Download Module 10

Module 4
1. Understand the nervous system as an incredibly sophisticated integrated
mechanism for building and maintaining a human being.
2. Learn the basic organization and functions of the brain, limbic system, and
endocrine system and how they have evolved to serve us by helping us adapt, and
yet sometimes fail us.
3. Explain how the brain, limbic system, and endocrine system function as an
incredibly adaptive and powerful information system.
4. Understand the powerful influence of the limbic system on our emotions and the
evolutionary significance of the “old brain.”
5. Consider the research on possible sex differences in the brain and what practical
significance such differences may have.
6. Examine a dark chapter in the history of psychology: the “research” into brain
size and the accompanying racial myths.
7. Consider your position on the importance of the two hemispheres of the brain and
their influence on human behavior.
Module 5
1. Understand sensation as a process by which raw physical stimuli sent to the brain
are changed into potentially useful experiences.
2. Learn the basic mechanisms of vision, audition, balance, taste and smell, touch,
and pain.
3. For each of the basic sensations (vision, audition, balance, taste and smell, touch,
and pain), explain how that sensation involves the interaction of stimuli, sensors,
and the brain.
4. Appreciate the considerable impact of cultural differences on a simple experience
like tasting a common food that is considered good in some cultures but
disgusting in others.
5. Consider the implications of placebos and the placebo effect for human
psychology.
6. Understand the complicated dimensions of pain, not as simple as you might think.
7. Learn about exciting new applications of artificial senses to correct age-old
problems of vision and audition.
Module 6
1. Understand perception as the psychological process of transforming physical
stimuli into meaningful representations of reality.
2. Learn the basic differences between sensation and perception and how sensations
are changed into perceptions.
3. Explain how the rules of organization, perceptual constancies, depth perception,
and illusions work to create our perceptions.
4. Understand the research on subliminal perception, the controversy that led to that
research, and the hopes and fears that the possibility of subliminal perception
arouses.
5. Appreciate the influence of cultural diversity on the processes of perception and
what that influence implies about the power of cultural learning.
6. Consider your position on the reality of extrasensory perception (ESP) and
understand the arguments both for and against ESP.
7. Understand the procedures by which many perceptions are created artificially.
Module 7
1. Understand consciousness as a continuum of awareness of one’s thoughts and
feelings, from full alertness to unconsciousness, in which sleep and dreaming are
complex and fascinating components.
2. Learn the basic biology of sleeping and waking and the biological clocks and
circadian rhythms that control them.
3. Explain the interplay of stages and types of sleep that together take up one-third
of our lives.
4. Learn what research says about your personal style as a morning person or a night
person.
5. Appreciate the winter depression called seasonal affective disorder (SAD) as an
example of cultural differences in psychology.
6. Consider the competing theories of dreaming and dream interpretation and how
they relate to larger theories of psychology.
7. Understand common sleep problems and their treatment and apply your new
understanding to your own life, if necessary.
Module 8
1. Understand hypnosis and drug use as altered states of consciousness — a prelude
to the study of normal conscious processes that is coming in the next several
modules.
2. Learn the basic facts about hypnosis and the essence of the controversy about
what hypnosis is and how it works.
3. Appreciate the underlying reasons for drug use, the similarities of drug use in
brain chemistry, and the social lessons in the history of drug abuse and control.
4. Learn the relationship of stimulants, opiates, and hallucinogens and the properties
of the major drugs in each category.
5. Consider the significance of cultural risk factors as determinants of national
differences in alcoholism rates.
6. Consider the implications of research on a popular drug prevention program
(DARE).
7. Learn the essential ingredients of good treatment programs for drug abuse.
Module 9
1. Understand classical conditioning, first described by Ivan Pavlov, as one of the
three powerful theories of learning that behaviorists believe govern all human
action.
2. Learn the basic mechanisms of classical conditioning as illustrated by Pavlov’s
famous salivating dog experiment.
3. Explain the classical conditioning concepts of generalization, discrimination,
extinction, and spontaneous recovery.
4. Explain the role adaptive value plays in taste aversion learning and conditioned
emotional responses
5. Consider the differences in the three basic explanations of how and why
conditioning occurs.
