I. General Information

1. Course Title:
General Psychology

2. Course Prefix & Number:
PSYC 2421

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 4

Lecture Hours: 4

Lab Hours: 0

4. Course Description:

This class presents a general introduction to psychology as a biosocial science. This survey course will familiarize the student with the basic principles of psychology, show how psychologists employ the scientific method, and equip the beginning student of psychology with a working vocabulary of psychological terminology and critical thinking skills. Areas to be covered include research, neuroscience and behavior, developmental and social psychology, personality, motivation, thinking and learning, memory, psychological disorders and therapy.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

Reading College Level CLC or Reading College Level

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

Bemidji State University, PSYC 1100 Introductory Psychology, 4 cr.
Minnesota State University Moorhead, PSY 113 General Psychology, 3 cr.
Minnesota State Univesrity Mankato, PSYC 101 Introduction to Psychological Science, 4 cr.
Southwest Minnesota State University, PSYC 101 General Psychology, 3 cr.
St. Could State University, PSY 115 Introduction to Psychology, 3 cr.
Winona State University, PSY 210 Introduction to Psychological Science, 3 cr.

2. Transfer - regional institutions with which this course has a written articulation agreement:

"PSYC 2421 General Psychology" is a foundational course within the Central Lakes College - Psychology (Minnesota State Transfer Pathway) AA-P degree. The AA-P degree was developed in cooperation with the 7 state universities in Minnesota, and guarantees that the AA-P degree will transfer seamlessly for students who continue on to a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology (designated programs) at any of the state universities in Minnesota.

 

3. Prior Learning - the following prior learning methods are acceptable for this course:
CLEP

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course is required for the following program(s):

Psychology (Minnesota State Transfer Pathway) AA-P Degree
Nursing AS Degree

2. MN Transfer Curriculum (General Education) Courses - This course fulfills the following goal area(s) of the MN Transfer Curriculum:

• Goal 2 – Critical Thinking
• Goal 5 – History and the Social and Behavioral Sciences

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate written communication skills	Demonstrate mastery of key topics in psychology by writing select analytical and/or reflective essays.
Demonstrate reading and listening skills	Demonstrate an understanding of content and major ideas conveyed in the assigned readings and course activities.
Apply abstract ideas to concrete situations	Apply psychological theories to understand human behavior.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the key topics in Psychology (MnTC Goal 5);
• Adopt the framework of Psychological Science (correctly use terminology and concepts, engage in scientific problem solving) (MnTC Goal 5);
• Compare and contrast the major theoretical approaches to Psychology (MnTC Goal 5);
• Describe scientific research methods used in Psychology (MnTC Goal 2);
• Apply course concepts to one's own life (MnTC Goal 5);
• Utilize critical thinking skills (e.g., evaluate information quality, distinguish between causation and correlation, adopt multiple perspectives for a given problem) (MnTC Goal 2);
• Describe the history of Psychology and how Psychology is distinct from related disciplines such as Sociology and Philosophy (MnTC Goal 5);
• Demonstrate an understanding and appreciation for aspects of human diversity as it applies to Psychology (MnTC Goal 5);
• Summarize the general criteria of abnormality (MnTC Goal 5);
• Gather factual information and apply it to a given problem in a manner that is relevant, clear, comprehensive and conscious of possible bias in the information selected; (MnTC Goal 2);
• Analyze the logical connections among facts, goals and implicit assumptions relevant to a problem or claim; generate and evaluate implications that follow from them; (MnTC Goal 2); and
• Recognize and articulate the value assumptions which underlie and affect decisions, interpretations, analyses, and evaluations made by ourselves and others. (MnTC Goal 2).

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Introduction to Psychology
• What is Psychology
• History of Psychology
• Critical Thinking
• Careers in Psychology
2. Psychological Research
• Why is research important?
• Approaches to research
• Analyzing findings
• Ethics
3. Biopsychology
• Human Genetics
• The Nervous System
• The Brain and Spinal Cord
• The Endocrine System
4. States of Consciousness
• What is consciousness?
• Sleep - stages, reasons, disorders
• Substance use and abuse
• Hypnosis
• Psychoactive Drugs
5. Sensation and Perception
• Sensation versus Perception
• Vision
• Hearing
• The other senses
• Gestalt Principles of Perception
6. Learning & Conditioning
• What is learning?
• Classical Conditioning
• Operant Conditioning
• Observational Learning
7. Thinking and Intelligence
• What is Cognition?
• Language
• Problem Solving
• Intelligence and Creativity
• Measures of intelligence
• The source of intelligence
8. Memory
• How memory functions
• Parts of the brain involved in memory
• Problems with memory
• Ways to enhance memory
9. Lifespan Development
• What is Lifespan Development?
• Lifespan Theories
• Stages of development
• Death and dying
10. Motivation and Emotion
• Motivation
• Hunger and eating
• Sexual behavior
• Emotion
11. Personality
• What is Personality?
• Theories/Approaches
• Cultural understandings of Personality
• Personality assessment
12. Social Psychology
• What is Social Psychology?
• Attitudes and persuasion
• Conformity, compliance and obedience
• Prejudice and discrimination
• Aggression
13. Psychological Disorders
• Identification, diagnosis and classification
• Anxiety Disorders
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorders
• Posttraumatic Stress Disorders
• Mood Disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Dissociative Disorders
• Personality Disorders
• Disorders in childhood
14. Treatment & Therapy
• Mental Health Treatment: past and present
• Types of Treatment
• Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders
• Sociocultural Model
• Therapy utilization

2. Laboratory/Studio Sessions