods in Psychology Biological Psychology

Week 2 Module 1 Learning Outcomes – Research Methods

1. Students will be able to describe the various approaches to psychological research.
2. Students will be able to apply the scientific method to psychological research.
3. Students will be able to analyze a psychological research study to interpret the results of the study.
4. Students will be able to identify potential ethical concerns in psychological research and describe how they are regulated.

Week 2 Module 2 Learning Outcomes – Biological Psychology

1. Students will be able to describe the biological structures and processes involved in human behavior, including the major structures of the brain, the influence of neurotransmitters and hormones, and the role of the central nervous system.

Assignments/Deliverables Week 2 Discussion Forum

Week 3: Sensation/Perception, State of Consciousness, Memory

Readings

Lesson Week 3: Topic 1 – Sensation and Perception Lesson Week 3: Topic 2 – State of Consciousness Lesson Week 3: Topic 3 – Memory

Topics and Weekly Learning Outcomes

Week 3 Modules

Sensation and Perception Consciousness

Memory

Week 3 Module 1 Learning Outcomes – Sensation and Perception

1. Students will be able to explain the processes involved in sensing the environment, including sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch, and pain.
2. Students will be able to describe how perception influences sensory systems.

Week 3 Module 2 Learning Outcomes – Consciousness

1. Students will be able to explain how consciousness and altered states of consciousness work.
2. Students will be able to define the stages and patterns of sleep.

Week 3 Module 3 Learning Outcomes – Memory

1. Students will be able to identify the types of memory and memory processes.
2. Students will be able to discuss the fallibility of memory and the controversy surrounding repressed memories.

Assignments/Deliverables Week 3 Discussion Forum

Week 3 Weekly Assessment – Stroop Effect Exercise

Begin collecting data for Sleep Journal Assignment to be submitted in Week 5

Week 4: Lifespan Development

Readings

Lesson Week 4: Topic 1 – Lifespan Development Topics and Weekly Learning Outcomes

Week 4 Modules

Lifespan Development

Week 4 Module 1 Learning Outcomes – Lifespan Development

1. Students will be able to compare and contrast the major theoretical perspectives of lifespan development including psychosexual, psychosocial, cognitive, and moral.
2. Students will be able to describe typical and atypical physical, cognitive, and emotional stages of development from prenatal through old age.
3. Students will be able to describe gender identity development and its impact on personality and

sexuality.

Assignments/Deliverables Week 4 Discussion Forum

Week 5: Learning, Thinking and Intelligence

Readings

Lesson Week 5: Topic 1 – Learning

Lesson Week 5: Topic 2 – Thinking and Intelligence Topics and Weekly Learning Outcomes

Week 5 Modules

Learning

Thinking and Intelligence

Week 5 Module 1 Learning Outcomes – Learning

1. Students will be able to analyze the major theories of learning including classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning.
2. Students will be able to apply the theories of learning to real-life examples.

Week 5 Module 2 Learning Outcomes – Thinking and Intelligence

1. Students will be able to explain the various theories and concepts of intelligence.
2. Students will be able to discuss the various forms of intelligence testing and assessment.
3. Students will be able to describe the approaches and barriers to problem solving and creativity. Assignnments/Deliverables

Week 5 Discussion Forum

Week 5 Assignment – Sleep Journal

Week 6: Psychological Disorders and Treatment

Readings

Lesson Week 6: Topic 1 – Psychological Disorders Lesson Week 6: Topic 2 – Therapy and Treatment

Topics and Weekly Learning Outcomes

Week 6 Modules

Psychological Disorders

Treatment for Psychological Disorders

Week 6 Module 1 Learning Outcomes – Psychological Disorders

1. Students will be able to describe the criteria symptomatic of the most common psychological disorders.
2. Student will be able to explain how the DSM-V is used to diagnose psychological disorders.
3. Students will be able to describe the modern theoretical perspectives on the origin of psychological disorders.

