Course guide of Introduction to Psychology (2641111)

• Ability to understand, reason, synthesise, and establish relationships.

• Accurate oral and written communication skills.

• Strong intrinsic motivation. Interest in learning and enjoyment in acquiring knowledge and conducting research.

• Basic IT skills. If not already acquired, willingness and intention to develop them.

• A basic level of reading proficiency in English is recommended.

• Given that teaching is conducted entirely in English, a B2 level of English proficiency (CEFR, https://europass.europa.eu/en/common-european-framework-reference-language-skills) is recommended. A lower level may seriously compromise students' ability to follow the course and achieve satisfactory academic results.

Descriptors:

Epistemological foundations. History of Psychology. Psychological processes. Fields of application of Psychology.

Contents:

Epistemological foundations of Psychology. History of Psychology. Introduction to basic psychological processes. Fields of application of Psychology.

General and Specific Competences

Educational Objectives

• To understand the functions, characteristics, and limitations of the different models in Psychology.

• To know and appropriately use the scientific concepts specific to Psychology.

• To become familiar with Psychology as a multidisciplinary field of knowledge.

• To understand the different fields of application of Psychology.

• To become familiar with the main databases and bibliographic sources in Psychology.

Subject-Specific Competences

1. To relate Psychology to the broader set of scientific disciplines.

2. To acquire basic knowledge of the different schools of thought in Psychology and their historical development.

3. To understand the main characteristics of the basic psychological processes.

4. To acquire fundamental notions of the different fields of application of Psychology.

5. To use digital resources and bibliographic sources in Psychology.

Learning Outcomes (Expressed as Expected Outcomes of Teaching)

Students will be able to:

• Understand the main findings, approaches, and theories in Psychology, as well as their characteristics and limitations.

• Identify the different schools of thought in Psychology, their historical development, and their relevance to contemporary Psychology.

• Relate and integrate basic psychological knowledge with that of related disciplines (e.g., Biology, Mathematics, Philosophy, Neuroscience).

• Make critical judgements about key scientific research on basic psychological processes.

• Develop strategies for reading and analysing key texts in both historical and contemporary Psychology.

• Gain an introduction to research methods in Psychology and reflect on the strengths and limitations of each method.

• Search for and select relevant information related to Psychology and its various fields of application in the contemporary world.

• Acquire skills to analyse and discuss relevant subject content in group settings.

• Communicate and disseminate acquired knowledge effectively in both oral and written formats.

• Optimise the use of new technologies for both acquiring and disseminating knowledge in Psychology.

Course Contents

1. Psychology as a Science.

2. History of Psychology.

3. Basic Psychological Processes.

4. Applied Aspects of Psychology.

Teaching Methodology

• Lecture (expository method).

• Analysis of sources and documents.

• Group work.

• Individual work.

• Tutorials (individual and group-based), participation (course forums, public presentations), self-assessment activities, presentation and defence of individual or group reports.

• Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT): online platforms (PRADO), information searches (books and journals in databases), reference management software, and word processing and presentation tools.

Small-Group Activities

• Student presentations in class, seminars, and workshops.

• Debates.

• Demonstrations of basic effects in class.

• Use of e-learning through PRADO2.

• Practical and laboratory activities.

• Completion of various in-class activities and assessment questions.

• Preparation of individual or group monographic assignments.

Cummings, J. A. and Sanders, L. (2019). Introduction to Psychology. Saskatoon, SK: University of Saskatchewan Open Press.

Myers, D. G., & DeWall, C. N. (2024). Psychology (14th ed.). Worth Publishers.

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2022). Psychology 2e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/details/books/psychology-2e

Lilienfeld, S. O., Lynn, S. J., & Namy, L. L. (2022). Psychology: From inquiry to understanding (5th ed.). Pearson.

Grison, S., & Gazzaniga, M. S. (2022). Psychology in your life (4th ed.). W. W. Norton & Company.

Coon, D., Mitterer, J. O., & Martini, T. S. (2022). Introduction to psychology: Gateways to mind and behavior (16th ed.). Cengage Learning.

