SOSC1960-L1 Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)

Spring 2025
Course Outline

Course description

This course examines human thinking and behavior processes from a psychological perspective and
illustrates the relevance of psychological insights to the betterment of society. It is designed to help students
acquire a basic understanding of psychology as a scientific discipline and prepare them for more advanced
psychology courses in the future.

Intended learning outcomes (ILOs)

On successful completion of the course, you will be able to

(1) recognize some fundamental scientific concepts about human mind and behavior;
(2) analyze human performance and well-being in various societal settings with reference to these concepts;
(3) explain how scientific research on human mind and behavior is conducted.

Teaching team

Instructor: Kevin Tam, kevintam@ust.hk

TA: Vivien Pong, vivienpong@ust.hk; Gewen Chen, gchenbr@connect.ust.hk
* Emails will be responded to on working days only. When contacting us by email, always prefix the subject
line of your message with the course code (e.g., “SOSC1960 | exam”). Use your university email account
only. Tell us who you are in the email; emails with no identity revealed will not be responded to. Do NOT
send messages via Canvas.

Learning activities

* Detailed information regarding the assessed activities can be found in separate documents.
* Assessment will be made using criterion-referencing; scores and grades will NOT be assigned on a curve.

1. Lectures. As the foundation of your learning in this course, the lectures introduce psychology through
various activities. (ILOs #1 to 3)
* Lectures will NOT be recorded.

2. Participation (10%). Active participation in the lectures helps you and your peers learn more effectively.
Each lecture includes some learning activities, for which your participation is expected. For a random
selection of 5 lectures (you won’t know which ones in advance), you will be asked to complete some
tasks and submit your output; depending on its quality, each submission will contribute either 0% or 2%
to your course grade. (ILOs #1 to #3)

3. Required and optional readings. The required readings complement the lectures and will be covered in
the exams. The optional readings are recommendations for students who want to further explore a topic
of interest. (ILOs #1 to 3)
* Please refer to the class calendar below for the readings list. The readings can be found on the Noba
Project platform (https://nobaproject.com) or in the “Optional Readings” folder on Canvas.

4. Investigative project (15%). The project will be centered around a specific problem about human mind
and behavior. You will learn how to systematically search scientific literature for relevant materials,
critically read and evaluate scientific evidence, and apply what you have learned to develop
recommendations related to the problem. Stepwise learning support will be provided in the process. That
is, the project will be broken down into manageable steps (literature search, reading and argumentation,
writing). For each step, you will receive guidance through a workshop, and your understanding will be
 assessed. This project is aimed to help you develop skills that will prove valuable for your continued and
lifelong learning of psychology. (ILOs #1 to #3)
* Workshop dates: 20 Feb (Workshop 1); 20 Mar (Workshop 2)
* Submission deadlines: 17:00, 6 Mar (Interim Report), 3 Apr (Final report)

5. Exams (35% + 35%). The two exams assess your basic understanding of course materials with multiple-
choice questions. They cover all materials discussed in the lectures and the required readings. Exam 1
covers Modules 1 and 2, and Exam 2 covers Modules 3 and 4. (ILOs #1 to #3)
* Exam 1: 10:30 – 11:50, 18 Mar (tentative), venue to be announced
* Exam 2: date, time, venue to be announced by the university; please refrain from scheduling any trips,
job interviews, or other activities until the schedule for the exam is known.

6. Learning reflection (5%). At the end of the course, you will be guided to reflect on how your learning
experience has transformed your knowledge and yourself as a person. (ILOs #1 and #2)
* Submission deadline: 17:00, 12 May

Communication and feedback

Scores and comments for assessed activities will be communicated via Canvas within two to four weeks of
submission. Feedback will include strengths and areas for improvement. Students who have further questions
about the feedback should consult the TAs within five working days after the feedback is received.

Final grade descriptors

Grades Short Description Elaboration

• demonstrates comprehensive grasp of course materials
• exhibits a high capacity for scholarship, going beyond requirements
Excellent
A • shows originality in works submitted
Performance
• shows an extraordinary level of motivation to learn
• displays eagerness to apply materials learned
• demonstrates good understanding of course materials
• exhibits a good capacity for scholarship within course requirements
B Good Performance
• shows a high level of motivation to learn
• displays interest to apply materials learned
• demonstrates adequate understanding of course materials
Satisfactory • exhibits some ability to think critically and analytically
C
Performance • fulfils all course requirements satisfactorily
• displays moderate motivation to learn and apply materials learned
• demonstrates poor understanding of course materials
• fails to think critically and analytically
D Marginal Pass
• barely fulfils all course requirements
• displays weak motivation to learn and apply materials learned
• fails to adequately understand course materials
F Fail • fails to fulfil all course requirements
• shows minimal motivation to learn and apply materials learned
Policies

1. Learning attitude. Your active participation not only helps you and your peers learn more but also
enables us to teach better. Think about what you want to learn and how you are going to learn it. Use
grades, scores, and comments from us to understand how much and how well you have learned and how
you can improve.