Week 6 Module 2 Learning Outcomes – Treatment for Psychological Disorders

1. Students will be able to discuss the modern forms of treatment for psychological disorders, both psychotherapy and biomedical.
2. Students will be able to analyze the impact of culture, gender, and other sociocultural variables on barriers to treatment for psychological disorders.

Assignments/Deliverables Week 6 Discussion Forum

Week 7: Social, Industrial-Organizational, and Personality Psychology

Readings

Lesson Week 7: Topic 1 – Social Psychology

Lesson Week 7: Topic 2 – Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Lesson Week 7: Topic 3 – Personality Topics and Weekly Learning Outcomes Week 7 Modules

Social Psychology Industrial/Organizational Psychology Personality

Week 7 Module 1 Learning Outcomes – Social Psychology

1. Students will be able to define social psychology and the major social influences on behavior.
2. Students will be able to apply the concepts of social psychology including conformity, group dynamics, obedience, attitude, persuasion, aggression, altruism, helping, prejudice and discrimination to analyze real life behavioral examples.

Week 7 Module 2 Learning Outcomes – I/O Psychology

1. Students will be able to identify and discuss the theories and concepts related to work/life balance, motivation, and productivity in workplace settings.

Week 7 Module 3 Learning Outcomes – Personality

1. Students will be able to identify and discuss the environmental, biological, and cultural influences on personality.
2. Students will be able to apply the major theories of personality to measure personality.

Assignments/Deliverables Week 7 Discussion Forum

Week 7 Weekly Assignment – Prosocial Behavior Exercise

Week 8: Emotion and Motivation, Stress, Lifestyle and Health

Readings

Lesson Week 8: Emotion and Motivation

Lesson Week 8: Topic 2 – Stress, Lifestyle, and Health Topics and Weekly Learning Outcomes

Name Grade % Forums 32.00 % Week 1 Forum 4.00 % Week 2 Forum 4.00 % Week 3 Forum 4.00 % Week 4 Forum 4.00 % Week 5 Forum 4.00 % Week 6 Forum 4.00 % Week 7 Forum 4.00 % Week 8 Forum 4.00 % Papers 45.00 % Week 5: Sleep Journal And Reflection Paper 20.00 %     Week 8 Modules

Emotion and Motivation Stress and Health Course Wrap Up

Week 8 Module 1 Learning Outcomes – Emotion and Motivation

1. Students will be able to analyze the elements of emotions and discuss how culture influences our emotional experience.
2. Students will be able to describe theories of motivation as a drive for behavior.
3. Students will be able to describe theories about how motivation and emotion impact sexual and eating behaviors.

Week 8 Module 2 Learning Outcomes – Stress and Health

1. Students will be able to describe the physiological and psychological origins of stress.
2. Students will be able to analyze the biological consequences of stress, emotion, and cognitive outlook on overall health.
3. Students will be able to discuss the benefits of stress.

Assignnments/Deliverables

Week 8 Discussion Forum Final Exam

Evaluation

Forums:

Participation on eight weekly Forums is required. General forum posting requirements and topic-specific instructions are located on each forum.

Assignments:

Due in Week 3 is the Stoop Effect Assignment. Starting in Week 3 and continuing through Week 4, students collect data for their sleep journal. Due in Week 5 is the Sleep Journal and Reflection Paper. Due in Week 7 is the Prosocial Behavior Assignment.

Final Exam:

The course Final exam is open-book and consists of short essay questions that cover all course material.

Grading:

Week 3 Assignment: Stroop Effect        10.00 %

Week 7 Assignment: Prosocial Behavior

15.00 %

Exams                                             23.00 %

Final Exam – Short Answer/Essay          23.00 %

Materials

Book Title: Invitation to Psychology, 5th ed – The VitalSource e-book is provided via the APUS Bookstore

Author: Wade Publication Info: Pearson ISBN: 9781256525806

Book Title: You must validate your cart to get access to your VitalSource e-book(s). If needed, instructions are available here – http://apus.libguides.com/bookstore/undergraduate

Author: N/A Publication Info: N/A ISBN: N/A

This course utilizes an adapted Learning Textbook from CogBooks. Access is through the Lessons area of the classroom.

