Lahore University of Management Sciences

Human Behavior (PSY-100)

Spring Semester 2015

Instructor
Room No.
Office Hours
Email
Telephone
Secretary/TA
TA Office Hours
Course URL (if
any)

Zahbia Sarfraz
239-I, Old SS Wing
TBA
Zahbia.sarfraz@lums.edu.pk
TBA
TBA
TBA

COURSE BASICS
Credit Hours
4
Lecture(s)
2 Per Week
Recitation/Lab None
(per week)
Tutorial
(per None
week)

Duration
Duration

1:50 hours

Duration

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course will provide students with an introduction to the basic principles and methods
of study relating to human behavior. This class is designed for students with no
background in psychology. The course material will cover a broad range of human
behavior based on empirical research conducted by psychologists from all over the world.
Contemporary psychology is concerned with every aspect of human behavior from the
basics of genetics and neurobiology of behavior to the larger questions of prejudice,
aggression, conflict and violence. It does of course also include the study of mental
disorders, including their etiology and treatment. The emphasis throughout the course
will be on the relevance of research findings to real world issues.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students will become acquainted with the major contributors and their theories in the
field of psychology
Students will learn the use of empirical methods in psychological research.
Students will gain an appreciation of the reciprocal relationship between biology and
psychology of behavior.
Students will gain an appreciation of how psychology can help us understand
complex social and political issues.
Students will learn to apply the concepts to experiences in their own lives.

PRIMARY TEXT
Wade, Carole & Tavris, Carol (2011). Psychology 10th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
GRADING
Quizzes
Midterm
Final
Attendance
Class Participation

40% (4 announced)
25%
30%
2.5%
2.5%

COURSE SCHEDULE
Lecture 1
Introduction to the course; what is psychology? Critical thinking in psychology (Chapter
1)
Lecture 2
How psychologists do research: Descriptive, correlational, and experimental methods in
psychology; research ethics (Chapter 2)
Lectures 3
Genes, evolution, and environment: Environmental influences on behavior; nature and
nurture (Chapter 3)
Lectures 4-5
The brain, mind, and self: Biology of mind: neurons and neurochemicals; brain structures
and areas; imaging the brain. (Chapter 4)
Lectures 6-7
Body rhythms and mental states: Biological rhythms; sleep and dreams consciousness;
drugs and consciousness (Chapter 5)
Lecture 8
Sensation and perception: how the sensory system perceives, organizes and interprets
information (Chapter 6)
Lectures 9-10
Learning and conditioning: classical and operant conditioning; observational learning.
(Chapter 7)
Lectures 11-12
Behavior in social and cultural context: Obedience and conformity; Groups and social
influence; conflict and prejudice; Attitudes (Chapter 8)
Lectures 13-14
Thinking and Intelligence: Barriers to reasoning rationally; Theories of Intelligence
(Chapter 9)

Lectures 15-16
Memory: Creation of memories; theories of memory (Chapter 10)
Lectures 17-18
Emotions, stress, and health: The nature of emotions; stress; stress and emotion; coping
with stress (Chapter 11)
Lectures 19
Motivation: Motives to Love and Achieve (Chapter 12)
Lecture 20-21
Theories of personality: Freud and psychoanalysis; humanistic theories; contemporary
research on personality (Chapter 14)
Lectures 22-23
Life-span development: Attachment styles; Cognitive Development; Moral Development
(Chapter 13)
Lectures 24-25
Psychological disorders: classification of disorders; anxiety and mood disorders;
dissociative identity disorder (multiple personality disorder); schizophrenia (Chapter 15)
Lecture 26-27
Psychotherapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Humanist and Existential Therapy
(Chapter 16)