Curriculum | M.Sc. Clinical/Counseling Psychology | Semester I
SEMESTER I
Paper 1.1: History of Psychology
Unit | Contents | Learning Objectives (at the end of the course, the student shall be able to) | Teaching Guidelines | Teaching Method-
ology |
Teaching Hrs. |
I | Origins of Scientific psychology: Early Psychology
Animism, religion and science Science in Indian and Greek thought Experimental physiology, brain functions and methods Empiricism and associationism
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· To have a clear idea of the events which were responsible for the emergence of science in general and psychology in particular.
· To develop an insight how in different parts of the world people craved for the knowledge of the man and its activities. · Describe the comparative work of Indian and Greek philosophers. |
· Introducing the need of organized thought and very early efforts.
· How religion, dogmatism and science are related. · Travelling through two great schools of thought in eastern and western world. · Showing some big developments in Europe leading to early emerging thoughts in pre-historic Psychology. |
· Didactic
· Small group discussion · Students’ seminar · Demonstrating through historic maps and portraits of the forefathers. · Developing the timeline. · Laboratory work for practical skills. |
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II | Beginnings of Psychology as Science
Psychophysics – Weber, Fechner, Helmholtz Structuralism – Wundt, Titchner Behaviorism – Watson, Skinner; Gestalt – Wertheimer, Kohler Psychoanalysis – Freud
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· To introduce main contributors and their works leading to the science of consciousness.
· Demonstrating the Weber law and classical methods of psychophysics. · Signifying the main events that established Psychology as a separate discipline. · Introducing the concept of school, system, approach and perspective. · Detailing three major thoughts with contributions of their leaders and the way growing to separate approaches. |
· Early contribution in historical perspective shall be looked into.
· Highlighting importance of psychophysical traditions for sensory Psychology and laboratory experimentation. · Taking three early school and systems with a comparative look as well focusing on propounders. |
· Didactic
· Laboratory demonstration of laws and the verification. · Trying out classical psychophysical methods for some sensations. · Role playing of founders of schools and followers. · Practicum for acquiring skills in experimentation. |
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III | Other schools and approaches
Functionalism – William James, Angell, Harvey Carr Phenomenology and Humanism – Maslow and Rogers Cognitive Neuroscience – Modern psychology, recent advances Evolutionary Psychology – Theory of evolution, genetic basis of behavior, and ethology. |
· Familiarizing the reactionary and emerging thoughts in Psychology. Flowering of the subject in America is to be delineated.
· Explaining why there had been multiplicity of schools and systems. · Comprehending the developments in science as well in society leading Psychology to new frontiers. · Further giving some explanatory concepts why do we so behave through natural history. |
· Focusing on contemporary thoughts and causes of their emergence.
· Highlighting the humane aspect of human nature and need of new psychosocial thoughts. · Developments in physical sciences and information technology merging with neuropsychology. · The origin of man and biological basis of behavior. |
· PPT: Didactic with audio visual aids.
