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Introduction to Psychology Homepage - MCAT

Welcome to the Psychology course, for the Pre-Health Sciences Training Certificate. This course and the certificate are designed primarily for learners interested in preparing for and gaining entry for health-related programs, and to help address the prerequisites for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

This Psychology course provides in-depth learning as it relates to general psychological concepts and techniques used in the natural, behavioral, and social sciences fields.The course will also explore important areas of Psychology including biopsychology, sensation and perception, human development as well as learning and memory. Additionally, students will gain a better understanding of the influence of psychology on social, mental, and physical health. 

This course, Introduction to Psychology, is sponsored by the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine. Like all NextGenU.org courses, it is competency-based, using competencies based on the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Medical College Admission Test. It uses learning resources from accredited, academic, professional, and world-class organizations and universities such as Rice University, and American Psychological Association. The course was designed by Samantha Baboolal, B.A; Pablo Baldiviezo, MD, DiplEd; Carolina Bustillos, MD, DiplEd;  Ma.Genikka Camille Gabral, BEd, MSc; Reisha Narine, MSc, BSc; Rhonda Prudent, BSc; Hugo Rojas, MD, MSc, DiplEd. 

For publications on NextGenU.org’s courses’ efficacy, see NextGenU.org’s publication page.

There are 16 modules to complete, which provide an introduction to:

• Module 1: Psychology: The Scientific Study of Behavior
• Module 2: Biopsychology: Biological Bases of Behavior
• Module 3: Perception and Sensation
• Module 4: Consciousness
• Module 5: Human LifeSpan Development
• Module 6: Learning and Attitude
• Module 7: Motivation and Emotion
• Module 8: Cognition and Intelligence
• Module 9: Memory
• Module 10: Personality
• Module 11: Health Psychology, Stress, Coping, and Mental Health
• Module 12: Psychological Disorders
• Module 13: Abnormal Psychology
• Module 14: Social Psychology
• Module 15: Industrial-Organizational Psychology
• Module 16: Counselling Psychology

The completion time for this course is estimated at 193 hours, comprising 25 hours of learning resources, 50 hours of studying and assimilation of the content, and 118 hours of participating in learning activities and quizzes to assist the learners in synthesizing learning materials. This course is equivalent to 3 credit hours s in the U.S. undergraduate/bachelor’s degree system.

The course requires completion of all quizzes, discussion forums, and activities to receive a course certificate, at the end of each module, there is a practice quiz of 10 multiple-choice questions. After you’ve completed each module, learning activity, and quiz, at the end of the course, you’ll have access to a final exam consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions, and a chance to evaluate this course. 

Participants have up to three opportunities to take the final exam and achieve the required passing score of >=70%. Once you’ve passed the final exam and completed the evaluations, you will be able to download a certificate of completion from NextGenU.org and our course’s co-sponsoring organizations. 

We keep all of your personal information confidential, never sell any of your information, and only use anonymized data for research purposes. Also, we are happy to report your testing information and share your work with anyone (your school, employer, etc.) at your request. 

Reading Times:

At NextGenU.org, we provide the estimated reading times for all of our Learning Resources (LRs) i.e. webpages, articles, and slides. The estimated reading time is calculated using a reading speed of 144 words per minute (no. of words recommended to read in the LR ÷ 144 words per minute). Additionally, we calculate the study/assimilation which for primary sources, is multiplied by 2, and for secondary sources, is multiplied by 1 (estimated read time x 2 = study/assimilation time).

Engaging with this Course:

This free course is aimed at students who have graduated from high school and want to prepare to become a health professional, and/or pass the MCAT exam. You may also browse this course for free to learn for your personal enrichment; there are no requirements.   

To obtain a certificate, a learner must first register for the course and then successfully complete:

• Pre-test
• All the reading requirements,
• All quizzes and pass with a 70% with unlimited attempts,
• All peer activities,
• All discussion forums,
• The final exam with a minimum of 70% and a maximum of 3 attempts, and
• The self and course evaluation forms.

