COLLEGE OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES AND RESEARCH (CoBRes)

TURKEYEN CAMPUS

BSc PSYCHOLOGY

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Course Number/ Title: PSY 2101 – Introduction to Psychology
Semester: One
Duration: 15 Weeks
Credits: 4
Contact/ Week: 4 lecture hours
Total hours per semester: 60
Exemptions: None
Pre/ Co-Requisites: None
Follow-on Course: None
Lecturer: Mrs. Charlene Pile
E-mail Address: charlene.stephen@uog.edu.gy
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Course Description
Psychology can be defined as the scientific study of mental processes and
behavior. This course is a broad introduction to the field of psychology and it
seeks to orient students on the foundational psychological theories
underpinning contemporary psychology. It will examine the history and origin of
psychology, research methods and the major approaches within psychology
including biological psychology, psychoanalysis, behaviorism, humanism,
cognitive psychology, evolutionary psychology and social psychology.
 Course Objectives:
1. To provide foundational knowledge about psychology, its origin and
development;
2. To be provide an overview of the main psychological theories and the
assumptions behind them;
3. To provide an overview of the research methods commonly used in
psychology;
4. To analyze issues in contemporary society using psychological theories

Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. identify the major fields of study and theoretical perspectives within
psychology and articulate their similarities and differences;
2. differentiate between descriptive, correlational and experimental designs
and articulate the benefits and limitations of each;
3. examine society through a psychological lens
Content
Week/Session Topics Reading
Assignments
1. Course Overview Foundations in Psychology Kosslyn et. al.
pgs. 17-28
2. Research Methods Experimental Design Kosslyn et al.
pgs. 34-43, 47-
49
3. Biological Psychology Modular doctrine Kosslyn et. al.
Neural Mechanism pgs. 56-62, 65-
67, 83-88
4. Psychoanalysis Freud’s theories Kosslyn et. al.
pgs. 296-301
5. Behaviorism Respondent behaviour Kosslyn et. al.
6. Behaviorism Operant behaviour pgs. 134-140,
7. Behaviorism Two-factor conditioning 142-144, 146-
8. Behaviorism Behaviour modification 159
9. Humanism Carl Rogers and Abraham Kosslyn et. al.
Maslow pgs. 25-26,
279-280, 301-
302
10. Cognitive Psychology Sensation, perception, memory Kosslyn et. al.
and thinking pgs. 171-177,
213-221
11. Evolutionary Psychology Content and concepts / Adapted Kosslyn et. al.
mind pgs. 27-28, 88-
90
12. Social Psychology Conformity and compliance / Kosslyn et. al.
Social cognition pgs. 413-418,
420-424, 426-
428, 432-441
13. Approaches to therapy
The future of Psychology

Method of Teaching:
1. Lectures
2. Tutorials
3. General discussion
4. Group presentations
5. Reflective activities
6. Video presentations

Student Assessment/Evaluation:
For the group assignment:
Students will be required to produce a 2000-word essay critically analyzing any
psychological theory of their choice. The written assignment should include the
main principles of the theory, its basic assumptions, arguments for and against
the theory and a conclusion.
This assignment will be done in groups of no more than 6 students. The
document should be typed double space including a bibliography using APA
referencing format. Although the topic will be presented in groups, students will
be evaluated using a 1:1 ratio, 50% for group effort and 50% for individual effort.

Mid Semester Test: 25%

Required Reading:
Kosslyn, S. & Rosenberg, R. (2011) Introducing Psychology: Brain, Person,
Group (4th edition). Pearson Learning Solutions, ISBN: 9780558882846