Course Description: Academic Psychology

Academic Psychology is social studies elective, is offered to sophomores, juniors and seniors in partial fulfillment of the history/social studies graduation requirement. There are no prerequisites for this 4.0 credit offering. A majority of the graduating seniors have taken this course. The class meets for daily for 120 days, or two trimesters.. Students take two end-of-trimester final examinations that are each equal to 10% of the final average for that trimester. . The course begins with an exploration of the history, methodology, and major perspectives of psychology, with a focus upon the scientific method, and the application of statistics to interpret data and give meaning to research. An examination of states of consciousness is followed by psychobiology, with an emphasis on the brain, nervous and endocrine systems, and the impact of sensations and perceptions. Other major units include theories of personality and development, intelligence and learning, and abnormal behavior. This class explores all of the major topics that are covered in Psychology 101 at the college level.
Major Course Objectives*
When students have completed Academic Psychology, they will:
  1. Be familiar with the history of psychology as a science, and understand the different theoretical approaches that underlie psychology.
  2. Appreciate the contemporary research methods used by psychologists, while respect the ethical guidelines established for psychological research.
  3. Understand the relationship between biology and behavior, between sensation and perception
  4. Realize the complexity of the various states of consciousness and how difficult they are to define.
  5. Be aware of the basic learning processes of classical and operant conditioning, social and cognitive learning.
  6. Appreciate the multi-facetted nature of human beings and the various means of assessing those differences.
  7. Realize the interplay between heredity and environment on personality and intelligence
  8. Be familiar with the major theories about lifespan and personality development.
  9. Understand that one’s perception of death changes throughout the stages of life, and recognize the death and dying process, and the ways by which one might grieve.
  10. Recognize stress as part of life and that there are numerous ways with which to deal with stress.
  11. Understand the range of behaviors that may be defined as abnormal.
  12. Be aware of the various sources of help and treatment available for the mentally ill.

*In alignment with the National Standards for the Teaching of Psychology, as established by the American Psychological Association (APA).
Major Domains
After completing the two-trimester course, students will be exposed, in varying degrees, to topics within each domain
Definition of Content Area in Psychology
The following guidelines highlight the traditional content areas of the discipline.
In the Methods Domain:
Instruction & Research Methods defines the science of psychology, describes its history, identifies the methods for examining behavior and mental processes, and reviews scientific careers available in the discipline.
In the Biopsychological Domain:
Biological Bases of Behavior addresses how the brain processes information and how the body adapts to demands of the environment.
Sensation & Perception examines how the brain makes meaning out of the physical sensations generated by the environment.
Motivation and Emotion examines the drives and needs that direct behavior. including sex, thirst, hunger, and social needs, as well as the range of human emotions. Social Psychology explores how we perceive the social world and how we behave in relation to other people.
Stress, Coping, & Health identifies how stress reactions hinder our effectiveness and proposes alternatives that lead to a healthier existence.
In the Cognitive Domain:
States of Consciousness explores varying stages of awareness, including sleep, reactions to drugs, daydreaming, and controlled conscious processes.
Memory addresses how we remember as well as how we can improve our memory.
Learning demonstrates how we can make changes in our behavior through experience with the environment, usually focusing on classical conditioning, instrumental conditioning, and cognitive learning.
Thinking and Language examines the role of language, problem-solving skills, creativity, and intelligence testing as primary interests of researcher in this area.
In the Developmental Domain:
Lifespan developmental examines how nature and nurture influence our development form conception to death.
In the Sociocultural Domain:
Individual Differences focuses on how psychologists compare individuals, especially on cognitive abilities, emphasizing test construction and use.
Personality and Assessment demonstrates scientific explanations of personality development along with the methods psychologists use to measure personality concepts.
Psychological Disorders investigates patterns of behavior that are on considered deviant or distressful in our culture and includes how psychologists diagnose these patterns.
Treatment of Psychological Disorders discusses that various intervention methods including psychotherapy and medical interventions that mental health practitioners use in treating abnormal conditions.
Social Psychology explores how we perceive the social world and how we behave in relation to other people.
Course Overview
History & Background

Research Methodology

Dreams & Altered States of Consciousness
Biopsychology
Sensation & Perception
Development & Personality
Learning & Intelligence
Stress & Coping
Personality & Abnormal Behavior
Therapies

