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SYLLABUS
PSY 2012
GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
Summer 2007
CLASS TIME:
Online
TEXT: Weiten, Wayne, Psychology: Themes and Variations, SixthEdition
(Briefer Version) IBSN # 0-534-63288-2
INSTRUCTOR:
Dr. Tom Westcott
Bldg. 18/126
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment in
EMAIL: [email protected]
PHONE: 850-474-3170, or TOLL-FREE: 866-459-9913
PURPOSE:
Psychology 2012 is intended to serve as a general overview of the field
of psychology. The course will be valuable to all students, regardless of
career path or major. The course will provide you with a broad
introduction to the various specialties in psychology: personality,
development, abnormal, psychometrics, etc.
EVALUATAION:
Final grades in this class will be evaluated by means of four criteria
totaling 100 points as follows:
Two Exams of 25 points each = 50 points. The exams will be objective
in nature (multiple choice, true/false or matching). For complete
information on the exams consult 'Exam Assignment" (#4) on the
Content page. Dates are noted on the course schedule.
Four Journal Article Reviews @ 5 points each = 20 points. Full details may also be found
on the Content page including a grading rubric. Due dates are on the
Class Schedule.
Four Threaded Discussions @ 5 points each = 20 points. You will be expected to actively
participate in each threaded discussions as noted on the Class
Schedule. The Content page has a complete discussion of the Threaded
Discussions along with a grading rubric.
Eight Quizzes (one each week) @ 2 points each = 16 points. Quizzes will consist of 10-20
questions covering the chapter(s) in the book for that week. The quizzes
are open book. You will have two timed opportunities to take each
quiz. You will only get credit if you answer ALL the questions
correctly. Please note that the exam questions will be randomly selected
from the questions on the quizzes. There will be no questions on the
exams that are not also on the quizzes, so you would do well to complete
them all. NOTE THAT YOU CAN RECEIVE UP TO 6 BONUS POINTS
BY COMPLETING ALL THE QUIZES.
Course grades will be based on total points as follows:
90 - 106 = A
80 - 89 = B
70 - 79 = C
60 - 69 = D
0 - 59 = F
You will note the absence of plus and minus grades. Please be aware that
no exceptions will be made on the scale.
Expectations for Academic Conduct/Plagiarism Policy:
As members of the University of West Florida, we commit ourselves to honesty. As we
strive for excellence in performance, integrity personal and institutional is our most precious
asset. Honesty in our academic work is vital, and we will not knowingly act in ways which
erode that integrity. Accordingly, we pledge not to cheat, nor to tolerate cheating, nor to
plagiarize the work of others. We pledge to share community resources in ways that are
responsible and that comply with established policies of fairness. Cooperation and
competition are means to high achievement and are encouraged. Indeed, cooperation is
expected unless our directive is to individual performance. We will compete constructively
and professionally for the purpose of stimulating high performance standards. Finally, we
accept adherence to this set of expectations for academic conduct as a condition of
membership in the UWF academic community.
Assistance
Students with special needs who require specific examination-related or other courserelated accommodations should contact the Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC),
[email protected], (850) 474-2387. SDRC will provide the student with a letter for the
instructor that will specify any recommended accommodations.
