UCL - Psychology 1

[PSP1120]

[90h] 8 credits

This course is taught in the 1st semester.

Teacher(s): Raymond Bruyer, Bernard Rimé

Language: French

Level: First

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

The General Psychology course (1-2) consists of a coordinated set of subjects aimaing essentially at giving to the students a systematic presentation of the current basic knowledge in psychology. By dealing with the main field of the research associated with the development of these knowledges, these teachings also aim at introducing the students to the study of the basic behavioural processes through scientific methods. At the end of this course, the students should master the basic concepts of the subject, concepts that will be used in their following cursus (this course is coordinated with the other psychology courses of the BAC and of the Master).

Main themes

In each tackled subject, the teaching will be conceived such as to ensure the basic knowledges on which the further psychological formation will rely, as well for the BAC as for the Master. The basic knowledges will be subjected to a short historical presentation and should be presented according to various points of view (ex : developmental, differential, comparative, clinical, experimental, applied), allowing the students to integrate them into a coherent whole. The professors will see to illustrate these basic knowledges in order to show how they can be used and applied in various fields of the psychological intervention.
In General Psychology 1, the following fields will be tackled: the activation (sleep, vigilance); the basic mechanisms of cognitive activities (attention, perception, learning, memory) and affective activities (motivations, emotions); the active interactions with the environment (action). The course will begin with an historical presentation of the contemporary psychology, and its main methodological principles.

Content and teaching methods

The part of the General Psychology course provided in the BAC first year (GP1) is the matter of the first polyvalent four-month period. It consists firstly of a general introduction to the two concerned courses, presenting the major steps of scientific psychology history, its important names and its main research methods. Afterwards the following subjects will be treated: sleep, vigilance and attention; perception; memory and learning; action; motivations and emotions.

Mainly lectures, reinforced by supervised group work meant to illustrate the teached notions and by the preparation of a (short) personal work needing an active recourse to the library resources.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Written exam consisting of a multiple choice questionnaire + participation in group works + assessment of the personal work
Full course outline
Teaching staff: lecturers + group tutors + staff availability to guide the personal work