78856 - General Psychology (AK)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the General Psychology course, students will acquire theoretical and methodological knowledge of cognitive processes (perception, attention, learning, memory, decision making), as well as motivational and emotional processes underlying individual and group behaviors, both in conditions of health and illness.

Students will also gain knowledge of the mechanisms involved in typical responses to stress and pain, the recognition and regulation of one's own and others' emotions, and the role of individual differences and personality in healthcare settings.

By the end of the course, students will understand the relationship between cognitive, emotional, and relational processes in medical practice.

Course contents

The course is part of the Integrated Course in General Psychology and Medical Anthropology.
At the end of the Integrated Course, students will acquire knowledge useful for understanding the processes underlying individual and group behaviors.

SPECIFIC CONTENTS OF THE COURSE:

OBJECTS AND METHODS OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY:
Experimental paradigms and the study of cognitive processes; behavioral and psychophysiological measures; neuroimaging techniques.

LEARNING AND MEMORY:
Classical conditioning and operant (or instrumental) conditioning.
Sensory register, short-term (or working) memory, long-term memory.
The organization of information in memory. Episodic and semantic memory, declarative and procedural memory.
Strategies for memorization. Neuropsychological bases of memory and amnesias.

EMOTIONS AND MOTIVATION:
Physiological bases of emotions.
Subcomponents of emotional responses.
Primary (basic) and secondary emotions.
Characteristics of basic emotions.
Expression and recognition of emotions.
Cultural modulation of emotions.
Mechanisms of pain perception and modulation factors.

INTELLIGENCE AND PERSONALITY:
Different approaches to the study of personality.
Taxonomic models of basic personality traits.
Personality inventories.
Assessment of cognitive abilities.
Contemporary theories of intelligence.
IQ and specific abilities.
Intelligence tests.

STRESS AND COPING:
Stressful events: definition and characteristics.
Acute and chronic stress.
Physiological responses to stress.
Psychological responses to stress.
Coping strategies.
Burnout syndrome.

Readings/Bibliography

These slides, in addition to summarizing the information found in the textbooks listed below, also include some additional content that may be subject to evaluation.

• Feldman R.S., Understanding Psychology. McGraw-Hill.

• General Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behavior (edited by T. Marzi, A. Peru, R. Merlini [Translator], L. Tasso [Translator]). McGraw-Hill Education.

• E. Làdavas, A. Berti. Neuropsychology. Il Mulino, 2020, Bologna; Carocci Editore, 2021, Rome.

Teaching methods

The course includes lectures and practical exercises carried out in the classroom by students individually or in small groups.

Assessment methods

Written test with multiple-choice format consisting of 31 questions (duration: 20 minutes), each with 4 answer options. The correct or most complete/exhaustive option must be selected and is awarded 1 point; no penalty will be applied for incorrect answers.

The maximum achievable score, if all answers are correct, is 30 with honors. The test is considered passed with a minimum score of 18/30 (i.e., 18 correct answers).

During the test, no support materials such as textbooks, notes, or electronic devices are allowed.

Once the test results are communicated, students who wish to refuse the grade must notify the instructor within 3 daysby sending an email with the subject line 'GRADE REFUSAL'.

Throughout the Academic Year, there are 6 exam sessions for the General Psychology course published on AlmaEsami.

The course BASICS OF COMMUNICATION IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION grants a pass/fail qualification, which is required for the registration of the Integrated Course (CI) in General Psychology. The conditions for obtaining the qualification are described on the course webpage.

The course is part of the Integrated Course in General Psychology and Medical Anthropology. In order to register the final grade of the Integrated Course, it is necessary to have passed the exams in General Psychology, Medical Anthropology, and obtained the qualification in the BASICS OF COMMUNICATION IN THE MEDICAL PROFESSION course.

Teaching tools

Exercises on psychological tests.
Teaching materials: the teaching materials presented during the lectures will be made available online on Virtuale.

Office hours

See the website of Maria Ida Gobbini