84654 - General Psychology

Learning outcomes

This course is a broad introduction to the field of psychology. Students explore the key figures, , and research findings that have shaped some of the major areas of contemporary psychology.

Course contents

The course surveys areas such as perception, attention and executive functions, learning and memory, motivation and emotion. This course also examines the research methods across these areas to study the origins and variations in human behavior.

 

PERCEPTION: Relationship between perceptive process and reality; Bottom-up and top-down mechanisms; Attentional systems; Selective attention; Localization; Recognition; Perceptual constancy; Perceptual Illusions; 

MEMORY: Memory Systems; Memory processes; Working Memory; Memory and Emotion; Deficits of Memory.

LEARNING: Habituation; Classical Conditioning; Operant Conditioning Other Learning Processes.

EMOTION AND MOTIVATION: Emotion and Perception. Theories of emotion. Emotional responses. Emotional expression; Motivations;

Readings/Bibliography

R.C.Atkinson e E.R.Hilgard

Introduzione alla Psicologia.

Piccin, Padova 2011

(Capitoli 1, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11)

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures and movies

Assessment methods

The final assessment is based on a written exam

Teaching tools

power point

Office hours

See the website of Vincenzo Natale