Course Outline of Record

Item	Value
Curriculum Committee Approval Date	02/26/2025
Top Code	200100 - Psychology, General
Units	3 Total Units
Hours	54 Total Hours (Lecture Hours 54)
Total Outside of Class Hours	0
Course Credit Status	Credit: Degree Applicable (D)
Material Fee	No
Basic Skills	Not Basic Skills (N)
Repeatable	No
Open Entry/Open Exit	No
Grading Policy	Standard Letter (S)
Associate Arts Local General Education (GE)	Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences 4B Social and Economic Institutions (OD2)
Associate Science Local General Education (GE)	Area 4 Social and Behavioral Sciences (OSD)
California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC)	Cal-GETC 4 Social & Behavioral Sciences (4) Cal-GETC 4I Psychology (4I)
Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)	IGETC 4 Social&Behavioral Sci (4) IGETC 4I Psychology (4I)
California State University General Education Breadth (CSU GE-Breadth)	CSU D9 Psychology (D9)

Course Description

This course emphasizes contemporary interests, recent discoveries, and classic studies in psychology, with attention to developmental psychology, physiological psychology, abnormal psychology and the other subfields. PREREQUISITE: PSYC C1000 or PSYC C1000H. Transfer Credit: CSU; UC.

Course Level Student Learning Outcome(s)

1. Students will be able to critically evaluate statistical concepts, research designs, and applications in the behavioral sciences.

Course Objectives

• 1. Identify, compare, and contrast the pre-scientific influences in the field of psychology to the early scientific schools of thought in the discipline.
• 2. Discuss why psychology is a science.
• 3. Identify, compare, and contrast the experimental, clinical, survey, and correlational methods of study in psychology.
• 4. Explain why animals are used in psychological research.
• 5. Compare and contrast classical, operant conditioning, and social learning theories relative to their critical principles, and relevant applications.
• 6. Note the different types of memory and the recent research conclusions on brain and neuron involvements.
• 7. Describe the well accepted theories of cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development in the field of developmental psychology.
• 8. Describe the current research findings that relate to infant development and senior citizen perceptions.
• 9. Compare, contrast, and evaluate critically the different types of tests used in the field of testing psychology.
• 10. Explain standardization, reliability, and validity issues and concepts.
• 11. Describe the parts and functions of the nervous system.
• 12. Explain the functions of the neuron and the synapse.
• 13. Identify current research areas in physiological psychology and relevant findings.
• 14. Describe and explain the eye and brain structures and functions that support vision.
• 15. Describe and explain the ear and brain structures and functions that support audition.
• 16. Describe and explain current and classical research areas and findings as they pertain to the field of social psychology.
• 17. Compare and contrast the approaches to define, explain, and treat abnormal behavior.
• 18. Describe and explain the basic symptoms and types of schizophrenia.
• 19. Describe and explain depression and the current theories to explain its brain mechanisms.
• 20. Describe stress reactions and compare and contrast the constructive vs. the destructive coping mechanisms.