6. Appreciate how conditioning can affect emotional responses, as illustrated by
John B. Watson’s famous experiment with “Little Albert.”
7. Describe how the behavioral therapy called systematic desensitization works to
eliminate a conditioned fear.
Module 10
1. Understand operant conditioning, B. F. Skinner’s theory of learning, as the
linchpin of the behavioral approach to learning, itself one of the six major theories
of psychology.
2. Learn the basic principles and procedures of operant conditioning, and how these
and other conditioning concepts differ from those of classical conditioning
(discussed in the previous module).
3. Explain how the idea of consequences lies at the heart of reinforcement and
punishment.
4. Understand the four basic schedules of reinforcement, how they are measured,
and how they explain much (most?) behavior in humans and other animals.
5. Explain how the power of operant conditioning is modified by both the cognitive
learning principles of observational learning and insight learning as well as the
biological principles of imprinting and prepared learning.
6. Learn how the very effective Suzuki method of learning to play a musical
instrument matches Bandura’s social learning principles.
7. Consider your position on using punishment in therapy (autism) in particular and
child rearing (spanking) in general.
Module 11
1. Understand memory and memory processes as models — inferred explanations of
brain functions for which we do not as yet have the tools to investigate directly at
the physiological level.
2. Learn the three basic types of memory and how they work together as an
integrated process to help us retain and use the information we need as thinking
(not just reacting) animals.
3. Know the component parts, functions, and steps in the three types of memory.
4. Understand the processes of encoding and the implications of different memory
strategies for students attempting to master complex materials.
5. Consider your position on the repressed memory controversy and how accusations
of child abuse should be handled.
6. Appreciate cultural differences in memory processes through cross-cultural
research in memory.
7. Learn how the unusual abilities of photographic memory, eidetic imagery, and
flashbulb memory suggest the great potential power of human memory.
Module 12
1. Understand remembering and forgetting as related processes that are
indispensable in navigating our way through the barrage of information and
complexity of tasks we face literally from moment to moment.
2. Learn the basic theories, mechanisms, and research methods in the field of
remembering and forgetting.
3. Learn how neuroscience is investigating the biology of memory in the brain and
bringing psychology closer to a physical explanation of how the processes of
remembering and forgetting work.
4. Apply the lessons of remembering and forgetting, such as encoding, reasons for
forgetting, and combating forgetting with mnemonics, to your college learning
tasks.
5. Appreciate the power of cultural differences, even in something as fundamental as
memory, through an example of Aborigine and white learning and memory
abilities.
6. Consider the legal and social implications of recent research on false memories
and how they can be created and implanted.
7. Reconsider the reputation of eyewitness testimony in light of research on the
accuracy of eyewitnesses and how they can be mislead by factors like how
questions are worded.
Module 13
1. Understand intelligence as an awesome set of skills and abilities that should serve
to unite all humans but that have often divided and alienated us.
2. Learn how different definitions of intelligence have led to three different theories
of what it is and how it affects our lives.
3. Explain how intelligence has been measured, how intelligence tests were
developed, how IQ scores are distributed and used.
4. Appreciate the individual and social problems inherent in attempts to measure
intelligence and use IQ scores in everything from education to employment.
5. Consider the fundamental importance of the nature-nurture question in
psychology and the social sciences and attempt to determine where you stand on
this issue.
6. Appreciate the subject of intelligence as an example of the complex interaction
between science and culture, as illustrated by the social history of IQ tests and
immigration.
7. Learn what psychological research suggests about the value of intervention
programs like Head Start and whether they should be continued.
Module 14
1. Understand thought and language as related achievements that make humans the
most adaptive and accomplished species on earth.
2. Learn the basic mechanisms of concept formation, problem solving, and
creativity.
3. Learn the four basic rules that define language and the four basic stages in
acquiring language.
4. Explain how thought and language are united in two kinds of reasoning.
5. Understand dyslexia as an illustration of the difficult skill of reading.
6. Consider your position on the role of cultural and gender influences on thinking.
7. Review the research on the controversy over whether animals have language.
Module 15
1. Understand motivation as the force (or forces) driving those actions that make us
human and keep us alive and emotionally vibrant.
2. Learn the basic theories that have been proposed in order to explain our biological
and social needs.