To obtain credit:

• Complete all requirements listed above for the certificate, and
• Your learning institution or workplace should approve the partner-university-sponsored NextGenU.org course for educational credit, as they usually would for their learner taking a course anywhere.  

NextGenU.org is happy to provide your institution with:

• A link to and description of the course training, so they can see all of its components, including the co-sponsoring institutions;
• Your grade on the final exam;
• Your work products (e.g., discussion forum responses) and any other required or optional shared materials that you produce and authorize to share with them;  
• Your evaluations -- course, and self-assessments;
• A copy of your certificate of completion, with the co-sponsoring organizations listed.

To obtain a degree, NextGenU.org co-sponsors degree programs with institutional partners. To obtain a full degree co-sponsored with NextGenU.org, registrants must be enrolled in a degree program as a student of a NextGenU.org institutional partner. If you think your institution might be interested in offering a degree with NextGenU.org, contact us.

We hope you will find this a rewarding learning experience, and we count on your assessment and feedback to help us improve this training for future students.

Here are the next steps to take the course and earn a certificate.

• Complete the registration form.
• Take the pre-test.
• Begin the course with Module 1: Psychology: The Scientific Study of Behaviour. In each lesson, read the description, complete all required readings and any required activity, as well as take the corresponding quizzes.

Module 1: Psychology: The Scientific Study of Behavior

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand psychology as a science, its historical foundations, and its importance.
• Understand Psychological Research and methods of Research.

Module 1: Lesson 1: Definition and Development of Psychology

Learning objectives:

• Define Psychology and its merits.
• Explore the paradigm shifts that have influenced psychology.
  
• Identify the fields and career options in Psychology.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• What Is Psychology?
• History of Psychology
• Fields of psychology to consider for your career

• Careers in Psychology

Module 1: Lesson 2: Research and Ethics in Psychology

Learning objectives:

• Explain the importance of Psychological research.
  
• Describe the methods in psychological research.
  
• Explain ethics in psychological research.
  

Click here to start this lesson

• 2.1 Why Is Research Important?
• Methods of Psychology
• 2.4 Ethics

• Quiz: Module 1

• Peer Activity 1 - Importance and Ethics of Psychological Research [280 minutes]

Module 2: Biopsychology: BIological Bases of Behavior

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand the Biological structures and processes by which bodies carry out activities.
Understand the Psychological factors which affect behavior.

Module 2: Lesson 1: The structure and function of Nervous system

Learning Objectives:

• The nervous system, the neurons and neurotransmitters, neuronal communication, and its influence on behavior.
  
• Describe the structure and function of the peripheral nervous system.
  
• Define the structure and function of the central nervous system, and the methods used in studying the brain and the areas of the brain that control language and speech.
  

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• 3.2 Cells of the Nervous System
• Impacts of Drugs on Neurotransmission
• The Neuroscience of Addiction - with Marc Lewis
• 3.3 Parts of the Nervous System
• 3.4 The Brain and Spinal Cord
• The Tools That Let Neuroscientists Study (and Even Repair) Brain Circuits

Module 2: Lesson 2: Biological Influences in Psychology

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the components of the endocrine system and its effects on behavior.
  
• Discuss behavioral genetics in terms of genes, temperament, and heredity, Influence of genetic and environmental factors on the development of behaviors, and genetically based behavioral variation in natural environment.
  
• Identify adaptive value of traits and behaviors, interaction between heredity and environmental influences.
  
• Describe why gene regulation of operons is important.
  

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• 3.5 The Endocrine System
• 3.1 Human Genetics
• What is an Environmental Factor?
• 1.3 Contemporary Psychology
• 11.7 Gene Regulation: Operon Theory: Sections Prokaryotic Gene Regulation and rokaryotic Gene Regulation

• Quiz: Module 2

• Peer Activity 2: Biological Influences in Psychology (278 minutes)

Module 3: Perception and Sensation

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand perception and its functions.
• Examine humans sensory processing, functions of sensation and perception, and understand the human senses of sight, hearing, touch, and smell.

