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At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:
1. Define psychology; outline its historical roots; identify what psychologists do;
and apply the critical thinking process to psychological phenomena and research
outcomes.
2. Describe and apply with examples the various psychological research methods used
to study behavior; include description of case studies, naturalistic and laboratory
observations, correlational studies, surveys and tests, the experimental method,
and longitudinal and cross-sectional studies.
3. Diagram the structure of the brain and its neuron cells; include descriptions of hemispheric
specialization, location of important structures and their functions, and male/female
differences.
4. Discriminate among the following body rhythms and mental states: circadian rhythm and the
sleep cycle, infradian rhythm and the premenstrual cycle, and ultradian rhythm and the
stages of dream.
5. Analyze the processes of sensation and perception and relate how abilities, beliefs,
and emotions can affect sensory perception.
6. Summarize the principles of classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social-
cognitive learning and apply these principles when explaining the origins of phobias,
fetishes, and aggression.
7. Determine how societal roles and rules, authority figures, and group opinions and behaviors
affect an individual's opinions, actions, and emotions; generate a plan on how to decrease
stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination.
8. Distinguish among the different theories of intelligence, including Sternberg's Triarchic
Theory of Intelligence and Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligence.
9. Discuss how the body, the mind, and culture influence the experience and display of
emotions; assess the components of stress and describe how to cope and
manage stressful events.
10. Compare and contrast the following theories of personalities: biological (genes and heredity),
environmental (parents, peers, situations), cultural (values and traits), psychodynamic
(unconscious conflicts and desires), and humanistic (present inner self).
11. Analyze and describe the following categories of psychological disorder: anxiety disorders,
mood disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, dissociative disorders and
schizophrenia.
12. Apply the following treatment strategies and therapeutic styles to their appropriate
psychological disorders: lobotomy, Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), antianxiety, antidepressant, antipsychotic,
psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, behavioral, humanistic, group, and family.
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I. Introduction to Psychological Theories
II. Psychology Research Methods
III. Evolution, Genes, and Behavior
IV. Neurons, Hormones, and the Brain
V. Body Rhythms and Mental States
VI. Sensation and Perception
VII. Learning and Conditioning
VIII. Behavior in Social and Cultural Context
IX. Thinking and Intelligence
X. Memory
XI. Emotion
XII. Motivation
XIII. Theories of Personality
XIV. Development over the Life Span
XV. Health, Stress, and Coping
XVI. Psychological Disorders
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Psychology. 5th ed. Ciccarelli, Saundra and White, Nolan. Pearson. 2017
Understanding Psychology. 13th ed. Feldman, Robert S. McGraw-Hill. 2017
Discovering Psychology. 8th ed. Hockenbury, Sandra and Nolan, Susan. Worth. 2019
Diversity in Psychology, Psychology in Diversity: Psychology for the 21st Century. Kremer, Ju¨rgen Werner. Kendall-Hunt. 2017