Lindecker, C. (Ed.). (2017). Introduction to psychology. CogBooks: American Public University System.

Course Guidelines

Citation and Reference Style

Students will follow APA format as the sole citation and reference style used in written assignments submitted as part of coursework in the Psychology Department.

Please note that no formal citation style is graded on forum assignments in the School of Arts & Humanities—only attribution of sources (please see details regarding forum communication below).

Tutoring

Tutor.com offers online homework help and learning resources by connecting students to certified tutors for one-on-one help. AMU and APU students are eligible for 10 free hours of tutoring provided by APUS. Tutors are available 24/7 unless otherwise noted. Tutor.com also has a SkillCenter Resource Library offering educational resources, worksheets, videos, websites and career help. Accessing these resources does not count against tutoring hours and is also available 24/7. Please visit the APUS Library and search for ‘Tutor’ to create an account.

Late Assignments – School of Arts & Humanities Late Policy

Students are expected to submit classroom assignments by the posted due date and to complete the course according to the published class schedule. As adults, students, and working professionals, we understand

you must manage competing demands on your time. Should you need additional time to complete an assignment, please contact your instructor before the due date so you can discuss the situation and determine an acceptable resolution.

Work posted or submitted after the assignment due date will be reduced by 10% of the potential total score possible for each day late up to a total of five days, including forum posts/replies, quizzes/tests, and assignments. Beginning on the sixth day late through the end of the course, late work, including forum posts, quizzes/tests, and assignments, will be accepted with a grade reduction of 50% of the potential total score earned.

Turn It In

Assignments are automatically submitted to Turnitin.com within the course. Turnitin.com will analyze an assignment submission and report a similarity score. Your assignment submission is automatically processed through the assignments area of the course when you submit your work.

Academic Dishonesty

Academic Dishonesty incorporates more than plagiarism, which is using the work of others without citation. Academic dishonesty includes any use of content purchased or retrieved from web services such as CourseHero.com or Scribd. Additionally, allowing your work to be placed on such web services is academic dishonesty, as it is enabling the dishonesty of others. The copy and pasting of content from any web page, without citation as a direct quote, is academic dishonesty. When in doubt, do not copy/paste, and always cite.

Submission Guidelines

Some assignments may have very specific requirements for formatting (such as font, margins, etc.) and submission file type (such as .docx, .pdf, etc.). See the assignment instructions for details. In general, standard file types such as those associated with Microsoft Office are preferred, unless otherwise specified.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure the all submitted work can be accessed and opened by the instructor.

Disclaimer Statement

Course content may vary from the outline to meet the needs of a particular group or class.

Communicating on the Forum

Forums are the heart of the interaction in this course. The more engaged and lively the exchanges, the more interesting and fun the course will be. Only substantive comments will receive credit. Although there is a final posting day/time after which the instructor will grade and provide feedback, you are strongly discouraged from waiting until the due date to contribute your comments/questions on the forum. The purpose of the forums is to actively participate in an on-going discussion about the assigned content.

“Substantive” means comments that contribute something new and important to the discussion. Thus a message that simply says “I agree”, even if wordy and thus, meets the length requirement, is not substantive. A substantive comment contributes a new idea or perspective, a good follow-up question to a point made, offers a response to a question, provides an example or illustration of a key point, points out an inconsistency in an argument, etc.

As a class, if we run into conflicting view points, we must respect each other as colleagues. Hateful, aggressive, or hurtful comments towards other individuals, students, groups, peoples, and/or societies will not be tolerated.

Students must post a response to the weekly forums prompt and post the required number of replies to other students – refer to the grading rubric and/or forum instructions for specific expectations on number of replies and word count requirements.

Quizzes and Exams

Quizzes and exams may consist of true/false, multiple choice, and short essay questions. Each quiz/exam is accessible only once. Once a quiz/exam is accessed, you will not be able to access it again if you disconnect. Therefore, allocate time to complete your assessments.

University Policies

Student Handbook

Drop/Withdrawal policy Extension Requests Academic Probation Appeals            Disability Accommodations

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