I. Chapter 1 (Part One): Thinking Critically with
Psychological Science
A. Psychology—defined
1. Scientific study
2. Behavior
3. Mental processes
B. History of Psychology (Read pp. 2-5)
1. Introduction
2. Early influences
a. Field of Philosophy
(1) Ancient Greeks
(2) Rene Descartes
(3) British Empiricists
b. Field of Physiology
(1) Marshall Hall and Pierre
Flourens
(2) Hermann von Helmholtz
(3) Gustav Fechner
3. Early pioneers in Psychology
a. Wilhelm Wundt
b. William James
c. Sigmund Freud
d. John B. Watson
e. Gestalt Psychologists
f. Carl Rogers
C. Contemporary psychology (Read pp. 5-9)
1. Perspectives in contemporary psychology
a. Biological perspective
b. Behavioral perspective
c. Psychodynamic perspective
d. Humanistic perspective
e. Cognitive perspective
f. Social-cultural perspective
2. Subfields: Types of psychologists
a. Psychologists versus psychiatrists
b. Clinical and counseling psychologists
c. School and educational psychologists
d. Developmental psychologists
e. Personality, social, and environmental psychologists
f. Experimental and research psychologists
g. Industrial and organizational psychologists
I. Chapter 1 (Part Two): Thinking Critically with Psychological Science
A. Introduction (Read pp. 9 – 14)
1. Goals of research
2. Important terms in research
a. Hypothesis
b. Subjects
c. Sample and population
d. Variables
e. Operational definition
3. Other issues
a. Research setting
(1) Laboratory
(2) Field
b. Data collection: Types of measurements
(1) Self-reports
(2) Behavioral observations
(3) Archival records
B. Research designs (Read pp. 14 – 24)
1. Descriptive research
a. Case study
b. Survey
c. Naturalistic-observation
2. Correlational research
3. Experimental research
4. Literature review
C. Validity
1. External validity
2. Internal validity
D. Ethics in research (Read pp. 25 – 30)
E. Statistics in research (Read Appendix A pp. A1 – A 9)
II. Chapter 2: Neuroscience and
Behavior
A. Introduction
B. Neurons (Read pp. 35 – 40)
1. Introduction
2. Parts of neuron
a. Dendrites
b. Cell body (soma)
c. Axon
3. Communication within neuron
4. Communication between neurons
C. Nervous System
1. Peripheral Nervous System (Read pp. 41 – 45)
a. Somatic Nervous System
b. Autonomic Nervous System
2. Central Nervous System (Read pp. 45 – 63)
a. Spinal cord
b. Brain
(1) Development
(2) Neuroimaging
(3) Brainstem—hindbrain and midbrain
(4) Forebrain (cerebrum)
(a)Introduction
(b) Lobes
(i) Temporal lobe
(ii) Occipital lobe
(iii) Parietal Lobe
(iv) Frontal Lobe
(c)Association areas
(d) Limbic System
(5) Hemispheres
(6) Plasticity of brain
III.
Chapter 5: Sensation and Perception
A. Sensation (Read pages 139 – 143)
1. Measuring sensory experience
a. Absolute threshold
b. Just Noticeable difference
c. Signal Detection Theory
2. Sensory adaptation
a. Sensitization
b. Desensitization
B. Senses (Read pages 143 – 162. We will not cover this
material in class, but you will be responsible for it.)
C. Perception
1. Perceptual organization (Read pages 162 – 166)
a. Gestalt Psychology
b. Figure-ground
c. Laws of Grouping
(1) Proximity
(2) Similarity
(3) Continuity
(4) Closure
(5) Common fate
2. Perceptual constancy (Read pages 167 – 172)
3. Perceptual set (Read pages 173 – 175)
4. Perceptual illusions
5. Extrasensory perception (Read pages 176 – 177)
a. Types
(1) Telepathy
(2) Clairvoyance
(3) Precognition
(4) Psychokinesis
b. Arguments for and against
Chapter 7: Learning
I.
Introduction (Read pp. 221 – 223)
A. Learning
B. How do we learn?
II.
Classical conditioning (Read pp. 223 - 231)
A. Introduction
1. Ivan Pavlov
2. Classical conditioning
B. Terms
1. Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)
2. Unconditioned response (UCR)
3. Conditioned stimulus (CS)
4. Conditioned response (CR)
C. Paradigm and examples
1. Paradigm
2. Examples
a. Phobias
b. Food aversions
D. Types of classical conditioning
1. Delayed conditioning
2. Simultaneous conditioning
3. Trace conditioning
4. Backwards conditioning
E. Basic principles of learning
1. Acquisition
2. Extinction and spontaneous recovery
3. Generalization
4. Discrimination
5. Higher-order conditioning
F. Applications
1. Conditioned fears
a. John Watson’s research -- Little Albert
b. Systematic desensitization
c. Flooding
2. Social attitudes
Chapter 7: Learning (continued)
III.
Operant conditioning (Read pp. 232 - 243)
A. Beginnings—E.L. Thorndike and Trial-and-Error Learning
1. Research
2. Law of effect
B. Operant conditioning and B.F. Skinner
1. B.F. Skinner
2. Operant conditioning
C. Paradigm
D. Reinforcement
1. Positive and negative reinforcement
2. Primary and secondary reinforcers
E. Punishment
1. Positive punishment
2. Negative punishment
F. Avoidance and Escape learning
1. Avoidance learning
2. Escape learning
G. Schedules of reinforcement
1. Fixed ratio
2. Variable ratio
3. Fixed interval
4. Variable interval
H. Principles of learning
1. Acquisition
a. Shaping
b. Schedules of reinforcement
c. Reinforcement versus punishment
2. Extinction and spontaneous recovery
3. Generalization
4. Discrimination
I. Applications
1. Behavior modification
2. Biofeedback
3. ETC.
IV.
Cognitive factors in learning (Read pp. 243 - 250)
A. Cognitive Maps—Edward Tolman
B. Social Learning Theory—Albert Bandura
IV. Chapter 6: Consciousness
A. Consciousness
(Read pages 183 – 186)
1. Consciousness
2. Dual processing
3. Selective attention
4. Selective inattention
5. Divided attention
6. Subliminal messages
B. Sleep (Read pages 186 -196)
1. Stages of sleep
2. Functions of sleep
3. Sleep disorders
C. Dreams—research
(Read pages 196-199)
1. History/introduction
2. Nature of dreams
3. Content
4. What influences content?
D. Dream interpretation—Psychoanalytic Theory (Sigmund Freud)
1. Introduction
2. Premise
3. Levels of awareness (Freudian theory)
a. Conscious
b. Preconscious
c. Unconscious
4. Three structures of personality
a. Id
b. Ego
c. Superego
5. What a dream represents to Freud
6. Dream content
a. Manifest content
b. Latent content
7. Analysis of dreams
E. Dream Interpretation—Gestalt Therapy (Fritz Perls)
1. Introduction
2. Premise
3. Approach of therapy
4. Key concepts
a. View of human nature
b. Here and now
c. Homeostasis
d. Unfinished business
e. Integration
5. Dreamwork
F. Dream Interpretation—Activation-Synthesis Theory (Hobson and McCarley)
G. Hypnosis (Read pages 200 – 204)