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 grades of C or higher
Corequisites
Terms Offered
Credit Hours
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
- Identify psychological perspectives and careers.
- Identify methods of research.
- Identify components of critical thinking.
Biological Foundations of Behavior
- Identify the structure of neurons and the function of neurotransmitters.
- Identify the basic parts of the brain and their function.
- Outline the divisions of the nervous system.
- Identify the basic parts of the endocrine system and their function.
Sensation and Perception
- Differentiate between sensation and perception.
- Identify principles of perception.
Learning and Memory
- Differentiate classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and cognitive learning.
- Describe the process of classical conditioning.
- Recognize examples of classical conditioning in human behavior.
- Describe the process of operant conditioning.
- Recognize examples of operant conditioning in human behavior.
- Identify the types of cognitive learning and their application to humans.
- Describe how information is encoded into sensory, short-term and long-term memory.
- Describe methods for improving memory.
State of Consciousness
- Identify states of consciousness and sleep.
Motivation and Emotion
- Explain the biological and psychological sources of motivation.
- Identify the basic emotions and how they are communicated and managed.
Lifespan Development
- Identify the stages of prenatal development and threats to development.
- Describe cognitive, physical, psychosocial, and gender-sex-role throughout the lifespan.
Personality
- Identify the basic concept related to the various theories of personality.
- Identify methods of personality assessment.
Psychological Disorders and Treatments
- Differentiate abnormal and normal behavior.
- Identify the types and treatments of psychological disorders.
Stress and Health Psychology
- Define stress and describe its effects on the body.
- Identify healthy ways to cope with and manage stress.
- Identify lifestyle-based risks to health.
- Identify healthy lifestyle changes.
Social Psychology
- Describe fundamentals of social cognition.
- Recognize examples of social cognition.
- Identify the origins of attitudes, prejudice, and discrimination and recognize examples of each.
- Describe social and cultural influences on behavior, thoughts, and emotions.
- Identify the psychological processes involved in social action.