Course Overview

Introduction to Psychology

This course, PSY 200 Principles of Psychology, provides a comprehensive survey of the foundational concepts in psychology. It covers the scientific study of behavior and mental processes, research methods, theoretical perspectives, and key domains such as biological, cognitive, developmental, social, and clinical psychology. The course is designed for college students beginning their study of psychology and aims to foster critical thinking and application of psychological science to everyday life.

Course Objectives

Learning Outcomes

• Define psychology as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

• Identify and explain the primary objectives of psychology: describing, understanding, predicting, and controlling behavior and mental processes.

• Describe the emergence and evolution of psychology as a scientific discipline.

• Recognize major contemporary perspectives in psychology, including psychodynamic, behavioral, humanistic, biological, and cognitive approaches.

• Discuss overarching themes such as heredity vs. environment and sociocultural diversity.

Major Topics Covered

• Research Methods: Scientific method, research designs (case study, observation, survey, correlational, experiment), ethical obligations, and critical thinking.

• Biological Bases of Behavior: Structure and function of the nervous system, neural transmission, plasticity, and tools for studying the brain.

• Consciousness: States of consciousness, sleep and dreams, psychoactive drugs, and explicit vs. implicit processing.

• Sensation and Perception: Sensory processes, thresholds, adaptation, and person-environment interaction.

• Memory: Working vs. long-term memory, types of memory, memory disorders, encoding, storage, retrieval, and malleability.

• Learning: Classical and operant conditioning, cognitive approaches, and real-life applications.

• Developmental Psychology: Theories of development, sensitive periods, lifespan changes, and environmental/biological influences.

• Social Psychology: Thought processes, obedience, conformity, group dynamics, stereotyping, prejudice, pro-social and anti-social behaviors.

• Personality: Theoretical approaches, assessment techniques, biological/situational influences, stability/change, culture, and gender.

• Psychological Disorders: Models of abnormality, classification, symptoms, and causes of major disorders.

• Treatment of Psychological Disorders: Perspectives on treatment, biomedical and psychological therapies, and efficacy evaluation.

Course Structure and Assessment

Modules and Assignments

• Course is organized into modules, each corresponding to a textbook chapter.

• Assignments include interactive activities (InQuizitive, Illume), chapter quizzes, in-class activities, research methods test, AI collaboration project, midterm, and final exam.

• Midterm covers Chapters 1-7; Final is cumulative (Chapters 1-15).

• Grading is based on completion and understanding, with regular feedback and opportunities for improvement.

Grading Policy

Letter Grades and Minimum Percentages

Course Schedule

Chapter Sequence

• Ch. 1: Welcome to Psychology

• Ch. 2: Research Methods

• Ch. 3: Brain, Mind, and Behavior

• Ch. 4: Sensation and Perception

• Ch. 5: Consciousness

• Ch. 6: Learning

• Ch. 7: Memory

• Ch. 8: Thought, Language, and Intelligence

• Ch. 9: Motivation and Emotion

• Ch. 10: Stress and Health

• Ch. 11: Development

• Ch. 12: Personality

• Ch. 13: Psychological Disorders

• Ch. 14: Therapies

• Ch. 15: Social Psychology

Course Materials

Textbook and Resources

• Interactive Psychology: People in Perspective (W. W. Norton, 2019, ISBN: 978-0-393-42143-9) is the required textbook, available digitally and optionally in loose-leaf format.

• Course materials are provided through the IncludED program and are accessible from day one.

Policies and Support

Attendance, Academic Honesty, Accessibility

• Attendance is required for both in-person and online participation.

• Academic honesty is strictly enforced; plagiarism and cheating are prohibited.

• Accessibility resources are available for students with disabilities.

• Support services are provided for students facing challenges related to food, housing, or other needs.

Instructor Information

Contact and Office Hours

• Instructor: Clinical Psychologist, available for in-person and online office hours.

• Communication plan includes regular, substantive interaction and feedback.

Additional Info

• AI tools may be used as tutors, not as ghostwriters, except for the AI Collaboration Project where their use is required and must be documented.

• Late work is penalized but always worth submitting; in-class activities cannot be made up.

• Course schedule and requirements may be modified at the instructor's discretion.