Module 3: Lesson 1: The functions of perception and sensation

Learning objectives:

• Discuss perception, Bottom-up/top-down processing, Weber’s Law, and the Gestalt Principles of Perception.
• Describe the concepts of threshold, Signal detection theory, sensory adaptation, sensory receptors, sensory reception by hair cells, and psychophysics.

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• 5.1 Sensation versus Perception
• 5.6 Gestalt Principles of Perception
• Sensory Perception
• Psychophysics .
• Psychophysical Methods

Module 3: Lesson 2: Sensory Processing and Sensing the Environment (Vision, hearing and other senses)

Learning objectives:

• Describe the pathways that sensory systems follow into the central nervous system.
• Discuss sound, perceptual experiences, waves, and wavelengths.
  
• Describe the structure and function of the eye and visual processing.
  
• Describe the basic anatomy and function of the auditory system, encode and perceive pitch and localize sound.
  
• Describe the taste and somatosensation, smell, pheromones, kinesthetic sense, and vestibular sense.
  

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• 14.2 Central Processing: Sensory Pathways (Section)
• 5.2 Waves and Wavelengths
• 5.3 Vision
• 5.4 Hearing
• The Other Senses
• 14.1 Sensory Perception
• Chapter Review
• The Vestibular Sense

• Quiz: Module 3

• Peer Activity 3: Perception and Sensation (360 minutes)

Module 4: Consciousness

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand the states of consciousness with emphasis on sleep.
• Understand stages of sleep and sleep disorders.
• Understand altered states of consciousness produced by psychoactive drugs.
• Define hypnosis and meditation.

Module 4: Lesson 1: Definition of Consciousness and Alertness and Types of Attention (Selective and Divided)

Learning objectives:

• Understand consciousness.

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• 4.1 What Is Consciousness?

Module 4: Lesson 2: The normal sleep and its disorders.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe sleep and the different stages.
• Describe sleep cycle, sleep, and circadian rhythms.
  
• Discuss sleep problems and disorders.
  

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• 4.2 Sleep and Why We Sleep
• 4.3 Stages of Sleep
• Circadian Rhythm: What it is, what shapes it, and why it’s fundamental to getting quality sle
• 4.4 Sleep Problems and Disorders

Module 4: Lesson 3: Altering Consciousness.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the altered state of consciousness produced by psychoactive drugs.
  
• Discuss the state of consciousness produced by hypnosis and meditation.

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• 4.5 Substance Use and Abuse
• 4.6 Other States of Consciousness

• Quiz: Module 4

• Peer Activity 4: Consciousness (455 minutes)

Module 5: Human Lifespan Development

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand human physiological development in three stages: pre-natal, adolescent, and adulthood.
  

Module 5: Lesson 1: Developmental Milestones in the stages of human development.

Learning objectives:

• Describe the stages of prenatal development and recognize the importance of prenatal care, motor development, and developmental changes in adolescence.
  
• Discuss the developmental changes in adolescence and self-identity.
  
• Discuss the physical development of adulthood.
  

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• 9.3 Stages of Development: Sub-section Pre-natal development
• 9.3 Stages of Development: Adolescence
• 9.3 Stages of Development: Adulthood:

• Quiz: Module 5

• Discussion Forum 1: Human Lifespan Development (285 minutes)

Module 6: Learning and Attitude

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand the Theories of Learning.
  

Module 6: Lesson 1: Types of Learning in Psychology

Learning objectives:

• Recognize and define three basic forms of learning—classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and observational learning.
  
• Define observational learning and the steps in the modeling process.
  
• Describe habituation and dishabituation.
  