PSY 2012
Learning Outcomes
Dr. Tom Westcott
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Summarize the work of the early pioneers of psychology and their
contributions to the field
Explain how historical and social events since World War I have contributed to
the emergence of psychology as a profession and the increased interest in
cultural factors
Summarize the basic tenants of evolutionary psychology
List and describe the seven major research areas and the four professional
specialties in psychology
Explain science's main assumption and describe the goals of the scientific
enterprise in psychology
Outline the steps in a scientific investigation
Describe the experimental method of research, including independent and
dependent variables, experimental and control groups, and extraneous
variables
Discuss the advantages of the scientific approach and the
advantages/disadvantages of the scientific method
Develop an appreciation for the major ethical issues in research
List the three properties of light and the aspects of visual perception that they
influence
Discuss the parts of the eye and their functions
Discuss the brain's role in visual processing
Discuss and contrast theories of color vision
Explain the concept of feature analysis and distinguish between top-down and
bottom-up processing
Describe Gestalt principles of visual perception
Describe cues involved in depth perception
Summarize processes involved with audition (hearing) and auditory
perception
Summarize the physical and perceptual processes involved with the related
senses of taste and smell
Describe the processes involved in the perception of tactile pressure and pain
Discuss the nature and evolution of consciousness
Discuss the principles and processes involved with sleep, including
evolutionary perspectives
Describe the three theories of dreaming
Explain the two main theories of hypnosis
List and describe the major types of psychoactive drugs and their effect
Describe the key elements in Classical Conditioning and their applications in
everyday life
Describe the key elements of Operant Conditioning and their applications in
everyday life
Explain the evolutionary perspective on learning
Discuss the nature and importance of observational learning
List and discuss the five steps in a self-modification program
Describe the three basic human memory processes
Discuss two techniques for enriching the encoding process
Discuss the characteristics of the four parts of the memory system
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Describe schemas and schematic networks with regard to their role in long
term memory
Summarize both sides of the repressed memories controversy
Discuss the role decay and interference play in forgetting
Distinguish between implicit and explicit memory and their relationship to
declarative and procedural memory
Explain the distinction between episodic and semantic memory
Outline strategies by which everyday memory can be improved
Describe common barriers to problem solving and a variety of general
problem solving strategies
Compare and contrast the additive and elimination by aspects approaches to
selecting an alternative
Describe the availability and representativeness heuristics
Explain evolutionary theorists' evaluation on cognitive research on flaws in
human decision strategies
Summarize the contributions of Binet, Terman and Wechsler to the evolution
of intelligence testing
Explain the meaning of scores on modern intelligence tests
Summarize evidence from twin and adoption studies on heritability and
intelligence
Relate the concept of reaction range to intelligence
Discuss the associations between creativity, intelligence and mental illness.
Compare drive, incentive and evolutionary approaches to understanding
motivation
Distinguish between the two major catagories of motives in human beings
Outline the four phases of the human sexual response and discuss findings on
gender differences in mating preferences
Summarize evidence on the nature and determinants of sexual orientation
Describe the four major theories of emotion and the cognitive component of
emotion
Summarize information on factors that do and do not predict happiness and
the conclusions that can be drawn about happiness
Outline the three phases of prenatal development and the impact of
environment on the process
Outline the development of language
Describe and critique the developmental stages of Freud, Piaget and Erickson
Outline and critique Kohlberg's stages of moral development
Describe the major events of puberty and discuss the implications of early or
late maturation
Summarize the evidence on personality stability and the presence of a 'midlife crisis'
Describe the physical and cognitive changes associated with aging
Summarize the evidence on gender differences in behavior and discuss the
contribution of biological and heredity factors to these differences
List and describe the three components of personality in Freudian theory
Summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the behavioral approach to
personality
Summarize Rogers' view of personality and the self concept
Explain Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Describe Eysenck's biological theory of personality
Summarize the research in behavioral genetics as it relates to the
hereditability of personality
Discuss the evolutionary analysis of personality
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Describe self-report inventories and projective tests of personality and
describe their strengths and weaknesses
Describe and evaluate the medical model of abnormal behavior
Explain the most commonly used criteria of abnormality
Describe the DSM-IV diagnostic system
List five types of anxiety disorders and describe the symptoms associated
with each
Discuss the etiology of three dissociative disorders
Describe the two major mood disorders
Describe the general characteristics of schizophrenia
Describe anorexia nervosa and bulemia to include symptoms, prevalence, and
gender distribution
Identify the three major catagories of therapy
Describe the various types of mental health professionals involved in the
delivery of therapy
Explain the theory and techniques involved in psychoanalysis
Explain the theory and techniques involved in Rogers' client-centered therapy
Discuss the general principles involved in insight therapies
Summarize the general principles involved in behavioral approached to
therapy
Explain the theory and techniques involved in cognitive therapies
Describe the deinstitutionalization trend and evaluate its effects
Discuss where to seek therapy and the importance of the characteristics of
the therapist
Explain the evolutionary perspective on bias in perception
Describe the distinction between internal and external attributions as well as
cultural differences in attributional tendencies
Summarize the evidence on the factors influencing interpersonal attraction
Discuss research on romantic relationships and evolutionary analyses of
mating patterns
Describe the components and dimensions of attitudes
Explain how cognitive dissonance can account for attitude change
Summarize the evidence on how the source, message and receiver influence
persuasion
Describe Asch's work on conformity
Describe Milgram's study on obedience and its implications
Discuss cultural variations in conformity and obedience
Summarize the evidence on the bystander effect, group productivity and
group decision making