This module discusses gender and its related concepts, including sex, gender roles, gender identity, sexual orientation, and sexism. In addition, this module includes a discussion of differences that exist between males and females and how these real gender differences compare to the stereotypes society holds about gender differences. In fact, there are significantly fewer real gender differences than one would expect relative to the large number of stereotypes about gender differences. This module then discusses theories of how gender roles develop and how they contribute to strong expectations for gender differences. Finally, the module concludes with a discussion of some of the consequences of relying on and expecting gender differences, such as gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and ambivalent sexism.

PSY 201 - GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
Credits - 4 Lecture - 4
The first of two survey courses of the basic concepts and principles of psychology. Specific topics include: the history of psychology and research methods of psychology; the biological basis of behavior, sensory and perceptual processes; states of consciousness including sleep and dreams; learning, memory, and intelligence. Emphasis is both theoretical and applied.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is the first of two courses that are designed to provide an introduction to the subject of psychology. In taking these classes, you will learn about the history of psychology, basic principles of psychology, and the many areas of study that psychology is related to. Biological, cognitive, behavioral, and affective areas of study will be discussed. This information provides a basis of knowledge for further study in psychology and may also be applied to your own life.

During this quarter we will study topics such as the history of psychology, the brain and its relation to psychological functioning, how science applies to psychology, learning, memory, thought and intelligence, sensation and perception, and sleep and dreaming. As you are introduced to each new concept, a greater understanding of how psychology affects our everyday lives will emerge.

COURSE OUTCOMES

Outcome 1: Demonstrate core psychological knowledge

Objective 1.a: Define and use psychological terms
Objective 1.b: Describe psychological concepts and relate to everyday life
Objective 1.c: Apply psychological theories to issues in everyday life

Outcome 2: Differentiate between empirical and other methods of inquiry

Objective 2.a: Discuss ways to scientifically respond to a psychological question
Objective 2.b: Identify various research designs and their applications to a research question
Objective 2.c: Interpret and evaluate qualitative and/or quantitative data

Outcome 3: Apply knowledge and skills to contemporary psychological issues

Objective 3.a: Identify and evaluate information resources
Objective 3.b: Communicate knowledge of issues through writing and discussion

Outcome 4: Recognize the diversity of human experience and thought individually and collectively

Objective 4.a: Describe how nature and nurture influence the individual

The resource is a learning module that contains a three-part curriculum about the social psychology of racial bias and biased policing. It includes several TEDx lecture videos, textbook and primary source article readings, journals and written assignments for reflection, and resources for acting for social justice. It can generate a certificate of completion after the parts are marked as reviewed and reflection papers submitted.

It is currently available in Blackboard and Canvas LMS versions. We are working on a Google Docs version. If you would like to import it and adapt it for another LMS, and want to contribute to this project, please let me know and we'll get you added to the project.

It was inspired by my university releasing the university from work in honor of the George Floyd memorials. I created it as an extra credit opportunity, but could be integrated in the psychology curriculum when teaching about stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination.

Dana C. Leighton, PhD
Assistant Professor of Psychology, Texas A&M University—Texarkana
Director, Peace and Justice Psychology Lab
903-334-6627 • dleighton@tamut.edu
home: http://danaleighton.net • blog: http://danaleighton.edublogs.org
preferred pronouns: he, him, his

Subjective well-being (SWB) is the scientific term for happiness and life satisfaction—thinking and feeling that your life is going well, not badly. Scientists rely primarily on self-report surveys to assess the happiness of individuals, but they have validated these scales with other types of measures. People’s levels of subjective well-being are influenced by both internal factors, such as personality and outlook, and external factors, such as the society in which they live. Some of the major determinants of subjective well-being are a person’s inborn temperament, the quality of their social relationships, the societies they live in, and their ability to meet their basic needs. To some degree people adapt to conditions so that over time our circumstances may not influence our happiness as much as one might predict they would. Importantly, researchers have also studied the outcomes of subjective well-being and have found that “happy” people are more likely to be healthier and live longer, to have better social relationships, and to be more productive at work. In other words, people high in subjective well-being seem to be healthier and function more effectively compared to people who are chronically stressed, depressed, or angry. Thus, happiness does not just feel good, but it is good for people and for those around them.

Our emotions, thoughts, and behaviors play an important role in our health. Not only do they influence our day-to-day health practices, but they can also influence how our body functions. This module provides an overview of health psychology, which is a field devoted to understanding the connections between psychology and health. Discussed here are examples of topics a health psychologist might study, including stress, psychosocial factors related to health and disease, how to use psychology to improve health, and the role of psychology in medicine.

Hearing allows us to perceive the world of acoustic vibrations all around us, and provides us with our most important channels of communication. This module reviews the basic mechanisms of hearing, beginning with the anatomy and physiology of the ear and a brief review of the auditory pathways up to the auditory cortex. An outline of the basic perceptual attributes of sound, including loudness, pitch, and timbre, is followed by a review of the principles of tonotopic organization, established in the cochlea. An overview of masking and frequency selectivity is followed by a review of the perception and neural mechanisms underlying spatial hearing. Finally, an overview is provided of auditory scene analysis, which tackles the important question of how the auditory system is able to make sense of the complex mixtures of sounds that are encountered in everyday acoustic environments.

