Foundations of Psychology DQs

Foundations of Psychology

Discussion Questions

Week 1 DQ 1:  Refer to the charts on pp. 6 & 20 of Psychology and Your Life.  Identify the five major perspectives in the field of psychology and list one subfield for each.  (150-200 words)

Week 1 DQ 2:  Describe two subfield of psychology that most interest you and explain where you might encounter professionals in that field.  (150-200 words)

Week 1 DQ 3:  Refer to Module 4 of Psychology and Your Life.  Describe one ethical issue mentioned in the text.  Why is informed consent necessary for ethical research?  (150-200 words)

Week 1 DQ 4:  After reading pp. 26-28 of Psychology and Your Life, describe two research methods psychologists use.  If you were selected to participate in a study that focuses on the average college student, what are some variables that may affect the validity of this study?  (150-200 words)

Week 1 DQ 5:  Watch the Field of Psychology – Interactive Tutorial located at the following link:   http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94123_psych_axia/lesson_01/select.htm.  After completing the tutorial and reviewing the summary, answer the following questions.  (150-200 words)

·         Name two areas where most professionals in the field of psychology work

·         What percentage of practicing psychologist specializes in clinical or counseling psychology?

·         What does this data tell you about the profession of psychology?

Week 2 DQ 1:  Review the Structures of the Brain (Section 3) tutorial located at the following link:  http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94178_psych_axia/livepsych/interface/index.htm?atitle=4.3%20Major%20Brain%20Structures%20and%20Functions&id1=5_8&id2=5_9&id3=5_10 and the Structures of the Brain (Section 5) tutorial located at the following link:  http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94178_psych_axia/livepsych/interface/index.htm?atitle=Hemispheric%20Specialization&id1=8_1&id2=8_2&id3=8_3&id4=8_5

Describe the different functions of the central core of the brain compared to the cerebral cortex.  Why are both important?  (150-200 words)

Week 2 DQ 2:  Define sensation and perception.  What is the difference between them?  Provide an example.  (150-200 words)

Week 2 DQ 3:  Take the questionnaire on pg. 73 of Psychology and Your Life.  Are you more consistent with the right or left brain orientation?  How will your strengths help you with your future goals?  (150-200 words)

Week 2 DQ 4:   Watch the Consciousness – Interactive Tutorial located at the following link:  http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94123_psych_axia/lesson_03/select.htm. Choose two states of consciousness and provide an example of a behavior associated with each. (150-200 words)

Week 2 DQ 5:  Watch the Stages of Sleep tutorial located at the following link:  http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94178_psych_axia/livepsych/interface/index.htm?atitle=Stages%20of%20Sleep&id1=16_1&id2=16_2&id3=16_3&sid=16_1

Identify the stages of sleep.  How many hours of sleep do you get an average each night?  Explain how this impacts your performance at work?  At school?  (150-200 words)

Week 3 DQ 1:  Review the Information Processing Model tutorial located at the following link: http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94178_psych_axia/livepsych/interface/index.htm?atitle=Information-Processing%20Model%20of%20Memory&id1=23_1. Explain the three stages of memory.  How might understanding how our memory works help us learn?  (150-200 words)

Week 3 DQ 2: Refer to p. 212 of Psychology and Your Life. Determine your memory style and explain how you might apply this information at work and at school.   (150-200 words)

Week 3 DQ 3:  Review the Bandura's Bobo Doll Experiment video located at the following link: http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94178_psych_axia/video/index.html. 

In the social cognitive approach to learning, observation learning occurs by watching the behavior of others.  Have you ever learned something just by observation alone?  Share your example.  (150-200 words)

Week 3 DQ 4:  Refer to Figure 4 on p. 178 of Psychology and Your Life. What is the difference between classical and operant conditioning? Provide an example of each type of conditioning. Do not use the same example as the text.  (150-200 words)

Week 3 DQ 5:  Watch the Learning with Change and Experience and Memory – Interactive Tutorial located at the following link: http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94123_psych_axia/lesson_04/select.htm

Explain classical conditioning.  Provide an example from your childhood that demonstrates this learning condition.  After reading the section on operant condition, explain punishment vs. positive reinforcement.  (150-200 words)

Week 4 DQ 1:  Review pp. 244–248 of Psychology and Your Life. What are the five different approaches to motivation? Choose one of the approaches and explain how it affects motivation.  (150-200 words)

Week 4 DQ 2:  Review Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs located at the following link: http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94178_psych_axia/lbp8e_11374/lbp8e_11374.html. 
 Explain Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Does this hierarchy make sense to you? Explain why or why not. Which need to you find most challenging and why?  (150-200 words)

Week 4 DQ 3:  Based on Figure 1 on p. 268 of Psychology and Your Life, list the five main emotions. Choose one positive and one negative emotion to discuss related to being a student. Provide one example of how these emotions may affect your performance in class.  (150-200 words)

Week 4 DQ 4:  What are the biological factors that motivate human sexual behavior?  What are some theories that may determine sexual orientation? (150-200 words)

Week 4 DQ 5:  Watch the Motivation and Emotion – Interactive Tutorial located at the following link: http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94123_psych_axia/lesson_07/select.htm. 
Describe the three main types of needs. Identify four of the 10 suggestions for living a happier life (150-200 words)

Week 5 DQ 1:  Sally and Bob have a 3-year-old son, Jimmy. Sally thinks Jimmy has aggressive behavior because he watches too much TV. Bob thinks Jimmy has aggressive behavior just because he is a boy and boys are typically more aggressive than girls. Identify what the problem and issue are in this scenario.  (150-200 words)

