Introduction of Psychology

Content

Objective

This course aims to provide students with a general overview of psychology, its historical development, research methods, and the diversity of its fields of application. It will introduce them to the different approaches in psychology and help them understand, through their key concepts and leading theorists, the various ways of explaining human behavior and individual psychological functioning. Students will also be introduced to the psychodynamic approach and the study of the unconscious. Finally, an introduction to the main types of mental health disorders will complement the knowledge acquired throughout the semester.
The course content will be enriched by a variety of materials drawn from both the written press and audiovisual media, including newspaper articles, YouTube videos, and television series, as well as through the analysis of practical case studies.

Course Content

Chapter 1: Definition, History, Methods and Branches of Psychology
- Understand the definition and historical development of psychology.
- Know and distinguish the main research methods used in psychology: quantitative, qualitative, biological and temporal methods.
- Identify the different branches of psychology: social psychology (including the study of Kurt Lewin’s work and the perspectives of Herbert Kelman and Nietzsche on conformity); sports psychology (including the study of Edward Deci’s, Richard Ryan’s and Maslow’s work on motivation, and the distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation); developmental psychology (including the study of the theories of development proposed by Wallon, Piaget and Freud); occupational psychology, educational psychology, legal psychology, abnormal psychology and clinical psychology, and describe their main fields of study and application.
Chapter 2: The Different Approaches in Psychology
- Know and distinguish the main approaches in psychology.
- Understand:
a) The behaviorist approach: the different types of conditioning and affective memory in the work of Marcel Proust.
b) The Gestalt approach: the laws of Gestalt psychology and subliminal messages.
c) The cognitive approach: memory and learning, the Mandela effect, perception, attention, language through Chomsky’s work, intelligence and cognitive biases.
d) The humanistic or existential approach: discover this approach through the work of Maslow and Rogers.
Chapter 3: The Psychodynamic Approach
- Understand the exploration of the unconscious through Freud’s main theories, defense mechanisms and dreams.
- Discover the methods used to explore and interpret the unconscious, particularly psychological tests and psychotherapies.
- Learn about the main contributions to psychoanalysis after Freud through the work of Adler and Jung, and distinguish between the different professions in the field of psychology.
Chapter 4: Mental Health Disorders According to the Freudian School
- Understand the Freudian school’s conception of mental health disorders.
- Know and distinguish the three main categories of mental disorders within this framework: nevroses, psychonevroses and psychoses, by identifying their main characteristics and different manifestations through the study of practical cases.

Course Learning Outcomes

The course materials are shared with students on the Otomasyon platform before each class

Teaching and Learning Methods

- Case studies
- YouTube video clips
- Film excerpts
- Analysis of press articles related to the course content

References

1. Vergez et Huisman : Nouveau Cours de Philo Tome II, Fernand Nathan
2. Norbert Sillamy : Dictionnaire de la Psychologie, Librairie Larousse
3. Charles – Henri Favrod : Encyclopédie du Monde Actuel, Livre de Poche
4. Jean Piaget : La Psychologie de l’Enfant, Presse Universitaire de France
5. Maurice Debesse : L’Adolescence, édition Presse Universitaire de France
6. Wikipédia, encyclopédie libre
7. Doctissimo, site web francophone consacré à la santé
8. Journal français de psychiatrie, maison d’édition spécialisée dans les sciences humaines
9. Journal des psychologues, éditeur : Martin Média
10. DSM-5 : Manuel diagnostique et statistique des troubles mentaux, cinquième édition (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition,), publié par l’Association américaine de psychiatrie (American Psychiatric Association).
11. Passeport santé, site web francophone consacré à la santé
12. Psychologie Clinique, Claude – M. Prévost, édition Presse Universitaire de France
13. Manuel pratique de psychiatrie clinique, SanteMaps
14. Mention Psychologie, Commencez avec les meilleurs profs, Editions Eyrolles

Weekly Contents

Assessment System

Relation of Proficiency

ECTS