Fundamentals of Psychology Course

Lesson 1 • Major Schools of Psychological Thought

Behaviorism, psychoanalysis, humanism, and cognitivism represent distinct frameworks. Students compare assumptions and methods across each school.

Lesson 2 • Defining Psychology as a Science

Psychology is defined as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. This grounds students in the discipline's scope and distinguishes it from folk wisdom.

Lesson 3 • Contemporary Perspectives in Psychology

Modern psychology integrates biological, sociocultural, and evolutionary lenses. Students apply multiple perspectives to explain a single behavior.

Lesson 4 • Historical Roots of Psychological Thought

Key philosophical and scientific predecessors shaped modern psychology. Students trace the evolution from philosophy to empirical science.

Lesson 1 • Scientific Thinking and Hypothesis Formation

Scientific reasoning requires falsifiable hypotheses and operational definitions. Students practice translating research questions into testable predictions.

Lesson 2 • Sampling, Measurement, and Data Collection

Valid conclusions depend on representative samples and reliable measures. Students evaluate sampling strategies and common measurement tools.

Lesson 3 • Ethics in Psychological Research

Ethical guidelines protect participants and ensure research integrity. Students apply core principles—informed consent, confidentiality, and debriefing—to case scenarios.

Lesson 4 • Research Designs and Their Applications

Experimental, correlational, and descriptive designs each answer different questions. Students select appropriate designs based on research goals and constraints.

Lesson 1 • Genetics, Heredity, and Behavior

Genes interact with environment to influence traits, disorders, and temperament. Students evaluate twin and adoption studies as evidence for heritability.

Lesson 2 • Neurons and Neural Communication

Neurons transmit information through electrochemical signals across synapses. Students trace the action potential and neurotransmitter processes underlying behavior.

Lesson 3 • States of Consciousness

Consciousness varies across waking, sleep, and altered states. Students analyze sleep stages, dreaming, and the effects of psychoactive substances.

Lesson 4 • Brain Structures and Their Functions

Distinct brain regions govern emotion, cognition, movement, and survival. Students map key structures to their behavioral and psychological functions.

Lesson 1 • Vision: From Light to Perception

The visual system converts light into color, depth, and form perception. Students trace the pathway from retina to visual cortex and explain key phenomena.

Lesson 2 • Attention and Its Limits

Selective and divided attention determine what enters conscious awareness. Students analyze inattentional blindness, multitasking costs, and attentional control.

Lesson 3 • Hearing, Touch, and Other Senses

Auditory, tactile, olfactory, and gustatory systems each use distinct mechanisms. Students compare how each sense encodes and transmits information.

Lesson 4 • Perceptual Organization and Interpretation

Gestalt principles and top-down processing shape how stimuli are grouped and recognized. Students apply these principles to design, communication, and everyday errors.

Lesson 1 • Retrieval, Forgetting, and Memory Errors

Retrieval cues, interference, and decay explain why memories fail or distort. Students analyze the misinformation effect and its implications for eyewitness testimony.

Lesson 2 • Classical and Operant Conditioning

Pavlov's classical and Skinner's operant conditioning explain how associations and consequences shape behavior. Students distinguish reinforcement schedules and their effects.

Lesson 3 • Thinking, Problem-Solving, and Decision-Making

Cognitive processes include concept formation, heuristics, and reasoning under uncertainty. Students identify cognitive biases that distort judgment and decision quality.

Lesson 4 • Memory Systems and Encoding

Sensory, working, and long-term memory form a multi-store system. Students apply encoding strategies—elaboration, organization, and imagery—to enhance retention.

Lesson 1 • Hunger, Sex, and Achievement Motivation

Biological and social factors regulate eating, sexual behavior, and achievement striving. Students evaluate research on set-point theory, sexual motivation, and goal orientation.

Lesson 2 • Theories of Motivation

Drive reduction, arousal, and self-determination theories explain why behavior is initiated. Students compare intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and their effects on performance.

Lesson 3 • Stress, Coping, and Health

Stressors activate physiological and psychological responses that affect long-term health. Students apply Lazarus's appraisal model and evidence-based coping strategies.

Lesson 4 • Nature and Theories of Emotion

Emotion involves physiological arousal, cognitive appraisal, and behavioral expression. Students compare James-Lange, Cannon-Bard, and two-factor theories of emotion.

Lesson 1 • Foundations of Human Development

Nature-nurture interaction, critical periods, and continuity-discontinuity debates frame developmental study. Students evaluate research methods used to study change over time.

Lesson 2 • Adolescence: Identity and Social Development

Puberty, identity formation, and peer influence define adolescent development. Students apply Erikson's identity vs. role confusion stage to adolescent behavior.

Lesson 3 • Adulthood and Aging

Physical, cognitive, and social changes continue through early, middle, and late adulthood. Students evaluate theories of successful aging and end-of-life adjustment.

Lesson 4 • Prenatal Development and Infancy

Prenatal stages and teratogens shape early development before birth. Students examine infant reflexes, sensory capabilities, and early attachment formation.

Lesson 1 • Classifying and Diagnosing Psychological Disorders

Psychological disorders are defined by distress, dysfunction, and deviation from norms. Students use the biopsychosocial model to evaluate diagnostic criteria and cultural context.

Lesson 2 • Major Psychological Disorders and Treatment

Anxiety, mood, psychotic, and personality disorders represent key diagnostic categories. Students compare biological and psychological treatment approaches for each category.

Lesson 3 • Social Influence and Group Dynamics

Conformity, obedience, and group processes shape individual behavior in social contexts. Students analyze Milgram, Asch, and Zimbardo studies and their ethical implications.

Lesson 4 • Attitudes, Persuasion, and Prejudice

Attitudes form through experience and are changed through persuasion and cognitive dissonance. Students apply social identity theory to understand prejudice and discrimination.