Division of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Department of Psychology
PSYC 2301: Introduction to Psychology
CRN # 91683 -= Alief Campus
Fridays – 9 AM to 1 PM
4 hour lecture course / 48 hours per semester/ 10 weeks
In Person]
Instructor: Catherine Johnson, M. A., L.P.C.
Instructor Contact Information:
Department Contact Information:
Office Location and Hours Before or after class
Please feel free to contact me concerning any problems that you are experiencing in this course. You do
not need to wait until you have received a poor grade before asking for my assistance. Your performance
in my class is very important to me. I am available to hear your concerns and just to discuss course topics.
Email Policy
HCCS policy requires instructors and students to communicate only through the HCCS email system. If
you have not activated your HCCS student email account, you can do so here
(http://www.hccs.edu/district/students/student-e-maileagle-id/). Generally answered within 24 hours.
Course Description
PSYC 2301 is a survey course of the basic principles underlying human behavior. Emphasis is placed on major
areas of study in the field of psychology, such as motivation, development, thought processes, personality.
Prerequisites
PSYC 2301 requires college-level reading and writing skills. Research indicates that you are most likely to
succeed if you have already taken and passed ENGL 1301. The minimum requirements for enrollment in
PSYC 2301 include placement in college-level reading (or take GUST 0342 as a co-requisite) and placement in
college-level writing (or take ENGL 0310/0349 as a co-requisite). If you have enrolled in this course without
having satisfied these prerequisites, you are at higher risk of failure or withdrawal than students who have done
so, and you should carefully read and consider the repeater policy in the HCCS Student Handbook.
Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs)
1. All Students: Upon completion of any course in the psychology program, students will be able to
define, discuss, and apply psychological terms and concepts that are covered in the course and are also
referred to in news reports, self-help materials, and the process of seeking and engaging in
psychotherapy.
, 2. Psychology Majors: Upon completion of any course in the psychology program, students who are
seeking undergraduate degrees in psychology will be able to define, discuss, and apply the key terms
and concepts that are covered in the course and are also included in upper division psychology course
that are required for an undergraduate degree in psychology (e.g., abnormal psychology, history, and
systems of psychology).
3. Non-Psychology Majors: Upon completion of any course in the psychology program, students who are
seeing degrees in fields other than psychology will be able to define, discuss, and apply the key terms
and concepts that are covered in the course and are also included in psychology-related course that are
required for degrees in fields other than psychology (e.g., nursing skills, consumer behavior, research
methods).
Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs)
Upon completion of PSYC 2301, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge in multiple (8) areas of psychology, including concepts, facts, and
theoretical perspectives.
2. Define and identify the basic research and evaluation methods used in psychology, including
the strengths and weaknesses of each method.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of and identify concepts related to personal development and the development
and behavior of others.
4. Apply psychological concepts to the solution of issues and problems including ethics, coping with
stressful events, health and wellness, parenting, learning, memory, and /or evaluation of media
presentations.
Core Curriculum Objectives
PSYC 2301 satisfies the social science requirement in the HCCS core curriculum. The HCCS Psychology
Discipline Committee has specified that the course addresses the core objectives as follows:
• Critical Thinking: Students will demonstrate the ability to engage in inquiry and analysis, evaluation
and synthesis of information, and creative thinking by completing a written assignment such as a
book report, research paper, or essay.
• Communication Skills: Students will demonstrate effective development, interpretation and
expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication by completing a written
assignment such as a book report, research paper, or essay.
• Quantitative and Empirical Literacy: Students will demonstrate the ability to draw conclusions based
on the systematic analysis of topics using observation, experiment, and/or numerical skills by
completing textbook reading assignments, completing assignments, and answering questions on
quizzes and exams that pertain to Course Student Learning Outcome #2 above.
• Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate cultural self-awareness, intercultural competency,
civil knowledge, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities by
completing textbook reading assignments, completing assignments, and answering questions on quizzes
and exams that pertain to Course Student Learning Outcome #4 above.
