A great introductory psychology course should convey the field’s historical innovations and modern dilemmas as well as its marvels and mysteries to the students. The study of the human mind is never complete, and this constant ambiguity should be stressed to make the course fascinating.
* If you took the AP Psychology exam in Spring 2020, you cannot use your score to waive the Introductory Course requirement. However, your score will meet the Introductory Course pre-requisite for Foundational and Advanced Courses in Psychology.
An AP score of 5 or an IB score of 7 on the psychology exam will meet the Introductory Course prerequisites for Foundational and Advanced Courses in psychology.* If you would like your AP/IB score to exempt you from the Introductory Course requirement, you must e-mail the UGO to request this!*
If taken prior to Fall 2019, Science of Living Systems 20 or Science of Living Systems 20S can also be used for this requirement. PSYC S-1, Introduction to Psychology, taken in the Harvard Summer School may also meet this requirement. FOR STUDENTS ENTERING WITH THE CLASS OF 2019 AND BEYOND...
Introductory psychology (Intro Psych) is one of the most popular and frequently taught courses on college campuses, yet educators in psychology have limited knowledge about what is covered in classes around the nation or the extent to which class content reflects the current scope of the discipline. There is no explicit model to guide course content selection for the intro course, which poses substantial challenges for instructors. This article proposes a new model for teaching the intro course that integrates (a) scientific foundations, (b) 5 major domains or pillars of knowledge (biological, cognitive, developmental, social and personality, and mental and physical health), and (c) cross-cutting themes relevant to all domains (cultural and social diversity, ethics, variations in human functioning, and applications; American Psychological Association, 2014). We advocate for national assessment of the course, a similar introductory course for majors and nonmajors, the inclusion of experiential or laboratory components, and additional training resources for instructors of the intro course. Given the exponential growth of psychological knowledge and applications during the past decades, we caution against attempting to provide exhaustive coverage of all topic areas of psychology in a one-semester course. We conclude by discussing the challenges that lie ahead for the discipline of psychology as it launches this new model for Intro Psych.
... Eating is a central activity in all of our lives and in one way or another every single one of us is influenced by it. Because of this, eating is also related to many psychological principles across the five domains in introductory psychology: biological, cognitive, developmental, social and personality, and mental and physical health (American Psychological Association [APA], 2011; APA 2013; Gurung et al., 2016) (see Table 1) 1 . Therefore, focusing on eating as a topic throughout introductory psychology courses can help students gain insight into many psychological concepts in a way that is incredibly relevant to them. ...
Demonstrate understanding of the terminology used in psychology; 2. Identify research models and relate the findings of research to life situations; 3. Demonstrate understanding of the different theoretical approaches to psychology and be able to articulate the different assumptions behind them; 4. Apply psychology practically to problems ...
Introduction to general psychology as the science of the human mind and behavior. The course will examine the different models upon which modern psychology has been built, along with such things as the history and origins of psychology, research methods, biological aspects of psychology, human development, perception, consciousness, learning, ...
687) suggested Intro Psych should have five goals: (a) teach facts and principles of psychology, (b) develop scientific methods or habits of critical thoughts, (c) provide better ability in making personal adjustments, (d) prepare students for later courses or interest them in psychology, and (e) teach what psychology is and is not or eliminate popular superstitions. Given the emer-gence of psychology as a hub science (Boyack et al., 2005), the goal of provid-ing nonmajors as well as majors an appreciation for the reach of psychological science into nearly every facet of human life could be added to this list. More recently, Smith and Fineburg (2006) drew attention to the lack of consistency in Intro Psych and suggested using the Standards and the Guidelines to help shape Intro Psych.
Martha BoenauRobin HailstorksAPA reports synthesize current psychological knowledge in a given area and may offer recommendations for future ac-tion. They do not constitute APA policy or commit APA to the activities described therein. This particular report originated with the APA Board of Educational Affairs.
In this table, the APA Board of Educational Affairs Working Group on Strengthening the Common Core of the Introductory Psychology Course sug-gests discussion topics and demonstrates how each satisfies one or more of the four cross-cut-ting themes recommended for coverage in the course . The working group recommends that instructors first cover the scientific method and then select at least two topics from each of five pillars (i.e., biological, cognitive, development, social and personality, and mental and physical health) based on instructor preference.
Intro Psych course should contain the same content and experiences for all students at a given institution regardless of why students are taking the course (Halpern, 2010). Although some psychology departments may be tempted to create an Intro Psych course specifically for psychology majors, there is no evidence in the literature that suggests having two courses is needed.