Foundations Of Human Behaviour 646w

COURSE OUTLINE SSC-104 FOUNDATIONS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR Instructor: Dr Shahzad Shafqat Semester: Fall 2015 Office hours: After class/By Appointment Email: [email protected] _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course provides a basic understanding of principles and theories related to human behavior. The field of psychology is very broad and this course will serve to acquaint students with the different areas within psychology and to provide information on the major theories and concepts in each area. This course will also teach students to scientifically and critically evaluate why people think, feel and behave the way they do. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS: This class will focus on a multidimensional approach that allows students to learn by doing in addition to traditional didactic training. Multiple pedagogical approaches will be used to meet this end. COURSE OBJECTIVES: Students will be expected to develop the following skills and knowledge  Understand major influences and contributors towards the field of psychology and gain knowledge of the history of Psychology  Understand psychological research methods, the nature and ethics of experimentation in Psychology  Understand the reciprocal nature of interaction between biology and psychology and sociocultural factors  Understand and identify various psychological disorders  Understand human behavior in social, political and religious contexts  Integrate and apply the above concepts to practical life and real-world experiences  Understanding the use of psychology in business and organizations.

Dr Shahzad Shafqat

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CLASS EXPECTATIONS:  Attendance will be the first thing in class. It is your responsibility to be in class and respond clearly when your name is called.  You are reminded that only 4 absences are permitted out of 28 classes. Keep them for any unforeseen emergencies.  There is no single book for the course, and nor are you expected to memorize anything.  This is applied and critical learning and you would be expected to read around topics. REQUIRED READINGS: As instructed in class for each topic; there is no singular textbook. GRADING AND EXAM MILESTONES: Date 11-Sep 02-Oct (week) 30-Oct 20-Nov (week) 11-Dec 25-Dec (week)

Exam Assessment 1 1st term exam Assessment 2 2nd term exam Assessment 3 Final exam

Marks 5 25 10 25 10 25

TOTAL

100

Lectures 10 20 28

There will be 6 assessments in total, all amounting to a score of 100. They are evenly spaced through the course, and after requisite number of lectures, the students will be assessed on a range of testing tools that shall be shared prior to the exam in question. CLASS SCHEDULE: Lecture 1 – Introduction to the course Understanding the premise of the course and the subject of psychology. Familiarization with the semester academic plan for the course. Lecture 2 – History & areas of psychology Historical development of psychology as a discipline and major schools of thought in psychology. Lectures 3 & 4 – Psychology classics A study of the flagship studies of psychology that have made it a science of human behavior.

Dr Shahzad Shafqat

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Lecture 5 – Life-span development Development of the human being from conception to death. The changes in persona and the underlying biology that affects human behavior. Lecture 6 – Cognition & neuropsychology Understanding the brain; the physical hard drive that runs all the psychological software for humans. Lectures 7 & 8 – Intelligence Learning about the individual differences in intellectual ability. How the capacity of the mind restricts or enhances our social functions. Lectures 9 & 10 – Personality The traits that make us who we are – as study of the attributes of human behavior that evolve with time and form our consistent habits and behaviors. Lectures 11 – Emotions Understanding basic as well as integrated emotions, along with their management in everyday life. Lecture 12 – Motivation Appreciating human needs and wants, and how they can be best understood to maximize human efficiency. Lectures 13 & 14 – Abnormal and clinical psychology Familiarization with atypical behaviors that are medically classified as abnormalities, paired with a brief study of different treatment methods. Lectures 15 & 16 – Social psychology Study of inter personal and inter group relations, with an appreciation of notions like bias, prejudice, and discrimination. Lecture 17 – Political psychology Why do people need political structures and what are the underlying psychological dynamics within these systems. Lecture 18 – Psychology of religion Understanding the relationship people tend to have with their belief systems and exploring the psychological attraction for religions. Lecture 19 – Criminal psychology Study of atypical behavior that is deemed illegal by law within cultures and societies. Understanding the psychological compulsion for criminality. Lecture 20 – Psychology of extremism A study of why some people and groups resort to extreme actions, beliefs, and ideologies. Dr Shahzad Shafqat

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Lecture 21 – Media psychology Exploring the evolution of media overtime and its influence on human behavior. Lecture 22 – Cyber psychology Understanding the new challenges in analyzing human behavior in the virtual world, with an emphasis on social networking. Lectures 23 & 24 – Business/organizational psychology Studying fundamentals of the baseline psychology that is needed to understand businesses and organizations. Lectures 25 & 26 – Psychology of finance and economics How and why does money influence human behavior, and how does financial planning emanate from human needs. Lectures 27 & 28 – Psychology of leadership & management Exploring the difference between leaders and managers, and understanding how successful leaders make good use of psychology to further their ambitions. POINTS OF REFERENCE:  Course materials can be accessed via the webpage: “tiny.cc/human”  You can the instructor in office no. 136 in the Aman building or via email at ‘[email protected]’.

Dr Shahzad Shafqat

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