Learning Objectives
OBJECTIVES FOR CSLO #1: Demonstrate knowledge in multiple (8) areas of psychology including
concepts, facts and theoretical perspectives.
CORE DOMAIN 1: THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY
1 Major schools of thought in psychology
CORE DOMAIN 2: BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
,1 Components of the neuron
2 Components of the synapse
3 Action potential
4 Major neurotransmitters
5 Medulla
6 Cerebellum
7 Hypothalamus
8 Limbic system
9 Components of the cerebrum
10 Plasticity
11 Endocrine system
12 Mirror neurons
CORE DOMAIN 3: LEARNING
1 Learning
2 Reinforcement
3 Punishment
4 Observational learning
CORE DOMAIN 4: MEMORY
1 Characteristics of short-term memory
2 Characteristics of long-term memory
CORE DOMAIN 5: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
1 Phases of prenatal development
2 Piaget's stages of cognitive development
3 Erikson's stages of psychosocial development
4 Alzheimer's disease
CORE DOMAIN 6: STRESS AND HEALTH
1 General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
2 Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
CORE DOMAIN 7: PERSONALITY
1 Personality
2 Conscious, unconscious, preconscious mind
3 Id, ego, and superego
4 Freud's psychosexual stages
5 Big Five personality traits
CORE DOMAIN 8: ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR AND THERAPIES
1 Agoraphobia
2 Social anxiety disorder
3 Generalized anxiety disorder
4 Specific phobias
5 Panic disorder
6 Obsessive-compulsive disorder
7 Dissociative identity disorder
8 Schizophrenia
9 Major depressive disorder
10 Bipolar disorder
11 Personality disorders
OBJECTIVES FOR CSLO#2: Define and identify the basic research and evaluation methods used in
psychology, including the strengths and weaknesses of each method.
CORE DOMAIN 1: THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY
, 1 Scientific method
2 Descriptive methods
3 Representative sample
4 Experimental method
CORE DOMAIN 2: BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
1 Methods of studying the brain
CORE DOMAIN 3: LEARNING
1 Methods used by Pavlov, Watson, and Skinner
CORE DOMAIN 4: MEMORY
1 Recall
2 Recognition
CORE DOMAIN 6: STRESS AND HEALTH
1 Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)
CORE DOMAIN 7: PERSONALITY
1 Objective tests (inventories)
2 Projective tests
CORE DOMAIN 8: ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR AND THERAPIES
1 Purpose, organization, and content of the DSM-5
OBJECTIVE FOR CSLO#3: Demonstrate knowledge of and identify concepts related to personal
development and the development and behavior of others.
CORE DOMAIN 1: THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY
1 Differences among the major theoretical perspectives in psychology
CORE DOMAIN 2: BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
1 Processes that occur when a neuron is activated
2 How neurotransmitters affect behavior
3 Functions of the frontal lobes
4 Difference between the central and peripheral nervous systems
5 Functions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
6 How the pituitary gland affects behavior
7 How the adrenal glands affect behavior
CORE DOMAIN 3: LEARNING
1 How classical conditioning modifies an organism's responses to stimuli
2 How operant conditioning modifies an organism's responses to stimuli
3 Difference between positive and negative reinforcement
4 Factors that influence the effectiveness of punishment
CORE DOMAIN 4: MEMORY
1 Information-processing approach to memory
2 Reconstructive memory
3 The function of schemas
4 Causes of forgetting
CORE DOMAIN 5: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
1 Effects of teratogens and other negative factors on prenatal development
2 Relationship between contact comfort and attachment
3 Differences among the various patterns of attachment
4 Difference between the social learning and gender schema theory explanations of gender
role development
5 Process of cognitive development as Piaget explained it
6 Proposed causes of Alzheimer's disease
CORE DOMAIN 6: STRESS AND HEALTH
Department of Psychology
PSYC 2301: Introduction to Psychology
CRN # 91683 -= Alief Campus
Fridays – 9 AM to 1 PM
4 hour lecture course / 48 hours per semester/ 10 weeks
In Person]
Instructor: Catherine Johnson, M. A., L.P.C.
