Course Content

Course Content

                I. Introduction to Psychology

                        A. Approaches to Psychology
                                1. Why Study Psychology?
                                2. Psychology as a Natural Science and a Social Science
                                3. Key Themes in the Evolution of Psychological Ideas
                                4. The Early History of Psychology
                                5. Psychology in the 20th Century
                                6. Psychology as a Field of Study

                        B. A Brief Overview of the Perspectives
                                1. The Cognitive Perspective
                                2. The Biological Perspective
                                3. The Learning Perspective.
                                4. The Humanistic Perspective

                II. Introduction to Research Methods

                        A. Characteristics of Scientific Findings
                                1. Scientific Findings are Verifiable
                                2. Scientific Findings are Public
                                3. Scientific Findings are Cumulative
                                4. What Research is NOT.

                        B. How Scientists Solve Problems
                                1. Identifying the Problem
                                2. Defining the Problem
                                3. Formulating the Hypothesis
                                4. Constructing a Problem Solving Strategy
                                5. Monitoring and Evaluating Problem Solving

                        C. Research Methods in Psychology
                                1. Naturalistic Observation
                                2. Case Studies
                                3. Tests, Questionnaires, and Surveys
                                4. Experiments
                                5. Evaluating and Interpreting Research Data

                        D. Critical Thinking in Psychological Research
                                1. The Nature of Critical Thinking
                                2. Fallacies That Prevent Critical Thinking

                        E. Research Ethics
                                1. Deception, Conformed Consent, and Debriefing
                                2. Pain
                                3. Confidentiality
                                4. Research with Non-Human Animals
                                5. The Role of Institutional Review Boards

                III. The Biological Perspective

                        A. Body and Behavior
                                1. Basic Structure of the Nervous System
                                2. Studying the Brain
                                3. The Endocrine System
                                4. Heredity and Environment

                        B. Altered States of Consciousness
                                1. Sleep and Dreams
                                2. Hypnosis, Biofeedback, and Meditation
                                3. Drugs and Consciousness

                        C. Sensation and Perception
                                1. Sensation
                                2. The Senses
                                3. Perception

                IV. The Cognitive Perspective

                        A. The Life Span
                                1. Infancy and Childhood
                                2. Adolescence
                                3. Adulthood and Old Age

                        B. Language and Thought
                                1. The Nature of Language
                                        a. Language and the Brain
                                        b. Aspects of Language
                                        c. Language Acquisition
                                        d. Do Animals Use Language?
                                2. The Nature of Thought
                                        a. Strategies and Obstacles in Problem Solving
                                        b. Making Judgments and Decisions
                                        c. Reasoning
                                        d. Creativity

                V. The Learning Perspective

                        A. Classical Conditioning
                                1. Components and Timing of Classical Conditioning
                                2. Contingency: Why Conditioning Works
                                3. Rates of Conditioning
                                4. Phases of Classical Conditioning
                                5. Levels and Features of Classical Conditioning

                        B. Operant Conditioning
                                1. Law of Effect
                                2. Experimental Analysis of Behavior
                                3. What Makes a Stimulus a Reinforcer?
                                4. Schedule of Reinforcement
                                5. Learned Helplessness
                                6. Operant Versus Classical Conditioning

                        C. Other Kinds of Learning
                                1. Social Learning
                                2. Systems Views of Learning.

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