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:

• Minimum 80 % attendance on seminars and obligatory instruction days

Portfolio examination comprising four tests (each 1-hour duration) and a supervised written examination (4-hour duration). All four tests must be passed before the student can take the supervised written examination. All the components must be awarded a pass grade before the examination as a whole can be passed.

If the student fails one test, the student can retake this test. Resits/rescheduled attempts of the four tests can be taken once before the ordinary supervised written examination. Before the resit/rescheduled supervised written examination, students will be given a third and final attempt at one or more of the tests.

None

Grade scale A - F. The assessment grad will be awardee on the basis of the tests taken during the course (60% weight) and the result of the supervised written examination (40% weight).

The student has a right to appeal the overall examination grade for the whole portfolio.

One external and one internal examiner.

10 ECTS overlap with PSYK1320, 5 ECTS with PSYK1200.