Course Syllabus

COURSE:  PSYC101-03: Introduction to Psychology TR 3:05pm - 4:20pm

SEMESTER: Spring 2025

INSTRUCTOR: Prof. Samantha Knight-Williams, LMHC, LPC 

OFFICE HOURS: Tuesdays by appointment.

Email from appointments (sknight@sussex.edu)

REQUIRED TEXT

This course utilizes open educational resources which are free and can be found on canvas.                                           

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course is an introduction to the science of human behavior and mental processes.  Emphasis is placed on the relationship between the nervous system and behavior, learning, perception, development, motivation, personality, attitude formation and prejudice, psychopathology and psychotherapy.

TOPICS TO BE COVERED

1. The nature-nurture interaction (may include mind-body connection, diversity, and social construction of reality).
2. The fundamentals of social science research (may include varied research methodologies).
3. The active construction of reality (may include sensation, perception, altered states of consciousness, and sociocultural influences).
4. The basics of lifespan development (may include cognitive, physical, moral, social and personality development).
5. The fundamentals of learning (may include classical, operant , and observational/cognitive learning paradigms).
6. The understanding of the unique qualities of being human (may include personality theory, psychological health, psychological disorders, psychotherapy, mind-body connections, and selected aspects of evolutionary theory).

 COURSE COMPETENCIES/LEARNING OUTCOMES:

In a manner deemed appropriate by the instructor, students should demonstrate the ability to:

1. Discuss key concepts as they are manifested in the major fields and theoretical perspectives of psychology. (GE 5, 6, 7; PG2, 3)
2. Apply psychological principles to everyday life by critically evaluating information from a variety of sources. (GE 3, 5, 9; PG 1, 2, 3)
3. Describe sociocultural influences on mental processes, behaviors, and social interactions. (GE 5, 6, 8, 9;  PG 2, 3)

ASSIGNMENT POLICY:

Please note that I do not prefer to accept late assignments, however, life happens... If there is a  reason as to why you cannot complete an assignment, please reach out to me and we will work together to figure it out an alternative due date. All assignment due dates are clearly posted in the syllabus and on Canvas.

Methods of Evaluation

Grading Contents

Quiz One	5%
Quiz Two	10%
Quiz Three	10%
Quiz Four	10%
Weekly Reflection Prompts	15%
Midterm Project	25%
Final Project	25%
Total	100%

CRITICAL THINKING :

This course incorporates critical thinking throughout the curriculum. The rationale behind this is that critical thinking is a topic that requires practice in addition to theory.  The discussion assignments in this course are intentionally designed to assist students to interpret information, consider the influence of context, pose logical arguments, examine existing knowledge, and develop new ideas. 

DISCUSSION BOARDS/CLASS ATTENDANCE:

Students are expected to log into the Canvas system and respond to the postings placed there by the professor before the due date designated on the calendar.  Students are expected to participate in the discussion boards by posting their original responses to the professor’s posts, as well as to posts made by their peers. In order to receive full credit you must respond to each post made by the professor, at least 1 peer's posts, and do so by the target deadline. Posts should be a paragraph in length (5-7 sentences).

Scholarly writing across all disciplines is one of our goals at SCCC. With that in mind, Discussion Board topics are posted on Canvas. Topics will relate to the material in our textbook, and will require some real-life application of your knowledge. Your writing should be of a scholarly nature: eliminate use of slang language, back up your answers (where appropriate) with research from your textbook, the Internet, or other readings, and respond to your classmates in an inquisitive manner that will further the discussion. Please use your textbook as well as other sources. Make sure your post is substantive. (Substantive: Having a firm basis in reality and therefore important, meaningful, or considerable.)

QUIZZES/EXAMINATIONS: 

All quizzes are taken through the Canvas system.  All quizzes are to be taken prior to the due date indicated on the calendar.  All quizzes are to be completed independently by each student.

 

Grade to Point Value

NUMERICAL SCALE	LETTER
95-100	A
90-94	A-
87-89	B+
84-86	B
80-83	B-
75-79	C+
70-74	C
65-69	D
Below 65	F
Students who stop attending at any time before the end of the semester but did not officially withdraw. Examples:  Student attended up until end of semester but did not take final exam. Student stopped attending 5 weeks into the semester and did not officially withdraw.	FN (Failure/No Show)

 

 DISABILITIES ASSISTANCE:

Students who require accommodations in order to pursue their higher education goals need to make an appointment with the adviser to the Disabilities Assistance Program (973-300-2153). The DAP office is located in the Learning Center. It is the student’s responsibility to provide current and comprehensive documentation, which would warrant such accommodation. The need to provide documentation applies to both academic and facilities accommodations.

RESPECT, CONFIDENTIALITY, AND ONLINE ETIQUETTE:

Class discussions via posts may sometimes contain personal concerns and self-disclosures.  These discussions will, at all times, be conducted within an atmosphere of mutual respect and confidentiality by all class members. If I feel that a student is violating this trust, I reserve the right to dismiss the student from class.