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• 6.1 What Is Learning?
• 6.2 Classical Conditioning
• 6.4 Observational Learning (Modeling)
• Types of learning Simple nonassociative learning
• A review of the characteristics, mechanisms, and clinical significance in fetuses and new born infants

• Quiz: Module 6

• Discussion Forum 2: Habituation and Dishabituation (204 minutes)

Module 7: Motivation and Emotion

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Explore issues relating to both motivation and emotion.
  

Module 7: Lesson 1: Motivation, Emotion and the physiological needs that drive human behavior

Learning objectives:

• Define intrinsic and extrinsic motivation and basic concepts associated with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
  
• Describe how hunger and eating are regulated.
  
• Understand basic biological mechanisms regulating sexual behavior and motivation, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
  
• Understand the concept of Emotion.
  

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• 10.1 Motivation
• 10.2 Hunger and Eating
• 10.3 Sexual Behavior
• 10.4 Emotion

• Quiz: Module 7

• Discussion Forum 3: On Sexual Behavior and Motivation, Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (245 minutes)

Module 8: Cognition and Intelligence

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand the higher levels of cognitive processes and the development of languages.
  

Module 8: Lesson 1: Cognition

Learning objectives:

• Discuss how humans process information they receive, rather than merely responding to stimuli.
  
• Describe Piajet's stages of cognitive development.
  
• Describe cognitive changes in late adulthood.
  
• Discuss the role of culture in cognitive development.
  
• Influence of heredity and environment on cognitive development.
  

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• 7.1 What Is Cognition?
• Information Processing Theories
• 9.2 Lifespan Theories: Cognitive Theory of Development
• 9.3 Stages of Development: Adulthood: Cognitive Development (Sub-section)
• Cognitive Development
• 3.1 Human Genetics: Dig Deeper (Sub-section)
• Genetic influence on cognitive development between childhood and adulthood
• Information Processing and Human Memory

• Discussion Forum 4: Informing Processing and Human Memory (315 minutes)

Module 8: Lesson 2: Thinking and Intelligence

Learning objectives:

• Describe problem solving strategies and common roadblocks to effective problem solving and decision making.
  
• Define intelligence and identify the differences in the intelligence theories.
  
• Describe the purposes and benefits of intelligence testing.
  
• Describe the Influence of heredity and environment on intelligence.
  
• Describe how genetics and environment affect intelligence and what are the variations in intellectual ability.
  

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• 7.3 Problem Solving
• 7.4 Intelligence and Creativity
• 7.5 Measures of Intelligence
• Is intelligence determined by genetics?
• 7.6 The Source of Intelligence

Module 8: Lesson 3: Language

Learning objectives:

• Define language and demonstrate familiarity with the components of language development and the relationship between language and thinking.

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• 7.2 Language
• 7. Language Development: Promoting Speaking, Listening & Communicating

• Quiz: Module 8

Module 9: Memory

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand: how humans process and store information; the different types of memory; how we retrieve our memories and why do we forget.

Module 9: Lesson 1: Types of memory and their functions

Learning objectives:

• Describe the process of encoding information.
  
• Discuss the types of memory storage; semantic networks and spreading activation, and relearning.
  

• 8.1 How Memory Functions
• 9.1 Memories as Types and Stages

Module 9: Lesson 2: Memory Problems, Forgetfulness, and Aging

Learning objectives:

• Discuss memory problems, memory construction, and source monitoring.
  
• Explain memory dysfuntion and forgetfullness in relation to aging.
  

• 8.3 Problems with Memory
• 8.3 Problems with Memory
• Memory, Forgetfulness, and Aging: What's Normal and What's Not?
• Memory loss
• Get the facts about memory loss
• Memory dysfunction

• Discussion Forum 5: Memory Problems (295 minutes)

Module 9: Lesson 3: The role of memory in learning and retrieval methods

Learning objectives:

• Differentiate between memory and learning.
  
• Describe the processes that aid in encoding memories.
  
• Discuss the changes in synaptic connections which underlie memory.
  
• Discuss neural plasticity.
  
• Recognize and apply memory-enhancing strategies and study techniques.
  

