Psychology 290: General Psychology provides an introduction to behavioural areas of study. Use the tabs to the left of the page to see the outline of the course.
Outline
Unit 1: The Evolution of Psychology
Unit 2: The Research Enterprise in Psychology
Unit 3: Motivation and Emotion
Unit 4: Human Development Across the Life Span
Unit 5: Personality—Theory, Research, and Assessment
Unit 6: Social Behaviour
Unit 7: Stress, Coping, and Health
Unit 8: Psychological Disorders
Unit 9: Treatment of Psychological Disorders
Learning outcomes
When you have completed Psychology 290: General Psychology, you should be able to:
describe the evolution of psychology,
compare and contrast the types of research design to human behaviour problems,
discuss relevant research issues,
discuss the theories of emotions, and identify the factors that account for human behaviour,
establish the relationship between heredity and the environment in light of shaping one’s cognitive and social development,
compare and contrast the various theoretical perspectives on personality,
define stress, establish possible causes, and discuss emotional, physiological, and behavioural responses to stress,
identify a variety of psychological disorders, and discuss the contribution of biological, cognitive, personality, conditioning, and stress factors to the etiology of each type of disorder,
identify various types of therapies associated with psychological disorders, discuss their strengths and weaknesses, and outline factors to consider when selecting an appropriate therapy, and
define social psychology, discuss human behaviour that defies logic and common sense, and explain how such behaviours lead to stereotyping and generalization.
Evaluation
To receive credit for PSYC 290, you must complete five quizzes, two journal article critiques, research participation, and a final examination. You must achieve a composite course grade of at least D (50 percent) and a grade of at least 60 percent on the final examination. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Five Graded Quizzes (4 x 8%, 1 x 4%)
36%
Assignment 1: Journal Article Critique
10%
Assignment 2: Journal Article Critique
10%
Research Participation
4%
Final Exam
40%
Total
100%
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Weiten, W., & McCann, D. (2019). Psychology: Themes and variations (5th Canadian ed.). Cengage. (eText)
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the PSYC 290 challenge registration, you must complete a research paper and an exam and achieve a grade of at least C- (60 percent) on the final exam and a composite grade of D (50 percent).
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.