Learning Goals & Objectives

Student Learning Goal 1

Psychology Majors will demonstrate familiarity with classical and contemporary theoretical perspectives in Psychology.

Students will:
  • Objective A: Identify the basis of psychology as a scientific endeavor;
  • Objective B: Identify the primary objectives of psychology—describing, understanding, predicting, and controlling behavior and mental processes;
  • Objective C: Demonstrate the use of classic/contemporary theories to explain and predict behavior and mental processes;
  • Objective D: Identify classic and contemporary theoretical perspectives (e.g., behavioral, neuroscience, cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic, and sociocultural);
  • Objective E: Demonstrate knowledge of overarching themes, persistent questions, or enduring conflicts in psychology, such as:  1) the interaction of heredity and environment, 2) subjective versus objective perspectives on behavior, and 3) the interaction of mind and body.

Student Learning Goal 2

Psychology Majors will demonstrate knowledge representing breadth and depth in selected discipline-specific content areas of psychology.

Students will:
  • Objective A: Demonstrate an understanding of the theory and research representing the domains of learning and cognition;
  • Objective B: Demonstrate an understanding of the theory and research representing the domains of individual differences, psychometrics, personality and social processes;
  • Objective C: Demonstrate an understanding of the theory and research representing the domains of the biological bases of behavior and mental processes, including physiology, sensation, perception, motivation and emotion;
  • Objective D: Demonstrate an understanding of the theory and research representing domain of developmental changes in behavior and mental processes across the life span.

Student Learning Goal 3

Psychology Majors will understand and apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis and interpretation.

Students will:
  • Objective A: Identify the different research methods used by psychologists;
  • Objective B: Distinguish the difference between research designs that permit causal inferences from those that do not;
  • Objective C: Identify appropriate conclusions derived from psychological research and demonstrate their ability to interpret basic statistical conclusions and distinguish between statistical significance and practical significance;
  • Objective D: Identify relevant databases to design research studies;
  • Objective E: Identify testable research hypotheses, based on operational definitions of variables;
  • Objective F: Demonstrate knowledge of the APA code of Ethics in the treatment of human and nonhuman research participants.

Student Learning Goal 4

Psychology Majors will demonstrate knowledge of psychological concepts, theories, and research findings as these apply to everyday life.

Students will:
  • Objective A: Distinguish major applied areas of psychology (e.g., clinical, counseling, industrial/organizational, school, health);
  • Objective B: Demonstrate knowledge of psychology-based interventions in clinical, counseling, educational, industrial/organizational, community, and other settings;
  • Objective C: Demonstrate knowledge to assess psychology-based interventions through empirical evaluation.
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