· Biographies of main founders of schools. · Charting the timeline of modern psychology. · Visit to some field areas with observations on animal behavior. · Practical work in field and laboratory. · Visit to a department of radiology for familiarization of scanning techniques. |
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Paper 1.2: Cognitive Psychology
Unit | Contents | Learning Objectives (at the end of the course, the student shall be able to) | Teaching Guidelines | Teaching Method-
ology |
Teaching Hrs. |
I | Introduction to Cognitive Psychology
Nature of Cognitive Psychology, Cognitive processes
Influences in the study of Cognitive Psychology, The Cognitive Revolution, Current trends
Paradigms in the study of Cognitive Psychology: Information Processing Approach, Connectivistic Approach, Evolutionary Approach, Ecological Approach
Cognitive neuroscience: nature, different techniques: ERP, PET, CT, MRI, FMRI |
· Describe the concept and ideas of cognitive psychology and the development of this field as separate from mainstream psychology
· Enumerate the paradigms to study cognitive psychology based on information processing theories and neuroscience · Describe the techniques to study neuroscientific basis of cognition |
· To cover the ideas and role of pioneers in the development of cognitive psychology
· To develop perspectives in the areas of study in cognitive psychology. |
· Didactic,
· Students interaction, · Audio-visual aids |
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II | Attention, Perception, Memory
Perception: Nature, Gestalt Approach, Bottom up and Top down processes, Neuroscientific aspects Attention: Nature and types, Selective Attention: Filter Theory, Attenuation Theory, Late-Selection Theory, Schema Theory Sensory Memory, Short-Term Memory, Capacity, Coding, Retention Duration and Forgetting, Retrieval of Information, Working Memory, Executive Functioning Long term memory-nature, Serial position curve, Coding in long term memory, types of Long term memory, Encoding and retrieval in Long term memory |
· Describe the basic processes of cognition – perception, attention and memory
· Describe how the information is processed through senses and thinking abilities of attention and memory |
· Discuss the processes of perception, attention and memory
· Form the basis of learning in cognitive psychology through processes of attention |
· Didactic,
· Students interaction, · Audio-visual aids |
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III | Higher Cognitive Processes
Language Comprehension and Production; Language and Cognition: Modularity Hypothesis, The Whorfian Hypothesis. Thinking and Problem Solving: Classic Problems and General Methods of Solution: Generate-and-Test Technique, Means–Ends Analysis, Working Backward, Backtracking, Reasoning by Analogy; Reasoning: Nature and types, Approaches to the Study of Reasoning: The Componential Approach, The Rules/Heuristics Approach, The Mental Models Approach, Decision Making: Nature and Phases, Cognitive illusions: Availability, Anchoring, Sunk Cost Effects, Illusory Correlation, Hindsight Bias, Confirmation Bias, Overconfidence |
· Describe the higher cognitive processes of language and their information processing perspective
· Describe the nature of thinking as a process and problem solving through different perspectives · Describe reasoning, its nature and types and theories · Describe decision making, its nature and phases |
· Discuss the higher cognitive processes of language, reasoning, problem solving and decision making | · Didactic,
· Students interaction, · Audio-visual aids |
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Paper 1.3: Research Designs &Methods
Unit | Contents | Learning Objectives (at the end of the course, the student shall be able to) | Teaching Guidelines | Teaching Method-
ology |
Teaching Hrs. |
I | Introduction to Psychological Research
Nature, purpose and scope of psychological research Pure vs applied research; Experimental vs correlational research Epidemiological research, ethnographic research Hypothesis, variables, sampling, experimental bias and its control |
· Describe the nature of psychological researches, their purpose and scope
· Enumerate the basic classes of researches like pure, applied, epidemiological, correlational, experimental, ethnographic etc. · Describe the nature of hypotheses, variables, and sampling methods, including the possible biases in experimentation |
· Introduce the basics of psychological research, its scope and purpose
· Discuss about the types of researches in psychology · Brief about basic elements of research like hypotheses, sampling, variables and biases in researches |
· Lecture,
· PBL: Find and describe one research from literature regarding different types of researches |
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II | Quantitative research methods
Basic single factor designs: between- and within-group designs Advanced multifactor experimental designs: factorial designs, main effects and interaction effects Correlational design, longitudinal design Quasi-experimental design; repeated measure design, survey research |
· Describe basic single factor and multifactor experimental designs.