Conversations that do not pertain to class material during a lecture or class discussion are unacceptable. If a student engages in conversation unrelated to course material and I find that conversation disruptive, the student will be dismissed from the course and will receive a zero for class participation that day.

SMOKE AND TOBACCO FREE CAMPUS POLICY:

Sussex County Community College focuses on providing a healthier, cleaner environment for students, employees and visitors. Eight other community colleges in New Jersey also have a complete ban of smoking and tobacco on their campuses. While smoking has been off limits inside buildings, the campus grounds are also smoke free including the parking areas. This policy applies to employees and students as well as visitors, vendors and contractors.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Academic Calendar

January 21	Classes Begin; Late Registration begins
January 27	Last day to late register or add a class
February 3	Last day to drop a class with a 100% refund (tuition & fees).  There are no partial refunds after this date.
February 3	Last day to change to an audit
February 15	Last day to change Fall & Winter incomplete grades.
February 17	Registration for Summer begins
March 10 - March 16	Spring Break
March 24	Registration for Fall begins
April 21	Last Day to withdraw with a "W"
May 12	Final Day of Semester
May 3 - May 13	Final Grades Entered Online
May 14	Commencement

How to make this course manageable and enjoyable!

Feel free to submit in a fashion that suits your schedule but that does not surpass any deadlines! You can find all deadlines and due dates in this document and on Canvas. All assignments, discussions, quizzes, and projects will be submitted through Canvas. For any issues with Canvas, please contact me via email asap. As this course is information heavy it is very important to give yourself ample time to read, watch, and complete coursework.

Course Work:

Discussion Posts: Discussions will be due weekly on Sundays by midnight. Most discussion posts require at least 100 words and a response to at least 1 peer response post to receive full credit. Others may require you to use citations in the APA formatting for full credit. Please read all instructions before submitting.

Assignments: There will be a few assignments due throughout the semester. Assignments will have varying due dates and will be a combination of in class and out of class work.

Quizzes: There will be a total of 4 quizzes. Quizzes are open book and due Mondays by midnight.

Midterm and Final: Please complete them as they are big portions of your grade! Any student who does not complete their midterm will find their grade significantly suffering. Any student who does not complete the final will receive an FN grade. (Please see the syllabus for more information on FN grade).

*Both the midterm and final can be done as a group if you would like. Groups are not required but if you choose to work in a group please email me with the members of your group, your topic, and what each group member will be responsible for contributing. Groups should be no more than 4 people. This must be indicated prior to the submission of either assignment and each group member will be asked to rate their group members on their team work in the group.

