Course Syllabus

Psychology 1A: Introduction to Psychology

Dr. Marilyn Milligan
Email address: mmilligan@santarosa.edu

Required Textbook:
Essentials of Understanding Psychology by Robert S. Feldman, McGraw Hill. 10th Edition

COURSE OUTLINE

(Numbers are pages in the required text)

---

Unit 1. Freud and Psychoanalysis: 18, 224-225, 385-393.

Introduction: 18: The Psychodynamic Perspective
Age-Stage Theory: 387-388: Developing Personality
Structure of the Psyche: 386-387: Structuring Personality: Id, Ego, Superego
Defense Mechanisms: 388-390
Recovered Memories: 224-225: Repressed and False Memories
Jung; Adler; Horney: 391-393: The Neo-Freudian Psychoanalysts
Evaluating Psychodynamic Theories: 390-391: Evaluating Freud’s Legacy

---

Unit 2. Behaviorism, Learning and Memory: 18-19, Chapter 5, 398-399, 429-430.

Introduction: 18-19: The Behavioral Perspective
Learning: 
Classical Conditioning: 169-175

Principles of Classical Conditioning

Preparedness: 175
Timing: 171
Extinction and Spontaneous Recovery in Classical Conditioning: 173-174
Generalization and Discrimination in Classical Conditioning: 174
Higher Order Conditioning
Experimental Neurosis

Operant Conditioning: 177-186

Reinforcement and Punishment: 178-180

Positive and Negative Reinforcements. 180
The power of Positive Reinforcement
Primary and Secondary Reinforcements. 179

Punishment: 180

Principles of Operant Conditioning

Timing
Extinction and Spontaneous Recovery
Generalization and Discrimination: 184
Schedules of Reinforcement: 182-184
Shaping: 186
Superstitious Conditioning

Pros and Cons of Punishment: 181-182

Learned Helplessness: 429-430

Personality: 398-399
Social Learning Theory: 194-196: Observational Learning

Culture and Learning: 197-198: Exploring Diversity

Memory: xxxvi-xlix, Chapter 6

Textbook Learning and Memory:

Levels of Processing: 219-220
Reinforcement
Rehearsal: 209
Active Responding 
State Dependence: 
Sensory Modality
Chunking. 208
Overlearning
Distribution of Practice: 
Primacy and Recency: 230: Proactive and Retroactive Interference
Flashbulb Memories: 221-222
Mnemonics: 209
Memory Reconstruction: 222-224: Constructive Processes in Memory
Forgetting: 229-230: Why We Forget
Improving memory: xxxvi-xlix, 233-234

---

Unit 3. Humanism:19, 293-294, 404-406, 507-509

Introduction: 19: The Humanist Perspective
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs: 293-294

Carl Rogers and Client Centered Therapy: 507-509: Humanistic Therapy
Peaceful Conflict Resolution

---

Unit 4. Cognitive Psychology: 10, Chapter 7

Introduction: 19: The Cognitive Perspective: 
Mental Images: 241-242
Algorithms and Heuristics: 243-245  
Solving Problems: 245-253

Representation of the Problem: 246-248: Preparation, Understanding and Diagnosing Problems
Solutions: 248-251: Production: Generating Solutions

Obstacles to Problem Solving: 251-253: Impediments to Solutions

Logical Fallacies:

Overgeneralization
False Cause
Drawing Cause from Correlation
Affirming the Consequent
Confirmation Bias: 252-253: Inaccurate Evaluation of Solutions

Language, Thought and Culture. 259-262: Understanding Language Acquisition
Animals: 262
Creativity and Problem Solving: 253-255
Intelligence: 266-282
Theories of Intelligence: 267-272
Intelligence Tests: 272-279: Assessing Intelligence

---

SAMPLE INTELLIGENCE TEST QUESTIONS

• Which number should come next in the pattern?

37, 34, 31, 28 

• Find the answer that best completes the analogy:

Book is to Reading as Fork is to:

1. 1. 1. drawing
      2. writing
      3. stirring
      4. eating

• Find two words, one from each group, that are the closest in meaning:

Group A
talkative, job, ecstatic

Group B
angry, wind, loquacious

1. 1. 1. talkative and wind
      2. job and angry
      3. talkative and loquacious
      4. ecstatic and angry

• Which of the following can be arranged into a 5-letter English word?

