Course Description
Examines the various major concepts of applied psychology. Includes theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, historical trends, principles and practices as they apply to personal, social and organizational issues.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to
- Describe the major and emerging applied areas of psychology
- Describe principles and theories of applied areas of psychology
- Explain how psychology can affect behavioral change
- Provide insight into the training and practice of applied psychology
Week 1
Lecture: Introduction to Applied Psychology
Outcomes
- Define applied psychology
- Describe the major and emerging applied areas of psychology
- Understand the role and credibility of the applied psychologists
- Understand the basics of interventions and their evaluation
- Describe the scientific method
- Discuss preparation strategies for a career in one of the many areas of applied psychology
Week 2
Lecture: Clinical and Counseling Psychology
Outcomes
- Discuss principles of clinical psychology
- Compare the work of clinical psychologists to psychiatry and counseling psychology
- Understand the stages in working with individual cases the development of clinical psychology
- Discuss research, theory, and applications as it applies to clinical psychology
- Discuss current directions in clinical and counseling psychology
- Discuss principles of counseling psychology
Week 3
Lecture: Educational Psychology
Outcomes
- Examine work undertaken by Educational Psychologists
- Discuss work at the individual level
- Describe work at the organizational level
- Understand the importance of eliciting children's views
- Understand the contemporary practices of Education Psychologists
- Discuss four areas of contemporary practice
Week 4
Lecture: Environmental Psychology
Outcomes
- Define environmental psychology
- Understand various interventions affecting change in the environment
- Understand the impact of the environment on behavior and behavior on the environment
- Discuss the various approaches undertaken by environmental psychologists
- Describe the research areas
- Provide examples of effective theoretical approaches
Week 5
Lecture: Forensic Psychology
Outcomes
- Understand the interface of psychology and the legal system
- Outline forensic psychologists’ work
- Discuss with whom forensic psychologists work
- Describe some of the earliest work in the field
- Discuss training requirements
- Understand the many areas of psychological expertise contributing to the forensic field
Week 6
Lecture: Health Psychology
Outcomes
- Outline psychology’s contributions to good health
- Discuss the prevention and treatment of illness
- Understand the work and workplace
- Describe the Biopsychosocial model
- Describe and understand the changes in the leading causes of death from last century to current century
- Define the varied assessments
- Describe the instruments used in assessments
Week 7
Lecture: Occupational (I/O) Psychology
Outcomes
- Define I/O psychology
- Describe important questions asked by I/O psychologists
- Describe the type of research in which I/) psychologists engage
- Describe the application of I/O research
- Discuss contemporary I/O work
- Understand the analyses and interventions at the organizational level
Week 8
Lecture: Sport and Exercise Psychology
Outcomes
- Provide a definition of sport psychology
- Discuss the history of sport psychology
- Define the early research
- Describe the recently developed and developing areas of expertise in the field
- Understand the problems athletes must deal with during training and competition
- Describe solutions provided by sport psychologists to athletes in training and competition
The course description, objectives and learning outcomes are subject to change without notice based on enhancements made to the course. May 2012