3. Understand the biology and psychology of hunger and the special problems we
face in contemporary society as we attempt to regulate this absolutely essential
motivating force.
4. Understand the biology and psychology of sexual behavior and the special
problems we face in contemporary society as we attempt to understand this
essential yet complex motivating force.
5. Consider your position on the clash of cultures over the tradition of genital
cutting.
6. Appreciate achievement as a unique human need that is revealed in striving for
success, fear of failure, and the remarkable accomplishments of immigrant
children.
7. Apply the findings and ideas of psychology to one of the most pressing issues of
the day: eating problems and treatment.
Module 16
1. Understand emotion as a vital force that, through the intensity and variety of
feelings, helps us interpret the world around us and make decisions on everything
from simple daily activities to significant delights or dangers.
2. Learn the basic theories that psychology has devised in attempting to explain
emotion.
3. Learn how the brain produces feelings and uses them to promote our welfare.
4. Appreciate the significance of universal facial expressions of emotions and the
functions of emotions like happiness.
5. Learn how cultural rules governing the display of emotions differ around the
world.
6. Consider what research says about the new concept of emotional intelligence.
7. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of lie detectors.
Module 17
1. Understand infancy and childhood as closely related periods in a sequence of
development that leads to adolescence and adulthood.
2. Appreciate the crucial importance of the nature-nurture question in psychology
and social science through investigation of genetic and environmental influences
on infancy and childhood.
3. Learn the basic biology of prenatal influences, the prenatal period, newborn’s
abilities, and the principles of sensory and motor development.
4. Understand emotional development in infancy and childhood through the
psychology of temperament, emotions, and attachment.
5. Learn the classic theories of cognitive and social development: Piaget’s cognitive
development, Freud’s psychosexual stages, Erikson’s psychosocial stages, and
Bandura’s social cognitive theory.
6. Consider your position on the origin, meaning, and significance of gender
differences and gender roles.
7. Explore the problem of child abuse — its causes, treatment, and prevention.
Module 18
1. Understand adolescence and adulthood as the continuation and completion of the
four-stage human life cycle: infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.
2. Learn the basic biology of puberty and sexual behavior in adolescent girls and
boys, and the kinds of changes that come with aging later in adulthood.
3. Explore cognitive and emotional changes through examining Jean Piaget’s theory
of cognitive development, new discoveries in brain development, Lawrence
Kohlberg’s theory of moral reasoning, and studies of parenting styles.
4. Learn about personality and social changes through consideration of the
psychology of self-esteem, Erik Erikson’s adult psychosocial stages, and
personality change in adulthood.
5. Understand gender roles and gender expectations, the different kinds of love,
choosing a partner, and the success or failure of long-term relationships.
6. Explore the research on happy marriages, why marriages succeed or fail, and
cultural differences in preferences for partners and reasons for marrying.
7. Refine your understanding of teenage suicide and explore the issue of doctorassisted suicide in the elderly.
Module 19
1. Understand Freudian and humanistic theories, which emphasize our inner life, as
the first half of four major approaches to personality [social cognitive and trait
theories are covered in the next module].
2. Learn the basic concepts of the psychodynamic approach to the understanding of
personality through mastering the basic concepts of Sigmund Freud.
3. Appreciate Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, with its ideas of motivation, divisions
of the mind, and developmental stages, as a comprehensive approach to human
nature
4. Learn the basic concepts of the humanistic approach to the understanding of
personality through mastering the basic concepts of Abraham Maslow and Carl
Rogers.
5. Appreciate the cultural factors that help account for the unexpected academic
success of the Indo-Chinese boat people who fled to the United States after the
Vietnam conflict.
6. Study shyness as an example of personality problems and how they are
understood and treated.
7. Understand the most important projective tests as basic assessment tools in the
study of personality.
Module 20
1. Understand social cognitive and trait theories, which emphasize environmental
forces of experience and learning, as the other half of the four basic approaches to
personality.
2. Learn the basic concepts of the social cognitive approach to understanding
personality through exploring the work of Albert Bandura, Julian Rotter, and
Walter Mischel.
3. Learn the basic concepts of the trait approach to understanding personality
through exploring the work of Gordon Allport and research leading to the Big
Five supertraits.