People often act to benefit other people, and these acts are examples of prosocial behavior. Such behaviors may come in many guises: helping an individual in need; sharing personal resources; volunteering time, effort, and expertise; cooperating with others to achieve some common goals. The focus of this module is on helping—prosocial acts in dyadic situations in which one person is in need and another provides the necessary assistance to eliminate the other’s need. Although people are often in need, help is not always given. Why not? The decision of whether or not to help is not as simple and straightforward as it might seem, and many factors need to be considered by those who might help. In this module, we will try to understand how the decision to help is made by answering the question: Who helps when and why?

This module is divided into three parts. The first is a brief introduction to various criteria we use to define or distinguish between normality and abnormality. The second, largest part is a history of mental illness from the Stone Age to the 20th century, with a special emphasis on the recurrence of three causal explanations for mental illness; supernatural, somatogenic, and psychogenic factors. This part briefly touches upon trephination, the Greek theory of hysteria within the context of the four bodily humors, witch hunts, asylums, moral treatment, mesmerism, catharsis, the mental hygiene movement, deinstitutionalization, community mental health services, and managed care. The third part concludes with a brief description of the issue of diagnosis.

This module provides an introduction and overview of the historical development of the science and practice of psychology in America. Ever-increasing specialization within the field often makes it difficult to discern the common roots from which the field of psychology has evolved. By exploring this shared past, students will be better able to understand how psychology has developed into the discipline we know today.

This module provides an introduction to industrial and organizational (I/O) psychology. I/O psychology is an area of psychology that specializes in the scientific study of behavior in organizational settings and the application of psychology to understand work behavior. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that I/O psychology, as a field, will grow 26% by the year 2018. I/O psychologists typically have advanced degrees such as a Ph.D. or master’s degree and may work in academic, consulting, government, military, or private for-profit and not-for-profit organizational settings. Depending on the state in which they work, I/O psychologists may be licensed. They might ask and answer questions such as “What makes people happy at work?” “What motivates employees at work?” “What types of leadership styles result in better performance of employees?” “Who are the best applicants to hire for a job?” One hallmark of I/O psychology is its basis in data and evidence to answer such questions, and I/O psychology is based on the scientist-practitioner model. The key individuals and studies in the history of I/O psychology are addressed in this module. Further, professional I/O associations are discussed, as are the key areas of competence developed in I/O master’s programs.

Psychologists interested in the study of human individuality have found that accomplishments in education, the world of work, and creativity are a joint function of talent, passion, and commitment — or how much effort and time one is willing to invest in personal development when the opportunity is provided. This module reviews models and measures that psychologists have designed to assess intellect, interests, and energy for personal development. The module begins with a model for organizing these three psychological domains, which is useful for understanding talent development. This model is not only helpful for understanding the many different ways that positive development may unfold among people, but it is also useful for conceptualizing personal development and ways of selecting opportunities in learning and work settings that are more personally meaningful. Data supporting this model are reviewed.

Intelligence is among the oldest and longest studied topics in all of psychology. The development of assessments to measure this concept is at the core of the development of psychological science itself. This module introduces key historical figures, major theories of intelligence, and common assessment strategies related to intelligence. This module will also discuss controversies related to the study of group differences in intelligence.

This book is intended as a resource for anyone working with young people in challenging circumstances. Many say that all young people today are at risk: as moving from childhood, through teenage-hood to adulthood, is a journey full of challenges, risks and dangers.This book is also aimed at those who are already working with, or intending to work with men and young men, especially with the aim of setting up community-based mentorship support programmes.

This module provides students with an introduction to disordered behaviors and mental illness. Students will identify social stigmas and stereotypes that are harmful and negatively impact how people with mental illness are treated as well as what approaches can positively impact people's views of mental illness.

This module provides students with an introduction to disordered behaviors and mental illness. Students will identify social stigmas and stereotypes that are harmful and negatively impact how people with mental illness are treated as well as what approaches can positively impact people's views of mental illness.

This module explores core themes within the field of Community Psychology, which include an emphasis on prevention, a social justice orientation, and an ecological understanding of how people are affected by their environments. Community psychologists comprehensively analyze, investigate, and address problems such as economic inequality, violence, substance abuse, homelessness, poverty, and racism. This unique discipline encourages active collaboration with community partners and organizations to promote a fair and equitable allocation of resources and opportunities. Finally, this module reviews the methods used by community psychologists as well as provides resources for learning more about and getting involved within this field.

The science of social psychology investigates the ways other people affect our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is an exciting field of study because it is so familiar and relevant to our day-to-day lives. Social psychologists study a wide range of topics that can roughly be grouped into 5 categories: attraction, attitudes, peace & conflict, social influence, and social cognition.

When people think of emotions they usually think of the obvious ones, such as happiness, fear, anger, and sadness. This module looks at the knowledge emotions, a family of emotional states that foster learning, exploring, and reflecting. Surprise, interest, confusion, and awe come from events that are unexpected, complicated, and mentally challenging, and they motivate learning in its broadest sense, be it learning over the course of seconds (finding the source of a loud crash, as in surprise) or over a lifetime (engaging with hobbies, pastimes, and intellectual pursuits, as in interest). The module reviews research on each emotion, with an emphasis on causes, consequences, and individual differences. As a group, the knowledge emotions motivate people to engage with new and puzzling things rather than avoid them. Over time, engaging with new things, ideas, and people broadens someone’s experiences and cultivates expertise. The knowledge emotions thus don’t gear up the body like fear, anger, and happiness do, but they do gear up the mind—a critical task for humans, who must learn essentially everything that they know.

Humans have the capacity to use complex language, far more than any other species on Earth. We cooperate with each other to use language for communication; language is often used to communicate about and even construct and maintain our social world. Language use and human sociality are inseparable parts of Homo sapiens as a biological species.

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