02207 - General Psychology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student will be able to:

• understand the functioning of key cognitive processes, taking into account the distinction between adult functioning and developmental functioning, which is particularly sensitive to environmental influences and experience;

• demonstrate knowledge of behavioral observation techniques within socio-cultural and educational contexts;

• contribute to the development of educational projects concerning the psychological dimension, in collaboration with professionals in the field of pedagogy;

• effectively present information and propose solutions to education professionals and stakeholders regarding the typical development of cognitive functions;

• apply acquired knowledge of basic psychological processes to pursue further professional or academic development;

• possess the theoretical and methodological skills necessary to build relationships both with individual children and with groups;

• be familiar with tools and techniques for observing children's behavior in educational settings;

• design educational projects aimed at supporting the psychological development of children, ensuring continuity and progression with preschool education and family involvement;

• plan teaching activities based on the psychological models studied;

• utilize appropriate tools to evaluate the psychological aspects of their own professional practice.

Course contents

The contents of the General Psychology course are as follows:

Brief History of Psychology: Psychology is a relatively new scientific discipline that has rapidly developed various theoretical and epistemological models for investigating mental processes and their underlying neural bases. This section examines the historical and cultural context that gave rise to and fostered the development of scientific psychology, including the behaviorist approach, the phenomenological approach, cognitive and neo-cognitive psychology, and contemporary neuroscience.

Perception: The sensory organs connect us with the environment by detecting information that is converted into neural signals and transmitted to perceptual systems, whose task is to process and organize such information into representations. This section covers perception as a constructive process, the functions of perception, the relationship between perception and learning, and the links between perception and emotions.

Attention: Psychological research has shown that attention cannot be defined as a unitary concept, but rather as a set of distinct mechanisms involved in different situations and contexts of everyday life. This section examines selective attention, divided attention, and spatial attention.

Learning: The concept of learning refers to a relatively stable change in an individual's behavior resulting from repeated experience with a specific situation throughout different stages of life. This section discusses associationist theories (Pavlov, Thorndike, Skinner, Tolman), Gestalt theories (Köhler), social learning theories (Bandura), and cognitive theories.

Memory: Memory enables human beings to cope with a highly complex world that nevertheless contains regularities allowing the use of past experience. Memory consists of a set of components and processes responsible for the processing of information after it has been perceived, its storage and possible consolidation over time, and its retrieval. This section examines encoding processes, remembering and forgetting, and the different types of memory.

Language and Communication: Language is the product of a complex cognitive activity that accompanies much of human action, and its effects acquire meaning within the communicative process. This section explores the levels, structures, and processes of language and communication, as well as children's language development (with particular reference to bilingualism) and reading comprehension.

Thinking: The psychology of thinking is concerned with reasoning and problem solving. This section covers inductive reasoning, deductive reasoning, and problem-solving processes.

Emotions: A major area of psychological research on emotions concerns the study of the complex relationships among subjective experiential responses (feelings), peripheral physiological responses, and behavior. This section presents the main theoretical models of emotions, the role of the body in subjective experience, the subjective experiential dimension of emotions, and emotional expression.

Throughout the course, the major psychological processes examined will also be discussed in relation to early childhood educational settings. Through examples, case studies, and reflective activities, students will explore the application of psychological knowledge to the observation of children's behavior, the design of educational interventions and learning pathways, the development of educational projects, and the evaluation of the psychological aspects of professional educational practice.

No specific prerequisites are required to successfully engage with the General Psychology course. Students are expected to possess the conceptual abilities and general knowledge typically acquired through upper secondary education.

The course contents are also valid for students enrolled in the Bachelor's Degree Programme in Early Childhood Education Services whose study plans include the following course codes: 02207 – General Psychology (code 9083) and 02207 – General Psychology (code 6615).

Readings/Bibliography

Required Reading for the Examination:

Occhionero, M. (Ed.). Introduzione alla psicologia generale. Rome: Carocci Editore, 2018. ISBN: 978-88-430-9361-8 (latest reprint: 7th reprint, 2026).

Students are required to study Chapters 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. Chapter 2 is not included in the examination syllabus.

This examination bibliography applies equally to attending and non-attending students. It is also valid for students enrolled in the Bachelor's Degree Programme in Early Childhood Education Services whose study plans include the following course codes: 02207 – General Psychology (code 9083) and 02207 – General Psychology (code 6615).