· Enumerate the basic concepts of correlational and longitudinal researches · Describe the concepts and significance of quasi-experimental and survey researches |
· Give basic details of single factor researches with between-group and within-group designs
· Describe the concept of multifactor designs by mentioning the significance of interaction and main effects · Elaborate upon the basic principles and concepts of correlational, longitudinal, quasi-experimental, and survey researches |
· Lecture,
· PBL: Perform a mini-research by taking data on any variables of interest using one of the research designs |
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III | Issues in psychological research
APA Code of ethics, guidelines for use of humans, informed consent Communicating research results: writing research proposals and reports, presentations and posters Reading, reviewing and replicating research Using internet and computer softwares for research |
· Discuss the issues in psychological researches like ethical conduct, guidelines for use of humans in researches and importance of informed consent
· Outline the ways of communicating research like writing proposals, reports, presentations, and posters · Provide a sketch of how to read, review, and replicate researches · Make use of internet and common computer programs to facilitate in research work |
· Discuss the core issues in psychological researches like informed consent, code of ethics, using human subjects
· Provide a brief overview of methods of communicating research results like writing reports, presentations, posters, proposals · Guide in skills of reviewing, reading and replicating researches · Instruct about making use of internet, databases, software programs in facilitating researches |
· Lecture, Demonstration through presentations,
· PBL: Read a research and prepare a presentation on basic components of research · Perform review of literature on a variable using PubMed database and gather abstracts of 10 studies |
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Paper 1.4: Biopsychology
Unit | Contents | Learning Objectives (at the end of the course, the student shall be able to) | Teaching Guidelines | Teaching Method-
ology |
Teaching Hrs. |
I | Introduction
Biopsychology – definition and approach Relation with other disciplines of neuroscience and divisions of biopsychology System’s approach in body and various systems of human body. Methods of biopsychology – imaging techniques, electrophysiological methods
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· Develop the understanding of a distinct approach focusing internal environment as determinant of behavior.
· Have a comparative picture with other approaches in Psychology. · Know the structure and function of human body as a system. · Have an idea of gross systems in human body. · Introduce basic methods used to study the subject matter. |
· Describing biopsychological approach to have another framework.
· Presenting a comparative angle with other related disciplines such as physiological psychology, psychophysiology and neuropsychology etc. · Providing a basic knowledge of the structure and function of the major systems of human body. · Familiarizing with some imaging techniques used to study the structure and function systems. · Getting the basic knowhow of some basic electrophysiological techniques such as EEG,EMG and GSR. |
· Didactic
· Demonstration through charts and models. · Visit to museum of human anatomy and dissection hall. · charting out the knowledge of self system functioning. · Practical skill acquisition of electrophysiological methods. |
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II | Nervous systems and Sensory processes
General layout of the nervous system – divisions Spinal cord and brain – structure and functions Neural conduction – neurons, electrical potential, synaptic transmission, neurotransmitters Sensory system – vision, audition, somatic sensation, chemical senses
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· Develop a topographic and cognitive map of the nervous system.
· Having basic knowledge of gross neuroanatomy. · Get understanding of the functioning of neurons and synaptic transmission. · Know the electrochemical processes and neurotransmitters. · Know the way environment is represented in the form of neuraltransduction through major sensory receptors. |
· Gross anatomy of the nervous system will be described vis-a-vis other systems of the body.
· Detailing out the role of spinal cord in the processing of inward and outward information. · Taking the brain as main controlling center for bodily processes including behavior. · Taking all the major sensory systems in human body as transacting with the external environment. |
· Demonstrating the structural details of nervous system and sensory systems.
· Using charts, figures, virtual images and models to have basic understanding of structure and function. · Mixing the knowledge of basic psychophysics and sensory processes for developing a synthetic point of view. · Practical exposure of the concepts through visit to a neuroanatomy department. |
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III | Biology of Behavioural processes
Hunger, eating and health – theories and human obesity Hormones and sex – neuroendocrine system and sexual development Mechanisms of learning and memory, Amnesias Sleep – stages, disorders, sleep deprivation and sleep reduction
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· Develop an understanding of the biological basis of motivation processes.
· Have an idea of eating disorders and some issues of feeding. · Get fair idea of the development of sexual characteristic and gender alongwith realizing the importance of hormones in behaviour. · Understand the neural basis of knowledge processes and memory disorders. · Understand the phenomenon of circadian rhythm, waking and sleep cycle.
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· Introducing the concept of motivation, biological motivation, and the physiological basis.
· Describing the reproductive process, development of sex and gender through the hormonal mechanism. · Explaining the phenomena of learning and memory with neural substrates, its permanence and issues of forgetting. · Taking neuropsychology of memory with case studies of amnesia. · Describing the states of consciousness with arousal, waking, sleep and their physiological basis. |
· Didactic with discussion of basic issues and self observations.
