PSYn4050 Psychological theories

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
2/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Taught in person.
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Petr Macek, CSc. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Lukas Blinka, PhD. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Stanislav Ježek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Lenka Lacinová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Hana Macháčková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Petr Palíšek (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. et Mgr. Jan Šerek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Anna Ševčíková, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Jan Širůček, Ph.D. (lecturer)
prof. PhDr. Zbyněk Vybíral, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Michaela Juchelková (assistant)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Petr Macek, CSc.
Department of Psychology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: prof. PhDr. Petr Macek, CSc.
Supplier department: Department of Psychology – Faculty of Social Studies
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! PSY405 Psychological theories
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of this course is to introduce current major theories in social psychology, developmental psychology, and psychology of personality. Students will compare and discuss concepts and models, they also will study how these theoretical concepts influence empirical research. Besides of relevant knowledge regarding psychological theories, students should develop comparative skills and critical thinking and skill to connect empirical findings with theoretical frameworks.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, students will:
- know current influential psychological theories
- know and discuss existing empirical support for these theories
- in a basic form, they can reflect and discuss the qualities of these theories
Syllabus
  • Week 1: What are psychological theories and why they are important
  • Week 2: Attachment theory: current approaches
  • Week 3: Social cognitive theory of self
  • Week 4: Cognitive Dissonance Theory
  • Week 5: Theory/taxonomy of cognitive abilities (Cattell-Horn-Carroll theory)
  • Week 6: Theory of dual decision making models
  • Week 7: Theory of aggressive behavior
  • Week 8: Challenged or Disproved? Today's look at several influential theories of the past
  • Week 9: Theory of conflict between parents and its impact on children
  • Week 10: Cross-cultural versus cultural psychology and bicultural identity theory
  • Week 11: Current theories of evolutionary psychology
  • Week 12: Psychological theories of social inequalities
  • Week 13: Heredity versus environment: the current state of knowledge
Literature
    recommended literature
  • Handbook of theories of social psychology. Edited by Paul A. M. van Lange - Arie W. Kruglanski - E. Tory Higgins. 1st ed. London: Sage publications, 2012, xx, 562. ISBN 9780857029607. info
  • Van Lange, P. A. M. (2013). What we should expect from theories in social psychology: Truth, abstraction, progress, and applicability as standards (TAPAS). Personality and Social Psychology Review, 17(1), 40-55.
    not specified
  • Jarvis, M. (2000). Theoretical approaches in psychology. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-19108-4.
  • Contemporary intellectual assessment : theories, tests, and issues. Edited by Alan S. Kaufman - Dawn P. Flanagan - Erin M. McDonough. Fourth edition. New York: Guilford Press, 2018, xxii, 1130. ISBN 9781462535781. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, seminars, group discussion, position papers
Assessment methods
The student's overall grade is given by the sum of all points for participation in seminars (max. 5 points), written preparation for seminars (max. 35 points) and for the evaluation of the written test (max. 45 points).
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.
Note related to how often the course is taught: každý týden povinná přednáška, povinný seminář jednou za dva týdny.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: přednáška každý týden, dvouhodinový seminář jednou za 14 dní.
Teacher's information
http://www.fss.muni.cz/psych/studium.html
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2024, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/autumn2024/PSYn4050