PSY10004 Final: Psychology 101 PSY10004 - SEMESTER NOTES
PSYCHOLOGY 101
PSY10004 SEMESTER NOTES
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Learning objectives
Introduction:
1. Define Psychology.
2. Describe the role of the scientific method in the study of psychology.
3. Explain the historical development of psychology.
4. Describe the major areas of psychology."
5. Demonstrate an understanding of experimental research methodology and be able to outline
the basic research designs.
6. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of theory and practice in qualitative research.
7. Explain the relevance of ethical guidelines for psychologists."
Physical & Cognitive Development
1. To describe basic issues in developmental psychology- nature/ nurture"
2. Importance of early experience- sensitive periods"
3. To understand how develop in brain functioning underpins changes in cognition"
4. Understand aspects of early perceptual and cognitive development."
5. Understand Piaget’s# model of cognitive# development and describe stages in children’s/
adolescent’ s cognitive development"
6. Understand the importance of# environmental stimulation to promote cognitive growth"
7. To describe cognitive changes with ageing"
Social & Emotional Development
1. Understand Erikson’s Psychosocial Model of development across the lifespan "
2. The importance of early attachments and influence on later social/emotional functioning "
3. Parenting and fostering social/emotional development of children/adolescents "
4. Identity development during adolescence and emerging adulthood "
5. Transition to parenthood-easy or not? "
6. Mid life- Generativity "
7. Late adulthood-retirement, and retaining quality of life. "
Learning
1. Give a (psychological) definition of learning "
2. Explain the basic principles of classical conditioning"
3. List factors that affect conditioning (i.e., what things help or hinder conditioning) "
4. Define and give examples of the following terms as the apply to classical conditioning:
Stimulus generalisation and discrimination; extinction, spontaneous recovery, and renewal;
habituation "
5. Explain the basic principles of operant conditioning"
6. Define and give examples of positive/negative reinforcement/punishment"
7. Describe effect of different schedules of reinforcement on behaviour "
8. Explain the basic principles of cognitive-social theory of learning, and "
9. Describe and give examples of: insight, observational learning, modelling, vicarious
experience/conditioning, learned helplessness, latent learning "
10. Identify instances and applications of these theories in everyday life"
Memory
1. Describe the different models of memory, with a particular focus on the information processing
model.
2. Explain the function, capacity, and duration of the memory stores.
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3. Identify the control processes.
4. Critically analyse the repressed memory debate.
5. Understand how to improve your memory.
6. Explain the process of forgetting, differentiate between anterograde & retrograde amnesia, and
explain some consequences of memory distortions.
7. Differentiate between types of explicit and implicit memories.
Language
1. The four universal features of language"
2. The elements of language"
3. The difference between surface and deep structure"
4. The cooperative principle, common ground and the different maxims detailed in
conversational postulates"
5. Nonverbal communication"
6. Slips of the tongue"
7. Language development"
8. The relationship between language and thought"
Thinking & Reasoning
1. Explain what is meant by the term “cognitive” and outline some methods for studying
information processing"
2. Describe some the most common mental representations or “units” of thought"
•Concepts; categories; prototypes; propositions; schemas; scripts; mental models; images;
maps"
3. Define#reasoning#and"
•Explain what is meant by System 1 and System 2 thinking"
•Explain and give examples of the following formal reasoning concepts: inductive and
deductive logic, algorithms, analogies"
•Explain and give examples of the following informal reasoning concepts: heuristics -
anchoring, representativeness, availability"
•Outline some of the flaws and biases that can impact reasoning: heuristic bias, belief bias,
confirmation bias"
4. Define#problem solving#and"
•Explain and give examples of the following strategies: means-end analysis; working
backwards; analogy; algorithms; computer- based and -assisted problem solving"
•Explain and give examples of common barriers to problem solving: multiple hypotheses;
mental set; functional fixedness; confirmation bias and ignoring negative evidence"
5. Define#decision making#and"
•Explain how utility calculations and expected value are used to make decisions"
•Explain and give examples of some common biases and flaws in decision making:
perceived probability, value, gains and loss aversion; the gambler’s fallacy; confidence/
accuracy and hindsight bias"
Intelligence & Cognitive Testing
1. The various attempts to define and explain the structure of intelligence"
2. Intelligence testing and IQ scores"
3. The reliability and validity of intelligence tests"
4. Genetic and environmental influences on intelligence"
5. Group differences in intelligence testing"
Motivation
1. Define motivation "
2. Identify different sources of motivation: physiological, emotional, cognitive, and social "
3. Explain and give examples of the following motivation concepts/theories "
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Document Summary
Importance of early experience- sensitive periods: to describe basic issues in developmental psychology- nature/ nurture. Social & emotional development: understand erikson"s psychosocial model of development across the lifespan, the importance of early attachments and in uence on later social/emotional functioning, parenting and fostering social/emotional development of children/adolescents. 4: transition to parenthood-easy or not, mid life- generativity, late adulthood-retirement, and retaining quality of life. Memory: describe the di erent models of memory, with a particular focus on the information processing, explain the function, capacity, and duration of the memory stores. model. Intelligence testing and iq scores: the various attempts to de ne and explain the structure of intelligence. 2: the reliability and validity of intelligence tests, genetic and environmental in uences on intelligence, group di erences in intelligence testing. 2: explain and give examples of the following motivation concepts/theories. Identify di erent sources of motivation: physiological, emotional, cognitive, and social. 5: some approaches psychologists can use to understand and promote cross-cultural.