Instructor Contact Information:
Department Contact Information:
Office Location and Hours Before or after class
Please feel free to contact me concerning any problems that you are experiencing in this course. You do
not need to wait until you have received a poor grade before asking for my assistance. Your performance
in my class is very important to me. I am available to hear your concerns and just to discuss course topics.
Email Policy
HCCS policy requires instructors and students to communicate only through the HCCS email system. If
you have not activated your HCCS student email account, you can do so here
(http://www.hccs.edu/district/students/student-e-maileagle-id/). Generally answered within 24 hours.
Course Description
PSYC 2301 is a survey course of the basic principles underlying human behavior. Emphasis is placed on major
areas of study in the field of psychology, such as motivation, development, thought processes, personality.
Prerequisites
PSYC 2301 requires college-level reading and writing skills. Research indicates that you are most likely to
succeed if you have already taken and passed ENGL 1301. The minimum requirements for enrollment in
PSYC 2301 include placement in college-level reading (or take GUST 0342 as a co-requisite) and placement in
college-level writing (or take ENGL 0310/0349 as a co-requisite). If you have enrolled in this course without
having satisfied these prerequisites, you are at higher risk of failure or withdrawal than students who have done
so, and you should carefully read and consider the repeater policy in the HCCS Student Handbook.
Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs)
1. All Students: Upon completion of any course in the psychology program, students will be able to
define, discuss, and apply psychological terms and concepts that are covered in the course and are also
referred to in news reports, self-help materials, and the process of seeking and engaging in
psychotherapy.
, 2. Psychology Majors: Upon completion of any course in the psychology program, students who are
seeking undergraduate degrees in psychology will be able to define, discuss, and apply the key terms
and concepts that are covered in the course and are also included in upper division psychology course
that are required for an undergraduate degree in psychology (e.g., abnormal psychology, history, and
systems of psychology).
3. Non-Psychology Majors: Upon completion of any course in the psychology program, students who are
seeing degrees in fields other than psychology will be able to define, discuss, and apply the key terms
and concepts that are covered in the course and are also included in psychology-related course that are
required for degrees in fields other than psychology (e.g., nursing skills, consumer behavior, research
methods).
Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs)
Upon completion of PSYC 2301, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate knowledge in multiple (8) areas of psychology, including concepts, facts, and
theoretical perspectives.
2. Define and identify the basic research and evaluation methods used in psychology, including
the strengths and weaknesses of each method.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of and identify concepts related to personal development and the development
and behavior of others.
4. Apply psychological concepts to the solution of issues and problems including ethics, coping with
stressful events, health and wellness, parenting, learning, memory, and /or evaluation of media
presentations.
Core Curriculum Objectives
PSYC 2301 satisfies the social science requirement in the HCCS core curriculum. The HCCS Psychology
Discipline Committee has specified that the course addresses the core objectives as follows:
• Critical Thinking: Students will demonstrate the ability to engage in inquiry and analysis, evaluation
and synthesis of information, and creative thinking by completing a written assignment such as a
book report, research paper, or essay.
• Communication Skills: Students will demonstrate effective development, interpretation and
expression of ideas through written, oral, and visual communication by completing a written
assignment such as a book report, research paper, or essay.
• Quantitative and Empirical Literacy: Students will demonstrate the ability to draw conclusions based
on the systematic analysis of topics using observation, experiment, and/or numerical skills by
completing textbook reading assignments, completing assignments, and answering questions on
quizzes and exams that pertain to Course Student Learning Outcome #2 above.
• Social Responsibility: Students will demonstrate cultural self-awareness, intercultural competency,
civil knowledge, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities by
completing textbook reading assignments, completing assignments, and answering questions on quizzes
and exams that pertain to Course Student Learning Outcome #4 above.