2. Academic integrity. Students are expected to adhere to the university’s academic integrity policy.
Students are expected to uphold HKUST’s Academic Honor Code and to maintain the highest standards
of academic integrity. The University has zero tolerance of academic misconduct. Please refer to
Academic Integrity | HKUST – Academic Registry for the University’s definition of plagiarism and
ways to avoid cheating and plagiarism.

3. Lecture slides. The lecture slides will be available on Canvas before each lecture. Note that some
contents (mainly examples and activities) might be removed from the shared version. You are
encouraged to take your own notes and generate your own examples. Research has shown that personal
notetaking and example generation improve learning and course performance.

4. Submission policy. We have a grace period policy that allows for submissions to be accepted up to 5
hours late without penalty. Penalties apply to submissions late for more than 5 hours.

5. AI policy. The use of generative AI to assist your own learning is permitted under the conditions that
proper acknowledgement is provided, and the use does not replace your own work.

6. Make-up exam. Please refrain from scheduling any flights, job interviews, or other activities on the exam
dates, as no make-up exam will be arranged in these cases. A make-up exam will only be arranged for
medical reasons. If you have to miss an exam due to an acute medical situation, you must contact us
within 3 days after the exam and present medical proof; otherwise, your entitlement will be forfeited.
The make-up exam will consist of essay questions only.

Class calendar
* Subject to minor changes
* Meeting time and venue: 10:30 – 11:50, every Tuesday and Thursday, Room 4620
* Required readings highlighted in red, optional readings in black

Introduction: Why and how psychologists study human mind and behavior

4 Feb: Overview
 American Psychological Association, APA Task Force on Climate Change. (2022). Addressing the
Climate Crisis: An Action Plan for Psychologists, Report of the APA Task Force on Climate Change.
Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/science/about/publications/climate-crisis-action-plan.pdf
 Baker, D. B. & Sperry, H. (2023). History of psychology. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba
textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/j8xkgcz5

6 Feb: Research method

 Rafaeli, A., Ashtar, S., & Altman, D. (2019). Digital traces: New data, resources, and tools for
psychological science research. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 28(6), 560-566.
 Scollon, C. N. (2023). Research designs. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series:
Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/acxb2thy
Module 1: How we experience the world

11 Feb: Sensation and perception

 Lachs, L. (2023). Multi-modal perception. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook
series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/cezw4qyn
 Privitera, A. J. (2023). Sensation and perception. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba
textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/xgk3ajhy

13 Feb: Circadian rhythm and sleep

 Finkel, M. (2018, August). Want to fall asleep? Read this story. National Geographic, 40-77.
 Foster, R. (2013, June). Why do we sleep? Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/russell_foster_why_do_we_sleep

18 Feb: Consciousness
 Biswas-Diener, R. & Teeny, J. (2023). States of consciousness. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds),
Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from
http://noba.to/xj2cbhek
 Friedrich, F. (2023). Attention. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series:
Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/uv9x8df5
 Martinez-Conde, S., & Macknik, S. L. (2008, December). Magic and the brain. Scientific American, 72-
79

20 Feb: Workshop 1

25 Feb: Emotions
 Hwang, H. & Matsumoto, D. (2023). Functions of emotions. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds),
Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from
http://noba.to/w64szjxu
 Tsai, J. (2023). Culture and emotion. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series:
Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/gfqmxtyw

27 Feb: Learning
 Bouton, M. E. (2023). Conditioning and learning. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba
textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/ajxhcqdr

Module 2: How we think

4 Mar: Memory
 Dudukovic, N. & Kuhl, B. (2023). Forgetting and amnesia. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener
(Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved
from http://noba.to/m38qbftg
 Loftus, E. (2013, June). How reliable is your memory? Retrieved from
http://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_loftus_the_fiction_of_memory
 McDermott, K. B. & Roediger, H. L. (2023). Memory (encoding, storage, retrieval). In R. Biswas-
Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers.
Retrieved from http://noba.to/bdc4uger

