PSBA004 Introduction to Psychology

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2024
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Marek Blatný, DrSc. (lecturer)
Mgr. Vojtěch Juřík, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Helena Klimusová, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. Petr Květon, Ph.D. (lecturer)
PhDr. Dalibor Vobořil, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Petr Květon, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Jarmila Valchářová
Supplier department: Department of Psychology – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Mon 10:00–11:40 M21, except Mon 18. 11. to Sun 24. 11.
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
To introduce psychology as a discipline, a science, and a field of application, including their disciplines, interdisciplinary overlaps, and methods. To introduce the student to the fundamentals of critical and scientific thinking and professional reasoning. To introduce the basic types of professional sources of information and to introduce the student to the fundamentals of working with these sources, including searching and processing. To introduce the student to the fundamentals of academic writing, including the proper citation of sources.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the student will:
- know the position of psychology in the system of sciences and its nature as an empirical probabilistic science
- have an overview of the basic areas of application.
- be able to distinguish the basic characteristics of critical scientific thinking from pseudoscientific thinking and apply this ability to thinking about common psychological issues
- be oriented to basic psychological areas and issues addressed by
- understand the limitations and constant variability of knowledge gained through empirical investigation
- be familiar with the psychological literature, know the types of professional sources and be able to roughly assess their quality
- be able to work with electronic resource databases and search for resources on topics
Syllabus
  • Introduction: course content and completion conditions. Information on studying at university - course of study, rules, basic academic etiquette.
  • Psychology as a discipline: position in the system of sciences. Psychological disciplines. The content of undergraduate studies in psychology.
  • Introduction to critical and scientific thinking: Scientific versus pseudoscientific reasoning. A brief history of scientific thinking. Deductive and inductive reasoning. Scientific argument and the errors of critical thinking.
  • The nature and development of psychological theories: Memory and learning. Learning as the development of knowledge. Deep learning.
  • Interdisciplinary models in psychology: Psychology and philosophy, biology, cognitive science.
  • Professional information resources: Types of resources. MU electronic information resources. Searching for resources. APA citations. Writing research papers.
  • Development and diversity of psychological constructs: personality, intelligence, temperament. The psychology of interindividual differences. Types of measurement in psychology. Psychodiagnostics of personality and ability.
  • Human development and mental health: The importance of developmental psychology. The lifelong development of the individual. Heredity versus environment. Psychology and macrosocial phenomena. Exploring developmental phenomena. Mental health versus psychopathology. The concept of normality.
  • Psychology in practice: Applied disciplines and professional areas - scope and qualifications.
Literature
    required literature
  • HELUS, Zdeněk. Úvod do psychologie. 2., přepracované a doplně. Praha: Grada, 2018, 310 stran. ISBN 9788024746753. URL info
    recommended literature
  • Ridley, D. (2012). The literature review: A step-by-step guide for students (2nd. ed.). SAGE.
  • Slater, L. (2019). Pandořina skříňka: Nejvýznamnější psychologické experimenty dvacátého století. Portál.
  • Lilienfeld, S. O., Lynn, S. J., Ruscio, J., & Beyerstein, B. L. (2010). 50 great myths of popular psychology: Shattering widespread misconceptions about human behavior. Wiley-Blackwell.
  • Sacks, O. (2015). Muž, který si pletl manželku s kloboukem: Neuvěřitelné příběhy a podivné případy lidí s neurologickou nebo psychickou odchylkou. dybbuk.
  • Cumminsová, D. D. (1998). Záhady experimentální psychologie: co psychologové zjistili o myšlení, citech a chování člověka. Portál.
  • KAHNEMAN, Daniel. Thinking, fast and slow. 1st ed. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011, 499 s. ISBN 9780374533557. info
  • Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. Sixth edition. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2010, xviii, 272. ISBN 9781433805622. info
  • ČMEJRKOVÁ, Světla, František DANEŠ and Jindra SVĚTLÁ. Jak napsat odborný text. Vydání první. Praha: Leda, 1999, 255 stran. ISBN 8085927691. info
Teaching methods
Teaching is based on interactive lectures. The lectures include an explanation of the basic topics listed in the course syllabus. The lectures are given weekly as part of contact teaching. Course materials will be placed in the interactive course syllabus. https://is.muni.cz/auth/el/phil/podzim2024/PSBA004/index.qwarp
Assessment methods
The final colloquium takes the form of an oral group discussion during the exam period. Students draw and respond to one of colloquium questions. The list of colloquium questions will be available at least one month before the start of the exam period.
Language of instruction
Czech
Study support
https://is.muni.cz/auth/el/phil/podzim2024/PSBA004/index.qwarp
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2024/PSBA004