PSYK1210 General and Historical Introduction to Psychology Course description

The course provides an introduction to central psychological themes and is a platform for further studies in psychology. The course will provide a basis for the understanding of psychology as a wide research field that covers many areas, as well as providing an overview of clinical psychological therapies. The course offers an orientation about central themes that psychology seeks to illuminate and features of their history.

Admission to the programme

Knowledge

The student can

• account for research methods in psychology
• account for the evolutionary and biological bases of behaviour
• describe cognitive processes, intelligence and intelligence assessment
• account for learning and behaviour analysis
• describe motivation, emotions, stress and health
• account for memory, sensation and perception
• account for personality and individual differences
• account for psychological disorders and therapies
• describe the historical development and central contributors

Skills

The student

• is capable of familiarizing themselves with, critically assess, and integrate central themes in psychology, as described in «Knowledge»

General competence

The student can

• present subject matter to, and discuss viewpoints with, fellow students
• reflect on the history of psychology and psychology as a current science

Work and teaching methods used in the course are lectures, self-study and student-initiated group work. Seminars will also be held where the students present subject matter of psychology literature. Participation in these seminars is compulsory.

In order to present oneself for the supervised written examination the following must be approved:

• Attendance throughout the day at 4 seminars, including participation in your own presentation in a group

Supervised individual written exam, four hours.

None

Grade scale A - F.

All answers are assessed by two examiners.

An external examiner is used regularly, at a minimum of every third completion of the course. When selecting answers for external evaluation, a minimum of 10 percent of the answers shall be included, with no fewer than 5 answers. The external examiner’s assessment of the selected answers shall benefit all students.

10 ECTS overlap with PSYK1320, 5 ECTS with PSYK1200.