Week 5 DQ 2:  What do you think influences our behavior more: nature, nurture, or a combination of both? Explain your answer.   (150-200 words)

Week 5 DQ 3:  Review the Children's Social Status tutorial located at the following link: http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94178_psych_axia/sim_social_status/index.html and locate Figure 7 on p. 300 of Psychology and Your Life. 
Explain the development of social behavior. How does attachment and parental styles influence adult produced behaviors in children?  (150-200 words)

Week 5 DQ 4:  Refer to pp. 301 & 302 of Psychology and Your Life. Which stage is affected by the level of caregiver control? Which stage is discusses feeling of inadequacy and failure. Can you relate to the stages as described? Provide an example.  (150-200 words)

Week 5 DQ 5:  Review the Piaget theory of cognitive development on pp. 303 and 304 of Psychology and Your Life. List each stage of cognitive development, along with one characteristic of each.  (150-200 words)

Week 6 DQ 1:  Review the major physical, moral, and cognitive changes that occur in adolescence discussed in Module 27 of Psychology and Your Life.  Erikson’s chart on p. 313 shows the psychosocial development stage during adolescence.  (150-200 words)

·         What is this stage?

·         Provide an example from your childhood where you discovered your own role and personality traits.

·         What peer pressure did you face?

·         How did you respond to it?

Week 6 DQ 2:  What are some of the factors that affect social development in adulthood?  What is a midlife transition?  (150-200 words)

Week 6 DQ 3:  Choose three suicide warning signs discussed on p. 316 of Psychology and Your Life.  As a parent of an adolescent, how might you detect these signs and constructively help your child with going through these difficulties?  (150-200 words)

Week 6 DQ 4:  Refer to pp. 321-322 of Psychology and Your Life.  Describe views of marriage and children in early historical periods and compare those views with today’s society.  Why do you think this shift has occurred?  Overall, has this shift been good or bad for society?  (150-200 words)

Week 6 DQ 5:  Review the Aging and Changes in Physical Appearance simulation.  Discuss the social and physical aspects of late adulthood.  What physical and cognitive changes are involved?  How might retirement relate to the activity theory of aging discussed on p. 326 of Psychology and Your Life?  (150-200 words)

Week 7 DQ 1:  Refer to Figure 2 on p. 349 of Psychology and Your Life.  Evaluate the Big Five trait approaches to personality.  Which personality trait best describes you and why?  (150-200 words)

Week 7 DQ 2:  Refer to p. 351-352 of Psychology and Your Life.  What is self-efficacy?  Who does this affect your educational goals and career goals?  What is the relationship between self-efficacy and self-esteem?  (150-200 words)

Week 7 DQ 3:  Review Figure 1 on p. 368 of Psychology and Your Life. Summarize two theories of intelligence. Which type of intelligence do you think will be a strength for you in your current or future career? Explain your answer.   (150-200 words)

Week 7 DQ 4:   Review p. 363 of Psychology and Your Life. What are behavioral assessments? What are the benefits of behavioral assessments? What issues might arise from being labeled as the result of taking a behavioral assessment? (150-200 words)

Week 7 DQ 5:  Take the Online Personality Assessment located at the following link: http://www.advisorteam.com/temperament_sorter/register.asp
What personality type are you? Discuss some of the characteristics of your type. Do you think the assessment is accurate? Explain why or why not.  (150-200 words)

Week 8 DQ 1:   Review Module 34 of Psychology and Your Life. List the major classifications of psychological disorders. Select one and discuss what types of treatment approaches are available for this disorder. (150-200 words)

Week 8 DQ 2:  Review pp. 388–392. Explain two definitions of abnormal behavior. Compare the differences between the psychoanalytic, behavioral, and cognitive perspectives on abnormality.  (150-200 words)

Week 8 DQ 3:  What are the differences between anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, and mood disorders? Provide two examples for each one.   (150-200 words)

Week 8 DQ 4:   Take the How Anxious Are You? Assessment on p. 398 of Psychology and Your Life. What is anxiety and how does it affect your daily life? List some types of anxiety disorders. (150-200 words)

Week 8 DQ 5:  Watch the Mental Disorders: Causes, Nature, and Treatment – Interactive Tutorial located at the following link: http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94123_psych_axia/lesson_11/select.htm

·         Select one mental disorder to examine

·         Define the disorder and discuss the behaviors associated with it

·         Are there any treatment options available for this disorder?  If so, please explain.

(150-200 words)

Week 9 DQ 1:   You have been exposed to previous information in your prior courses relating to stress management. What are some ways people cope with stress? Refer to p. 505 of Psychology and Your Life. What is the difference between emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping? (150-200 words)

Week 9 DQ 2:   Review the Social Influence tutorial located at the following link: http://media.pearsoncmg.com/pcp/pcp_94178_psych_axia/livepsych/interface/index.htm?atitle=Conformity&id1=30_2
What is conformity? List three reasons people conform. What are three factors that increase the likelihood of conforming?  (150-200 words)

Week 9 DQ 3:   After reading Module 42, list the four factors of attraction. Which one do you most identify with and why? How does one fall out of love?  (150-200 words)

Week 9 DQ 4:  Refer to Figure 1 on p.501 of Psychology and Your Life. Identify one everyday hassle and one uplift that relate to your life. Take the questionnaire on p. 502. Without revealing any personal information, which coping strategies you might employ to reduce negative effects of stress?   (150-200 words)

Week 9 DQ 5:  Review the Prejudice and Discrimination tutorial. Identify the four sources of prejudice, along with one example of each. What are some ways to reduce discrimination?  (150-200 words)discrimination?  (150-200 words)