Spring 2026
General Psychology
Approved: Initials/date General Psychology (PSYC 2301_2B1) CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (3 Lec hours lecture, 0 Lab hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Online PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: TSI complete in Reading. COURSE DESCRIPTION An introductory survey of the major areas of psychology such as learning, personality, social, testing, developmental, and physiological. Emphasis is on psychology as the scientific study of behavior and includes both human and animal behavior. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to • Identify various research methods and their characteristics used in the scientific study of psychology. • Describe the historical influences and early schools of thought that shaped the field of psychology. • Describe some of the prominent perspectives and approaches used in the study of psychology. • Use terminology unique to the study of psychology. • Describe accepted approaches and standards in psychological assessment and evaluation. • Identify factors in physiological and psychological processes involved in human behavior CORE OBJECTIVES MEASURED • Communication Skills (COM) - effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication. • Critical Thinking Skills (CT) - creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information. • Empirical and Quantitative Skills (EQS) - manipulation and analysis of numerical data or observable facts resulting in informed conclusions. • Social Responsibility (SR) - intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities. INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Dr. Miranda Phillips Email: mphillips1@lit.edu Virtual Office Hours: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM by appointment. Please email me and we can schedule a phone conference REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS Psychology 2e Open Stax. Rose M. Spielman, William J. Jenkins, and Marilyn D. Lovett. Printed by XanEdu in Ann Arbor, MI 48108 Original Publication Year, 2020 978-1-975076-45-0 Hardcover Book ISBN-13 9 978-1-975076-44-3 B & W Paperback Book ISBN-13 978-1-951-693-23-7 Digital Version ISBN-13 ATTENDANCE POLICY Because this is an asynchronous, online class, no face-to-face meetings are required. However, active participation is expected through our discussion boards. You are required to make three posts during each two-week module, and these must occur on at least two different days within the module. You may begin posting on Monday of Week 1, but your original post must be submitted by Sunday of Week 1. Your two response posts must then be completed by the end of Week 2. Timely participation ensures that discussions remain active, collaborative, and meaningful. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process by the specified date as listed in the College Calendar on the Student Success web page. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. COURSE CALENDAR Module Dates Chapters/Subjects Covered Assignments Due 1 1/20- 2/1 Syllabus Chapter 1: Intro to Psychology Chapter 2: Psychological Research ▪ DB 1.1 : Introductions ▪ DB 1.2: DB Post and Responses 2 2/2- 2/15 Chapter 3: Biopsychology ▪ DB 2: DB Post and Responses ▪ Exam #1: Ch. 1-3 3 2/16- 3/1 Chapter 14: Stress, Lifestyle and Health Chapter 15: Psychological Disorders Chapter 16: Therapy and Treatment ▪ DB 3: DB Post and Responses ▪ Exam #2: Ch. 14-16 4 3/2-3/15 Chapter 7: Thinking and Intelligence Chapter 8: Memory ▪ DB 4: DB Post and Responses ▪ Core Assessment 5 3/16- 3/29 Chapter 9: Lifespan Development ▪ DB 5: DB Post and Responses ▪ Exam #3: Ch. 7-9 6 3/30- 4/12 Chapter 10: Motivation and Emotion Chapter 11: Personality ▪ DB 6: DB Post and Responses ▪ Personality Assessment 7 4/13- 4/26 Chapter 12: Social Psychology ▪ DB 7: DB Post and Responses ▪ Exam #4: Ch. 10-11 8 4/27- 5/10 Chapter 4- States of Consciousness Chapter 5- Sensation & Perception Chapter 6 – Learning ▪ DB 8: DB Post and Responses ▪ Exam #5: Ch. 4-6 COURSE EVALUATION Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: Exams 50% Assignments/Quizzes 30% Core Assessment 20% Core Assessment – 20% 20% Discussion Board Participation (One DB per Module) 20% (2.5% each) Five Exams (3 chapters per exam) Exam #1 Exam #2 Exam #3 Exam #4 Exam #5 50% (10% each) Personality Assessment – 10% 10% GRADE SCALE • 90-100 A • 80-89 B • 70-79 C • 60-69 D • 0-59 F TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc. can be online at https://lit.edu/online-learning/online-learning-minimum-computer-requirements. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE STATEMENT Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI/ChatGPT in their courses STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION Late Work Policy All assignments and exams may be submitted up until the last day of class. Major exams and assignments will be accepted late; however, a penalty of five points per day will be deducted for late submissions, up to a maximum deduction of 30 points. For example, if an assignment is submitted 10 days late and originally earned a score of 100, the highest possible grade recorded would be a 70. If a student scored a 90 but the assignment was six or more days late, the highest grade recorded would be a 60. Please note that discussion board work cannot be submitted late under any circumstances, unless extenuating circumstances have been approved in advance by the instructor. Because discussions close at midnight on the designated due date each week, no late discussion posts will be accepted. AI Use Students may use AI tools (such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, or similar platforms) only as a supplement to their own learning and work. All submitted assignments, projects, and exams must reflect the student’s original understanding, critical thinking, and effort. • Permitted Use: AI tools may be used for brainstorming, refining writing style, organizing ideas, or checking grammar and mechanics. • Prohibited Use: Submitting AI-generated work as one’s own, using AI to complete assignments without significant personal contribution, or relying on AI in place of required readings, discussions, or original analysis. • Academic Integrity: Any misuse of AI that undermines the learning process or violates the spirit of academic honesty will be treated as academic misconduct and subject to institutional policy. • Citing AI Use: If AI tools are used to support any part of an assignment, students must clearly acknowledge this in their work. For example, in APA format, a citation might look like: • OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (Aug 21 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/ A brief note in the assignment should also explain how the AI was used (e.g., “AI was used to suggest alternative wording for sentences” or “AI was used to generate sample questions that I then revised”). The instructor reserves the right to check student work through an AI detection tool to ensure originality and integrity. Remember, it is not enough to just add citations and a reference. Information from AI must also be written in your own words.