ARELLANO UNIVERSITY

EXPANDED TERTIARY EDUCATION EQUIVALENCY AND ACCREDITATION PROGRAM

(E T E E A P )
2600 Legarda St., Manila, Philippines
www.arellano.edu.ph

GENERAL EDUCATION
MODULE FOR: GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY

TOPIC: Introduction to Psychology

OVERVIEW: General Psychology will allow you to explore the way humans respond and interact to their circumstances and environment. This involves the study of
human behavior through scientific research. Your coursework will help you understand the inner workings of a person including personality types, how we
learn language, inherited traits, what role environment plays in development and more.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: On successful completion of this module the student is able to:
 Define psychology
 Describe the early systems of psychology
 Identify the different branches of psychology

CONTENT: What is Psychology?

Psychology is an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior. Psychology also refers to the
application of such knowledge to various spheres of human activity, including relating to individuals' daily lives and the treatment of mental illness.
Psychology differs from the other social sciences — anthropology, economics, political science, and sociology — in that psychology seeks to explain the
mental processes and behavior of individuals. Whereas biology and neuroscience study the biological or neural processes and how they relate to the
mental effects they subjectively produce, psychology is primarily concerned with the interaction of mental processes and behavior on a systemic level. The
subfield of neuropsychology studies the actual neural processes while biological psychology studies the biological bases of behavior and mental states.
Psychology is an academic and applied field involving the study of behavior, mind and thought and the subconscious neurological bases of behavior.
Psychology also refers to the application of such knowledge to various spheres of human activity, including problems of individuals' daily lives and the
treatment of mental illness. It is largely concerned with humans, although the behavior and mental processes of animals can also be part of psychology
research, either as a subject in its own right (e.g. animal cognition and ethology), or somewhat more controversially, as a way of gaining an insight into
human psychology by means of comparison (including comparative psychology). Psychology is commonly defined as the science of behavior and
mental processes.
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CONTENT: (continuation…) Early Systems of Psychology
Structuralism is a form of psychology which is a class called systematic interpretations because It attempted to explain all behavior with reference to one
systematic position.

Some other systems of psychology are functionalism, behaviorism, gestalt psychology, and psychodynamic psychology.

Functionalism is concerned with the reason for behavior and not the structure of the brain. It allowed the study of new subjects including children and
animals.
Behaviorism is an approach to psychology based on the proposition that behavior can be studied and explained scientifically without recourse to internal
mental states. Psychologists that use behaviorism are concerned mainly with muscular movements and glandular secretions.
Gestalt Psychology is a theory of mind and brain that proposes that the operational principle of the brain is holistic, parallel, and analog, with self-
organizing tendencies. It has a particular interest in perceptual problems and how they can be interpreted. A Gestaltist believes that the whole is greater
than or different than the sum of all of the parts. Trying to break up behavior into separate parts is simplistic because everything affects everything else.
Psychodynamic psychology was first practiced by Sigmund Freud, although he didn't intend it to be a system.

Branches of Psychology
There are hundreds of specialties that psychologists practice. These specialties can usually be grouped into general fields.

 Clinical and Counseling Psychology: Over half of all psychologists work in this field. Clinical psychologists are more likely to treat or conduct
research into the causes of abnormal behaviors, while counseling psychologists more often work with mild social or emotional problems.
Typically people seeking the help of a counselor are not classified as abnormal or mentally ill.

 Educational and School Psychology: Educational psychologists are concerned with the use of psychology to increase the effectiveness of the
learning experience, including facilities, curriculum, teaching techniques, and student problems. A school psychologist works in a school
environment to evaluate the structure and effectiveness of the learning environment. A school psychologist assesses counsels or guides
students who have academic, behavioral, emotional, and/or guidance needs. A school psychologist consults with teachers, staff, and parents to
help students adjust and learn most effectively in their learning environment.

 Industrial/Organizational Psychology (also known as I/O psychology, work psychology, occupational psychology, or personnel psychology) is
the study of the behavior of people in the workplace. Industrial and organizational psychology applies psychological knowledge and methods to
aid workers and organizations. I/O psychologists who work for an organization are most likely to work in the HR (human resources) department.

 Consumer Psychology: Consumer behavior is the study of how people buy, what they buy, when they buy and why they buy.

 Engineering Psychology: is a field of psychology that focuses on the relationship between humans and the products that we use everyday.
Specialists in this field concentrate on exploring the relationships between man and machine, so to speak.

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  Forensic Psychology: Forensic psychology is the application of psychological principles and knowledge to various legal activities involving child
custody disputes, child abuse of an emotional, physical and sexual nature, assessing one's personal capacity to manage one's affairs, matters of
competency to stand trial, criminal responsibility & personal injury and advising judges in matters relating to sentencing regarding various
mitigants and the actuarial assessment of future risk.
 Sport Psychology: Sport psychology is a specialization within psychology that seeks to understand psychological/mental factors that affect
performance in sports, physical activity and exercise and apply these to enhance individual and team performance.
 Environmental Psychology: Environmental psychology is an interdisciplinary field focused on the interplay between humans and their
surroundings. Areas of study include pollution effects, recycling efforts, and the study of stress generated by different physical settings.

Task 1: Conduct an interview on one practicing psychologist (based on the different branches of psychology). Find out what they do and how they
TASKS/ACTIVITIES: contribute to society. Make a written report on your interview and include your insights.
Task 2: Make portfolio of the different branches of psychology and give your reflection on the contribution of each branch to the betterment of man and transformation of
society.

1. Definition of Psychology by Gene Zimmer http://www.sntp.net/psychology_definition.htm

2. Psychology as a Science http://www.allfreeessays.net/student/Psycho- logy_A_Science.html
3. Psychology as a Science (Chapter one) by Alfred H. Funch and Catherine S. Milar
REFERENCES, READINGS, and OTHER
http://media.wiley.com/product_data/excerpt/01/04713832/047138201.pdf
PERTINENT INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS:
4. http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/9/9.00SC/MIT9_00SCF11_text.pdf
5. Introduction To Psychology 14th ed
By: Edward E. Smith, et. al

ASSESSMENT: ASSESSMENT METHOD: Self-Assessment:

Directions: Complete this when you have finished the required task and readings on the topic. Consult the questions as you go along as an aid to
revising and polishing your submission.
Things which only you (the student) can assess.
- On reflection, what do I now know or understand that I didn’t before I started this piece of work?
- Has this work met my original learning needs?
- Does it have any implications for the further development of my practice?
- Have I adequately covered the content?
- Does it meet the criteria for the level at which I am submitting it?
- Have I addressed all the outcomes?
- What are the principal strengths of this piece of work?
- What are its principal weaknesses and the things I need to concentrate on further?
- Does the work do justice to my capabilities? If not, why not?

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 ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE: 1. Written report
2. Portfolio
3. Reflective learning log

GRADING: Give the distribution of marks between coursework and examination.

60% - Coursework 40% - Examination

Grading System and Equivalency

Percent Number Descriptive

99-100% 1.00 Superior
96-98 1.25 Excellent
93-95 1.50 Very Good
90-92 1.75 Good
87-89 2.00 High Average
84-86 2.25 Average
81-83 2.50 Fair
78-80 2.75 Low Average
75-77 3.00 Pass
Below 75 5.00 Fail

Name of Professor: PROF. PETER ROMEROSA Signature:

Date: February 18, 2018 Checked and Reviewed: