Course description

Specialization in Psychology is designed for Psychology majors interested in careers that apply psychological principles to the world of work. Our graduates work in a variety of areas such as benefits, training, recruiting, compensation, human resources, market research, sales, computer systems, teaching, school psychology, and health care management. The specialization retains the dual purpose of preparing undergraduates for advanced work in I/O Psychology and Human Resources (HR) graduate programs while providing them with business-oriented knowledge and skills to facilitate immediate entry into the workforce.

Learning Outcome

• Upon completion of this course students shall able to:
  
• Clearly define psychology
  
• Understand and compare the major perspectives in psychology
  
• Describe different research methods in psychology with their benefits and drawbacks
  
• Recognize how people sense and give meaning to their environment
  
• Understand and appreciate learning new behaviour from different theoretical bases.
  
•  Recognize memory processes
  
• Explain motivational and emotional processes
  
• Comprehend the development of personality
  
• Describe the characteristics of major psychological

Course Content

• Developmental Psychology: Adolescence
  
• Health Psychology
  
• Abuse, Neglect, and the Psychological Dimensions of Intimate Violence (DSS)
  
• Behavior Assessment and Intervention I
  
• Mental Aspects of Sports Performance
  
• Behavioral Assessment and Intervention II
  
• History and Systems of Psychology
  
• Introduction to Interviewing and Counseling (CI)
  
• Educational Psychology for Teachers

Compulsory Reading Materials

• Passer, W.M., Smith, R.E., Atkinson, M.L., Mitchell, J.B. & Muir, D.W. (2011). Psychology: Frontiers and applications, 4^th Canadian Edition, Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson. 

Optional Reading Materials

• Wade, C., Tavris, C., Saucier, D., & Elias, L. Psychology. 2^nd Canadian Edition with MyPsychLab. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson Education Canada, Inc., 2007.
  
• Hock, R. Forty Studies that Changed Psychology. 6^th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009.
  

Course description

This course introduces learners to the principles of learning and behavior by surveying relevant theoretical and empirical approaches within psychology.  The overall emphasis is on the theoretical foundations of psychology as they relate to human learning and behavior.   The following topics will be reviewed: historical perspectives of early learning theories, prevailing theories of human development, classical and operant conditioning, effects stimuli have on learning and behavior, social learning, motivation, cognitive developmental theory in the context of learning stages and processes, memory and human information processing models, and problem-solving methods. Understanding these human processes is an integral part of psychology and other domains of human behavior, such as marketing, sports, health, education and relationships. Learning theories are an outgrowth from philosophies of thought.  The philosophical approaches of rationalism and empiricism, and the works of Plato and Descartes form the underpinnings of learning theory.  However, developments in psychology added an interest in objectivity and scientific research to demarcate the psychological approach to learning

Course Content

• Basic Concepts   
  
• Philosophy and Psychology: Thinking about Learning
  
• The nature and scope of organizational behaviour
  
• Individual and group dynamics
  
• E.L. Thorndike: The Original Connectionism 
  
• Behaviorism: Basic Concepts and Processes 
  
• Classical Conditioning vs. Operant Conditioning   
  
•  Behaviorism and Real World Applications  
  
•  Social Learning Theory 
• Cognitive Theor

Learning Outcome

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Identify major historical timelines and perspectives associated with learning theory.
  
• Explain foundational concepts associated with learning theory.Integrate common principles of learning theory into larger domains of psychology.
  
• Align major theorists with specific contributions to psychology of learning and behavior.
  
• Analyze and describe empirical research as it relates to effectiveness of learning and behavior management techniques.
  
• Identify the utilization of psychology of learning and behavior in domains outside the field of psychology. 

Compulsory Reading Materials

• Robbins, S. P., Judge, T. A., &Sanghi, S. (2009). Organizational behaviour (13th ed.). New Delhi: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Optional Reading Materials

•  Du Brin, A. J. (2005). Fundamentals of organizational behaviour (3rded.). South-Western Cengage Learning.