Kinnaird College for Women

Department of Psychology
Fall -2017

Course Title: Introduction to Psychology & Practicum

Course Code: APSY 101
Credit hours: 4
Semester: I
Instructor: Ayesha Aziz

Course Overview
This course will focus on fundamentals of Psychology. It emphasizes on unifying themes,
diversity of subject matter and the research enterprise in the field of Psychology.

Objectives
Its aims to illustrate the biological basis of behaviour. The students will cover basic working
vocabulary i.e., sensations and perceptions. Further, it also highlights a thorough discussion on
basic principles of learning, memory, language and cognition. It also entailed with detailed
discussion on motivation and emotion. In addition, they will also cover expanded theoretical
background on human development. It also focuses on providing detailed information on
personality and intelligence.

Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course students will be able to:
 Explain the scope of psychology
 Explain the research methods of Psychology
 Illustrate the Nervous System
 Comprehend the effect of endocrine hormones on behaviors
 Analyze sensation and the laws of perception
 Identify the application of learning principles in daily lives
 Analyze the role of language in cognition
 Assess the importance of memory in recall, forgetting and retrieval
 Evaluate the physiology of emotions and motivations
 Assess the human development across the life span
 Examine the role of intelligence in human performance
 Compare and contrast different types of personality

Course Content and weekly schedule

Week Chapters Contents of Lecture Self- Study
I -II week Introduction to  Definition and nature of Students will ask to find
Psychology Psychology. out the role of
 Schools of thoughts psychologist in our
 Fields of Psychology society.
 Research in Psychology
 Observations
Experimentation
Case – history
Survey
Correlation
Assignment I
Student will prepare
assignment on scope of
different field of
psychology in our daily
lives.
III –IV Neural basis of The Central nervous system Self-Study:
week behavior structure and functions. Students will ask to
The endocrine system structure identify the differences
and functions. between left and right
hemisphere through their
functions.

Students will illustrate all

of them and prepare their
test on it
Test/Quiz I
V-VI Sensation and Definition and characteristics of Self-Study:
week Perception sensation. Student will encourage to
Structure and function of Eye & self-study the applicability
ear. of the phenomena of dark
Definition and nature of adaptation in their daily
perception. lives.
Laws of perceptual organization.
Types of perception: motion,
distance, size and depth.

VII-VIII Learning Definition of Learning Assignment II

week Types of learning Students will be asked to
Cognitive approaches to learning submit two examples of
stimulus generalization
and stimulus
discrimination.
Language and Definition of language
cognition Language development

Test Quiz II
IX Mid -term
X-XI Memory Definition of memory Assignment
The encoding, storage and III
retrieval in memory Students will ask to
 Forgetting when memory loss identify the retrieval cues
The physiology of memory in retroactive and
Types of memory proactive interference in
their daily lives.

Motivation and Definition of motivation Self-study: Student will

emotion Theoretical approaches to
motivation
Definition of emotion
Theoretical approaches to
emotion
The Physiology of emotions
ask to share their views on
how their fight and flight
system enabled them to
function effectively

Test/Quiz III
XII-XIII Human Definition of development Assignment IV: students
week development Stages of development will ask to identify the
Prenatal development dominance of nature vs.
Childhood development Nurture in human
Years of adolescents development.
Expanse of adulthood
late age

Intelligence and Definition of intelligence

testing Evolution of intelligence testing
Key issues and major trends in
psychological testing
Self-study: students will
asked to share their views
on emotional intelligence
which helps them to deal
effectively in emotional
crisis
XIV Personality Definition of Personality
Theories of personality
Personality Assessment
Test/Quiz IV
XV-XVI Presentations & Student will prepare and
week Revision present their projects
XVII Final term
week

Teaching Methodology
 Lectures will be delivered upon above topics
 Frequently questions will ask during lecture to keep students active listener
 Class-room discussion will be encouraged in last 5-10 minutes
Assessment Criteria of Assignments/Projects
The research and final projects will be evaluated by the instructor according to:
 Quality and depth of projects
 Creativity of the approach
 Clarity of the message
 Quality of presentation to the class
 APA style
Student Behavior involving cheating, copying other’s work and plagiarism will not be tolerated
and will result in disciplinary action.

Scoring Rubric for Written Work

Criteria Standards
A B C D F
5 –4.5 4.5 – 4 3.9 – 3 2.9 –2.5 Less than2.5
Test marking Logic, critical Slightly less Descriptive detail Could not make Inadequate
(5 Marks) and analytical logical and of topic with it proper logic
coverage of analytical but satisfactory
topic giving sense content

Scoring Rubric for Presentation

Criteria Standards
A B C D
2 –1.5 1.4 – 1 0.9 – 0.5 Less than 0.5
Presents Presents Student’s Information is not
Logical information in information in a presentation is presented logically
organization logical sequence, mostly logical somewhat or is presented at
at an appropriate sequence, at an disjointed. Student an inappropriate
level for a appropriate level has difficulty level.
scientific for a more maintaining
audience, and general audience. audience attention
holds
audience interest.
Use of Excellent grasp of Generally correct Some incorrect Incorrect use of
biological biological application of applications of biological
terms and terminology and biological biological terminology, poor
concepts concepts. terminology and terminology and understanding of
concepts. limited biological
understanding of concepts
biological
concepts.
Subject Fully explains and Adequately Inadequately Does not have a
knowledge elaborates subject explains subject explains subject grasp of the
and matter. Able to matter. Can matter. Able to subject matter and
spontaneous provide cogent answer questions, answer only basic, cannot understand
reasoning answers to but does not expected or answer
ability questions. elaborate. questions. questions.
Effective Balanced, finishes Generally Somewhat Too long, doesn’t
use of time on time, leaving balanced, finishes unbalanced, rushes finish, or too
time for questions. on time, but little to finish on time, short. Devotes too
if any time for no time for much or too little
questions. questions. time to each
component of the
presentation.
Body Speaks clearly, Generally, speaks Speaks in a low Voice inaudible,
language projects voice, well, stumbling voice, many speaks in mono
and voice varies modulation, occasionally. audience members tone, reads entire
uses pauses Mainly faces the cannot understand. presentation, faces
effectively. audience, Occasionally the projection
Faces the audience, maintains eye makes eye contact screen with no eye
maintains eye contact most of but mostly reads contact.
contact, does not the time, refers from notes.
use notes. frequently to
notes.
Presentation Appropriate Reasonable Imbalance in Too many or too
technology number and type number and type number and type few graphics,
of graphics, easily of graphics, that of graphics, many illegible, poor
readable, with the can be read. are difficult to contrast, too much
appropriate Graphics related read. Graphics are information.
amount of to oral somewhat related Graphics not
information. presentation. to oral related to points
Graphics reinforce presentation. made orally
and explain oral
presentation.

Recommended Books

Baucum, D., Smith, C., Kagan, J., Segal, J., & Havemann, E. (2004). Kagan and Segal's
Psychology: An introduction (9 th ed.). Belmont: Thomson/Wadsworth.
Feldman. S. R. (2010). Understanding Psychology (10th ed.). USA: Tata McGraw-Hill
Education 
Coon, D., & Mitterer, J. (2008). Introduction to psychology: Gateways to mind and behavior
(12th ed.). USA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
Kalat, J.W. (2010). Introduction to psychology. USA: Cengage Learning, Inc.

Myers, D .G. (2011). Psychology (10th ed.). USA: Wadsworth Publishers

Weiten, W. (2012). Themes and Variations (8th ed.). USA: Cengage learning, Inc