St. Clair County Community College 2004-2005 Catalog
PSYCHOLOGY
Social Science Department 810-989-5707
PSY 150 Applied Psychology. CURRENTLY INACTIVE. See note at the end of the course listings.
PSY 170 Psychology of Effective Learning. This course is intended for students who wish to improve their skills and strategies for learning and memory. The topics to be covered include an introduction to cognitive science; the comprehension of both oral and written material; attention; memory and memory retrieval; strategies for improving memory; problem solving; creativity; learning styles; techniques for motivation; test anxiety; and styles for self-management, including learning how to set and achieve study goals; learning more with less time and effort, increasing test taking abilities, and improving attitudes toward learning. The course provides students with techniques to reduce psychological and social stressors that can interfere with successful learning. Regardless of the area of concentration or the career, the skills and concepts learned in this course will be useful in learning throughout a college career and in life after college.
Prerequisite: None
4 credits = 4 lecture
CT
PSY 180 Introduction to Psychology. This course is an introduction to the scientific study and explanation of human behavior, surveying such topics as the biological basis of behavior, development, consciousness and its alterations, sensation, perception, cognition, emotion, motivation, learning, intelligence, personality, abnormal behavior and treatment. This course covers the role of theory, research findings and practical applications in psychology.
Prerequisite: None. Although no prerequisite exists, PSY 180 students are strongly encouraged to wait until their second semester or until they have completed 12 semester hours.
4 credits = 4 lecture
CT
PSY 190 Introduction to Empathy and Counseling Techniques. This course is designed to introduce students to the basic skills of "helping" and will focus on the practical issues of the entry-level paraprofessional. Major emphasis will be placed on the process of communication and the barriers to being an effective communicator. Special populations and situations such as suicide, substance abuse, values clarification, stress management, and mental illness will be discussed. This course will benefit students who plan to work directly with consumers in a human services setting. Once a year offering.
Prerequisites: PSY 180 and HS 101 recommended
3 credits = 3 lecture
PSY 200 Social Psychology. This course studies underlying processes of human interaction, focusing on motives, attitudes, norms, the socialization process, social factors of perception and personality development. Emphasis will be on the development of the individual and human nature in a social environment.
Prerequisite: SOC 101 or PSY 180. Students may register for PSY 200 or SOC 200 but not for both.
3 credits = 3 lecture
PSY 210 Child Psychology. This course examines the application of psychological principles and research to the understanding of the behavior of children from the prenatal through later childhood periods. This course surveys physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development in the period prior to adolescence. The course is not recommended for students who have taken PSY 220.
Prerequisite: PSY 180 or permission of instructor
3 credits = 3 lecture
PSY 215 Adolescent Psychology. This course examines the adolescent from biological, cognitive, and psychosocial perspectives. Normal processes of adolescence, such as self identity, puberty, moral development, sexual behavior, and mature modes of thinking and reasoning are covered. Close attention is given to special problems of adolescence, including teen suicide, adolescent pregnancy, delinquency, and eating disorders.
Prerequisite: PSY 180 or permission of instructor
3 credits = 3 lecture
PSY 220 Life Span Developmental Psychology. This course is a survey of the psychology of human growth and development from conception to death, integrating physical, intellectual, social, and personality development through the life cycle. Among the special topics covered are genetic counseling and the amniocentesis debate; effects of drugs, tobacco, and alcohol on the unborn child; learning disabilities and psychological problems in children; teenage pregnancies and suicide; the mid-life crisis; and death and dying.
Prerequisite: PSY 180
4 credits = 4 lecture
PSY 225 Adolescent and Adult Psychology. This course is designed for students who have completed a course in child psychology and wish to study the remainder of the lifespan. The course begins at mid-semester and is open on a limited basis to students who have completed child psychology, but is not open to students who have taken PSY 220.
Prerequisite: PSY 180 and PSY 210 and permission of instructor
2 credits = 4 lecture (one-half semester)
PSY 230 Psychology of Effective Leadership and Supervision. This course will emphasize what is currently known about the effective humanistic management of employees. The course will also deal with employee motivation and productivity, and how to increase it through the use of empathy and no-lose problem solving. Effective coping of work related problems as well as stress reduction modalities will be central issues in this course.
Prerequisite: None
4 credits = 4 lecture
PSY 240 The Psychology of Adjustment and Mental Health. This course emphasizes what is currently known about mental health and effective coping mechanisms. The application of psychological principles to healthy interpersonal and interpersonal relationships are covered.
Prerequisite: PSY 180
3 credits = 3 lecture
PSY 250 Educational Psychology. CURRENTLY INACTIVE. See note at the end of the course listings.
PSY 260 Abnormal Psychology. This course studies abnormal or maladaptive behavior--its causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention. Major theoretical and research perspectives are covered in a survey of the major categories of mental disorders.
Prerequisite: PSY 180
4 credits = 4 lecture
PSY 270 Psychology of Women. Emphasis of this course will be on the study of the development of sex-typed behavior and on how social expectations affect the self concept, achievement, sexuality, and life decisions of women. Other topics will include the physiological basis of sex differences, the effect of body states on psyche, and the psychopathology and treatment of women.
Prerequisite: PSY 180 or permission of instructor
3 credits = 3 lecture
PSY 275 Psychology of Men. This course will review the relevant knowledge in the emerging field of masculinity studies. The dark side of masculinity will be a central feature of this course as well as the various psychological theories pertaining to masculinity. Relevant readings of contemporary materials will be assigned in addition to the textbook.
Prerequisite: PSY 180 or permission of instructor
3 credits = 3 lecture
PSY 280 Human Sexuality. Human Sexuality is designed to introduce students to the biological, psychological, and social factors that regulate their sexuality. Part of the course deals with the anatomical, physiological and genetic determinants of sexuality, including the sexual anatomy of men and women, hormonal regulation of sexual function, fertilization, pregnancy, birth, conception control, and sexually-transmitted diseases. The course also emphasizes psychological, behavioral, and social factors that influence sexuality, including the examination of human sexual behavior, sexual response, orgasm, psychosexual development, variant sexual behavior, sexual ethics, and the genesis of sex roles. The course is recommended for, but not limited to, students considering the helping professions.
Prerequisite: PSY 180 or permission of instructor
4 credits = 4 lecture
NOTE: CURRENTLY INACTIVE classes may be offered in the future. If students are interested in having a currently inactive course listed in the fall, winter, spring or summer schedule, contact the department chair or an instructor in the appropriate area.