---

Lecture Content

1. History of Psychology a. Pre-scientific influences in psychology b. Early scientific psychology c. Overview of modern psychology d. Psychology as a science 2. Methods of Study in Psychology a. Experiment b. Clinical method c. Survey method d. Correlational method e. Role of statistics f. Ethics in psychology 3. Animals in Psychology a. Use in psychological research b. Ethology c. Comparative psychology d. Imprinting e. Instinctive behavior 4. Classical Conditioning a. Definition and basic elements b. General principles c. Extended applications, including higher order conditioning and learning histories of psychosomatic illness 5. Operant Conditioning a. Definition and basic elements b. General principles c. Extended applications, including schedules of reinforcement, positive and negative reinforcement, positive and negative punishment, superstitious behavior, and behavior analysis d. Method of successive approximations 6. Cognitive and social learning a. Basic principles b. Insight learning c. Observational learning d. Cognitive distortions and faulty thinking 7. Memory a. Types b. Encoding and retrieving information from memory c. Brain and neuron involvement d. Forgetting e. False memories, eyewitness memory, amnesia f. Misinformation effect 8. Developmental Psychology a. Approaches to studying developmental psychology and basic issues of the field b. Piaget's theory of cognitive development c. Freud's stages of development d. Erikson s stages of psycho-social development e. Current research findings concerning infant behavior, as well as senior citizen observations and perceptions nb sp; f. Intelligence, mental retardation, intellectual giftedness 9. Psychometrics a. History of testing b. Critical issues such as standardization, reliability, and validity c. Types of tests, including strengths and criticisms 10. Physiological Psychology a. The nervous system: parts and functions b. Neuron: parts and function c. The synapse and neurotransmitter substances d. Methods of study e. Current interests such as sleep and dreaming, memory, abnormal behavior 11. Sensory Processes a. Vision: Eye structure and brain involvement b. Audition: Ear structure and brain involvement nb sp; c. Vision and hearing defects d. Other sensory processes e. Principles of perception 12. Social Psychology a. Methods of study and basic issues b. Social behavior c. Cooperation, competition, and leadership d. Attitudes e. Cognitive dissonance theory f. Conformity and classic research g. Bystander apathy and intervention h. Prisoner Dilemma games and associated research i. Gender conditioning 13. Abnormal Behavior a. Approaches to define, explain and treat abnorm al behavior b. Stress reactions and constructive and destructive coping mechanisms c. Defense mechanisms d. Theories of emotion e. Positions of personality theories f. Types of schizophrenia and symptoms g. Depression, including brain and neurotransmitter involvement

Method(s) of Instruction

• Lecture (02)
• DE Live Online Lecture (02S)
• DE Online Lecture (02X)

Instructional Techniques

Lecture, explanation, and application of topics, concepts and terms. Verbal feedback to small discussion groups. Written feedback to student papers and tests. Various handouts provided by instructor. Review sheets to support student preparation for tests. Use of white-board, or document camera. Videos and DVDs. PowerPoint supported by appropriate computer and projection equipment. Exams to assess student progress and mastery. Online class - Instructors will use live and/or pre-recorded online audio and/or video resources (e.g. Canvas, ConferZoom, Big Blue Button, Powerpoint) for lectures and labs. Students will have access to lecture slides on Canvas. Instructors will also communicate with students using announcements, chat rooms, and email. Online office hours will be held weekly and the syllabus and schedule will be posted daily throughout the entire semester. Engagement with students: Discussions will be uploaded on Discussion boards where students can interact with other classmates and the instructor. Instructors will provide timely feedback to students on assignments and papers using the comment tool on Canvas. Exams will take place online and instructors will provide feedback after exams are graded.

Reading Assignments

2 hours per week reading from the assigned textbook and supplementary materials

Writing Assignments

2 hours per week writing paper analyzing topics in principles of psychology Students will use critical thinking skills to write a paper which will require students to discuss and integrate classic and contemporary research, along with principles of psychology taught in the class. Students will use critical thinking skills to answer essay test questions.

Out-of-class Assignments

2 hours per week completing out-of-class homework assignments Preparation for exams and research for papers

Demonstration of Critical Thinking

1.   Students will use critical thinking skills to write a paper which will require students to discuss and integrate classic and contemporary research, along with principles of psychology taught in the class.            2.   Students will use critical thinking skills to answer essay test questions.

Required Writing, Problem Solving, Skills Demonstration

1.   Students will use critical thinking skills to write a paper which will require students to discuss and integrate classic and contemporary research, along with principles of psychology taught in the class.            2.   Students will use critical thinking skills to answer essay test questions.

Eligible Disciplines

Psychology: Master's degree in psychology OR bachelor's degree in psychology AND master's degree in counseling, sociology, statistics, neuroscience, or social work OR the equivalent. Master's degree required.

Textbooks Resources

1. Required Pettijohn, T.. Sources:Psychology, Classic Edition, 4 ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007 Rationale: . 2. Required Shaffer, L., Merrens, M.R., Duntley, J. Research Stories for Introductory Psychology, ed. New York: Pearson, 2008 Rationale: .

Other Resources

1. Instructor prepared handouts