Course materials, including PDF files of the lecture slides, are available through the University of Bologna Virtual Learning Environment at:

https://virtuale.unibo.it/

Students may enroll in and access the General Psychology course page for the academic year 2026/2027. The lecture slides are intended solely as supplementary learning materials and do not replace the required examination readings. They are provided exclusively for educational purposes and to support students' study activities. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or other use of these materials is strictly prohibited.

Recommended Readings and Further Study:

The textbook adopted for the examination includes, at the end of each chapter, a selection of recommended readings. These references may include both scientific literature and interdisciplinary works that extend beyond the traditional boundaries of psychology. Such readings are intended to foster critical thinking, encourage intellectual curiosity, and support the development of independent reflective skills in the study of psychological topics.

 

Teaching methods

The General Psychology course consists of 60 hours of classroom-based instruction (6 hours per week, distributed over two days: 4 hours on the first day and 2 hours on the second day). Course contents are delivered through lectures supported by slides and other teaching materials prepared by the instructor.

The course combines the theoretical presentation of the main topics in general psychology with the discussion of scientific research findings, classic and contemporary experiments, applied examples, case studies, and selected audiovisual materials.

Throughout the course, opportunities for further discussion and in-depth exploration of the topics covered will be provided in order to foster the understanding of key concepts, the development of critical thinking skills, and the ability to connect the theoretical models presented with their potential applications in different educational, social, and everyday contexts.

Assessment methods

Student learning is assessed through a written examination consisting of 31 multiple-choice questions, each with four response options (A, B, C, or D), of which only one is correct. The duration of the written examination is 40 minutes.

The questions are based on the contents of the required textbook and may concern key figures in General Psychology, historical dates related to important discoveries, research studies, and theoretical paradigms, as well as definitions, theories, models, examples presented in the textbook, or similar examples. Questions may either directly refer to concepts and terminology presented in the textbook (e.g., “Who described perception as being based on unconscious inferential processes?”) or present everyday situations requiring the application of psychological concepts to identify the correct answer (e.g., “I take a painkiller for a toothache; this is an example of what?”). Sample questions are discussed during lectures. The assessment methods are also valid for students enrolled in the Bachelor's Degree Programme in Early Childhood Education Services whose study plans include the following course codes: 02207 – General Psychology (code 9083) and 02207 – General Psychology (code 6615).

Each correct answer is awarded 1 point. Incorrect or unanswered questions receive 0 points. No penalties are applied for incorrect answers. The final grade is determined by summing all correct answers across the 31 questions. The highest possible mark is therefore 30/30 cum laude. A minimum score of 18/30 is required to pass the examination.

Students obtaining a score below 18/30 will receive a failing grade (“Fail”).

Students who obtain at least 18/30 in the written examination may choose to take an optional oral examination. The oral examination assesses not only the correctness of responses but also communication skills, clarity of presentation, the appropriate use of disciplinary terminology, and the ability to establish critical connections among course topics.

The optional oral examination takes place after the publication of the written examination results and may modify the written examination grade by a maximum of −3 or +3 points. For example, a written examination grade of 20/30 may be adjusted to any grade between 17/30 and 23/30 depending on oral performance.

The evaluation criteria for the optional oral examination are as follows:

−3: Preparation limited to a small number of topics, insufficient independent analysis and critical connections, imprecise discussion, and poor use of disciplinary terminology.

−2: Preparation limited to a small number of topics, modest independent analysis and critical connections, adequately organized discussion, and mediocre use of disciplinary terminology.

−1: Preparation limited to a small number of topics, sufficient independent analysis and critical connections, adequately organized discussion, and mediocre use of disciplinary terminology.

0: Sufficient preparation across an adequate range of topics, sufficient independent analysis and critical connections, adequately organized discussion, and sufficient use of disciplinary terminology.

+1: Good preparation across a reasonable range of topics, sufficient independent analysis and critical connections, adequately organized discussion, and good use of disciplinary terminology.

+2: Broad preparation across course topics, good independent analysis and critical connections, well-developed responses, and good use of disciplinary terminology.

+3: Comprehensive preparation across course topics, excellent independent analysis and critical connections, well-articulated responses, and excellent use of disciplinary terminology.

Students may withdraw from the examination at any time during the assessment.