Major Performance Indicators*

When students have completed this course, they will be able to:
  1. Outline the historical roots of psychology and how it has developed as a discipline.
  2. Describe and compare the biological, behavioral, cognitive, humanist, psychoanalytic, and social-cultural perspectives.
3. Identify and explain the main focus of the different subfields of psychology, such as clinical, counseling, and experimental and developmental psychology.
  1. Compare and contrast the four research methodologies of psychology, with an emphasis upon the experimental method
5. Discuss the legal and ethical issues in psychological research.
  1. Identify the structures, chemistry, and functions of the major regions of the brain,
endocrine, central and peripheral nervous systems.
  1. Describe the operation of sensory systems from the neuron through the brain, including the relationship between sensations and perceptions.
  2. Understand the complexity of the human consciousness, with an emphasis upon sleep and dreams, hypnosis, and altered states of consciousness.
  3. Explain the classical & operant conditioning paradigms, and sensorimotor, observational and cognitive approaches to learning.
  4. Describe intelligence as a multi-facetted phenomenon with potential biases that interfere with the measurement of it.
  5. Recognize the link between nature and nurture and how they affect intelligence, and personality development.
  6. Describe the developmental theories of Freud, Maslow, Piaget, and Kohlberg.
  7. Define stress as a natural occurrence that mandates positive coping skills.
  8. Identify the major categories and types of mental illness and the various therapeutic approaches aimed at reducing maladaptive behavior.

*Aligned with the Whitman-Hanson Mission Statement and Student Expectations

Assessment Tools

Success in Academic Psychology will be assessed by the following standards:
  1. Students can successfully read and comprehend the course textbook, as indicated by correctly completing workbook exercises throughout the course.
  2. Students can respond to specific questions of recall and analysis after reading supplementary articles, and/or viewing audiovisual materials
  3. Students are able to write essays that address the specific rubrics and that progress from lower level skills, as indicated by Bloom’s taxonomy to higher level critical thinking skills.
  4. When writing, students will meet the grade appropriate criteria of Collins’ Focus Correction Areas.
  5. Once introduced, students can integrate research methodology, psychobiology, and ethical standards into all free response writing and classroom activities and discussions.
  6. Students can analyze general problems in psychology, whether in a written or oral format, from the perspective of all five domains, as well as from different theoretical frameworks.
  7. Students can create, analyze, or critique research designs to explore psychological concepts.
  8. Students can answer correctly multiple choice and short answer questions that demand the recall and recognition of specific concepts and topics.
  9. Students are able to participate in and/or present demonstrations and develop visual and other creative projects that show understanding of particular psychological principles.
  10. Students can express and defend opinions in classroom discussions that are founded in sound psychological theory.
  11. When participating in cooperative exercises, students will integrate knowledge from the entire course to achieve the end goals of the lessons.
  12. Students will solve problems that are presented in the classroom using psychological principles that have real world applications.
  13. Students will pass the course with a 60% or higher cumulative average.

Materials and Resources:
Core text and Instructors Resources:
Engle, T.I., and Louis Snellgrove. Psychology: Its Principles and Applications (8th edition). Florida: Hartcourt Brace Jovanovich., Inc., 1979.
The standards for teaching psychology have been established as a guide for teachers by the APA. Included are outlines of major domains and important learning objectives.
The National Standards for the Teaching of High School Psychology. Washington, D.C.: TheAmerican Psychological Association, August of 1999.
The APA has developed a series of books, which present numerous experiments and activities to engage students in an active learning process.
Activities Handbooks for Teachers of Psychology (vol. 1 - 4). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1981, 1987, 1990, & 1997.
Abnormal behavior is scientifically defined by the APA. The following texts were used as major resources in the teaching process.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, vol. 4. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1994.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Casebook, vol. 4. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association, 1994.
Maxmen, Jerrold S., M.D., and Nicholas G. Ward. Essentials of Psychopathology and Its Treatment, 2nd edition. New York: W.W, Norton & Company, Inc., 1995.
Several supplementary activity books and texts were also used as sources of activities and demonstrations.
Boteler, Mary and Donna J. Kotting. Psychology. USA: The Center for Learning, 1999.
Eder, James. Lessons in Psychology:Maine: J. Weston Walch Publishers, 1985.
Holonen, Jane. The Critical Thinking Companion for Introductory Psychology. Worth Publishers, 1995.
Rathus, Spencer A. Psychology: Principles in Practice. Florida: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1998.
Robbins, Paul R.. Understanding Psychology