Introduction to Psychology

Units

1. 1

   Biological bases of behavior

   7 lessons

   1. Research methods: experiments and correlationDesign a simple experiment with an independent variable, a dependent variable, random assignment and operational definitions, and explain why a correlation cannot show that one thing causes another.
   2. Reading statistics and ethicsDescribe a data set with its mean and standard deviation, say what a statistically significant result means, and apply the ethical guidelines that protect research participants.
   3. Heredity and the nervous systemExplain how genes and environment shape behavior using twin and adoption studies, and sort the parts of the nervous system into their divisions.
   4. Neurons and neural transmissionLabel the parts of a neuron, trace an action potential along an axon, and explain how neurotransmitters carry the message across a synapse and how drugs change it.
   5. The brainMatch the main brain structures and the four lobes of the cortex to their functions, and explain what brain scans and case studies have taught us.
   6. Sleep and consciousnessDescribe the stages of the sleep cycle and their brain waves, compare theories of why we sleep and dream, and match sleep disorders to their symptoms.
   7. SensationExplain how sensory receptors turn stimuli into neural signals, define absolute and difference thresholds, and trace the pathways of vision and hearing and the other senses.
2. 2

   Cognition

   5 lessons

   1. PerceptionExplain how the brain organizes sensations into whole objects with Gestalt principles, judges depth from binocular and monocular cues, and keeps objects stable with perceptual constancy.
   2. Attention and thinkingExplain selective attention and its failures, compare algorithms, heuristics, insight and the barriers to problem solving, and recognize common cognitive biases.
   3. MemoryDescribe how memory is encoded, stored and retrieved in the Atkinson-Shiffrin model, sort long-term memory into explicit and implicit types, and explain forgetting and memory errors such as the misinformation effect.
   4. Language and intelligenceTrace the stages of language development and compare theories of how it is learned, then compare major theories of intelligence and explain standardization, reliability, validity and the normal curve of IQ scores.
   5. Cognition and the AAQApply cognition research to the article analysis question by reading a short study summary, naming its method, variables and operational definitions, reading its result, and linking it to a concept.
3. 3

   Development and learning

   4 lessons

   1. Prenatal and childhood developmentDescribe the stages of prenatal development, Piaget's four stages and Vygotsky's zone of proximal development, and attachment and parenting styles.
   2. Adolescence and adulthoodDescribe the changes of puberty and the teen brain, order Erikson's eight stages, sort Kohlberg's levels of moral reasoning and explain how thinking and memory change with age.
   3. Classical conditioningName the UCS, UCR, CS and CR in a conditioning example, trace acquisition, extinction, spontaneous recovery, generalization and discrimination, and explain Watson's and Garcia's contributions.
   4. Operant and observational learningSort consequences into positive and negative reinforcement and punishment, compare the four schedules of reinforcement, and explain Bandura's observational learning.
4. 4

   Social psychology and personality

   4 lessons

   1. Attribution and attitudesExplain how people attribute causes to behavior, name the fundamental attribution error and self-serving bias, and describe how persuasion and cognitive dissonance shape attitudes.
   2. Social influenceDescribe the classic studies of conformity, obedience and the bystander effect, and explain group effects such as social loafing, groupthink and deindividuation.
   3. PersonalityCompare the trait, psychodynamic, humanistic and social-cognitive approaches to personality and name their key thinkers and ideas.
   4. Motivation and emotionExplain the main theories of motivation and emotion, and write an evidence-based argument that states a claim, uses evidence from sources and explains its reasoning.
5. 5

   Mental and physical health

   3 lessons

   1. Psychological disordersExplain how psychologists decide a behavior is a disorder, describe the main anxiety, mood and schizophrenia diagnoses, and use the diathesis-stress model to explain causes.
   2. TreatmentMatch the main psychotherapies and biomedical treatments to the problems they treat and explain how researchers judge whether a therapy works.
   3. Stress and healthDescribe the stress response using Selye's general adaptation syndrome and Lazarus's appraisal model, compare coping strategies, and explain how stress affects health.