6 Mar: Rationality
 Bazerman, M. H. (2023). Judgment and decision making. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba
textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/9xjyvc3a
 Kahneman, D. (2003). A perspective on judgment and choice: Mapping bounded rationality. American
Psychologist, 58, 697-720.
 Thorgeirsson, T., & Kawachi, I. (2013). Behavioral economics: Merging psychology and economics for
lifestyle interventions. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 44, 185-189.
11 Mar: Intelligence
 Biswas-Diener, R. (2023). Intelligence. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series:
Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/ncb2h79v
 Brackett, M., Delaney, S., & Salovey, P. (2023). Emotional intelligence. In R. Biswas-Diener & E.
Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from
http://noba.to/xzvpfun7
 Woolley, A. W., Aggarwal, I., & Malone, T. W. (2015). Collective intelligence and group
performance. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24(6), 420-424.

13 Mar: Consultation for Exam 1

18 Mar: Exam 1 (tentative, venue to be announced)

20 Mar: Workshop 2

Module 3: Who we are and how we behave

25 Mar: Motivation
 Bhatia, S. & Loewenstein, G. (2023). Drive states. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba
textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/pjwkbt5h
 Baumeister, R. F., Brewer, L. E., Tice, D. M., & Twenge, J. M. (2007). Thwarting the need to belong:
Understanding the interpersonal and inner effects of social exclusion. Social and Personality
Psychology Compass, 1, 506-520.

27 Mar: Personality
 Diener, E. & Lucas, R. E. (2023). Personality traits. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba
textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/96u8ecgw
 Watson, D. (2023). Personality assessment. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook
series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/eac2pyv7

1 Apr: mid-term break

3 Apr: mid-term break

8 Apr: Development
 Siegler, R. (2023). Cognitive development in childhood. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba
textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/8uv4fn9h
 Thompson, R. (2023). Social and personality development in childhood. In R. Biswas-Diener & E.
Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved
from http://noba.to/gdqm6zvc

10 Apr: Parental influence

 Fraley, R. C. (2023). Attachment through the life course. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba
textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/s3kj9ufv
 Diener, M. L. (2023). The developing parent. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook
series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/hsv75d46

15 Apr: Social influence

 Burger, J. M. (2023). Conformity and obedience. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba
textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/hkray8fs
 Cialdini, R. B. (2006). Influence: The psychology of persuasion. New York: Collins.
 Forsyth, D. R. (2024). The psychology of groups. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba
textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/trfxbkhm
Module 4: Our health and wellbeing

17 Apr: Abnormality
 Farreras, I. G. (2023). History of mental illness. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook
series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/65w3s7ex
 Lilienfeld, S. O., & Arkowitz, H. (2009, November/December). Foreign afflictions. Scientific American
Mind, 68-69.

22 Apr: Psychological disorders

 DSM-5: https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/educational-resources
 ICD: https://icd.who.int/en
 MSD manuals: https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/psychiatric-disorders

24 Apr: Treatment and therapy

 Boettcher, H., Hofmann, S. G., & Wu, Q. J. (2023). Therapeutic orientations. In R. Biswas-Diener & E.
Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved
from http://noba.to/fjtnpwsk
 Barron, S. (2023). Psychopharmacology. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook series:
Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/umx6f2t8
 Kazdin, A. E. (2023). Interventions in everyday life to improve mental health and reduce symptoms of
psychiatric disorders. American Psychologist.

29 Apr : Mind and body

 Hooker, E. & Pressman, S. (2023). The healthy life. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba
textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/4tm85z2x
 Jones, E. J., Ayling, K., Wiley, C. R., Geraghty, A. W., Greer, A. L., Holt-Lunstad, J., … & Vedhara, K.
(2023). Psychology Meets Biology in COVID-19: What We Know and Why It Matters for Public
Health. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 10(1), 33-40.

1 May: Labor Day

6 May: Happiness
 Diener, E. (2023). Happiness: The science of subjective well-being. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener
(Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from
http://noba.to/qnw7g32t
 Emmons, R. A. (2023). Positive psychology. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener (Eds), Noba textbook
series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. Retrieved from http://noba.to/9z4jf5xe

8 May: Consultation (for Exam 2)

May: Exam 2 (date, time, and venue to be announced by the university)

< End of Course Outline >