B.Sc. Clinical Psychology | Curriculum | Semester I
SEMESTER I
Paper 1.1: Foundations of Human Behavior
| Unit | Content | Learning Objectives (The students will be able to) | Teaching Guidelines | Teaching- Methodology | Time (Hours) |
| I | Introduction
Definition and goals of Psychology; psychology as a science, fields in Psychology Historical and contemporary perspectives of Psychology Methods of research in Psychology: Case history, Observation, Survey, Interview |
· Provide an idea of the subject of Psychology, its subject matter, and key approaches to study the behavioural domains, besides giving an historic account with the emergence and separation from philosophy |
· Describe the definition and goals of Psychology; explain how psychology is a science, discuss the fields in Psychology · Teach about the historical and contemporaryperspectives of Psychology · Describe the methods of research in Psychology: Case history, Observation, Survey, Interview |
· Didactic · PowerPoint presentation by teacher · Student Interactive Sessions (SIS) |
12
4
4
4 |
| II | Sensation, attention and perception
Sensation: meaning, concepts: sensory threshold, types of sensory processes Attention: meaning; concepts, determinants of attention, types of attention Perception: meaning and nature, laws of perceptual organization, Perceptual processes: form perception, figure-ground law, Constancy – size, shape and brightness, Illusion: types |
· Describe the very basic processes of information processing from the external environment. It shall equip the students to develop a fair idea of stimulus, stimulation, and general modalities along with key concepts.
· Evaluate the dynamics of human capacities and develop the competence in handling external environment, how to attend environment better and shaping human-environment interaction |
· Describe and explain the concepts and perspectives of sensory processes, attention, and perception | · Didactic
· PowerPoint presentation by teacher · Student Interactive Sessions · Practical on “Span of Attention” · Practical on “Sensory adaptation: tactual/cold pressor” |
15
5
5
5 |
| III | Motivation and Emotion
Motivation: Definition and nature of motivation; theories of motivation and their critical evaluation Type of motives: Biological and Social, Aggression, Need hierarchy theory Emotion: Nature and concept, theories of emotion and their critical evaluation |
· Explain about the internal processes of human behaviour along with external features of other side of human nature
· Develop the skill to understand self and others mainly to have an answer why one is behaving in a particular manner · Describe the emotions in self and others, bodily processes of motivation and emotion |
· Describe the concept, types and theories of motivation and emotion | · Didactic
· PowerPoint presentation by teacher · Student Interactive Sessions · Practical on “Level of aspiration” · Practical on “Measurement of illusion” |
13
5
4
4 |
Paper 1.2: Experiments in Psychology
| Unit | Content (Must know) | Learning Objectives (The students will be able to) | Teaching Guidelines | Teaching- Methodology | Time (Hours) |
| I | Introduction
Nature of science, psychological experimentation: nature, applications of scientific method
Experimental plan: planning of experiment, Types of experiments, conducting and writing up an experiment
Experimental designs: within and between subject design, field experiment |
· Describe the role of scientific method in psychology and applications of experimentation
· Describe the basic types of experiments and designs, their utility and need |
· Teach the basics of scientific method and its applicability in psychology
· Discuss the basic experimental designs and their uses |
· Didactic
· PowerPoint presentation by teacher · Student Interactive Sessions (SIS) |
13
3
4
4 |
| II | Classical Experiments – Experimental Psychology
Weber’s law and its verification by any classical method of Gustav Fechner, signal detection experiments and ROC curves by Green and Swets
Experiment of classical conditioning by Pavlov, Tolman’s experiment on sign significate learning, Gibson’s visual cliff experiment
Ebbinghaus experiments on learning and retention (mnemonics) |
· Describe the classical experiments in psychology and their principles – Weber’s law, signal detection, classical conditioning, memory and retention
· Describe and appreciate the scientific methodology of early experiments in psychology |
· Describe and demonstrate the basic experiments in psychology like weber’s law, signal detection, Pavlovian conditioning, memory and retention | · Didactic
· PowerPoint presentation by teacher · Student Interactive Sessions · Teacher’s seminar · Practical on “Verification of Weber’s law – weight lifting experiment” · Practical on “Retention curve with at least three intervals” · Practical on “verbal conditioning” |
14
5
5
4 |
| III | Classical Experiments – Social and Emotional Behavior
Cognitive Physiological experiment of emotions by Schachter and Singer
Obedience experiments by Stanley Milgram
Sheriff’s experiment of Rober’s cave, Stanford prison experiment on roles and rules by Zimbardo, experiments on conformity by Solomon Asch |
