Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE PSY1611

 
TITLE Major Paradigms in Psychology 2: The Cognitive and Behavioural Paradigms

 
UM LEVEL 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL Not Applicable

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Psychology

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit is the second part of a series of two study-units which intends to introduce the students to major schools of Psychology. This second part intends to introduce the students to another two major schools of Psychology. This study-unit is intended to provide a foundation of psychological knowledge needed for other courses in psychology. It is also meant as an introduction to some of the major theorists and theories underlying different schools of thought in psychology. An important objective is that students are exposed to the underlying values and attitudes that are typically associated with them.

Tentative Study-unit Outline:

Part 1: Behaviorism

The aim of this part of the study-unit is to furnish students with a clear picture of the place behaviorism has in the discipline of psychology, in light of the different approaches in psychological theory. It will explore the development and contribution of behaviorism by focusing on the main proponents of the perspective.

The content will cover the various explanatory frameworks highlighted by these psychologists as well as the investigative approaches they have adopted. Applications to the various fields of psychology will also be made e.g. education, clinical, organizational and developmental psychology.

Students will be able to:
- Understand the role behaviourism has played in the discipline of psychology;
- Be familiar with the perspectives highlighted by the main proponents of the paradigm;
- Understand the key concepts put forward by different behavioural theorists;
- Apply these key concepts to the various fields of psychology e.g. educational, clinical, organizational and developmental psychology;
- Understand the contribution of behaviourism in view of other major paradigms.

Topics Covered include:
- The development of behaviorism - philosophical/ historical roots;
- The early behaviorists;
- Classical conditioning and Operant reinforcement theory;
- Skinner's ABC;
- Schedules of reinforcement;
- Learned helplessness;
- Stimulus response theory (Miller and Dollard);
- The fall of radical Behaviorism;
- Social learning theory;
- The cognitive revolution;
- Expectancy theory;
- Locus of control;
- The future of behaviorism.

Part 2: Cognitive

This unit is intended to help participants develop a cognitive perspective on human behaviour and to familiarise themselves with current theories, research methods and findings in cognitive psychology. Participants are expected to become familiar with major research methods in cognitive psychology, develop an understanding of the main concepts in the field, and show knowledge of the major classical and current findings in cognitive psychology. The following main areas of cognitive psychology will be covered:
- Introduction to cognitive psychology;
- Sensory systems and visual perception;
- Sound and speech perception;
- Attention;
- Memory;
- Language;
- Thinking.

Required Text:

Behaviorism - Text
- Ormrod, J. (1999). Human learning. NJ: Prentice Hall, Chapters 1- 7.

Cognitive - Text
- Eysenck, M & Keane, M.T. (2010). Cognitive psychology: A student's handbook, (6th ed.). Hove, UK: Psychology Press.

Readings and Supplementary Texts:

Bowers, G. Hilgard, E. (1980). Theories of learning.NY: McGraw Hill.
Buckley, K. (1989). Mechanical man: John Braodus Watson and the begininnings of behaviorism. NY: Guilford Press.
Hergenhahn, B. & Olson, M. (2000). An introduction to theories of learning. NY: Prentice Hall.
- Baddeley, A. D. (1997). Human memory: Theory and practice. Hove, UK: LEA.
- Braisby, N. and Gellatly, A. (2005) Cognitive Psychology. Oxford: Open University Press.Carroll, D. (2008). Psychology of language. (5th ed.). Australia; Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.
- Field, J. (2003) Psycholinguistics. A Resource book for students. London: Routledge.
- Harley, T. (2007). The Psychology of language: From data to theory. (3rd ed.). Hove, UK: Psychology Press.
- Lund, N. (2003) Language & Thought. Hove: Routledge.
- Neath, I. & Surprenant, A. M. (2003). Human memory: An introduction to research, data, and theory. (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA, USA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning.
- Pashler, H.E. (1998). The psychology of attention. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
- Styles, E.A. (1997). The psychology of attention. Hove, UK: Psychology Press.

 
RULES/CONDITIONS Before TAKING THIS UNIT YOU ARE ADVISED TO TAKE PSY1610

 
ADDITIONAL NOTES This study-unit is only offered to students with Psychology as an area of study.

Please note that the pre-requisites for this study-unit are not required for non-BPsy students.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Examination (2 Hours) Yes 100%

 
LECTURER/S Paul A. Bartolo
Ruth Falzon

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

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