Course outline

PSYCHOLOGY  11 COURSE OUTLINE-  JANUARY 2014 

 Ms. Murphy-   tmurphy@sd63.bc.ca

 “A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.”
 Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

GOALS, RATIONALE, PHILOSOPHY Psychology is the study of what defines a human being. Behavior, biology, and social forces act upon the individual and have their part to play in developing the person. This course will explore topics in the study of the human mind and the forces that help shape it into the organ that determines our individual natures. What students will gain from this course is an understanding of the underlying reasons for human behavior. By doing so, they will also be able to appreciate with enhanced significance the meaning and reason behind their own actions and the actions of others.

The course will be highly interactive.  One which will require the students to be prepared to present information to the class, to participate willingly, positively, and enthusiastically in class discussions.  Students must be supportive of one another’s opinions and willingness to speak.  Students will be asked to work cooperatively in the preparation, research and presentation of group projects.

EVALUATION

v  Class Participation (15%)  

v  Projects, Assignments  and Class Presentations (60%)

v  Test and Quizzes (25%)  

COURSE TOPICS

1. History and Schools of Psychological Thought –psychology’s roots, various contemporary psychological perspectives

2. Research Methods – recognize the methods of research of psychologists, define the components of the controlled experiment, apply the proper terminology of the controlled experiment in examples, explore case studies

3. Developmental Psychology- the scientific study of changes that occur in human beings over the course of their life. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence, adult development, aging, and the entire lifespan

4. Psychological Disorders – defining and understanding disorders, classifying and labeling disorders (ie.  Anxiety, mood, and dissociative disorder, schizophrenia), psychological therapies,  drug therapies)

5. Social and Cultural Dimensions of Behavior – personality and its assessments

 

NOTE:  Time may not allow us to study every one of these topic areas in depth.  If time becomes an issue we will determine topics according to interest level.