During the examination, the use of textbooks, notes, calculators, dictionaries, teaching materials, lecture slides, electronic devices (e.g., mobile phones, tablets, laptops), or any other supporting materials is strictly prohibited.

With regard to assessment activities, the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools is not permitted. Any use of such tools constitutes a violation of academic integrity.

To take the examination, students must register through the AlmaEsami online system. In accordance with the requirements of the Degree Programme, seven examination sessions are scheduled each academic year and are distributed across the winter session (December–February), summer session (May–July), and autumn session (September).

No mid-term examinations are offered.

For each examination session, three examination groups of up to 100 students each are scheduled. Students are assigned to groups according to the order of registration. The first 100 registered students are assigned to the first group, students ranked 101–200 to the second group, and the final 100 students to the third group.

Examination starting times are generally as follows:

First group: 09:00 or 09:30;

Second group: 10:30 or 11:00;

Third group: 12:00 or 12:30.

Requests to change examination groups cannot be accommodated.

Students may request to complete the assessment entirely through an oral examination by contacting the instructor via email no later than seven days before the examination date.

The oral examination consists of five questions. Assessment focuses on the relevance and accuracy of responses, the quality of argumentation and presentation, the appropriate use of disciplinary terminology, and the ability to establish critical connections among the different topics covered in the course.

Grades are awarded on a 30-point scale, with 18/30 representing the minimum passing grade.

The grading criteria are as follows:

18–21: Correct responses to questions, but limited ability to establish critical connections; discussion is approximate and disciplinary terminology is used inadequately.

22–24: Correct responses with some ability to establish critical connections; discussion is adequately organized and disciplinary terminology is used appropriately.

25–26: Correct responses demonstrating good critical connections and organization of ideas; disciplinary terminology is used appropriately and clearly.

27–29: Correct responses demonstrating strong critical thinking skills; answers are well-developed and organized, with effective use of disciplinary terminology and clear presentation.

30–30 cum laude: Correct responses demonstrating complete autonomy of judgment and critical analysis; discussion is articulated at a specialist level, with excellent use of disciplinary terminology and outstanding communication skills.

Students opting for the fully oral examination must attend on the scheduled examination date and at the time corresponding to their assigned examination group for identification purposes. The oral examination will take place after the completion of the written examination session.

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities are encouraged to contact the relevant University office in advance. The office will propose any appropriate accommodations, which must be submitted to the instructor for approval at least seven days before the examination date. The instructor will evaluate the suitability of the proposed accommodations also in relation to the learning outcomes of the course.

Students are strongly advised, in order to protect their privacy, not to share detailed information regarding their clinical condition or medical documentation directly with the course instructor.

Teaching tools

Lecture slides in PDF format are made available by the instructor through the University of Bologna Virtual Learning Environment (https://virtuale.unibo.it/ ) in the General Psychology 2026–2027 course folder.

Students are reminded that these materials do not replace the required examination textbook, which must be studied in preparation for the written examination. The slides are provided exclusively for educational purposes and as a study aid. Any other use, including reproduction, distribution, or dissemination of the materials, is strictly prohibited.

Students are also informed of two opportunities to gain direct experience with some of the topics covered in the course through voluntary participation in research studies. Participation in these studies does not provide any academic credit, bonus points, or other advantages in relation to the course assessment. Likewise, students who choose not to participate, or who withdraw from participation at any stage of the study, will not incur any academic disadvantage or discrimination.

Research Study 1

Volunteers are invited to participate in the research project entitled:

“The Relationship Between Stress and Mobile Phone Addiction: The Mediating Role of Coping Strategies and Social Media Activity.”

The study aims to investigate how individuals respond to stressful situations, with particular attention to mobile phone use and social media activity.

Students interested in participating may access the study at the following link:

https://www.psytoolkit.org/c/3.7.0/survey?s=7wv52

Research Study 2

Volunteers are also sought for a research project conducted in the Sleep Laboratory.

Participation requires spending one night per week in the laboratory for four consecutive weeks. The study does not involve sleep interruption or nocturnal awakenings. Participants are only asked to complete a number of tests in the evening before going to sleep and in the morning after spontaneous awakening.

Students interested in participating may complete a set of preliminary questionnaires and provide their contact details through the following link in order to be contacted by the research team:

https://unibopsice.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5uT6H1Qa8iHF3qm

Office hours

See the website of Marco Fabbri