Course title: Introduction to Psychology

Course code: PT 10103

Three credit hours
(2 hours lecture and 1 hour tutorial)

SYNOPSIS

This course provides knowledge of psychology. Topics featured in

this course include: introduction and perspective of Psychology,
research method in psychology, the biological basis of behavior,
perception and sensation, memory, personality development, stress
and health, motivation and emotion, psychological problems,
learning theories and concepts used in Social Psychology.
OBJECTIVES

To provide understanding to the field of psychology.

To get knowledge such as the history of psychology, the main
goals in psychology, psychological theories, neuroscience and
biological foundations of behavior and research method in
psychology.
To enhance students understanding to the field of psychology as
the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

What you will learn in this course:

Week 1 What is Psychology?
Week 2 Biological Foundations of behavior
Week 3 Sensation and perception
Week 4 Consciousness
Week 5 Learning
Week 6 Memory
Week 7 Thinking (cognition), intelligence and language
Week 8 Motivation and emotion
Week 9 Human development
Week 10 Personality
Week 11 Stress and health
Week 12 Psychology disorders
Week 13 Therapies
Week 14 Social Psychology

References
King A. L. (2013). The Science of Psychology: An appreciative View. New
York: McGraw Hill Company (Text book RM75.00)
Publication Manual American Psychological Association. (APA) (6th
Edition) (RM95.00) 20 copies
Coon, D., & Mitterer, J.O. (2010). Introduction to Psychology (12th ed.).
Belmont, CA: Cengage.
Feist, G.J., & Rosenberg, E.L. (2010). Psychology: Making Connections.
New YorK: McGraw-Hill.
Feldman, R.S. (2009). Understanding Psychology (9th ed.). New York:
McGraw-Hill. .
Huffman, K., Vernoy, M., & Vernoy, J. (2009). Psychology in Action (7th
ed.). Singapore: Wiley.
Morris, V.G. & Maisto. A.A. (2008). Understanding Psychology (9th ed.).
New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.
Wade, C., & Tavris, C. (2008). Psychology (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Pearson.

Evaluation:
Individual assignment (My story)

15 %

Group assignment (5 persons)

+ Presentation

- 10 %
- 10 %

Mid-term exam

- 25 %

Final exam

- 40 %

Total score

- 100

* Further discussion first tutorial

Mode of delivery
The class will be taught using a variety of methods including
lecture, discussion, & exercises.

Compulsory for students to attend lecture & tutorial session.

All students must follow rules in Kaedah Tatatertib Pelajar UMS
(1999) & Peraturan Pra Siswazah UMS.
The assessment will divide to coursework & examination.
Students must do & sit for every assessment & grade E will be
given to students who miss any one of the assessments given.
All the student are required to fill up course evaluation
form(Borang Penilaian Kursus) week 10.
6

A list of things you should remember!!!

1.Attendance must be 100%. A possible reason need to be
informed (by letter) to the lecturer/tutor if you cannot attend any
lecture or tutorial. All students must attend every lecture and
tutorial. Failure to do will restraint you to sit for final exam.
2. Each student has to register for a tutorial. Just choose the day
and time that suits you (register in the LMS).

3.Group assignments will be discussed in detail during our first

tutorial class.
4. Download the course syllabus and notes from LMS.
5. If you have any questions that related to this course
(assignments, lectures), can discuss during tutorial.

Week 1
INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

Defining Psychology
Psychologys goal
Psychology in Historical Perspective
Contemporary Approaches to Psychology
What Psychologists Do
Research in Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental

processes.
Three Key Components
science systematic methods
behavior what can be directly observed
mental processes thoughts, feelings, motives
Critical thinking, skepticism, objectivity and curiosity

Pseudopsychologies

Pseudopsychologies - systems of explaining

human behavior that are not based on or
consistent with scientific evidence.

Phrenology reading bumps on the

skull.

Palmistry reading palms (by looking

the lines on palm of their hand.

Graphology analysis of personality

through handwriting.