Learning Objectives
OBJECTIVES FOR CSLO #1: Demonstrate knowledge in multiple (8) areas of psychology including
concepts, facts and theoretical perspectives.
CORE DOMAIN 1: THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY
1 Major schools of thought in psychology
CORE DOMAIN 2: BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
,1 Components of the neuron
2 Components of the synapse
3 Action potential
4 Major neurotransmitters
5 Medulla
6 Cerebellum
7 Hypothalamus
8 Limbic system
9 Components of the cerebrum
10 Plasticity
11 Endocrine system
12 Mirror neurons
CORE DOMAIN 3: LEARNING
1 Learning
2 Reinforcement
3 Punishment
4 Observational learning
CORE DOMAIN 4: MEMORY
1 Characteristics of short-term memory
2 Characteristics of long-term memory
CORE DOMAIN 5: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
1 Phases of prenatal development
2 Piaget's stages of cognitive development
3 Erikson's stages of psychosocial development
4 Alzheimer's disease
CORE DOMAIN 6: STRESS AND HEALTH
1 General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
2 Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
CORE DOMAIN 7: PERSONALITY
1 Personality
2 Conscious, unconscious, preconscious mind
3 Id, ego, and superego
4 Freud's psychosexual stages
5 Big Five personality traits
CORE DOMAIN 8: ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR AND THERAPIES
1 Agoraphobia
2 Social anxiety disorder
3 Generalized anxiety disorder
4 Specific phobias
5 Panic disorder
6 Obsessive-compulsive disorder
7 Dissociative identity disorder
8 Schizophrenia
9 Major depressive disorder
10 Bipolar disorder
11 Personality disorders
OBJECTIVES FOR CSLO#2: Define and identify the basic research and evaluation methods used in
psychology, including the strengths and weaknesses of each method.
CORE DOMAIN 1: THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY
, 1 Scientific method
2 Descriptive methods
3 Representative sample
4 Experimental method
CORE DOMAIN 2: BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
1 Methods of studying the brain
CORE DOMAIN 3: LEARNING
1 Methods used by Pavlov, Watson, and Skinner
CORE DOMAIN 4: MEMORY
1 Recall
2 Recognition
CORE DOMAIN 6: STRESS AND HEALTH
1 Social Readjustment Rating Scale (SRRS)
CORE DOMAIN 7: PERSONALITY
1 Objective tests (inventories)
2 Projective tests
CORE DOMAIN 8: ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR AND THERAPIES
1 Purpose, organization, and content of the DSM-5
OBJECTIVE FOR CSLO#3: Demonstrate knowledge of and identify concepts related to personal
development and the development and behavior of others.
CORE DOMAIN 1: THE SCIENCE OF PSYCHOLOGY
1 Differences among the major theoretical perspectives in psychology
CORE DOMAIN 2: BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
1 Processes that occur when a neuron is activated
2 How neurotransmitters affect behavior
3 Functions of the frontal lobes
4 Difference between the central and peripheral nervous systems
5 Functions of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
6 How the pituitary gland affects behavior
7 How the adrenal glands affect behavior
CORE DOMAIN 3: LEARNING
1 How classical conditioning modifies an organism's responses to stimuli
2 How operant conditioning modifies an organism's responses to stimuli
3 Difference between positive and negative reinforcement
4 Factors that influence the effectiveness of punishment
CORE DOMAIN 4: MEMORY
1 Information-processing approach to memory
2 Reconstructive memory
3 The function of schemas
4 Causes of forgetting
CORE DOMAIN 5: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
1 Effects of teratogens and other negative factors on prenatal development
2 Relationship between contact comfort and attachment
3 Differences among the various patterns of attachment
4 Difference between the social learning and gender schema theory explanations of gender
role development
5 Process of cognitive development as Piaget explained it
6 Proposed causes of Alzheimer's disease
CORE DOMAIN 6: STRESS AND HEALTH
