OVERVIEW

The lectures are designed to provide foundational knowledge in scientific psychology and methodology and are organized into two distinct blocks.

1. First Block: This section covers the history of psychology, the neuropsychological basis of behavior, and principal theories related to perception, consciousness, learning, memory, language, thinking processes, intelligence, motivation, emotion, stress, and wellbeing.
2. Second Block: This section focuses on elementary statistics and methodological principles aligned with Euro-psy norms

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to provide historical and epistemological foundations. To deepen the biological bases and to review the main objects of study of discipline with particular emphasis on the comparison between the different approaches. To provide the basic methodological and statistical elements useful for the understanding and design of experimental and/or applicative research in the psychological field.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

• Understand the main psychological approaches and place them along a historical timeline, with particular attention to the economic and social contexts in which they developed.
• Possess basic knowledge of the main areas of interest in modern scientific psychology.
• Recognize the areas of application of psychological theories.
• Know the fundamentals of psychological research methodology.
• Possess basic notions of descriptive and inferential statistics.
• Read and interpret the results of surveys conducted using scientific quantitative and/or qualitative approaches.

PREREQUISITES

Basical linguistic knowledge (Italian and English), ability to operate links.

TEACHING METHODS

Lectures will be delivered in person (in Italian) and, when available, through audio and video recordings accessible on Aulaweb (all materials uploaded on Aulaweb are part of the exam content). Recommended supplementary activities include self-assessment tests, reflections on scientific articles, and participation in forum discussions. These activities are designed to enhance understanding, application, and critical analysis of the course content.

Erasmus students are requested to reach out the teacher as soon as possible in order to accomodate thier needs. 

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Course Content Overview

1. Historical Mainframe

   • The birth and development of major psychological approaches
   • Epistemological basis of scientific psychology

2. Neuropsychological Basis

   • Fundamental neuropsychological principles

3. Sensory Systems and Measurement

   • Senses and their measurement
4. Perception Theories
   • Perceptual constancy
   • Perceived depth
   • Images and movement
   • Amodal completion

5. Consciousness

   • Sleep
   • Dreams
   • Hypnosis
   • Drug use

6. Learning and Memory

   • Classical conditioning
   • Operant conditioning
   • Memory systems
   • Multi-process theories
   • Working memory
   • Attention
   • Long-term memory
   • Forgetting
   • Improving memory

7. Thinking Processes

   • Problem solving
   • Decision making

8. Intelligence

   • From the g factor to factorial theories
   • Measuring intelligence
   • Intelligence tests
   • IQ
9. Language

       Spoken language perception
       Words and meanings
       First language learning
       Bilinguilism

10. Motivation

    • Instincts, drives, and incentives
    • Primary and secondary motivations
    • Maslow’s theory

11. Emotions

    • Basic emotions
    • Expressive behavior
    • Peripheral, central, and cognitive theories of emotions

12. Personality

    • Psychoanalytic model
    • Humanistic model
    • Trait theories
    • Socio-cognitive model
    • Learning/conditioning model
    • Reliability and validity of personality measures

13. Well being

    • Sources of stress
    • Measuring stress
    • Conflicts and physiological outcomes
    • General adaptation syndrome model
    • Psychosomatic diseases
    • Posttraumatic stress disorders
    • Anxiety and stress coping
    • Psychological well-being

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

Erasmus students

As the required Italian textbooks are not available in English, Erasmus students will use an alternative open-access textbook in English.

The exam program includes Chapters 1–10 of Psychology 2e (OpenStax), which is freely available online:

https://openstax.org/details/books/psychology-2e

The selected chapters cover the core topics of the course and provide the theoretical background required for the examination. Any additional instructions or supplementary materials will be communicated by the lecturer.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

Exam Board

DAVID GIOFRE' (President)

GIULIA CAPPAGLI

CATERINA ARTUSO (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

First semester.

Students are required to register on Aula web to download teaching materials and to sign up to the assessments.

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The exam is typically a multiple-choice test in English.

International students may take the exam in any of the official examination sessions scheduled during the academic year.

Under the Italian system, students have the right to decline a passing grade and retake the examination in a subsequent session. Grade refusal must be completed through the University's online procedure. As a general rule, students have up to 10 days from the publication/registration of the grade to decline it, although they should always verify the applicable deadlines.

To sit for an exam you must enrol to students' portal.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The exam is a computer-based multiple-choice test. It assesses:

• theoretical knowledge of psychological schools of thought

• understanding of psychological mechanisms

• ability to interpret research data

• use of specialized terminology and conceptual mastery

For students with partial course recognition, the syllabus will be adjusted according to the provided guidelines.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Information for Students with Disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), or Special Educational Needs (SEN) who wish to request examination adjustments must first submit the relevant certification to the University of Genoa's Student Inclusion Service for Students with Disabilities and Specific Learning Disorders.

To request examination adjustments:

• Students with disabilities or SLD must complete the online form available on the University of Genoa webpage "Services for Students with Disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)".

• Students with SEN MUST send an email to the course instructor, copying the School Coordinator for Student Inclusion (laura.traverso@unige.it) and the Student Inclusion Service (inclusione.studenti@info.unige.it).

The request should include:

• the course title;

• the examination date;

• the student's full name and student ID number;

• the requested accommodations and any compensatory or support measures considered appropriate.

Requests for examination accommodations must be submitted well in advance and no later than 7 working days before the examination date. Requests received after this deadline may not be accommodated.