1. 1. 1. H R G S T
      2. R I L S A
      3. T O O M T
      4. W Q R G S

---

Heredity, Environment and Intelligence: 280-282

---

Unit 5. Biology: 17, Chapter 2, 213-215

Introduction. 17: The Neuroscience Perspective

Neural Plasticity and Neurogenesis: 77-78
The Organization of the Nervous System: 60-62

Autonomic Nervous System: 62-63
Endocrine System: 64-66 
The Cerebral Cortex: 73-77
The Central Core: 70-73
The Limbic System: 72-73

Memory: 213-215: The Neuroscience of Memory
Consciousness: What is it and where is it located in the brain???
Hemispheric Specialization: 78-81
Neurons and Neurotransmitters: 51-58
Tools for Studying the Brain: 68-70: Studying the Brain’s Structure and Functions

---

Unit 6. Overview: Chapter 1, 63-64

Theoretical Perspectives: 8-9, 16-19

Psychoanalysis, Behaviorism, Humanism, Cognitive Psychology, Biology, Evolutionary Psychology, Multicultural Psychology, Positive Psychology, Behavioral Genetics, Clinical Neuropsychology

Research Methods: 26-38, 43-44

Case Study, Survey, Observation, Correlation, Experiment

Research Ethics: 40-43

---

Unit 7. Consciousness and Its Altered States: 90-92, 116-126, Chapter 4, 330, 401-402

Sensory Thresholds, Subliminal Perception, Extrasensory Perception: 90-92, 125-126
Perception: 116-126

Characteristics of Altered States of Consciousness
Drug Altered Consciousness: 152-163
Behavioral Genetics: 330. 401-402
Dreams and Sleep: 133-145
Hypnosis and Meditation: 147-151 

---

Unit 8. Stress and Coping. 81-82, Chapter 11

Stress – The General Adaptation Syndrome: 426-427
Stress and the Immune System: 427: Psychoneuroimmunology and Stress
Stress and Illness: 423-425: The High Cost of Stress; 434-439
Stressors – Sources of Stress: 421-423

Extreme Stressors
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Personality and Stress: 429-430: Learned Helplessness, The Hardy Personality
Coping With Stress 428-429, 431-432

Socioeconomic and Gender Differences: 
Stress Reduction Techniques.

Biofeedback: 81-82

---

Unit 9. Psychological Disorders: Chapter 12

Defining Abnormality: 453-454
Perspectives on Psychological Disorders: 455-458
The DSM: 458-460, 487
Schizophrenia: 474-478
Mood Disorders: 470-474
Anxiety Disorders, Somatoform Disorders, Dissociative Disorders: 463-470
Personality Disorders 479-480
Childhood Disorders: 480-481

Depression
ADHD
Autism

---

Unit 10. Therapies: Chapter 13

Psychotherapies:

Insight Therapies: 496-498, 507-510
Cognitive Therapies: 502-505
Behavior Therapies: 498-502
Effectiveness of Therapy: 510-513
Culture and Therapy: 513
Biological Treatments: 515-520
Prevention: 521-523

---

Unit 11. Developmental Psychology: Chapter 9

From:

To:

Prenatal Environmental Influences: 337-338
The Newborn: 340-344
Attachment: 344-348: Development of Social Behavior
Parent-Child Relationships: 248-250: Parenting Styles and Social Development
Personal-Social Development: Erik Erikson: 350-351, 362-366
Cognitive Development: 351-356
Moral Development: 360-362
Stages of Grief and Loss: 377-378

---

Unit 12. Social Psychology: Chapter 14

Attitudes: Formation and Modification: 529-534
Attribution Processes: 347-350
Prejudice and Overcoming Prejudice: 549-553

Social Protest
Cognitive Dissonance: 532-533
Groupthink: 542-543
Obedience to Authority: 546-547
The Stanford Prison Experiment: 543-544: Conformity to Social Roles
Compliance: 544-546
Relationships:

Social Cognition: 534-539
Liking and Loving: 555-558
Gender/ Gender Role: a modern view

Aggression: 559-561, 564

Bullying

Helping Behavior vs. Bystander Apathy: 561-563
War and Peace

---

SUMMARY

What factors contribute to the development of the least aggressive, most helpful, and, hopefully, the most psychologically healthy person?

---