PSYC 2264: Foundations of Psychological Science

Explore different psychological schools and their approaches to introspection, from Darwinism and Empiricism to Structuralism and Behaviorism. Discover which school used self-reflective introspection to understand the elements of human experience.

Understand Freud's perspective on dreams as manifestations of unconscious desires and conflicts. Contrast this with the Neural Activation Theory, which links dreaming to random neural activity during REM sleep. Discuss the criticisms and nuances of both theories in modern psychology.

Explore the concept of operant conditioning as a behavioral learning process. Unravel how actions can be influenced by reinforcement or punishment. Dive into B.F. Skinner's contributions and real-life examples.

Discover the intricacies of associative learning in psychology. Differentiate between concepts like classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Gain insights into how our brains form patterns and shape responses based on experiences.

Discover how perception shapes experiences through the concepts of absolute and difference thresholds. Understand Marisol's ski trip sensations in terms of these psychological phenomena. Learn how individual factors can create unique perceptual moments.

Explore the intriguing science behind superstitious behavior. Discover how accidental timing of rewards influences our beliefs and actions. From Pavlov's dogs to lucky shirts, uncover the psychology of coincidences and their effects on our actions.