Course Goals
The initial goal of the course is to provide structure and teaching for the acquisition of a hierarchical organization of facts and concepts constituting elementary knowledge of the science of behavior and mental processes. Since the goals of this science are to enhance each student’s ability to describe, understand, predict and influence human behavior, thinking critically about themselves and others is a second and more important course goal.
Core Course Topics
History of psychology and its research methods
The biological foundations of psychology
Sensation and perception
States of consciousness
Learning
Memory
Cognition, language and intelligence
Motivation and emotion
Personality
Stress and health psychology
Psychological disorders
Therapies
Social psychology
Development
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
History of psychology and its research methods: Understand scientific method as applied to psychology
History of psychology and its research methods: Distinguish between scientific and nonscientific statements (i.e., between explanations and interpretations).
History of psychology and its research methods: Recognize examples of standard experimental designs.
History of psychology and its research methods: Select correct designs for different research problems.
History of psychology and its research methods: Recognize examples of various experimental controls.
History of psychology and its research methods: Discuss elementary statistical problems relevant to research.
The biological foundations of psychology: Know technical terms.
The biological foundations of psychology: Select correct definitions of terms.
The biological foundations of psychology: Match terms and definitions.
The biological foundations of psychology: Distinguish between correct and incorrect usage of terms.
The biological foundations of psychology: State correct definition of terms.
Sensation and perception: Understand basic psychological concepts.
Sensation and perception: Recognize new examples of various concepts.
Sensation and perception: Distinguish among examples of closely related concepts.
Sensation and perception: Recognize correct and incorrect interpretations of statements in which basic concepts appear.
Sensation and perception: Recognize correct and incorrect usage of concepts.
Sensation and perception: State concepts in own words.
States of consciousness: Understand theories of human behavior.
States of consciousness: Identify different theories based on descriptions.
States of consciousness: Match prominent psychologists with their theories.
States of consciousness: Recognize new applications of different theories.
States of consciousness: Match procedures with theories.
States of consciousness: Appraise the adequacy of a given theory.
Learning: Understand behavioral problems.
Learning: Identify behavioral principles operating in various real and hypothetical cases.
Learning: Select best analysis of real and hypothetical cases.
Learning: Describe several economic, sociological, and political aspects of behavioral problems.
Learning: Contrast the treatment of individuals with behavioral problems in the United States with the treatment of similar patients in other countries.
Memory: Understand behavior-change and behavior-influence procedures.
Memory: List steps in various procedures.
Memory: Identify descriptions of various procedures.
Memory: Select correct interpretations of different procedures.
Memory: Recognize new examples of procedures.
Memory: Recognize correct and incorrect applications of procedures.
Cognition, language and intelligence: Appreciate the role of the scientific method in psychology.
Cognition, language and intelligence: Explain why evidence-based approaches are key to establishing all sciences.
Cognition, language and intelligence: Differentiate between evidence-based approaches and those that lack supporting data.
Cognition, language and intelligence: Report on a popular conception of behavior that is not based on evidence.
Cognition, language and intelligence: Share research that appears to refute a previously held belief about human or animal behavior.