• How Memory Works
• Memory Retrieval: Recognition and Recall
• Context and State Dependent Memory
• 3.2 Cells of the Nervous System
• Brain and The Spinal Cord
• Neuroplasticity.
• 8.4 Ways to Enhance Memory
• Neural Plasticity

• Quiz: Module 9

• Peer Activity 5: The Role of Memory in Learning and Retrieval Methods (340 minutes)

Module 10: Personality

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand the theories of personality and the influences on human behavior.

Module 10: Lesson 1: Definition and theories of personality.

Learning objectives:

• Describe personality and the early theories about personality development.
• Describe the assumptions of the psychodynamic perspective on personality development.
  
• Discuss the concept of the inferiority complex.
  
• Describe the behaviorist, cognitive and social perspectives on personality.
  
• Discuss the contributions of Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers to personality development.
  
• Discuss the evolutionary perspective on personality development.
  
• Discuss early trait theories of Cattell and Eysenck, the Big Five factors, and describe someone who is high and low on each of the five factors.
  

• 11.1 What Is Personality?
• 11.2 Freud and the Psychodynamic Perspective
• 11.3 Neo-Freudians: Adler, Erikson, Jung, and Horney
• 11.4 Learning Approaches
• 11.5 Humanistic Approaches
• 11.6 Biological Approaches
• 11.7 Trait Theorists

Module 10: Lesson 2: Personality in the context of culture and personality assessment

Learning objectives:

• Discuss the cultural understandings of Personality.
  
• Recognize and describe common projective tests used in personality assessment.
  

• 11.8 Cultural Understandings of Personality
• 11.9 Personality Assessment

• Quiz: Module 10

• Peer Activity 6: Personality in the Context of Culture, Personality Assessment, and Evolutionary Perspective (481 minutes)

Module 11: Health Psychology, Stress, Coping and Mental Health

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand the role of the stress on mental health and mechanism to coping it.
  

Module 11: Lesson 1: Health psychology and stress

Learning objectives:

• Describe stress and different types of possible stressors.
  
• Describe stress-related illness.
  
• Define coping and differentiate between problem-focused and emotion-focused coping.
  
• Describe the field of positive psychology and identify the types of problems it addresses.
  

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• 14.1 What Is Stress?
• 14.2 Stressors
• 14.3 Stress and Illness
• 14.4 Regulation of Stress
• 14.5 The Pursuit of Happiness

• Quiz: Module 11

• Discussion Forum 6: Positive Psychology (260 minutes)

Module 12: Psychological Disorders

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand psychological disorders and the problems inherent in defining the concept of a psychological disorder.
  

Module 12: Lesson 1: Introduction to Psychological Disorders

Learning objectives:

• Identify the criteria of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that must be met to be considered abnormal and, thus, symptomatic of a psychological disorder.
• Identify the most common disorders.
  
• Describe modern biological and supernatural perspectives on the origin of psychological disorders.
  

• 15.1 What Are Psychological Disorders?
• 15.2 Diagnosing and Classifying Psychological Disorders
• 15.3 Perspectives on Psychological Disorders

Module 12: Lesson 2: Classification of Psychological disorders

Learning objectives:

• Describe the major anxiety disorders, including their main features and prevalence.
• Describe the main features and prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, and hoarding disorder.
  
• Describe the nature and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and the risk factors.
  
• Describe the symptoms of major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder, and the differences between major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder, and identify two subtypes of depression.
  
• Discuss Statistics related to mental health disorders.
  
• Discuss the nature of schizophrenia, addressing the misconception that it involves a split personality.
  
• Identify and differentiate the symptoms of dissociative disorders, amnesia, depersonalization/ derealization disorder, and dissociative identity disorder.
  
• Identify and differentiate the symptoms of dissociative disorder, amnesia, depersonalization/ derealization disorder, and dissociative identity disorder in childhood.
  
• Describe the nature of personality disorders and how they differ from other disorders.
  