• Prado2: http://prado.ugr.es
• https://medium.com/introducción-a-la-psicología-ugr/tagged/psychology
• Google Meet

• MD01. Lección magistral/expositiva 
• MD09. Análisis de fuentes y documentos 
• MD10. Realización de trabajos en grupo 
• MD11. Realización de trabajos individuales 
• MD13. Tutorías individual/colectiva, Participación (foros del curso, exposiciones públicas), Autoevaluaciones, Presentación y defensa de informes grupales o individuales 

Assessment Methods

• Exam (50%)

• Other evaluation activities (50%). A combination of any of the following activities: exams, individual and/or group assignments, attendance and participation in the proposed activities, and specific activities set by the teaching staff.

It will be necessary to obtain at least half of the weighting assigned to each assessment component. Otherwise, the maximum final grade recorded in the official grade report will be 4.9 points

Assessment Methods (Minimum / Maximum Weighting)

• Exam (50%)

• Other evaluation activities (50%)

Students may choose between:

• Taking an examination of the content of the subject taught both in lectures and in small-group activities accounting for 100% of the final grade; or
• Taking an examination (50%) while retaining the assessment of the other evaluation activities (50%) established for the ordinary assessment period.

It will be necessary to obtain at least half of the weighting assigned to each assessment component. Otherwise, the maximum final grade recorded in the official grade report will be 4.9 points

Assessment Methods

• Exam (100%)

This examination will cover both the theoretical content and the skills and content included in the regular assessment activities.

Adaptations for Students with Specific Educational Needs (SEN/NEAE)

Teaching methodology and assessment will be adapted for students with specific educational needs (NEAE), in accordance with Article 11 of the Regulations on Assessment and Grading of Students at the University of Granada, published in the Official Gazette of the University of Granada, No. 112, 9 November 2016.

Relevant information for students with disabilities and/or Specific Educational Support Needs (NEAE): management of services and support:
https://ve.ugr.es/servicios/atencionsocial/estudiantes-con-discapacidad

Participation in Research Activities

Participation in research conducted by members of the Department of Experimental Psychology is a training activity that allows students to experience first-hand the techniques contributing to scientific progress in Psychology, as well as to practise tasks addressed in course contents.

Participation in such research is strictly voluntary, as stated in the Guide to Good Practice and Ethical Considerations in Research Involving Students Enrolled in Courses Taught by Faculty Members of the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Granada, approved by the Faculty Board on 30 May 2019.

Each student may obtain up to 0.5 points for participation in these studies, which may be added to the final grade in the course. A total of 0.1 points will be awarded for each participation lasting up to 45 minutes.

To preserve anonymity and comply with the aforementioned Guide to Good Practice, both participation in studies and the selection of courses in which these bonus points are applied will be managed through the platform:
https://ugr-cimcyc.sona-systems.com/

This platform ensures that lecturers cannot know whether their students have participated in any of their studies, nor can students identify which studies are conducted by their own lecturers.

The total result of the final course grade plus research participation credits may not exceed the maximum grade established under Article 22.2 of the Regulations on Assessment and Grading of Students at the University of Granada. In the event that this limit is exceeded, the surplus marks obtained from participation may be reassigned, upon request during the grade review process, to another course within the Department that forms part of the student’s degree programme.

Students who do not participate in these research activities may obtain equivalent credit by completing alternative activities offered by the Department of Experimental Psychology.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence

In this course, the use of generative artificial intelligence (e.g., ChatGPT and similar tools, hereafter referred to as GenAI) is permitted for learning support purposes, including deepening understanding of course contents, improving spelling, and translation.

However, GenAI must not be used to generate content (either partially or entirely) for any coursework submissions required in the course.

When using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the course, students must adopt an ethical and responsible approach. The recommendations set out in the document “Guidelines for the Use of Artificial Intelligence at the UGR”, available at the following link, must be followed:
https://ceprud.ugr.es/formacion-tic/inteligencia-artificial/recomendaciones-ia#contenido0

Additional Information

Relevant information for students with disabilities and/or Specific Educational Support Needs (NEAE): management of services and support:
https://ve.ugr.es/servicios/atencion-social/estudiantes-con-discapacidad

Información de interés para estudiantado con discapacidad y/o Necesidades Específicas de Apoyo Educativo (NEAE): Gestión de servicios y apoyos (https://ve.ugr.es/servicios/atencion-social/estudiantes-con-discapacidad).