· PPT with detail diagrams of neural structures relevant to various motivations. · Familiarizing with land mark experiments on neural basis of learning and memory. · Taking some case study of disorders with focus on obesity, sleep disorder, amnesia from the community by the students. · Case presentation and visit to psychiatry and neurology unit.
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Paper 1.5: Practicum – Experiments
Unit | Contents | Learning Objectives (at the end of the course, the student shall be able to) | Teaching Guidelines | Teaching Method-
ology |
Teaching Hrs. |
1 | History of Psychology:
Charting a timeline of 100 major events in psychology A study of two-point threshold of two parts of the body. Study of just noticeable difference of lifting weights Measuring strengths and virtues / word association test |
· Develop an chronological sequence of major events including knowing about main contributors and places.
· Perform and replicate some very early experiments of Psychology. · Enumerate main character strength of positive side of human nature. · Analyse dynamic side of human psyche.
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· Introducing laboratory of Psychology and its features particularly using human as subjects.
· Exposing different sources of time lines in emergence and development of Psychology. · Introducing basic experimentation and concepts of variable and constants. · Sharing the findings of classical experiments. |
· Demonstration
· Experimenting with instruments and recording. · Analysis of data. · Group sharing of results. · Report writing. |
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2 | Cognitive Psychology:
Trail making test Assignment on memory retention techniques Experiments in problem solving (Dunker’s (1945) Candle problem for functional fixedness; 2 String Problem; Water Jug experiment by Luchin (1942, 1959) Written assignment of types of heuristics
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· Develop understanding of cognitive processes in its working.
· Having knowledge of tapping the process objectively. · Demonstrate the way to solve problems, seeking alternatives and even errors. · Getting to enlist various common strategies often picked up for solving problems. |
· Highlighting objective and practical side of learning memory and problem solving.
· Familiarizing with common experiments cited in cognitive psychology text. · Collecting studies to familiarizing with various problem solving strategies to see the process actually. |
· Preparing the task material from various sources and standardizing the verbal material, protocols and problem situations
· Putting the cognitive material to test with standard parameters. · Using instruments and application of information technology for conducting experiments of cognitive process. |
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3 | Research Design & Methods:
Find and describe one research each from literature regarding different types of researches Perform a mini-research by taking data on any variables of interest using one of the research designs Read a research and prepare a presentation on basic components of research Perform review of literature on a variable using PubMed database and gather abstracts of 10 studies |
· Conduct a study on behavioural domain using some methods with the help of research design.
· Acquiring skills to plan study and execute it. · Perform a library review exercise for the development of research idea. · Getting a training into the use of various websites, search engines and retrieving relevant information.
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· Putting the research as a process into action.
· Exposing the major issues in conducting research in field and laboratory. · Designing and planning basic and applied research at introductory level. · Exposing with various methods of data collection and sources of earlier researches. |
· Demonstrating online websites and searching techniques.
· Practical exposure of laboratory and field methods. · Critical analysis of the problems identified by the student in a small group. · Using soma package programs for analyzing data. · Project report preparation. |
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4 | Biopsychology:
Preparing a model of the part of the brain
GSR/EMG – a report on recording
A case study of amnesic patient
Preparing a sleep-waking checklist
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· Perform observational studies with the help of instruments on biological processes.
· Reproduce the imagery into material form about the brain. · Record biological phenomena. · Acquire skill to prepare a case study of a patient and tracing the etiology and symptoms of memory. · Prepare observational chart of daily activities. |
· Introducing the techniques to understand the anatomical features of the brain.
· Explaining and describing some of the basic peripheral processes under the skin or muscles. · Introducing neuropsychological features of memory. · Familiarizing through circadian rhythm and the states during sleep and waking cycle. |
· Demonstration
· Laboratory experimentation · Visiting and selecting a case from psychiatry and neurology. · Case presentation and discussion. · Interviewing and recording.
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