Course Break Down

Days	In Class:	Homework / Review	Work Due & Due Dates
1/20 - 1/26
T 1/21	Do Now Syllabus and Course Overview
R 1/23	1: Introduction to Psychology	Read: Chapter 1 (sections 1.1 – 1.4)	Sunday 1/26 (by midnight) – Chapter 1 Discussion (Write your response and then respond to at least 1 peer)
1/27 – 2/2
T 1/28	Do Now 1: Introduction to Psychology	Review: Chapter 1 PowerPoints
R  1/30	Do Now Discussion on: Tuskegee Study Video 2: Psychological Research	Read: Chapter 2 (sections 2.1 – 2.4)   Review: Chapter 2 PowerPoints, Sampling Article, and Little Albert Article.	Sunday 2/2 (by midnight) – Chapter 2 Discussion (Write your response and then respond to at least 1 peer)
2/3 - 2/9
T 2/4	Do Now 2: Psychological Research
R 2/6	Do Now 2: Psychological Research	Review: Chapter 3 PowerPoints, Chapter 3 (sections 3.1 – 3.5), Biopsychology Video.
2/10 - 2/16
T 2/11	Do Now Tuskegee Video Continued.   Brain Functioning 3: Biopsychology	Read: Chapter 3 (sections 3.1 – 3.3) Review: Chapter 3 PowerPoint B.
R 2/13	Do Now Sports Injuries 3: Biopsychology	Read: Chapter 3 (sections 3.3 – 3.5) Review: Review: Chapter 3 PowerPoint C	Sunday 2/16 (by midnight) – Chapter 3 Discussion (Write your response and then respond to at least 1 peer)
2/17 - 2/23
T 2/18	Do Now: Importance of the Methodology Section of a Psychological research article. Midterm Discussion 4: States of Consciousness	Read: Chapter 4 (sections 4.1 – 4.6) Review: Chapter 4 PowerPoints.	Tuesday 2/18 (by midnight) – Quiz #1 Chapters 1 – 3. *1 point will be deducted per day of late submission*
R 2/20	Do Now 5: Sensation and Perception	Read: Chapter 5 (sections 5.1 – 5.6) Review: Chapter 5 PowerPoints	Sunday 2/23 (by midnight) – Chapter 4 Discussion (Write your response and then respond to at least 1 peer) *No Chapter 5 Discussion*
2/24 - 3/2
T  2/25	Discussion on Little Albert 6: Learning APA Review Midterm Discussion	Read: Chapter 6 (sections 6.1 – 6.4) Review: Chapter 6 PowerPoints Review: APA Citations Article & APA Video, Midterm PowerPoint.
R 2/27	Do Now Candle Activity in Groups 7: Thinking and Intelligence	Read: Chapter 7 (sections 7.1 – 7.6) Review: Chapter 7 PowerPoints	Sunday 3/2 (by midnight) – Chapter 6  Discussion (Write your response and then respond to at least 1 peer) *No Chapter 7 Discussion*
3/3 - 3/9
T 3/4	Do Now Memory Games 8: Memory	Read: Chapter 8 (sections 8.1 – 8.4) Review: Chapter 8 PowerPoint and Memory Visualizations Article.	Tuesday 3/4 (by midnight) – Quiz #2 Chapters 4 – 6. *1 point will be deducted per day of late submission*
R 3/6	Midterm Presentation Schedule Sign ups    In Class Midterm Work		Sunday 3/9 (by MIDTERM Due by Midnight
3/10 - 3/16
T 3/11		Spring Break
R 3/13		Spring Break
3/17 - 3/23
T 3/18	Midterm week: Presentations
R 3/20	Midterm week: Presentations		Sunday 3/23 (by midnight) – Chapters 8 Discussion (No Need to respond to peers for this one.)
3/24 – 3/30
T 3/25	Do Now 9: Lifespan Development	Read: Chapter 9 (sections 9.1 – 9.4) Watch: Lifespan Development Video Review: Parenting Styles     Read: Chapter 11 (sections 11.1 – 11.4) Review: Chapter 11 PowerPoint
R 3/27	Do Now 10: Emotion and Motivation	Read: Chapter 10 (sections 10.1 – 10.4) Review: Chapter 10 PowerPoint, Emotion and Motivation Video.	Sunday 3/30 (by midnight) – Chapter 9 & 10 Discussion (No need to respond to others for this post)
3/31 - 4/6
T 4/1	Do Now 11: Personality and Personality tests	Read: Chapter 11 (sections 11.5 – 11.9)   Read: Chapter 12 (sections 12.1 – 12.3)	Tuesday 4/1 (by midnight) – Quiz #3 Chapters 7 – 9. 1 point will be deducted per day of late submission* No chapter 11 Discussion
R 4/3	Do Now 12: Social Psychology	Read: Chapter 12 (sections 12.4 – 12.7) Review: More Information on Key Terms and Concepts Watch: Experiments in Social Psychology (Videos)	Sunday 4/6 (by midnight) – Chapter 12 Discussion (Respond to at least 1 peer)
4/7 - 4/13
T 4/8	Do Now 13: Industrial-Organizational Psychology	Read: Chapter 13 (sections 13.1 – 13.4) Review: Chapter 13 PowerPoint
R 4/10	Do Now 13: Industrial-Organizational Psychology		Sunday 4/13 (by midnight) – Chapter 13 Discussion (Write your response and then respond to at least 1 peer)
4/14 - 4/20
T 4/15	Do Now 14: Stress, Life, and Health	Read: Chapter 14 (sections 14.1 – 14.5)
R 4/17	Do Now Relaxation Activities 14: Stress, Life, and Health	Review: Chapter 14 PowerPoints	Sunday 4/20 (by midnight) – Chapter 14 Discussion (Write your response and then respond to at least 1 peer)
4/21 - 4/27
T 4/22	Do Now Scavenger Hunt Review Assignment
R 4/24	Do Now 15: Psychological Disorders	Read: Chapter 15 (sections 15.1 – 15.5) Review: Chapter 15 PowerPoint
4/28 - 5/4
T 4/29	Do Now 15: Psychological Disorders	Read: Chapter 15 (sections 15.6 – 15.11)
R 5/1	Do Now 16: Therapy and Treatment	Read: Chapter 16 (sections 16.1 – 16.5)	Sunday 5/4 (by midnight) – Chapter 15 Discussion (Write your response and then respond to at least 1 peer post)
5/5 - 5/10 (last day of semester)
T 5/6	Do Now 16: Therapy and Treatment	Watch: Therapy and Treatment Video Review: Chapter 16 PowerPoint	Tuesday 5/6 (by midnight) – Quiz #4 Chapters 10 - 15. *1 point will be deducted per day of late submission*
R 5/8	Treatment Options and Mental Health Support	Review: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) & Mental Health Resources.	Thursday 5/8 Final Due No finals accepted past 5/9 at midnight. 1 Point will be deducted for every day the assignment is late. Students who do not complete the final will receive an FN grade. PLEASE SUBMIT YOUR FINAL!!

Semester ends 5/10 and all grades will be submitted by 5/10 by midnight!