• 15.4 Anxiety Disorders
• 15.5 Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
• 15.6 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
• 15.7 Mood Disorders
• Mental Health Disorder Statistics
• 15.8 Schizophrenia
• 15.9 Dissociative Disorders
• 15.10 Disorders in Childhood
• 15.11 Personality Disorders

• Quiz: Module 12

• Peer Activity 7: Schizophrenia as a Mental Health Disorder (365 minutes)

Module 13: Abnormal Psychology

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand abnormal behavior from Psychologic perspective and their respective treatments.

Module 13: Lesson 1: Introduction to Abnormal Psychology

Learning objectives:

• Describe normative and nonnormative behavior in society.
  

• Abnormal Psychology
• Social Norms

Module 13: Lesson 2: Mental Health Therapy and Treatments; evolution, types, and modes of treatment.

Learning objectives:

• Explain how people with psychological disorders have been treated throughout the ages.
  
• Discuss psychotherapy and biomedical therapy.
  
• Distinguish between the various modalities of treatment.
  
• Describe how addictive disorders are treated.
  
• Explain how the sociocultural model is used in therapy.
  

• 16.1 Mental Health Treatment: Past and Present
• 16.2 Types of Treatment
• 16.3 Treatment Modalities
• 16.4 Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders: A Special Case
• 16.5 The Sociocultural Model and Therapy Utilization

• Quiz: Module 13

• Peer Activity 8: Mental Health Therapy and Treatments (300 minutes)

Module 14: Social Psychology

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Describe how social psychology plays a role in social behavior at the individual and collective levels.

Module 14: Lesson 1: Definition of Social Psychology

Learning objectives:

• Describe social psychology and situational versus dispositional influences on behavior.

• 12.1 What Is Social Psychology?

Module 14: Lesson 2: Determinants of Social behavior

Learning objectives:

• Describe social roles and how they influence behavior.
  
• Describe how people’s attitudes are internally changed through cognitive dissonance.
  
• Discuss the different agents of socialization.
  
• Describe the Psychology of making group decisions.
  
• Describe social thinking.
  

• 12.2 Self-presentation
• 12.3 Attitudes and Persuasion
• 4.3 Agents of Socialization
• 12.4 Conformity, Compliance, and Obedience
• What Is Social Thinking: Three Parts of Social Thinking

• Quiz: Module 14

• Discussion Forum 7: Agents of Socialization (365 minutes)

Module 15: Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand the role of industrial and organizational psychology.

Module 15: Lesson 1: The role of Psychology in the Workplace

Learning objectives:

• Discuss the scope of study in the field of industrial and organizational psychology.
  
• Describe the approaches to issues surrounding performance assessment.
  
• Explain the role of human factors- psychology in safety, productivity, and job satisfaction.
  

• 13.1 What Is Industrial and Organizational Psychology?
• 13.2 Industrial Psychology: Selecting and Evaluating Employees
• 13.4 Human Factors Psychology and Workplace Design
• Organizational Psychology: The Social Dimension of Work

• Quiz: Module 15

• Discussion Forum 8: The Role of Psychology in the Workplace (360 minutes)

Module 16: Counselling Psychology

Instructional Goals covered in this module:

• Understand Counselling Psychology and the Counselling Relationship.

Module 16: Lesson 1: Introduction to Counseling Psychology

Learning objectives:

• Describe counseling psychology.
  
• Discuss the counseling relationship between the patient and psychologist.
  

• Counseling Psychology
• Better relationships with patients lead to better outcomes

• Quiz: Module 16

• Discussion Forum 9: Counseling Relationships (385 minutes)

Final Activity

• Final Activity: Introduction to Psychology (410 minutes)

Final Exam

• Final Exam

Course and Self Evaluation & Certificate

In this section, you can provide feedback about this course to help us make NextGenU.org better. Once evaluations are completed, you will be able to download your certificate of completion.

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• Course Evaluation
• Self Evaluation

Course Activities