Course Code  : PSYC 1000
Course Title   : Introduction to Psychology
Instructors     :  Md. Azman Shahdan

Note : Please check with the individual instructors for consultation hours

OBJECTIVE

The course aims to introduce psychology to students as a broad exciting field rich in its applications for everyday life. The various topics covered should help students to understand their behaviour as well as that of others and at the same time to help them to recognise the interdependence of behaviour with cognitive and physiological processes. The course will also examine the Islamic perspective of psychology.

OUTLINE

1. The nature of psychology (4 hours)
          The history of psychology
          A working definition of psychology
          Psychology as a profession
          Methods of psychology

Atkinson et al. (pg. 6-27); Baron (pg. 3-33); Davis and Palladino (pg. 12-33); Feldman (pg.4-55); Sdorow (pg. 4-21); Weiten (pg. 3-28)

2.  Contemporary psychological perspectives and the Islamic view of psychology (4 hours)

         The psychoanalytic approach
         The behavioural approach
         The humanistic approach
         The cognitive approach
         The biopsychological approach
         Foundations of an Islamic psychology (tauhid, human nature, purpose of creation, meaning of life, methodological
         considerations)

Atkinson et al. (pg. 10-15); Al-Attas; Ali (pg. 51-64); Ansari; Badri; Baron (pg. 8-12); Davis and Palladino (pg. 14-23); Feldman (pg.18-25); Sdorow (pg.15-21); Weiten (pg. 3-28)

3.  Biopsychological processes (4 hours)

        Neurons: Basic structure and functions
        Structure and functions of the nervous system
        The endocrine system

Atkinson et al. (pg. 36-61); Baron (pg. 45-54; 61-64; 67-72); Davis and Palladino (pg. 40-77); Feldman (pg. 59-91); Sdorow (pg. 70-83); Weiten (pg. 74-106)

4.   Sensation (3 hours)

        Common properties of the sensory modalities
         Kinds of sensation - Visual sense
                      #  Auditory sense
                      #  Other senses (touch, smell and taste, kinesthetic and vestibular sense)
 
Atkinson et al. (pg. 114-148); Baron (84-107); Davis and Palladino (pg. 86-113); Feldman (pg. 97-123); Sdorow (162-175); Weiten (pg. 101-162)

5.   Perception (3 hours)

         Localization
         Recognition
         Attention
         Perceptual constancies and illusions

Atkinson et al. (pg. 152-177); Baron (109-119); Davis and Palladino (pg. 114-125); Feldman (pg. 124-136); Sdorow (pg. 254-278); Weiten (pg. 211-240)

6.   Learning (4 hours)
 
          Perspectives on learning
         Classical conditioning
         Operant conditioning
         Observational learning
         Complex learning

Atkinson et al. (pg. 227-253); Baron (169-194); Davis and Palladino (pg. 216-246); Feldman (184-213); Sdorow (pg. 254-278); Weiten (pg. 211-240)

7.   Memory (4 hours)

          Distinctions about memory and their biological basis
          Types of memory - sensory memory, short-term memory, long-term memory
          Forgetting

Atkinson et al. (pg. 257-287); Baron (pg. 215-237); Davis and Palladino (pg. 256-295); Feldman (pg. 219-240); Sdorow (pg. 287-303); Weiten (pg. 255-284)

 8.   Cognition (3 hours)

        Thinking - forming concepts and reasoning to make conclusions
        Making decisions - choosing among alternatives
        Problem solving - finding paths to desired goals

Atkinson et al. (pg. 296-307); Baron (256-279); Davis and Palladino (pg. 296-321); Feldman (pg. 255-272); Sdorow (pg. 322-337); Weiten (pg. 295-320)

9.    Motivation (3 hours)

           Theories of motivation
           Biological and social motives
           Strength of motives

 Atkinson et al. (pg. 335-360); Baron (pg. 382-406); Davis and Palladino (pg. 78-84); Feldman (321-339); Sdorow (388-414); Weiten (pg. 379-398)

10.  Emotion (3 hours)

          The nature of emotion
          Arousal and emotion
         Cognition and emotion
         Expression and emotion

Atkinson et al. (pg. 378-394); Baron (pg. 408-415); Davis and Palladino (pg. 134-170); Feldman (pg. 342-354); Sdorow (424-446); Weiten (pg. 379-398)
 

11.  Intelligence (3 hours)

         Human intelligence - some contrasting views
         Measuring human intelligence - IQ, tests of intelligence
         Issues in intelligence testing - reliability and validity, the roles of heredity and environment
         Emotional intelligence

Atkinson et al. (pg. 413-421); Baron (425-459); Davis and Palladino (pg. 323-342); Feldman (pg. 292-316); Sdorow (358-364); Weiten (pg. 333-365)

 
12.  Personality (3 hours)

          The nature of personality
          Determinants of personality
          Personality from an Islamic perspective

Atkinson et al. (pg. 447-471); Baron (pg. 468-494); Davis and Palladino (pg. 508-546); Feldman (pg. 465-493); Sdorow (pg. 456-486); Weiten (pg. 471-501)

Main Text

Baron, R.A. (1998). Psychology (4^th edition). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Other relevant texts

Atkinson, R.L., Atkinson, R.C., Smith, E.E., Bem, D.J. and Nolan-Hoeksema, S. (1996). Introduction to psychology (12^th
     edition). Fort Worth, USA: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.
Al-Attas, S.M.N. (1990). The nature of man and the psychology of the human soul. Kuala Lumpur: ISTAC.
Ali, A.H. (1995). The nature of human disposition: Al-Ghazali’s contribution to an Islamic concept of personality. Intellectual
    Discourse, 3, 51-64.
Ansari, Z.A. (1991). Quranic concept of the human psyche. Lahore: IIIT.
Davis, S.F. and Palladino, J.J. (1997). Psychology (2^nd edition). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Feldman, R.S. (1996). Understanding psychology (4^th edition). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Sdorow, L.M. (1995). Psychology. USA: WCB Brown & Benchmark.
Weiten, W. (1992). Psychology: Themes and variations. California: Brooks/Cole Publishing Co.

Computation of Grades

Class evaluation : 30%
Mid-semester exam. : 30%
Final exam. : 40%

NOTE: A MINIMUM CLASS ATTENDANCE OF 80% IS REQUIRED TO BE ABLE TO APPEAR IN THE FINAL EXAMINATION.