TOURO COLLEGE COURSE SYLLABUS
NEW YORK SCHOOL OF CAREER AND APPLIED STUDIES
DEPARTMENT:
COURSE TITLE:
COURSE NUMBER:
PREREQUISITE:
CREDIT HOURS:
DEVELOPER:
LAST UPDATE:
Psychology
General Survey of Psychology
GPS 110
None
4
Carole Beckford, Ph.D.
December 30, 2003
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The course provides an overview of psychology as a behavioral science and profession.
Students will learn about the field’s specializations and research methods. They will also
examine theory and research pertaining to areas such as physiology and behavior,
learning, memory and forgetting, intelligence, life span changes, personality development,
mental health and social behavior.
COURSE/ DEPARTMENTAL OBJECTIVES
The student will:
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Develop an introductory level understanding of psychology’s major concepts,
theories, research methods and specializations
Recognize the impact of physiology on behavior
Become knowledgeable about the relationship between mental and physical health
Understand the basic principles of cognition, memory and forgetting
Comprehend the major physical, emotional and cognitive changes that occur over
the life span
Learn about both the major theories of personality and personality assessment
Acquire a general understanding of the nature and treatment of psychological
disorders
Understand the significance of gender and sexuality
Comprehend the impact of groups on individual behavior
Distinguish between personal experience and the scholarly literature
Acquire the academic foundation for gaining insight into his or her life
Further develop critical reasoning, reading, writing and listening skills
Learn to access relevant literature from computer databases and other sources
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Learn to analyze and interpret data
1
Become familiar with the APA style of writing
Become familiar with the APA guidelines pertaining to the ethical behavior of
psychologists
COURSE/INSTITUTIONAL OBJECTIVES:
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To further professional and pre-professional career interests of students in the
fields of psychology, education and human services
To develop critical reading and listening skills
To develop critical reasoning skills
To prepare students to communicate clearly and effectively in the written form
To foster students’ abilities to access and evaluate information objectively and
effectively
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COURSE CONTENT
Psychology as a Science
The history of psychology. Analysis of research methods. Research and applied
specializations. The significance of the APA.
Brain and Behavior
Neurons. The nervous system. The cerebral cortex. The subcortex. The endocrine system.
New research directions.
Conditioning and Learning
Classical conditioning. Operant conditioning. Cognitive learning.
Memory
Stages of memory. Types of memory. The measurement of memory. Memory formation.
Theories of forgetting. Strategies for memory enhancement.
Cognition, Intelligence and Creativity
Cognition. Mental imagery. Language. Problem solving. Artificial intelligence. Human
intelligence. Creativity.
Personality
Personality and its meaning. Trait theory. Psychoanalytic theory. Humanistic theory.
Behaviorist theory. Personality assessment. Projective and objective tests. Issues of
reliability and validity.
Health, Stress and Coping
Behavioral risk factors. Health promoting behaviors. Sources of stress. Stress, frustration
and conflict. Stress and health. Managing stress.
Psychological Disorders
Varieties and origins of abnormal behavior. The DSM-IV. Schizophrenia. Mood
disorders. Somatoform disorders. Dissociative disorders. Anxiety disorders. Personality
disorders. Substance related disorders.
Psychotherapy and other Treatment Approaches
Psychoanalysis. Humanistic therapy. Behavior therapy. Cognitive therapy. Types of group
therapy. Medical therapies. Community mental health programs.
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Gender and Sexuality
Sexual development. Sexual behavior. Sexual responses. Sexual orientation. Sexual
attitudes. STDs and safer sex.
Child Development: Conception through Childhood
Conception. The prenatal environment. Heredity and environment.
Birth. Physical, cognitive, emotional, language and social development. Parental
influences.
Life-Span Development: Birth to Death
The life cycle. Problems of childhood. Physical, cognitive and emotional development
from adolescence through adulthood: Aging. Death and dying.
Social Behavior
Affiliation and attraction. Conformity. Obedience. Compliance. Attitudes. Attitude
change. Cognitive dissonance. Prejudice. Aggression. Altruism. Bystander apathy.
HARDWARE/SOFTWARE MATERIALS REQUIREMENTS
PowerPoint support equipment, VCR, television as well as overhead and opaque
projectors
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Students must attend class regularly, participate in class discussions, take required exams
and prepare a paper.
GRADING GUIDELINES
The final grade will be determined by exam scores, the grade on the paper and
class participation.
METHODOLOGY:
Instructors should supplement lectures with PowerPoint presentations, discussions, group
work, videos, handouts, a library information session and other out of class activities.
COURSE TEXT
Title:
Essentials of psychology
Author:
Pub. Date
Publisher:
ISBN:
Coon, D.
2003.
Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
0-53459787-4
BILIOGRAPHY
Title:
Author:
Pub. Date:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Applied industrial/organizational psychology
Aamodt, M.
2004
Wadsworth/Thomson Learning
0-534-59688-6
Title:
Author:
Pub. Date:
Publisher:
ISBN:
The psychology of aging: Theory, research and intervention
Belsky, J.
1999
Brooks Cole
0-534-35912
Title:
Author:
Pub.Date:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Health psychology
Brannon, L., & Feist, J.
2004
Thomson/Wadsworth Publishing
0-534-506-06-6
Title
Author:
Pub. Date:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Human development
Craig, G., & Baucum, D.
2002
Prentice Hall
0-13-033441-3
Title:
Author:
Pub. Date:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Child psychology
Hetherington, E., & Parke, R.
2003
McGraw Hill
0-07-282014-4
Title:
Author:
Pub. Date:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Human sexuality
Hyde-Shelby, J., & Delamater, J.
2003
McGraw Hill
0-072494719
Title:
Drug use and abuse
Author:
Pub.Date:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Maisto, S., Galizio, M., & Connors, G.
2004
McGraw Hill
0-15-50817-4
Title:
Author:
Pub. Date:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Exploring abnormal psychology
Neale, J., Davison, G., & Haiga, D.
1996
John Wiley & Sons
0-471-59673-6
Title:
Author:
Pub. Date:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Theories of personality
Ryckman, R.
1993
Brooks/Cole
053434898-X
Title:
Author:
Pub. Date:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Adolescence
Santrock, J.
2003
McGraw Hill
007249199-X
Title:
Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Testing & assessment
Walsh, B., & Betz, N.
Prentice Hall
0-130-95947-2
Title:
Author:
Pub. Date:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Social psychology
Worchel, S., Cooper, J., Goethals, G., & Olson, J.
2000
Thomson
0-830414703