This introductory course focuses on how psychologists conduct research on human behavior and ways to interpret the results.
| Credits: | 3 |
| Prerequisites: | Eligible to enroll in ENGL-101 or ENGL-121 (English Composition). |
| Instructor: | Susan Keach Sweeney |
| Phone: | 443-518-4112 |
| Email: | SkeachSweeney@howardcc.edu |
Objectives | Course Format | Orientation | Course Requirements | Texts and Materials | Exams
Once you have completed this course you will be able to:
- Summarize written material by; describing the central idea and key points, analyzing important definitions and identifying psychological evidence (Critical Evaluative Reading).
- Notice, understand, analyze and evaluate psychological information in the mass media (Critical Evaluative Thinking).
- Apply Critical Thinking and psychological concepts to your own experiences (Application).
- Describe the problem of defining mental illness, some of the types of mental illnesses and the major treatment methods.
- Explain the influences and limitations on how we perceive.
- Explain how to modify and change attitudes and behaviors.
- Describe the heredity-environment issue.
- State what you have learned about selected topics in psychology.
- Describe important concepts related to psychological research.
- Describe selected topics from social psychological research.
- Compare the major perspectives in psychology:
- The Learning perspective
- The Psychodynamic perspective
- The Cognitive perspective
- The Humanistic perspective
- Demonstrate skills as a researcher and apply the scientific method.
- Use the Internet to gather information pertaining to the various psychological concepts that this course will cover.
This course is not self-paced. This course does require four on-campus meetings -- once for a face-to-face orientation, and again for three exams (Midterm, Final and Critical Thinking Exam). The communication in the course will take place through emails and threaded discussions.
Orientation There is no on-campus orientation for this class. Please log-on to the course during the first week of the term to begin the on-line orientation that is available for enrolled students.
Course Requirements - Review the "Characteristics of Successful Online Students" and the "Minimum Hardware and Software Requirements" to be sure that you should be enrolling.
- Participation in weekly threaded discussions which are actually thirteen short papers requiring APA style citations and references.
- Evaluating Psychological Information (Critical Thinking) Booklet to be distributed at orientation; or accessed on line.
- Twelve on-line Quizzes (taken at home).
- Three exams required in on-campus test center, including a comprehensive final exam.
Textbook information: To visit our bookstore's online sales site, please visit www.howardccbooks.com and follow the instructions.
For purposes of verification and assessing learning outcomes, this course has online quizzes. There are also proctored online midtern and final exams HCC Test Center for students in the local region or at a regional institution for remote students. A proctored exam on the Evaluating psychological Information (Critical Thinking) workbook will be given at the Test Center. The exams will have a flexible window of time during which it needs to be taken rather than a single date and time.
If you have questions about this class, send a message to Susan Keach Sweeney, SkeachSweeney@howardcc.edu.
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© Howard Community College, 1998 Last revised: 18 May 2006