Psychologys goals: Describe, Explain, Predict and Change

1. To describe a particular behavior by making careful observation
(what occurred?). E.g. People prefer to be balance in their
relationship in giving and receiving. What does it means?
2. Explanation (Why this it happen ?
Why people emphasis on the importance of reciprocity in their
relationship?
3. Prediction answering whats and whys we predict that people
will show less in relationship satisfaction when they are inequitable in
relationship.
4. Change applying psychological knowledge to prevent unwanted
outcomes. People maintain their relationship by keeping balance in
their relationship.

Psychology in Historical Perspective

Field

Pioneer

Research focus

Experimental
Psychology
(1870-1880)

Wilhelm Wundt (Father of

Psychology) established the
first psychology lab at
University of Liepzig, Jerman
(1879)
- Published a book The
principles of physiological of
psychology

Study about the workings

of brain (Introspection
looking inside)

Structuralism
(1890)
How are the
elementary
contents, the
structure of the
human mind ??

Edward Titchener (1867

1927) brought the ideas of
Wundt to US

Discovered the basic

elements, or structures, of
mental processes
identifying the structures
of the human mind (e.g.
mind consists of
memories)

Field

Pioneer

Research area

Functionalism
(1890)
What and why
people do it ???

William James (a
physiologist -published a
book Principles of
Psychology .

Focus on how individuals use their

perceptual abilities to adapt and
function in their environment.
Human interactions with outside
world.
How people work, play and adapt
to their surroundings ???
Influenced the modern fields of:
Educational psychology
Industrial/organizational
psychology

Contemporary approaches to psychology

Field

Pioneer

Research focus

Biological
approach
Neuroscience

Johannes Muller,
Roger Sperry, James
Olds

Study of the structure, function,

development, genetics, biochemistry of
the nervous system allowed
psychologist to understand more about
the brain

Pavlov, Edward
Thorndike, John B.
Watson, Skinner

Scientific study of observable behavior

reward/punishment can affect behaviour
(what people do and less focuses on
thoughts and feelings)

Behavioral
approach

Psychodynamic Sigmund Freud, Carl

approach Neo- Jung, Alfred Adler
Freudian(1895 dan Karen Horney
present)

Emphasizes unconscious thought and

early childhood family experiences.
Jung less emphasis on sexual drives and
more on cultural and social experiences
as determinants of behavior.

Contemporary approaches to psychology

Field

Pioneer

Research focus

Humanistic
approach

Maslow, Rogers

Emphasizes on persons positive

qualities , capacity for positive growth
and freedom to choose ones destiny.

Cognitive
approach

Piaget, Sternberg,
Howard Gardner,
Bandura

Emphasizes on the mental processes

involved in knowing: how people direct
their attention, remember, think and
solve problems.

Evolutionary
approach

Charles Darwin,
Konrad Lorenz,

Sociocultural
approach

John Berry, Patricia

Greenfield and
Richard Brislin

Focus on the evolutionary ideas:

adaptation, reproduction, and natural
selection as the basis for explaining
specific human behaviors.
Focus on social and cultural factors that
influence peoples behavior

Specialties in psychology
Biopsychology Relationship between biology and mental processes.
/neuroscience
Clinical
Psychology

Specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment

of mental and behavioral disorders.

Cognitive
psychology

Examines higher mental processes (thought,

memory, intelligence, creativity and language).

Social
psychology

Investigate the role of social forces and interpersonal

behavior including aggression, prejudice, love,
helping, conformity and attitudes.

Counseling
psychology

Overlaps with clinical psychology but generally

works with adjustment problems that are less severe,
including marital, behavioral or academic.

Developmental
psychology

Studies the course of human growth and

development.

Educational
psychology

Psychological development of children in the

school environment.

Experimental
psychology

Examines processes such as learning,

conditioning, motivation, emotion in humans
and other animals.

Gender and/or
How males and females and different cultures
cultural psychology differ from one another and how they are
similar.
Industrial and
organizational
psychology

Applies the principle of psychology to the

workplace.

Psychology and the Scientific Method

Scientific method - system of gathering data so that
bias and error in measurement are reduced.

