02207 - General Psychology

Learning outcomes

The aim of the course is to present:

1. the organization of behaviour and of the main psycological functions (perception, emotion, motivation, memory, learning, thought, language) that people use to interact with the environment and to develop self representations;

2. emotional and motivational processes and their influence on behavior.

Course contents

LEARNING - Classical conditioning. The basic procedure involved in classical conditioning. Extinction. Generalisation. Discrimination. Spontaneous recovery. Operant conditioning. Law of effect. Positive and negative reinforcement. Shaping. Schedules of reinforcement. Escape and avoidance learning. Similarities and differences between classical and operant conditioning. Clinical application of learning methods.

MEMORY - Memory as information processing (registration – storage – retrieval). The nature of memory: sensory memory (iconic and echoic memory), short-term memory, long-term memory. Models of memory and neural components. Serial position effect. Declarative and procedural memory. Retroactive and proactive interference. Memory and emotions.

PERCEPTION - Recognition and localization in perceptual experience. Gestalt psychology and visual perception. Illusions and ambiguous figures. Infant visual perception. Perception and emotions.

ATTENTION AND STATES OF VIGILANCE - Circadian rhythms. Selective attention and divided attention. Psychophysiology of sleep. REM sleep and NREM sleep: functions of dreaming.

THOUGUT - Categorization and formation of concepts. Types of thoughts. Mental set, problem solving and insight. Divergent/Convergent thinking. Inductive/Deductive reasoning.

INTELLIGENCE - Theories of cognitive development: Piaget's genetic epistemology. Interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Measurement of intelligence: IQ tests. Theory of multiple intelligences: emotional intelligence.

LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION - Stages in language development. Relationship between language and thought. Localization and lateralisation of language. Cortical areas, language and language disorders. Verbal/Non-verbal language. Communication skills. Communication and interpersonal dynamics in clinical context.

EMOTION - Theories of emotion: activation, expression and recognition of emotions. Cerebral hemispheres, specific brain structures in emotional experience. Facial expression of emotions. Emotions and social influences.

MOTIVATION - Human behaviour: biologically-based motives, sensation-seeking motives, complex psychosocial motives. Homeostatic drive theory and drive reduction theory. Theories of the attachment process: early social development. Imprinting and maternal deprivation.

CONFLICT AND STRESS - Types of conflict. Effects of conflict on behaviour. Psychophysiological responses to stress. Stress and illness: acute and chronic stressors and the immune system. Problem-focused coping strategies and emotion-focused coping strategies.

FRUSTRATION AND AGGRESSION - Causes of frustration. Responses to frustration. Frustration-aggression hypothesis. Theories of aggression: psychoanalytic approach, ethological approach, social learning. Reduction and control of aggressive behavior.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN THE NURSE-PATIENT RELATIONSHIP

Readings/Bibliography

- Schacter D.L., Gilbert D.T., Wegner D.M., Pychology, Worth Publishers, New York and Basingstoke, 2010.

Or, in alternative,

- Gerrig R.J., Zimbardo P.G., Psychology and Life, 19th edition, Pearson Education Inc., 2010.

Teaching methods

Lectures.

Assessment methods

The exame of Generlal Psychology consists in a multiple choice test. The test lasts for 20 minutes and contains 20 multiple choice questions.
To pass the exame, students must answer at least 12 questions correctly. The final risult of the Integrated course is determined by the arithmetic mean of the single marks gained in the exames composing the Integrated course.

Teaching tools

Slides; readings.  Further information relative to the course, as well as any supplemental course material (lecture slides, etc), will be available online at
http://campus.unibo.it/.

Office hours

See the website of Maria Paola Zamagni