OERu 2012 / 2013 Prototype Design and Development Project
High level structure
- Psychology: The study of mental processes and behaviour
After completing this module, you should be able to:
- define psychology
- outline the history of psychology
- distinguish between different perspectives in psychology
- Research methods in psychology
- After completing this module, you should be able to:
- describe characteristics of good psychological research
- outline the steps involved in conducting an experiment
- describe general types of research methods and understand basic statistics
- summarise the ethical principles of psychological research
- outline the procedure for critically evaluating a study.
- Memory
- After completing this module, you should be able to:
- diagram the standard (information processing) model of memory, explaining each box and arrow
- define working memory, name and describe its components, and explain its relation to long-term memory
- name and explain varieties of long-term memory
- explain some of the causes of misremembering and forgetting, as well as some techniques for improving memory.
- Thought and language
- After completing this module, you should be able to:
- name and explain units of thought (representations, concepts, categories)
- explain theories and research results on reasoning, problem solving and decision making
- describe the basic elements of language and how language develops.
- Biological bases
- After completing this module, you should be able to:
- describe the basic units of the nervous system
- describe the major structures and functions of the endocrine system
- explain the major subdivisions of the peripheral nervous system
- describe the major structures and functions of the central nervous system
- describe the relative roles of genetics and environment in psychological functioning.
- Sensation and perception
- After completing this module, you should be able to:
- outline the basic principles and processes that apply across all senses (detecting a signal, absolute threshold, transduction, transmission from receptor to brain, effects on perception of the perceiver and of the environment)
- explain how light is transformed into visual experiences such as colour perception
- explain how sound is transformed into auditory experiences such as pitch perception
- distinguish the perception of smell, taste, touch, and proprioception
- describe ways in which perception is organised, and give examples that demonstrate perceptual organisation.
- Consciousness
- After completing this module, you should be able to:
- describe some of the functions of consciousness
- explain several different theoretical perspectives on consciousness
- describe the functions of sleep and explain several psychological views of dreaming
- describe some altered states of consciousness and how people experience them.
- Learning
- After completing this module, you should be able to:
- define learning
- describe the basic principles of classical conditioning
- describe the basic principles of operant conditioning
- describe the basic principles of cognitive-social theory and the nature of social learning.
- Intelligence
- After completing this module, you should be able to:
- describe the nature of intelligence, as studied by psychologists
- explain how intelligence is measured
- review the concepts of standardisation, norms, reliability, and validity, and explain why each is important in creating and using psychological tests
- understand the different approaches to intelligence
- discuss the extent to which intelligence is inherited or learned
- discuss criticisms of intelligence testing.
- Cross cultural and indigenous psychology (TBC)
- After completing this module, you should be able to:
- define culture and outline some of the difficulties in studying cultural influences in psychology
- outline the characteristics which distinguish cultural groups
- describe the study of cross-cultural relations in multicultural societies
- better understand psychology in Aotearoa, and the relevance of Māori history and culture and of the Treaty of Waitangi to the study of psychology
- discuss the approaches taken by psychologists to improve cross-cultural interactions.
Detailed structure
1. Psychology: The study of mental processes and behaviour
Sub-section and concepts
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Commentary, notes and ideas
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- Resources for this unit:
- Required: Read Stangor's Chapter 1: "Introducing Psychology"
- Recommended:
- Watch MIT Lecture: "Introduction"
- Visit Weblink: "History of Psychology" (see MIT's Further Study box)
- Visit Weblink: York University's "Psych classics" and sample a few of interest
- Additional: Take quiz on "Myths and Misconceptions" (see 73195 OLC page)
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- Psychology’s past, present and future
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- Perspectives in psychology
- Psychodynamic
- Behaviourist
- Humanistic
- Cognitive
- Evolutionary
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2. Research methods in psychology
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- What makes good research?
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- Ethics of research in psychology
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- Conducting research
- Gathering data
- Designing psychological research
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3. Memory
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- Information processing models
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- Working or short-term memory
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- Long-term or permanent memory.
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4. Thought and language
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5. Biological bases of mental life and behaviour
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- Genetics and environmental influences
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6. Sensation and perception
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- Illusions, expectations and perceptions
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7. Consciousness
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- Altered states of consciousness
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8. Learning
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- Cognitive social views of learning
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9. Intelligence
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- Intelligence as an individual difference
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- Constructing and evaluating intelligence tests
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- Approaches to intelligence
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10. Cross-cultural and indigenous psychology
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- Biculturalism and multiculturalism
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- Psychology in a bicultural society
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