Steps in the Scientific Method:

1. Perceive the question.
2. Form a hypothesis tentative explanation of a
phenomenon based on observations. (Hypothesis A
statement of predicted relationship between 2 or more
variables).
3. Test the hypothesis.
4. Draw conclusions.
5. Report your results so that others can try to replicate.

Research Methods in Psychology

Dependent variables The variable that is measured to see how it
is changed by manipulations in the independent variable.
Independent variables The variable that is manipulated to test its
effects on the other, dependent variables.
Children who frequent sleep with their parents (IV) will be
more attached to their parents (DV).
Students with high IQ scores (IV) usually earn higher CGPA
in university (DV).
Hypothesis A statement of predicted relationship between
2 or more variables.

Research methods in psychology

1. Naturalistic observation/ Observations of real-life situations
Also known as field study, involves going into the community to
observe and record the behavior of people engaged in natural
settings rather than in the lab. Two types Intervention and without
intervention.

2. Case studies
Psychologist conduct an intensive investigation of a person or
group in order to draw general conclusions about behavior. E.g Jean
Piaget developed a comprehensive theory of cognitive by carefully
studying each of his three children as they grew and changed
during childhood.

Survey Method
Surveys researchers will ask a series of questions about the topic
under study.
Given to a representative sample - randomly selected sample of
subjects from a larger population of subjects.
Population - the entire group of people or animals in which
the researcher is interested.
Advantages:
Data from large numbers of people.
Study covert behaviors (emotion, personality).

Disadvantages:
Have to ensure representative sample (or results not
meaningful).
People are not always accurate (courtesy bias).

LO 1.9 Case studies and surveys

Random Sampling from Population

INFERENCE
POPULATION
SAMPLE
Menu

Correlational design
Correlation coefficient ranges from 1.00 to +1.00.
Closer to 1.00 or -1.00, the stronger the relationship between the
variables.
No correlation = 0.0.
Perfect correlation = -1.00 OR +1.00.
Positive correlation variables are related in the same direction.
As one increases, the other increases; as one decreases, the
other decreases. and or and
Students who ask many questions, tend to have higher
score in PT10103.
Negative correlation variables are related in opposite direction. As
one increases, the other decreases. and or and
- Students who always skip class, tend to have lower score in PT
10103

5. Experimental research
Experimental methods let researchers investigate cause-effect
relationships by controlling or carefully manipulating particular
variables to note their effects on other variables.
Experimental group the group subjected to a change in the
independent variable.
Control group the group not subjected to a change in the
independent variable.
Experimental Group
Test for Differences
Control Group
Sample

Experimental research

The effectiveness of youth program to increase life-effectiveness

(leadership etc.)
Group 1 (experimental) ---- joined the youth program (manipulated)
Group 2 (control) ------ no youth program (no manipulation)
If Group A achieving higher in life-effectiveness than group B, is it
because of the youth program?

Ethics in Psychological Research

Ethics committees - groups of psychologists or other professionals
who look over each proposed research study and judge it according
to its safety and consideration for the participants in the study.

Common ethical guidelines

1.Informed Consent Participants are told what kinds of tasks they
may be expected to perform and what kinds of situations they may
expect to encounter, with specific qualifications for the use of
deception.consent form.ppt
2. Debriefed - Investigator must debrief participants, telling the
true nature of the study and expectations of results.Debriefed.pptx

3. Confidentiality Data must remain confidential.

4. Participants may withdraw from the study at any time.
5. Research with human/nonhuman animals Ensure the subject/
animals are protected from harm or discomfort.

Homework !
We will discuss these topics in our first tutorial.
1. Based on the four major goals of psychology, identify one of the
phenomena that you are really interested to study. Discuss that
phenomenon by relating it to the four psychologys goal.
2. Based on what you have learnt from lecture 1 and your reading, how
would you define psychology?
3. Imagine that you are a researcher and want to study about
the effectiveness of tutorial to your achievement in PT101013?
1. Identify the independent and dependent variables
2. What types of research methods you will use?