11/21/2024 7:55:38 AM	PSYC 15 Course Outline as of Summer 2025	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  PSYC 15	Title:  INTRO TO PSYCH CONSCIOUS
Full Title:  Introduction to Psychology of Consciousness
Last Reviewed:12/9/2019

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade Only
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly:  PSYCH 15

Catalog Description:

This course examines how subjective experiences arise from objective brain processes, the basic neuroscience and neuropathology of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, mystical experiences and dreams, and the effects of drugs and meditation. It also explores the nature of self, the possibility of artificial consciousness in machines, and the question of whether animals are conscious.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL 1A or equivalent

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

This course examines how subjective experiences arise from objective brain processes, the basic neuroscience and neuropathology of consciousness, altered states of consciousness, mystical experiences and dreams, and the effects of drugs and meditation. It also explores the nature of self, the possibility of artificial consciousness in machines, and the question of whether animals are conscious.

(Grade Only)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL 1A or equivalent
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:	Fall 2021	Inactive:
Area:	D	Social and Behavioral Sciences
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	D	Social Science		Fall 2021
	D9	Psychology
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	4	Social and Behavioral Science		Fall 2021
	4I	Psychology
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 2021	Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 2021	Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Major Applicable Course

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Discuss basic scientific theories, concepts, and research findings related to consciousness.

2. Demonstrate an understanding of research methods in consciousness and the ability to critically evaluate research in this area.

 

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Summarize the problem and challenges of consciousness as a science

2. Discuss neuroscience and the neural correlates of consciousness

3. Explain why science might be mistaken about the mind

4. Identify apparent differences between conscious and unconscious

5. Explain theories of attention, free will, and self and other

6. Understand the evolution of consciousness in animals and machines

7. Evaluate altered states from meditation to drugs and dreaming

Topics and Scope

I. Consciousness: The Grand Illusion

    A. Evidence for consciousness

    B. Decoding the puzzle of human consciousness   

II. Consciousness and the Brain

    A. Neuroscience and the correlates of consciousness

    B. The 'theatre' of the mind

     C. The unity of consciousness

III. Body, Mind, and World

    A. Attention

     B. Conscious and unconscious

    C. Agency and free will

IV. Evolution

     A. Evolution and animal minds

    B. The function of consciousness

    C. The evolution of machines

V. Artificial Consciousness

    A. Minds and machines

    B. Machines and consciousness

VI. Borderlands

    A. Unconscious processing

    B. Reality and imagination

    C. The paranormal

VII. Altered States of Consciousness

    A. Drugs and altered states

    B. Sleep, dreams, and hypnotic states

    C. Exceptional human experiences

VIII. First-Person Approaches

    A. The view from within

    B. Meditation and mindfulness

IX. Self and Other

    A. Egos, bundles, and multiple selves

    B. Positive beliefs

    C. Theories of self

X. Waking Up

    A. Mindfulness and well-being

    B. Imaginative minds

Assignments:

1.  Reading of approximately 35-50 pages per week

2.  Writing assignment that may include research, experiential, response,

       or project for a minimum of 1,250 words.

3.  Formal testing: quizzes, exams, and a final

4.  Oral presentation and/or group project may be assigned

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 30 - 60%
Research, experiential, response, or project paper
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 0 - 0%
None
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 40 - 60%
Quizzes, Exams, and a Final
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 0 - 10%
Oral presentation and/or group project

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Consciousness: An Introduction,  Blackmore, Susan and Emily Troscianko, 3rd Edition, Routledge. 2018.

 

The Consciousness Instinct: Unraveling the Mystery of How the Brain Makes the Mind, Gazzaniga Michael S. 1st Edition, Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books. 2018.

 

Theories of Consciousness: An Introduction and Assessment, Seager, William. 2nd Edition, Routledge. 2016.

Print PDF