PSYC 1010 Syllabus

Subject Code

PSYC

Course Number

1010

Course Title

Basic Psychology

Prerequisites

Diploma program admission language competency or successful completion of required English and reading learning support courses with a grade of C or higher

Corequisites

Terms Offered

Offered every semester

Credit Hours

(3-0-3)

Course Description

This course presents the basic concepts within the field of psychology and their application to everyday human behavior, thinking, and emotion. This course develops students' understanding of basic psychological principles and their application within the context of family, work, and social interactions. Topics include an overview of psychology as a science, the nervous and sensory systems, learning and memory, motivation and emotion, intelligence, lifespan development, personality, psychological disorders and their treatments, stress and health, and social psychology.

Course Outcomes

Contemporary Perspectives

Order

Description

1

Identify psychological perspectives and careers.

2

Identify methods of research.

3

Identify components of critical thinking.

 

Biological Foundations of Behavior

Order

Description

1

Identify the structure of neurons and what neurotransmitters do.

2

Identify the basic parts of the brain and their functions.

3

Outline the divisions of the nervous system.

4

Identify the basic parts of the endocrine system and their function.

 

Sensation and Perception

Order

Description

1

Differentiate between sensation and perception.

2

Identify principles of perception.

 

Learning and Memory

Order

Description

1

Differentiate classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and cognitive learning.

2

Describe the how classical conditioning takes place.

3

Recognize examples of classical conditioning in human behavior.

4

Describe how operant conditioning takes place.

5

Differentiate principles of reinforcement and punishment.

6

Recognize examples of operant conditioning in human behavior.

7

Identify the types of cognitive learning and their application to humans.

8

Describe how information is encoded into sensory, short-term and long-term memory.

9

Describe and implement methods for improving memory.

 

State of Consciousness

Order

Description

1

Identify states of consciousness, sleep, and dreaming.

2

Describe states of consciousness, sleep, and dreaming.

3

Define intelligence and describe how intelligence is measured..

4

Identify gender differences in cognitive abilities.

 

Motivation and Emotion

Order

Description

1

Explain the biological and psychological sources of motivation.

2

Identify the basic emotions and how they are communicated.

3

Describe emotional intelligence and how to manage emotions.

 

Lifespan Development

Order

Description

1

Identify the stages of prenatal development and threats to development.

2

Describe physical, psychosocial and sex role development throughout the lifespan.

3

Describe physical, psychosocial, and gender-/sex-role.

 

Personality

Order

Description

1

Identify basic concepts related to psychodynamic theories of personality.

2

Describe basic concepts related to humanistic theories of personality.

3

Identify basic concepts related to trait theories.

4

Describe basic concepts related to social-cognitive theories of personality.

5

Identify methods of personality assessment.

 

Psychological Disorders and Treatment

Order

Description

1

Differentiate abnormal and normal behavior.

2

Identify the types of treatments of psychological disorders.

 

Stress and Health Psychology

Order

Description

1

Identify stress and describe its effects on the body.

2

Identify ways to cope with stress and to stay healthy.

3

Identify lifestyle-based risks to health.

4

Identify healthy lifestyle changes.

 

Social Psychology

Order

Description

1

Describe fundamentals of social cognition.

2

Recognize examples of each.

3

Identify the origins of attitudes, prejudice, and discrimination and recognize examples of each.

4

Describe social and cultural influences on behavior, thoughts, and emotions.

5

 

Identify the psychological processes involved in social action.