· Describe the classic experiments in social and emotional behaviour and appreciate the diversity od methods used in them to understand complex human behaviors | · Describe the classic experiments on social and emotional behavior | · Didactic
· PowerPoint presentation by teacher · Student Seminar · Practical on “Conformity in a small group” |
13
4
3
5 |
Paper 1.3: Child Psychology
| Unit | Content (Must know) | Learning Objectives (The students will be able to) | Teaching Guidelines | Teaching- Methodology | Time (Hours) |
| I | Introduction
Concept of development, principles of growth Maturation and development, determinants: biological and socio-cultural Developmental stages: life span approach |
· Describe concept of development and distinguish it from maturity and growth
· Describe the developmental stages across the life span |
· Teach the basics of developmental science and describe the developmental stages | · Didactic
· PowerPoint presentation by teacher · Student Interactive Sessions (SIS) · Teacher’s seminar |
12
4
4
4 |
| II | Pre-natal and Neonatal Development
Stages and factors in prenatal stage Neonatal: physical characteristics, reflexes, issues in childbirth Sensory, motor and cognitive capacities in neonatal stage |
· Describe the prenatal and neonatal stages of development and evaluate their importance in the growth and later life of an individual
· Appreciate the complexity of human life and challenges faced in earliest stages of development
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· Describe and discuss the prenatal and neonatal stages of development and their role in health development of a child during earliest stages of life | · Didactic
· PowerPoint presentation by teacher · Student Interactive Sessions · Practical on “Measurement of reflexes of an infant of less than 2 months” · Practical on “Observation of sensory reactions toward novel and usual objects” |
13
4
5
4 |
| III | Infancy and childhood
Development during infancy: physical and motor development Language, emotional and social development during infancy Development during childhood: preschool and childhood – social, emotional, cognitive and moral development |
· Describe the period of infancy and early childhood and the behaviors that are displayed during these stages as result of their healthy development | · Describe the major milestones of development during infancy and early childhood in domains of physical, motor, language, social and emotional development | · Didactic
· PowerPoint presentation by teacher · Student Interactive Sessions · Practical on “Colour progressive matrices of a pre-school child” · Practical on “Observation of reactions towards strangers in a preschool child (less than 2 years)” |
15
5
5
5 |
Paper 1.4: Schools of Psychology
| Unit | Content (Must know) | Learning Objectives(The students will be able to) | Teaching Guidelines | Teaching- Methodology | Time (Hours) |
| I | Introduction and Early Schools
Main systems of Psychology, contribution of Weber & Fechner in scientific psychology; contribution of Ebbinghaus in memory
Structural content approach of Wundt; and Titchener
Functionalism as a system, contribution of William James, Dewey |
· Describe the contributions of ideas from early schools of psychology, the influence of philosophy in psychology and its separation from philosophy | · Introduce the early ideas in psychology and discuss their relevance and importance in present day psychology, help students appreciate their relevance and significance | · Didactic
· PowerPoint presentation by teacher · Student Interactive Sessions (SIS) · Practical on “Verification of Weber’s law – weight lifting experiment” · Practical on “Word association” |
15
5
5
5 |
| II | Behaviorism & Third force
Behaviorism: Concept and history; Views of Watson, Hull, and Skinner
Cognitivism: Concept and history; Views of Tolman, Miller, Neisser Humanistic Psychology: contributions of Maslow and Rogers |
· Describe the ideas and principles of behaviourism, cognitivism and humanistic schools of psychology, their contributions in evolution of psycology | · Discuss the contributions of early pioneers in schools of behaviourism, cognitivism, and humanism, enable students appreciate their significance in the growth of psychology | · Didactic
· PowerPoint presentation by teacher · Student Interactive Sessions · Practical on “Verification of Miller’s 7±2 phenomenon” · Student seminar |
12
4
4
4 |
| III | Psychoanalytic & Gestalt School of Psychology
Psychoanalysis, contributions of Freud Neo-Freudians, Ego psychology and object-relation theory Gestalt Psychology; Wertheimer, Koffka, and Kohler. |
· Describe the contributions of Freud, and neo-freudians who analysed the unconscious mind and its processes
· Describe the principles of gestalt psychology through the early contributors |
· Introduce the basic principles of psychoanalytical school and the role of unconsciousness
· Discuss the assumptions and ideas of gestalt psychology |
· Didactic
· PowerPoint presentation by teacher · Student Interactive Sessions · Practical on “Perceptual laws-phi phenomenon” |
13
4
5
4 |