Psychology 001  General Psychology – Spring 2021

 

Section 26354 (3 Units)
Class Meeting Time(s) and Location(s) : Zoom + Canvas, 16 weeks: 02 /08/21 – 06/07/21; M W 2:30- 3:55 PM

 

Contact Information

Instructor: Crystal M. Mendoza, MS

Contact information: mendozcm@email.laccd.edu

Office hours: In Canvas, by appointment

 

• 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. 

 

• Course Student Learning Outcomes: 

1. Identify the primary research methods used in the study of psychology 
2. Identify the primary goals of psychology. 
3. Differentiate between the major theoretical perspectives in psychology. 

 

Texts, Materials, and Supplies

• Required (but FREE!) OER Text found here: https://openstax.org/details/books/psychology-2e 

(optional, low-cost print versions are available at the bookstore) 

 

INSTRUCTOR & COLLEGE POLICIES

Welcome to Psych 1!  By thoroughly reading the syllabus and accessing  your textbook before class starts you will be in a better position to excel in the course. 

In addition to performing well on assignments, discussions, quizzes, and exams you are also expected to follow the policies outlined below. This is the only way you can excel in the class. Please be sure to ask questions if you are unclear about what the college and I expect from you.

Cheating. Unauthorized material used during an examination (including electronic devices), changing answers after work has been graded, taking a quiz for another student, forging or altering attendance sheets or other documents in the course, looking at another student’s paper/scantron/essay/computer or quiz with or without their approval is considered cheating. Any student caught cheating will receive a zero for the assignment/quiz and referred to the Department chair and/or Student Services for further disciplinary action.

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: 

• Failing to give credit by proper citations for others ideas and concepts, data and information, statements and phrases, and/or interpretations and conclusions.
• Failing to use quotation marks when quoting directly from another, whether it be a paragraph, a sentence, or a part thereof
• Paraphrasing the expressions or thought by others without appropriate quotation marks or attribution
• 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. 

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. 

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 like: 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.

Mental Health Counseling Services. As a student, not only do you have the pressure of succeeding in school, you may also be contending with issues related to work, financial issues, relationships, managing time effectively, getting enough sleep, etc.  The staff and faculty of Los Angeles Mission College are here to provide support that will help you to be successful in your academic pursuits.  You can learn more about the broad range of confidential student services offered on campus, including counseling and mental health services, by either visiting the Student Health Center (SHC), visiting the SHC webpage at: https://www.lamission.edu/healthcenter, 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 for support. The SHC is located between the President’s Office and Administrative Services.

 

Grading

Grades for this course will be determined through a number of assignments. I recognize that different kinds of assignments feed into the strengths of different students, and I work to provide a range of opportunities for you to show what you’ve learned. 

Final Grade Breakdown:

Quizzes (14) 140 points

Discussion Posts (3)    150 points 

Assignments (4) 200 Points

Total: 490 Points

• Late Policy: To best help you complete the course successfully, I ask that you strive to meet deadlines, especially on interactive elements of the course. If life events interrupt your work in this class, I will do my best to work with you! Please contact me as soon as possible if you need to extend a deadline by 24-48 hours so that I can best support you.

Course Work

Assignments: You will be required to complete four (4) assignments in this course. The Thinking Like Scientists assignment is 1-2 pages and worth 50 points. The Brain and Neuron assignment and the Psychological Disorders chart are worth 50 points each. The Operant Conditioning paper is 3-5 pages, and is also worth 50 points. 

Quizzes: Each Chapter Quiz (10 questions each) is worth 10 points. Quizzes are timed (30 minutes) and you have two attempts for each. There are 15 quizzes in this course, but I will drop one of your lowest scores. 

Discussions. There are 3 discussion assignments due throughout the course. They are each worth 50 points. 

Course Schedule

Date/Week	Readings	Major Assignments and Deadlines
Week 1 2/8-2/14	Chapter 1	Quiz 1 Discussion Post 1: Introductions
Week 2 2/15-2/21	No School Monday, February 15 Chapter 2	Quiz 2
Week 3 2/22-2/28	Chapter 3	Quiz 3
Week 4 3/1-3/7	Chapter 4	Quiz 4 Brain & Neuron Assignment
Week 5 3/8-3/14	Chapter 5	Quiz 5
Week 6 3/15-3/21	Chapter 6		Quiz 6 Discussion 2
Week 7 3/22-3/28	Chapter 7		Quiz 7 Thinking Like Scientists Assignment
Week 8 3/29-4/4	No Class Meetings/SPRING BREAK
Week 9 4/5-4/11	Chapter 8		Quiz 8
Week 10 4/12-4/18	Chapter 9		Quiz 9 Discussion 3
Week 11 4/19-4/25	Chapter 10		Quiz 10
Week 12 4/26-5/2	Chapter 11		Quiz 11 Operant Conditioning Paper
Week 13 5/3-5/9	Chapter 12		Quiz 12
Week 14 5/10-5/16	Chapter 14		Quiz 14
Week 15 5/17-5/23	Chapter 15		Quiz 15
Week 16 5/24 - 5/30	Chapter 16		Quiz 16 Psychological Disorders chart