4. Appreciate the new contributions to personality theory from behavioral genetics
and the concept of heritability.
5. Consider the effect of culture on personality through the example of suicide
bombers.
6. Review the founders and key concepts of the four main personality theories
presented this and the previous modules.
7. Explore the role of objective tests in personality assessment and revisit the
concepts of reliability and validity.
Module 21
1. Understand health, stress, and coping as immediate, important, personal
applications of psychological science to your everyday wellbeing and long-term
survival.
2. Learn our basic physiological responses to stress and how they have led to a new
understanding of the connection between mind and body.
3. Learn the different kinds of stress and stressors and how we react to them and
attempt to deal with them.
4. Appreciate the connection between stress and both personality and social factors.
5. Understand different kinds of coping, choosing a coping strategy, and how people
cope with severe trauma.
6. Appreciate how the meditation techniques of Tibetan monks turn Western science
on its head, but in so doing teach modern psychology a valuable lesson about the
connections between mind and body.
7. Learn how to apply stress management programs and techniques to reducing
stress in your daily life.
Module 22
1. Understand assessment as a scientific procedure for determining psychological
abnormalities and their treatment, and anxiety disorders as the more common, less
crippling mental disorders (the more debilitating, mood disorders and
schizophrenia, are treated in the next module).
2. Learn the causes of abnormal behavior and how it is defined and assessed.
3. Learn how mental disorders are diagnosed and understood with the American
Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental DisordersIV-Text Revision or DSM IV-TR.
4. Understand the roots and varieties of anxiety disorders and somatoform disorders.
5. Learn how culture affects mental disorders through the example of taijin
kyofusho, or TKS.
6. Explore the research on understanding and preventing teenage school shootings.
7. Learn how common phobias are understood and treated.
Module 23
1. Understand mood disorders and schizophrenia as the most serious and lifethreatening psychological abnormalities we humans face.
2. Learn the basic kinds, causes, and treatments of mood disorders, including the
last-resort treatment called electroconvulsive therapy or ECT.
3. Learn six kinds of personality disorders, including the uncommon but dangerous
antisocial personality disorder.
4. Understand the types, symptoms, causes, and treatment of the devastating group
of disorders called schizophrenia.
5. Understand the causes and startling symptoms of the rare dissociative disorders.
6. Appreciate how worldwide psychological abnormalities are interpreted differently
by particular cultures.
7. Investigate research on the psychologically curative powers of exercise, and learn
the steps you can take to deal with the common experience of mild depression.
Module 24
1. Understand therapies — putting psychology to work helping troubled people —
as the ultimate reason and payoff for all the study and research poured into
understanding psychology.
2. Appreciate the historical background of therapy as the groundwork for
understanding and evaluating the different forms of treatment… and as a
fascinating story in itself!
3. Learn the principles and procedures of the insight therapies of psychoanalysis,
client-centered therapy, and cognitive therapy.
4. Learn the principles and procedures of behavior therapy and cognitive-behavior
therapy.
5. Understand the basic questions about psychotherapy, including its assumptions,
methods, techniques, effectiveness, and common factors.
6. Consider mental healing from a cultural perspective through an example from
Bali and evaluate research on a new form of psychotherapy called EMDR.
7. Apply current cognitive-behavior techniques to possible problems you or others in
your life may have.
Module 25
1. Understand social psychology as a broad field whose goals are to understand and
explain how our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and behaviors are influenced by
interacting with others.
2. Learn the basic mechanisms of perceiving others through the social lenses of
physical appearance, stereotypes, and schemas.
3. Learn how our thoughts and behaviors are influenced by attributions, attitudes,
and social and group influences.
4. Understand the classic experiments and findings of social psychology in
conformity, compliance, obedience, helping and prosocial behavior, group
dynamics, behavior in crowds, and group decisions.
5. Explore the critical human problem of aggression — its origins in nature and
nurture, social and personality factors, situational cues, and sexual harassment and
aggression.
6. Appreciate how national attitudes and social behaviors are influenced by cultural
differences.
7. Apply the insights and research findings of social psychology to the problems of
controlling aggression in children, anger in adults, and sexual coercion.