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.

Note: The Bachelor’s Degree in Psychological Sciences and Techniques requires attendance of at least 65% of lecture hours for in-person courses. For off-site students or working students who face documented difficulties meeting the attendance requirement, supplementary activities are available to compensate for missed in-person lectures (these activities are detailed in the slides and may include reading scientific articles, watching videos, or engaging with other supplementary materials). Erasmus students are required to contact the instructor to agree on and adapt the course program.

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

1. G. Amoretti, Progetto Create: Psicologia generale, Scienze e Tecniche Psicologiche, McGraw-Hill Education, Milano, 2021
2. D. Gatti, T. Vecchi, Che cos’è la memoria, Carocci, Roma, 2020.
3. Papers and other materials provided during each lecture.

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 Italian.
An oral examination can be requested by international students if they feel they may not be able to take the written exam in Italian.

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

ASSESSMENT METHODS

he 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

For Students with Disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students with disabilities or SLD are reminded that to request exam accommodations, you must first upload your certification to the university website at servizionline.unige.it in the "Students" section. The documentation will be verified by the University's Inclusion Services Department for students with disabilities and SLD (https://rubrica.unige.it/strutture/struttura/100111).

Subsequently, well in advance (at least 10 days) before the exam date, students are required to send an email to the professor conducting the exam. Copy both the School Inclusion Officer for students with disabilities and SLD (laura.traverso@unige.it) and the aforementioned department using one of the following addresses (disabili@unige.it; dsa@unige.it). The email should include:

• Course name
• Exam date
• Student's last name, first name, and enrollment number
• Requested compensatory tools and dispensatory measures.