Subject: Psychology 1 – General Psychology Schedule: 5-6 MWF, AY 2011-2012

Instructor: Credits: 3 units

Course Outline for Psychology 1, General Psychology

Course Objectives:

1. To gain general knowledge on the field of Psychology

2. To understand human behaviour in different perspectives, and
3. To be more introspective thus identifying the reason behind one’s own behaviour.

Activities,
Date Topic Objective assignments,
output

13 Jun ‘11 Self-introduction To create an initial bond Reflection Paper

and distribution of course outline. between student and teacher;
and among students

INTRODUCTION
Nature Of Psychology Define psychology
 Psychology Defined Identify the
15 Jun  Schools of thought in early schools of thought
Psychology and perspectives
 Psychological Perspectives in Psychology
17  Research Methods of Know when to use
Psychology the different
 Psychology as a Science research methods

Human Development Describe the progress/ Reflection Paper

27-29  Developmental Issues development of a fetus about Death and
 Prenatal Development and from the mother’s womb Dying
Birth to the different stages
 Childhood of human development
 Adolescence to the coldness of the tomb;
 Adulthood and the underlying theories
 Death and Dying that explain human
development.
CONSCIOUSNESS AND Group
PERCEPTION Review on the 5 senses, experiment/
1 July Sensation its functions Activity
 The 5 senses and how sensations
- Sight are brought to the brain. Listening Test
- Smell Activity
- Touch Identification of the receptors
- Hearing for each sense organ.
- Taste

4 Understanding
Perception of how illusions work
 Perception and an introduction to ESP.
- Perceptual
 Organization
- Illusions
- ESP
6-8 Consciousness
 Aspects of Consciousness
 Sleep and Dreams
 Psychoactive drugs
 Meditation
 Hypnosis
 Psi Phenomena
Preparation for the Prelims. 11-13 July
PRELIMS, 14-15 July
LEARNING, REMEMBERING AND
THINKING
Learning and Conditioning
18-22  Perspectives
 Classical Conditioning
 Operant Conditioning
 Nature of Reinforcement
 Newer Approach
Memory
25-29  Distinctions about Memory
 Short-Term Memory
 Long-Term Memory
 Improving Memory
 Constructive Memory
THOUGHT, LANGUAGE AND
INTELLIGENCE
Thought and Language
1 Aug  Concepts
 Reasoning
 Language and
Communication
 Language Development
 Imaginal thought
 Thought in Action: Problem-
Solving
Ability Tests and Intelligence
3-5  Types of Ability Tests
 Requirements for a Good
Test
 Predictive Validity of Test
 Nature of Intelligence
 Tests of Intellectual Ability
 Nature VS Nurture
 Theories on Intelligence
 Giftedness and Mental
Retardation
MOTIVATION AND EMOTION
8-10 Drives and Motivation
Importance of sleeping
and dreaming,
the harmful effects of
psychoactive drugs
and knowing whether or not
hypnosis is an
altered state of consciousness.
Group activity
Identifying the two types of
learning, digging into Pavlov’s
experiments and the two types
of conditioning.
Knowing how memories Film showing -
are formed Inception
and ways to improve memory.
A comparison/ differentiation
of the following concepts:
Judgement formation,
Decision-Making
and Problem Solving.
Discussion on how language
is formed and whether it is
innately present or nurtured
by the environment.
Look at individual differences
in ability and at tests Gardner’s
designed to measure Multiple
these differences. Intelligence Test
View intelligence in a wider
perspective through theories that
explain intelligence
Understanding gifted individuals
and individuals who have
special needs.
  Survival Motives and
Homeotasis
 Biological Drives
 Psychological Motives
 Unconscious Motives
 Hierarchy of Motives
 Theories of Motivation
Emotion
10-12  Components of an Emotion
 Arousal and Emotion/
Physiological Reactions
 Emotional Development
 Theories of Emotion and
Health
 General consequences of
Emotion
 Aggression as an emotional
Reaction
Preparation for Midterms, 15-17 August
MIDTERM, 18-19 August
Frustrations, Conflicts and
22-26 Adjustments
 Meaning of Frustration and
Conflicts
 Sources of Frustrations
 Types of Conflicts
 Responses to Frustrations
 Coping with Stress
PERSONALITY, ABNORMAL
PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIAL
PSYCHOLOGY
Abnormal Psychology
29 - 2 Sept  Abnormal Behavior
 Anxiety Disorders
 Mood Disorders
 Schizophrenia
 Personality Disorders
 Therapy
5-9 Personality
 Definition and Aspects of
Personality
 Approaches to the Study of
Personality
 Theories and Types of
Personality
 Methods of Studying
Personality
Consider the following questions:
Do motives within a type, that is,
corresponding to survival needs,
for example, all operate by the
same principles? If so, do any of
these principles apply to other
types of basic motives?
Distinguish motives and
emotions.
Know the theories that explains
emotions and provide personal
examples.
Role play
Know one’s own source of
frustrations/ stress and common
sources of conflicts.
Stress ,management and proper
handling of conflicts.
Social
Experiment
Define abnormal behaviour;
Identify the different categories
of mental disorders; and know
the treatment for these
disorders.
Look at four major approaches to
personality and the empirical
methods they employ to
measure or assess personality.
 12-16 Social Psychology Social
 Definition of Social Experiment
Psychology Deal entirely with social
 Conformity and Compliance information processing and social Scrap book
 Attitudes and Actions influence. (Social Relations)
 Persuasion
 Group influence
 Social Relations Identify the different forms of
- Aggression social influence that are indirect
- Altruism or unintentional.
- Prejudice
- Attraction

Preparation for prelims, 19-21 September

SEMI-FINAL, 22-23 September

SPECIAL TOPICS
26-30  Filipino Psychology Imploring psychology based on Reflection Paper
3-7 Oct our own cultural context.

 Gender and Sexuality Giving a wider scope of Advocacy

psychology with different
perspectives.

Preparation for the Finals, submission of requirements, 10-14 October

FINALS, 20-21 October

Reference Books:

General Psychology, Second Edition by Gaerlan and Limpingco

Introduction to Psychology, Tenth Edition by Atkinson, Atkinson, Smith and Bem
Other Introduction to Psychology and General Psychology books