COURSE OUTLINE

COURSE: PSY190 General Psychology

PREREQUISITE:
Nil

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course provides a basic introduction to the study of psychology as a behavior science. Major theories of
psychology will be introduced. Students are also required to examine the various methods used in the study of
psychology and discuss the applications of psychology principles to human affairs.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
This course aims to:
(1) Introduce the various divisions of study in the field of psychology. (2) Introduce the various theories and topics
in psychology. (3) Guide the students to discover and apply the theories in their daily live. (4) Assist the students
to understand themselves through the psychological perspective.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Successful students will be able to:

¾ Understand the major theories and topics in psychology

o helping you to think critically about psychological research methods and findings
¾ improve their life by
o applying psychological principles to individual and/or social problems
¾ improve self understanding and self knowledge
o helping you to better understand yourselves
¾ improve understanding and knowledge of others
o strengthening your ability to understand and respect different perspectives

COURSE FORMAT:
Lecture: 6 hrs per week (includes 2 hours tutorial)

STUDENT EVALUATION:
Examination: Mid-term 30%, Final 30%
Others: Written assignments 20%, Test 10%, Class Participation 10%

GRADING SCALE:
Excellent A (90% – 100%), Superior B (80% – 89%), Average C(70-79%), Passing D(60-69%), Failures F (<60)

EXAMINATION / TEST FORMAT:

TEST
Duration: 1 Hr
20- 30 objective questions

MID-TERM and FINAL

Duration: 3 Hrs
Section A (50 Marks): Answer All 50 Multiple-Choice Questions.
Section B (20 Marks): Answer 4 out of 6 Short-Answer Questions
Section C (30 Marks): Answer 1 out of 3 Essay Questions

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BASIC TEXT:
• Bernstein, D. A., Penner, L. A., Clarke-Stewart, A., & Roy, E. J. (2008). Psychology (8th ed.). NY:
Houghton Mifflin Company.

REFERENCES:
• Carlson, N. R., Heth, C. D., Miller, H., Donahoe, J. W., Buskist, W., & Martin, G. N. (2007). Psychology:
The science of behavior. Boston: Pearson Education.
• Smith, E. E., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Fredrickson, B. L., & Loftus, G. R. (2003). Atkinson & Hilgard’s
introduction to psychology (14th ed.). CA, Belmont: Thomson-Wadsworth Publishing Co.

CLASS SYLLABUS:
(Subject to change based on the needs of the class)
Week Date Lecture Topics Tutorial
1 23 Mar 1 Class introduction & Introducing Psychology
1 26 Mar 2 Research in Psychology & Biological Aspects Tutorial Question 1
of Psychology
2 30 Mar 3 Sensation & Perception Tutorial Question 2
2 2 Apr 4 Learning Tutorial Question 3
3 6 Apr 5 Memory Test 1
3 9 Apr 6 Cognition and Language Tutorial Question 4& 5
4 13 Apr 7 Consciousness Tutorial Question 6
4 16 Apr 8 Cognitive Abilities Tutorial Question 7
5 20 Apr 9 Mid-term exam (Lecture 1-7)
5 23 Apr 10 Motivation & Emotion Tutorial Question 8
6 27 Apr 11 Human Development Tutorial Question 9
6 30 Apr 12 Health, Stress, and Coping Tutorial Question 10
7 4 May 13 Personality Test 2
7 7 May 14 Psychological Disorders & Treatments Tutorial Question 11& 12
8 11 May 15 Social Cognition & Social Influence Tutorial Question 13
8 14 May 16 Revision Tutorial Question 14
Final Examination (Lecture 8-16)

IMPORTANT NOTE:
¾ Students must attend classes for 80% of contact hours.
¾ Cheating in examination or test and plagiarism in assignment are strictly prohibited. Violator will be
given a grade of “0”.
¾ A large number of the examination questions will be taken from the lectures making it difficult to obtain
high grade if lectures are not attended.

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